Does an angleset make a difference?

Thinking of fitting a 2 degree angleset to my 2018 norco sight.
What are peoples experience of fitting these , did it make a difference?
Any downsides?

I suppose it depends what you’re current ha is but on the flat things feel a bit weird at first, but a few rides and you are used to it, descending it was great, took my 66ha to 64.5 and I wouldn’t go back

Thanks Kimbers
Current HA is 67

Fitted them to my Banshee Spitfire and Bird Zero. Usual pros/cons of the front being slacker (and if you keep the fork the same you slightly lower the stack and BB and steepen the seat angle). I liked it a lot – might feel weird in the car park but it’s always better on the trail for me.

Yup, loved the change mine made. Had it on a Bird Aeris 120 and now a Ragley Marley. Made the bikes feel more stable, yet more fun. Only downside is the tiny bit of extra time it takes to install properly (so much easier with a proper headset press) and the slightly more wandery front end on steeper climbs. Do it!

I’m not sure I’m finely tuned enough to notice a 1 degree or maybe even 1.5, but 2 was definitely noticeable.

I don’t have an angleset, but I do have an adjustable headset on my full sus, and it does make a substantial difference to how the bike feels.

I fitted one once, and loved the  degree slackening effect, for me, slacker head angles is one of the most crucial advantages we have seen happening to modern bikes. I’d hate to go back to steeper head angles on any MTB. So it’s a “yes” from me.

Yep put a 9point7 slackerizer on my Yeti ARC and its certainly helped to make it a bit more sure footed

@johnhe

slacker head angles is one of the most crucial advantages we have seen happening to modern bikes.

If I go too slack then it can be a handful to get round tighter switchbacks.

Put one on an Ibis Ripley v3 LS that started at 67.5 HA.  Put a -1 on and then a 140 air shaft instead of the 130 and took the HA to 66 and then a smidge under by putting on a 2.6 tyre on the front.  Descends better and even found climbing better for some reason.  no way I’d go back.

Putting a trutune insert in the fork instead of three tokens affected the climbing more for some reason, front end appears lighter and more easily comes off the ground on steep technical climbs requiring more body English :)

Put one in my previous gen chameleon – a 9point8 slacker as above. No downsides, only upsides, but riding ss so coming vectors differ on that as you’re standing when it gets steep. The warranty replacement chameleon I now have might have it fitted if I get bored as having subsequently bought an even slacker Kona Honzo ESD I’m good with slacker.

Edit: Chipps fitted one about 6 months or a year ago. Probably worth a search.

stevie750

Current HA is 67

**** me that’s steep! Do it.

Put a -1.5 on my Met a few years ago. 66 down to 64.5. Definitely noticed the difference going down.

But I do seem to develop play in the headset more frequently than before.

I had a -2 on an orange clockwork. It rode well.

Put a Superstar -2 degree on my sons kone process 153, took it from 66 to 64, he seems to like it and was ripping at Dyfi the other week. So I think it works going down.

Unless your bike already has a crazy slack head angle I’ve found that most bikes are improved by slackening the head angle

Everyone seems to agree, I will get one ordered

Thanks

stevie750

Full Member

Everyone seems to agree

I must have logged into the wrong forum

I’ve literally never regretted it, even with relatively modern well sorted bikes like my Bird AM9, it basically feels like it should have had that geo from the factory.

Sometimes there’s a tradeoff for sure- though, not always- but in my experience all it does there is magnify existing drawbacks. Like, my Hemlock and my C456 were not great technical climbers before, and they were slightly worse after. But the difference between “not great” and “slightly worse” is so easy to ignore, because you’re not really losing an asset. If you took a good climber to “not great” that’d be a real bummer but I’ve never had that happen, only the “not great” to “slightly worse”

And the benefits can be huge. I kept my Hemlock til it wore out, rode my Remedy 29 for I think 9 years, there’s literally no chance I’d have done either of those things without the anglesets. And it lets the Bird punch so much harder.

Anglesets match nicely with a corresponding 10-20mm increase in fork travel.

Would mulleting a 27.5 be similar to adding 10-20mm to the fork length?

Yeah, but both will slack out the seat angle should that matter to you

Turn in may change if you’re going from 29 rear to 27.5. it’ll be quicker.

Anglesets match nicely with a corresponding 10-20mm increase in fork travel.

That is interesting!

What was that site that let you mess about with bike geometry?