Spacers solve a simple problem: your steerer tube is longer than your stem stack height, and you need to fill the gap. The Ritchey Switch Headset Spacers handle this with a design feature that goes beyond basic functionality—each spacer splits into two halves, allowing installation and removal without pulling your stem or disconnecting cables. For bikes with internally routed housing or electronic shifting wires, this eliminates the headache of rerouting everything just to adjust stack height by five millimeters.

The split design uses interlocking tabs that align the two halves precisely, maintaining the same concentricity you'd get from a solid spacer. Once the stem bolt tension compresses the headset stack, the spacer functions identically to a one-piece unit. Ritchey machines these from 7075 aluminum, which provides the stiffness needed to handle preload forces without deforming over time. The five-pack gives you enough material to experiment with different stack configurations or maintain multiple bikes without hunting for individual spacers.

Each spacer measures 5mm tall with a 28.6mm inner diameter, fitting standard 1-1/8-inch threadless steerer tubes. The outer diameter clears most frame designs and integrates cleanly with Ritchey headsets, though the dimensional compatibility extends to any standard threadless setup. If you've ever sworn at a cockpit while trying to snake a derailleur housing back through the frame after a simple stem height adjustment, these spacers exist specifically to prevent that scenario.... Read More