Weight: 130g / S3 plus 5 (£44.95) / 1-year warranty / Colour: black and silver / Contact: Extra UK 01933 672170

The bearings in the S-3 are cheaper than those in the Solos but to protect them Cane Creek has included extra rubber sealing along with it’s overhanging cup/cover design. The S-3’s 6061 aluminium cups also insert further into the head tube than those of the Solos and both have an ‘undercut transition’ — a small groove cut into the shoulder of both cups. Cane Creek says this is designed to keep the cups perfectly square in the head tube, but we’ve used dozens of headsets over the years and cup alignment has never been a problem.
Again a bundle of Interlok spacers are included with this headset.
The S-3 only has a nominal warranty but the finish, bearing quality and sealing is first class for a sub-£30 headset. This is the best budget headset on test.

MBR rating: 10/10