Was thinking about slackening an older bikes head tube geometry just a tiny bit … Anybody tried the above? Thoughts? Comments ? Easy to fit? Last long?

Been looking at them but not exactly cheap, been considering offset shock bushings or having my shock shortened as a cheaper way of achieving the same thing.

I’ve got a Works Components head angle reducer in my Hemlock, same idea, just much simpler and much much cheaper. Works brilliantly in that bike… It’s a slight fiddle to fit them because they need to be so exact (same for all versions including CC), my headset press kept rotating the cups as they went in so in the end I rubber malleted it in, easy but took 2 goes at one of the cups.

And they’re already on the market for standard steerers as well- reading Dirt magazine wet themselves over the prototype CC last month was a bit weird when they could get a UK-made one tomorrow for £75…

I’ve got two ‘anglesets’, neither Cane Creek, one is a Works Components -1? on a standard headtube, works nicely, fitted fine with a head-set press, lined up with a mix of a steel rule and some thread. Works fine, nicely made, massively cheaper than a Cane Creek one.

The other is a custom-made one from a guy called Saar who posts on mtbr and CNCs them to order, it’s a -2? one in a zero-stack, 41mm internal diameter headtube. Again a little fiddly to install, but has completely changed the character of the bike, a Pace RC405.

One degree change is detectable, 2? is quite a big difference. It’s a much neater solution than just sticking on longer forks because the seat tube is actually steepened and the BB drops a little too, so you end up with a bike that still has decent weight distribution and climbs properly.

On my Pace, the bike’s designed to work with 130mm forks, is okay as standard with 140mm Pikes, but with a 150mm Revelation the front end was awful on climbs. With the -2? headset, I’m able to run a 150mm Sektor and still keep the front end low and climbable. And it’s so much more together and stable on steep descents and downhill generally.

Brilliant upgrade if you know what you’re trying to achieve, Works Components stuff works great and is loads cheaper than Cane Creek, though as above, a little fiddly to install. Saar reckons there’s a +/- 2mm tolerance on alignment fwiw, but it makes sense to get it as close to perfect as possible.

Lots of stories about the Angleset not being quite as good as it should be.

Some people seem unable to get the headset to tighten sufficiently to stop front end play, others suffering from horrendous creaking/cracking in the front end.

The theory I think is great, the practice is in the HT area I think you really need as few parts as possible as any play/intolerance just gets magnified and manifests itself as all sorts of noise.

If you know what you want, i’d stick with the Works or K9 offerings.

… Sounds like I’ll go to a decent bike shop and get their advice and fitting for a works components set. I was think nearly 200 quid looked a but much.

hmmm I didn’t know you could get these for standard head tubes. -1 degree on my Inbred might be just the ticket