Anybody tried one of those Works 1 1/8 headsets to slacken the head angle by a degree? Wotcha reckon? Easy to fit, did it make a difference on your bike (what bike though), and all that guff. Interested for my ’08 Orange 5.

Ta!

See hora’s new bike thread…

Tempted by one myself, though may go for the Saar one as you can get that in 1.5 degrees.

I’ve ordered some Burgtec offset bushings too so I can still have a lowish BB with my Lyriks, but just wondering about the extra effect of a Works headset.

I read Hora’s thread – his ‘review’ was most enlightening! His bike felt ‘bar heavy’? WTF does that mean? :facepalm:

Think BWD’s comments where a bit more informative.

These sorts of differences can be hard to describe though in anything other than cycling magazine cliche. For me most changes either feel better or worse for a certain type of riding, I’d find describing how that is difficult. Hora probably knows what he means by bar heavy!

Who’s BWD?

Anyway, are they easy to fit as intended and what’s the quality of manufacture like on them?

EDIT – I’ve read further down now, so know who BWD is. Ta!

Suspect it’s much like a normal headset but you need to make sure it’s peoperly aligned. Not fitted one though, but in STW fashion I thought I’d give an opinion anyway 😉

“Bar heavy”. Hard to describe- not the headsets ‘fault’. Its the geo of the bike. When I’m riding it on descents it feels like I am leaning heavily against the bars (as though I am weight-heavy on my shoulders and heavy-steering the bike throught steep-stuff) rather than my usual ‘stance’ where I have my ass waaay too far back over the rear tyre.

Maybe now I’m in the correct body-position (more central)? as I’ve gone for a longer top tube than I’ve normally used.

On the headsets themselves- you may be restricted to a 1degree if your headset is the narrower-type (32 or 34?) as opposed to 44. Check this with WC first.

Aye, it’s just the 1 degree that I can use with my 1 1/8 headtube.

Sounds like you need to get used to a larger sized bike. Like you, I prefer them smaller for that reason – I feel too front weighted and more difficult to move about on the bike despite what the mags say about going larger. Smaller frames also just feel more fun as you can get the front up more easily IME.

What was the outcome with your squiffy headtube v. dodgy headset? I read it on mtbr. 😉

I’ve got the 2 degree set in my Hemlock. Not a great deal to say about it, it works exactly as described. Essentially it’s a Cane Creek S3 headset with different cups, so you get decent bearing life (better than my Hopes), and easy replacement when you need it.

Fitting is easy enough but you need a headset fitting method that won’t twist the cups. I used a rubber mallet

Not much else really… Well made, well finished, UK-made product at a very reasonable price, that gets about 1/100th as many column inches as the Cane Creek Angleset which costs about 3 times as much and doesn’t work as well. Made my bike 13.7% more awesome.

I ordered one but haven’t fitted it. A friend told me it was a mega pain to fit involving string and a set square..

does that help?

I used no string or set squares. Then I have a pretty good eye for this sort of thing. Some sort of straight edge will be handy though.

Rickos using the ultra-calibrating method of looking at the wheels when the bikes upside down I surmised that the headtube is straight.

But I bet it still niggles at the back of your mind, right? 😉

Nah, I’m on a mission now to break the frame so I can get the 2011 as a replacement 😀

Good point on bigger bike/hand-weight on bars. I’ve always gone for a shorter/smaller frame as they feel nimble. On a descent yesterday I noticed I was going alot faster in a straightish line than previously- probably due to the longer/more stable feel.

Who’s BWD?

Anyway, are they easy to fit as intended and what’s the quality of manufacture like on them?

1. Search me…

2. Quality is good imo anyway. I found fitting it pretty straightforward, there are markers on the cups, I lined them up centrally using a metal rule and some thread around the seatpost for visual reference and a headset press to fit them.

It’s not very difficult, you just need to be methodical. Also, according to Saar Gelvin, there’s a reasonable margin for misalignment, like about 2mm or something from memory, so even if they’re very slightly out, it shouldn’t be the end of the world.

I’ve fitted two now and I’m by no means an ace spanner monkey, so it can’t be very difficult. On the Pace I used the rivets on the head badge as an additional reference point. Neither the Saar or Works headsets have creaked, come loose or worn prematurely so far and, I think I’m correct in saying, use readily available standard sealed bearings.

Marvellous! I’ll see how my offset bushes make the bike feel, but one of these could be on the cards too. Should see me at about the de rigeur 67 dgrees head angle. Hopefully BB will be around the 13.25 inch mark with my Lyriks at 150mm.

Hora – aye, longer = more stable so fast and good for just blatting through stuff, but less nimble. Horses for courses. Steep and nadgery round these parts for my riding.

