Rider's Feedback.
Read what rider's have to say about our headset!
Send us your own riding experiance!
"I rode my usual trail today and the tracking and sure-footedness downhill is significantly improved without detracting from the climbing ability of my Lynskey Pro 26 over roots.
And no problems lifting the front over obstacles either. In short, it's made my Lynskey an even better bike for the technical trails.
So thanks!"
(C.H.F Singapore)
From the Bike198.com Review:
"When you hit the trail for the first time, the change is noticeable almost immediately. The bike itself doesn’t look any different, but the stability in technical situations is felt and the entire front end just seems to track better. In steep, fast DH, the bike rails and corners better than previously while not losing barely any control on the climbs."
For the full review go to: http://bike198.com/review-headset-change-headtube/
"HAS cups have been installed. test ride this morning. It's perfect geometry I'm looking for.
Technical steep climbing better than before and more power as front end stay on the ground (not lifted).
Descending more confidence, stable & controlled.
Many thanks."
(A.M Indonesia)
"Saar is probably the easiest seller i have ever dealt with purchase wise and his response time leaves everybody else in the dust - meaning, his customer service is next to none. Highly recommended. Great product. Great support."
(H.L Norway)
"The headset is very well made and Saar has subjected them to some substantial testing abuse, including whacking the skirts/cups with a hammer in the name of ensuring they are robust as it wasn't his original intention to sell to others)
They have substantial alignment marks, and you do obviously have to be careful when inserting them to make sure they are aligned, I had no trouble, just took it slow and made sure there was plenty of grease so they went in smooth. It would be easier/safer with a second person just to hold them in place as the press is wound in.
They have a solid crown race and lower seal.
Pre-loading was easy and they haven't moved and run lovely and smooth. It has make a big difference to the bikes stability on the steeps but I cant say I have noticed any slower steering, but I also added 780mm bars and 50mm stem at the same time.
I'm most impressed that it still climbs great with no wandering, a little light occasionally. but hey its running a big fork!
Saars communication and pictures of them being produced were great.
So in summary, works well, looks good, transforms the bike, well worth the cash as much cheaper than a new frame!
"
(P.P UK)
"I got the cups about one and half weeks ago. Got them installed and have been riding them. No problems, works great!
Made my bike definitely better on the downhills, and suprisingly also on the uphills :o
Raced a Maxiavalanche race last weekend in Sweden, (13th place overall) so the cups are now race proven ;)"
(S.H. Finland)
"I've been riding it in Whistler and Vancouver the last couple of days and it has definately improved the handling of the bike on the downhills without really affecting the bike's uphill abilities.
Thanks very much!"
(J.C. UK)
"First impressions after riding relatively technical trails:
Wow! The bike really does descend a lot better. I didn't think I'd notice much change, but I really did.
The front gobbles up rocks an roots much easier. I noticed that I could weigh the front even more, and I think it performs at its best with a bit more front weight than before.
There was no high speed carving, so I could not assess that. There were no familiar techy climbs, so that was hard to assess too.
BTW, I added a spacer to keep the exact same handle bar height for comparison. The HAS has lower stack height than CK."
"So I was finally able to test the bike on a couple of familiar techy climbs. These are climbs I never cleared on my old HL-spot or TNT-RFX, which I cleared on the '09 DW-spot with stock geo. I cleared both on the DW-spot with 1.5 deg HAS. The sample size is too small to conclude that the climbing is unaffected (it can be slightly better or slightly worse or the same) but I am at least sure that there is no big negative impact on the techy climbing abilities, and that the new setup is a killer climber. So the HAS stays on for sure.
Thanks again Saar."
(A. A. Norway)
"You're HAS has transformed my frame into the bike I always wanted! I can really carve on it now, not just corner but lay it over and carve! Fantastic. Thanks again"
(C. H. UK)
"I purchased a 1.5 slacker head set for my 2010 spot from Saar, probably one of the single best mods i have made to the bike. i liked the slackness so much im even going to bump up my fork to a fox 36 float just to get that little extra slackness! makes it soo much more pleasurable on the decent! can not thank Saar enough for making such an awesome product! soo much more better than my noisy trouble prone cane creek angle set on my DH bike."
