I wanted to slacken out my 2013 Saracen Ariel 162 so i ordered the 2° Superstar Slackeriser headset.

Feels good so far a bit slower steering as to be expected.

Will be doing a proper test over FOD on Sunday.

top photo is after.

What sort of headtube does the Ariel have?

Tapered, now fitted with external cups top and bottom rather than the internal top and external bottom.

I love these things, for me it basically kept my Hemlock going for 3 more years, I’d not have kept it otherwise. And it made my C456 OK.

I’d still buy Works rather than Superstar knockoffs tbh but that’s on them, not you!

Time will tell how it pans out £37.50 wasn’t a huge outlay to play about.

Tempted by one of these for my one20 – the offset bushes helped but it’s still twitchy compared to my hardtail

I am hovering over the buy button for my C456. Going with an internal bottom cup to get the BB lower is not an option as I am running tapered forks and due to the short headtube I have to have external top and bottom cups anyway or the split ring jams on the taper section.

I am worried about making the handling too slow but I do tend to switch my fork between 120 and 150 and would prefer to run 120 most of the time but a little bit slacker and keep the 150 for when really pointing down hill (think 150 is too long for general riding on that frame) so I may well take the plunge. My headset looks a mess at the moment as I have a red bottom cup and big ugly black thing up top which was On Ones fix for the short head tubes.

How wrong does that bottom photo look now!

andyl, is it an original C456? Mine worked really well with a 2 degree slackener. It climbed much the same, ie adequately but not especially well, but it descended tons better. Basically I don’t mind if it makes a bike a wee bit worse at something it never shone at anyway, if it makes it better at important stuff.

Hold on nobody’s mentioned the grass – standards have slipped 🙂

Do you know what size of headset you ordered? I’m pondering something for a 44/56 headtube with a tapered steerer, but this looks like I’d have to go for an external top cup.

NW: yeah original. tbh I put most of the poor climbing down to me. I used to run it with 100-130 revs which started off being at 100 most of the time and then I gradually left them at 130 but started to notice the flex in the QR and the harder I rode them. I then swapped to some 120-150 RLT-Ti’s with a 20mm bolt through which are excellent but I do tend to use the 120 mode for climbing but at the moment am stuck in between liking the slacker head angle at 150 but hating the high BB. I was looking at custom rear drop outs but all that would do is slacken the seat tube even more and make it even worse at climbing and then the SS email arrived in my inbox.

I would love to be able to drop the BB with an internal bottom cup but that’s not going to happen. I think the 2 deg slcaker headtube will lower the bb by about 5mm though which is not to be sniffed at I guess.

the other option was try one to slacken out the mk1 Solaris by 2deg, not sure it needs it. The c456 is my play hardtail, solaris my mile muncher.

I bought Northwinds old cane creek Angleset and its rad. Coupled with some offset bushings and a respray my bike is good for another few years I reckon!

Ooh, do you need a tapered head tube? I got a Trans-Am with a straight tube I’d love to slackerise.

Mine arrived today and I fitted it this afternoon to my spearfish. Just slacked it out to the new model 69deg head angle going to take the bike out for a spin tomorrow to see how she handles

I bought a Works one cheap from On One ages ago, just 1 degree as it’s for a 1 1/8 straight headtube. Finally fitted it to the BFe last week and, although it’s not noticeable as such, it’s deffinitely improved things. I feel like I’m more composed within the bike and not quite so over the front.

Also, not that it’s worth much, but downhill Strava times have shown a slight improvement, which is good as I’ve been off the bike for 7 weeks with a knackered shoulder.

I hate headset standards… Which one would I need for a mk1 Solaris (44mm head tube) with a tapered fork?!

I’ve got one of these coming for my Honzo, really looking forward to trying a 65 degree 29er.

I dont think you can fit one of these if you have a tapered fork steerer?

I have a zs44/ec44 headset currently with a tapered steerer. Is it possible to use one of the slackerizers?

Some of them fit tapered steelers, but none with an ec44 bottom cup, which I think is what I need…

I hate headset standards… Which one would I need for a mk1 Solaris (44mm head tube) with a tapered fork?!

Not possible unless you change to a straight steerer fork.