Rickos, I’ve also got some offset bushings on the way- let me know what your thoughts are on yours when they are in?

Will do. Not had an e-mail saying dispatched or anything from Burgtec yet and I ordered on Sunday, so I’m not holding my breath. Yours may beat mine depending on where you ordered from.

Also, with 8mm shock bolts I’m not going to get the maximum benefit. Does your Spot have 6mm?

Not sure what size they are. I ordered them from a chap in Ireland.

ive used offset bushings (steamer)and offset headset (works). both do exactly what they are meant to do, are no hassle to fit and make a noticeable difference. slacker is only better in certain circumstances and some folk (coughhoracough) seem to think it is a cure all for crap skills. it is easy to adapt your technique to a slacker head angle as it basically just means leaning on your inside hand a bit more in corners and keeping your weight a bit more central rather than rear weighted. both good techniques for any riding really. plus you can really steamroller rough sections with a longer wheelbase and slacker angles, neeeyyyooooowwwmmmmmm! (or in hora speak, neeeyyyoo…oooh eek, im scared so this bike is crap, im selling it)

Coming from he who buys the loveliest bikes known to man and sells them quicker than me 8)

Maybe I should hold off on the offset and wait for a certain Tracer to come up for sale…

To remove/press the bushings in do you need a specific tool or will a screwdriver/hammer etc work?

I’ve been thinking about one of these for my old Enduro…

you can use a proper bearing press but tbh if you are careful you wont need it as long as you are leaving the nylon bushing in place

I’ve booked it in – will give it a go. Looking at this it looks straight fwd

http://www.southerndownhill.com/reviews/components/offset-shock-bushings.html

Hora – bushings arrived this morning from Burgtec. Look very nice – good manufacture and that. Anyway, I’ll get them fitted and tried out over the weekend. I’ve been all anal (you’ll know what I mean 😉 ) and taken some measurements of BB height, wheelbase and head and seat angle to compare against once they’re fitted.

I was thinking last night- if you removed most of the air (say leave 40psi) out of your shock and then gently and firmly compressed the frame you’d get an idea of how quickly the shock touches/how close it gets?

Then carry out the same with the offsets to see how quickly (or closer) it gets?

Easier to take all the air out and just gently lower it and then push a bit to squash the bottom out bumper a wee bit. On my 5 you can easily see that it won’t hit anywhere as there’s loads of space – don’t know about a Spot though.

got a 1.5 WC headset on my faith and it was a little fiddly to fit – as you need to line the cups up with each other. and ensure they’re central down the frame.
so headset press is required and a set square.

but after you’ve done it once its a lot easier. Now swapping between totems (with normal headset) and 888s (and WC headset) takes less than an hour for the lot.

Fitted the offsets just now and :geekmode: got my tape measure out.

Looks like they’ve added almost half an inch to the wheelbase, around quarter an inch off the BB and somewhere between half and 1 degree off the seat and head angle (my phone app doesn’t go to any decimal places). My shock bolts are M8 so I’ve only shortened the shock length by 4mm. M6 bolts would shorten by 6mm so have a more pronounced effect.

Looking at my mahoosive 2.5 Big Earl tyres I could probably lose that much off the BB by switching to some 2.3 High Rollers or something. Also if I left the Big Earl on the front and swapped the back out for something smaller I’d probably get something similar to what I’ve got with the offset bushes.

Ride this weekend to see if even notice any of this anal tinkering!

I’ve got a 2009 lapierre spicy which is 1 1/8 steerer. Do works components do -1 degree headset to fit? My spicy is 67 degrees and the newer spicy is 66. Be nice to be able to try it out as my current headset is buggered anyway.

Yes. You need to know how long your headtube is to get the right one, but they do make them.

http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/back-in-stock—10-degree-ec34—traditional-1-18-fitment-6-p.asp

Happy days, 😀

Selling my almost new one

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-works-components-angleset-headset-1-degree-adjust

I know it’s an old thread, but let me pose a question to you all. 😉
I have an old Kona cindercone frame languishing in my garage, I know that it wasn’t designed to take suspension forks with a greater travel of 80mm. I also have an old pair of marzocchi 100mm travel z3 bombers. I know put the z3s on will mess up the geometry, could i use an angled head set to counter the change? or am I wasting my time?

I’d just sling them on,it’ll be fine. IME it may even ride better.

Depends, you’ll raise the BB even more by steepening the angle.

I also doubt 100mm would ruin it.

Holy thread resurrection!

asbrooks – I’d go for it. Older ‘zocchis were quite long, but I put a set of 80mm MX Pros on an old Rock Lobster designed for 63mm and it was ace. The Works headset will just slacken it out further and reduce the increased BB height a bit, so you may not need that. Try the forks on their own first and see if you like it.