(MTBR)
"The headset has been installed and has been excellent so far. Really did improve handling of the bike. The handling has improved considerably, the bike is now more stable at speed and cornering is awesome. I feel much more confident, the wheelbase is a bit longer, but I don't really feel the negatives of that. Thanks a Lot"
(A. E. UK)
"The headset turned up on Tuesday, fitted it on Tuesday night and took it out for a local ride last night.
I'm very pleased, the geometry is so much better, more stable and happier on the steeps.
The climbing is totally unaffected, maybe even better than before, probably thanks to the steeper seat-tube angle.
Cleaned a couple of hard, short, techy ascents first time out.
The quality looks spot on and sits nicely on the bike too and your communication and customer service has been excellent.
There are a lot of big companies that could learn from you.
A big thanks for a great bit of kit that seems to have done exactly what I wanted :-)"
(J. D. UK)
"Wow. What a great upgrade. Really nice difference. The bike felt simply more fun & confident going down and dropping, even taking high speed corners. The steering feels a little more refined and less itchy."
(T.D. Israel)
"Decided to write after a couple of rides so it wouldn't be a first impression. The headset works great, the bike feels awesome and confidence insprining. Thank you."
(D.B.Houston TX)
"I think your work is excellent, the headset works great, smooth, installed easily and does exactly what it is supposed to . I haven't quite decided if I like the slacker angle yet, I need a few more rides on it. Anyways I am still working on this but the headset is excellent."
(A.C. Colorado)
"Finally got a proper technical ride on my 5spot with Saar's headset at kerem maharal. 3 feet plus drops, fun descents and technical climbs.
That new 2011 spot like geometry is so much fun and confidence inspiring on anything pointed down. Or in the air. It brings back a feeling of "let's try new lines/drops/whatever" that I remember from the rfx, and was somewhat missing on the spot, but combined with the amazingly efficient ride of the dw. For me it's the best bike ever.
The new 2011 spot geometry is a great step forward from the 2009 (5spot to 5pack?), and Saar's solution to get it for 2009-2010 spot owners without having to replace the bike is great! can't wait to go at it again."
(T.D. Israel)
"Headset arrived Friday, fitted it this morning and went for a monster ride on my normal trails. No discernible difference on the way my 2009 5spot climbs but a very noticeable difference when descending, bike feels much more stable and confidence inspiring on the steep and rough stuff. Thanks for your efforts in designing, manufacturing and selling the HAS you've saved me the cost of a new frame which was a very real prospect just a week ago. "
(R.R. Scotland UK)
"Decided to go out for 4 rides befores posting another customer review and....hoooolllyyyyy Sh*t. The bike feels awesome on the downil you do feel it on the climbs but I have a Talas so i don't mind. On the downhills it's just perfect. Dealing with Saar has been a pleasure as someone else said. Confidence Inspiring upgrade."
(D.B.Houston TX)
"I took my bike out for a light ride and it is awesome! The old head angle of 68 degrees is now 66.5 and my Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 50 feels like a whole new bike. It inspires confidence in descending from drops and I don't feel like I'm at as much risk of flipping over the handle bar anymore. I am extremely pleased with your product and I would recommend it to anyone."
(M.Y. Canada)
"Got mine installed. Took it for a quick ride. I really can't say much about the handling change since I did not do much. I could tell that the 1.5 degree slacker HA made the front a bit lighter on really steep climb, but nothing that a good travel adjust fork can't fix. My downhill was too short to say much.
As for the customer service, Saar makes Mr. Turner proud. You can buy with confidence."
(J-C. Fremont CA)
"I received the cups last week, had them installed the next day and have been riding/testing them ever since. So far, pretty well pleased with the outcome. Bike is more stable at speed and corners and begs to go faster on the descents. The only dis, is the steering feels slower during slow speed riding and I fatigue out a little faster during a long climb when a short steep climb section approaches (expected due to slacker HTA)."