I have a zs44/ec44 headset currently with a tapered steerer. Is it possible to use one of the slackerizers?

Nope. Not enough room in the 44mm ID headtube for the offset of the taper.

I’ve got a straight steerer and tempted, but worried I will make the steering too slow (solaris) with it.

Glad this has come up.OP can you tell me the stack height of the slackerizer as SS don’t seem to want to tell me.
Cheers bud..

Good question, I was wondering that too.

I hate headset standards… Which one would I need for a mk1 Solaris (44mm head tube) with a tapered fork?!

Superstar might not do one, but Works Components do a headset for 44mm head tubes with a tapered steerer fork, albeit 1 degree slacker not 2.

yup forgot Works do one that works

http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/10-degree-ec44–ec44—tapered-steerer-tube-headset-740-p.asp

Re 44mm headtubes….iirc i have an Orange Gyro which is a 44, and i have a -2 angleset in it. I run tapered forks.

If i am mistaken then pls let me know!

Unless yours is different Orange state the Gyro as having a 49mm ID headtube not 44mm.

https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/archive/2014/gyro_s/

It would appear i am mistaken! Thank you. I knew contributing when at work was a mistake 🙂

So bikes that were fine for ages suddenly become unrideable and need their geometry changing? Every day is a school day.

MrSparkle – Member

So bikes that were fine for ages suddenly become unrideable and need their geometry changing?

You must be reading a different thread tbh

Only one person has said they were unrideable

OP, any chance of a close up?

For those that are interested, I’ve been looking for something to slacken my Grapil (44mm and tapered) and Works have literally just added 1.5 and 2 degree slacksets for 44 head tubes (they weren’t there the other day when I was thinking about ordering a 1 degree one). I was only just cursing myself for getting rid of my straight steerer Revelations too, as I’d wanted to slacken by 2 degrees. 😀

1.5 Degree
http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/15-degree-ec44–ec44—tapered-steerer-tube-headset-1144-p.asp

2.0 Degree
http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/20-degree-ec44–ec44—tapered-steerer-tube-headset-1136-p.asp

Fitted one of these this weekend, installation was simple enough like any other headset. Will be riding it tomorrow morning. Certainly looks way better on my hard tail.

I have a Works -2 on the full suspension and a Superstar -2 on the hardtail.

The Works one looks nicer but it’s also more expensive, both seem to get the job done. If memory serves, I can’t be bothered to go look, the Works has a lower stack height

Works have literally just added 1.5 and 2 degree slacksets for 44 head tubes

They’ve been doing them quite a while, I’ve had a 2 deg one on mine for several months now. I’m trying to make it a mainly pointing downhill bike but which still maintains plenty of feel, I.e. not having huge inches of plush suspension.

I’m loving the 64 ish head angle. Just put a 35mm stem on, fancy a play with that tmrw.

These angle modifying headsets are great for those that like to tinker and experiment.

Got, fitted and ridden one of these superstar ones, seems a little nicer than the works. Very happy. Lets see how long before it creaks.

Have a works components -1 fitted to my Trance, tricky to install as you can’t use a headset press and have to use the hammer/block of wood method.

Ended up with the Trance sitting at 66degree head angle, with a slightly lower front end and bottom bracket, perfect trail bike now. With the 160mm forks the front end felt quite high and for me the bike worked better with a shorter fork, just I wanted a bit more stability.

Got one to fit to my c456, hoping that there is enough stack height on the 90mm head tube to clear the taper on my carbon revs. One thing I did notice is that the split ring is quite sharp so will score a carbon steerer. Also use a flat blade screwdriver to open it up slightly as you push the top cover and integrated split ring down.

Now all I have to do is get the old bottom cup out of my c456 frame but the internal lip is making that very tricky.

Remember a 2 degree headset will kick the fork out so lower the head tube and will end up being about 1.5 degrees slacker not the full 2.

The stack height is about 22mm i would guess, not with the bike to check atm.

Some additional photos:

Hope they are useful.

Having been to Forest of Dean on the bike plus a few local spots it is def an improvement for the rough stuff.

I found i was dropping the front over some jumps so I went from a 25mm rise 760mm bar to a 35mm set of 780mm Renthal Fatbars and it is much better.

I would def recommend getting one.