Threadless headsets with external cups are the workhorse standard for traditional steel and aluminum frames built around a 34mm head tube — and Ritchey's RL1 Fit External Cup EC34 covers that spec for 1-1/8" steerers without the price tag of the WCS line. It's the entry point in Ritchey's headset range, built around alloy cups and steel races with retainer bearings, and it's aimed squarely at builds where the headset needs to do its job reliably without being the line item that blows the budget.

This is the 1-1/8" version, so the upper sits at EC34/28.6 and the lower at EC34/30 — the same dimensions you'll find on most threadless steel road and touring frames with non-tapered forks. The retainer bearings aren't sealed cartridges like the WCS or Classic headsets use, but for the price point that's the trade-off, and Ritchey ships them packed and ready to install. Cups are alloy, races are steel, and the whole package is finished in black to disappear into the build.

Two things worth flagging before you order. First, the compression cap is not included with this headset, so if you don't have one already from a previous build, you'll need to source one separately. Second, this headset is not compatible with Ritchey WCS Carbon forks that use an integrated 45° crown race — those forks need a matching headset without a separate crown race, and the RL1 isn't it. For standard 1-1/8" steel or alloy forks with a pressed-on crown race, you're fine.