In 2026, Chris King Precision Components will turn 50. And to celebrate their golden anniversary, King have created a special Matte Gold finish across all of their products. It will only be available next year, then permanently retired. It’s the first of several ‘anniversary-related drops’ that they’ve teased for next year.
50 years of Chris King Precision Components get Matte Gold
Many years ago, Japanese customer Akiyoshi Takamura wrote a note to Chris King about his new hubs when registering his warranty. “It rolls good with angry bee sound.” I know that, because I have an old King t-shirt with a beehive and that quote on the back. So what better tribute to 50 years, than to see King’s little rear hub bee logo etched onto a set of 50th anniversary hubs in the color of honey!
“Chris King, the company, is a testament to what you can achieve if you stick to your ideals. Right from the beginning, Chris, the man, set out to make longer lasting, better performing components in the most environmentally responsible way possible. He was a self-taught engineer and a brilliant machinist and a fighter, who showed us how to solve problems the right way. I know everyone here is really proud of our work, and we’re going to celebrate that in a big way in 2026.”
– Kirby Bedsaul, President of Chris King Precision Components
All anniversary edition matte gold hubs will feature this special 50th bee logo laser mark. As will the King seatpost collar. And matte gold headset/stem caps and espresso tampers will also get their own graphics with a subtle nod to the 50th anniversary.
Almost every anodized aluminum component in the regular Chris King lineup will be available in matte gold for 2026. Just not any threaded headsets or rim brake hubs. And it won’t cost you anything extra over the typical rainbow of finishes. Technically, Chris King is not calling it a limited edition, as they will make as many matte gold components as customers want. But it actually will be limited. It’ll just only be available through the end of 2026, then gone for good.
What’s next from Chris King in 2026?
“I never thought I’d make a living manufacturing bicycle components, but I’ve been crazy for the bike since way back, and year after year, through this company, I’ve been able to solve a few of the problems I saw with the equipment people were using, and build a fun place to work to boot. I’m really happy, not only for myself, but for all the people who worked so hard to make this thing go for 50 years.”
– company founder Chris King
We’ve been teased that many more new projects are coming in 2026 to celebrate the Chris King 50th anniversary. Beyond special editions of existing components, they will also release a video interview series with their eponymous founder, anniversary-edition soft goods like shirts & caps, and a book looking back. Plus, they’ve teased “a couple of exciting new products“.
We’ll be staying tuned!