(J.G. Portland OR)
"Finaly the sun came out so I took the Rogue to a local trail centre that has some good technical descents (stainburn) .
I am pleased to say there is a definate improvement in cornering and stabilty. It really is noticable once you get the speed up.
Stainburn has some good fast turns at the top and lots of small drops and jumps as well as stone pitches and boulders. look on youtube for vids.
The slacker rogue felt really good on the fast and technical terrain. a noticable improvement in every way.
I am definately happy with my purchase and would recommend it.
it is a good way of modernising the geometry at a reasonable price."
(K.E. UK)
"Headset is on my bike, nice geo, thank's."
(O.R. France)
"I installed the headset myself. No issues and I'm very happy with the results.
Thanks for your great work and being a pleasure to deal with."
(A.L. Australia)
"Bought a 1 degree offset from Saar for my 09 Spot and after waiting for the trails to dry out a bit, I got to give it a proper test yesterday. wow, what a great investment. with a 160mm Lyrik, the HA now sits at 67 degrees. Saar's headset has made this frame finally feel like it always should have. jumps and drops are almost effortless, and descending, well, lets just say it's better in every way imaginable. the wheel base feels slightly longer, enough to add some stability on the descents, but not too much to take away from it's agility and playfulness. climbing seemed unaffected. big chunk, berms, log rides, everything I rode felt like it required less rider input. less work, more fun. solid piece of kit. worth every penny. oh, and Saar's customer service rivals that of many established companies. good dude, great product. what more can I say, I'm grinning from ear to ear."
(S.B. USA)
"Fitted now and tested, transformed the bikes stability, nice and smooth. It's all fine, tested on many DH's no problems, no loosening, geometry spot on, so all good thanks. So in summary, great :-)"
(P.P. UK)
"First ride yesterday,with my " New " HAS 2009 DW 5 Spot.I noticed no difference on steep climb,but when descending, bike feels much more stable and confidence inspiring,even in tight bends has not lost in agility.
Thanks Saar great work and customer service"
(F.F. Italy)
" I got the headset and had it installed. Perfect fit. I haven't been able to give it a proper long ride yet, but so far it's great, nice and slack! it's very smooth. I should be taking the bike for some downhill sessions soon, so i'll let you know how it holds up."
Thanks.
(G.K. UK)
"just recieved your headset, you service was really great. And headset itself is real masterpiece of craft.Thanks you for your product!
(P.D. Russia)
"Got the HAS in about three weeks. it pressed in perfectly. It's a really well made piece that works beautifully. Thanks"
(C.E. Australia)
"Some time ago my LBS installed your headset (all done without problems) and now i've rode enough to say it really what I needed.
Bike now handling more precisely on steep sections and feel more solid.
Thank you very much for your customer service - I highly appreciate it and will recommend your headset to my friend who also need some angles tweaking.
"
(P.D. Russia)
"I got a headset from Saar for my '07 Nicolai Helius FR. It was a special order because I needed 20 mm deep insertion cups (frame manufacturer's requirements), and Saar didn't charge me any extra for this.
The headset went in with no issues, the bike mechanic, who had never seen such headsets before, nevertheless managed to align it properly.
The head angle has decreased by approximately 1.3 degrees and is now more up to modern standards: around 66.2 degrees vs. the former 67.5 degrees.
I'm planning a trip to the Alps in August and that's going to be the real test of the new geo of the bike. For now I mostly ride around the city because the local trails are very muddy yet, but I can already feel an increase in stability and a certain change in how the bike feels. It's noticeable but nothing I couldn't adjust to during one ride, and I see absolutely no drawbacks.
Thanks Saar!"
(A.K. Russia)
"I have a set on my small '08 RFX, I bought a -1,5 degree headset
My RFX is set up with a Z1 RC2 ETA 150 mm.
After installing the headset,the static headangle is 66,5 degrees.
The bike is noticable better going down,its about the same as before when climbing, I run 1x10 gearing with a 32 tooth front and 11-36 in the back.
I have tried the bike on two different terrain types after I installed the HAS.
I am very happy with the changes it has made to the bike.
Thank you Saar!"
(J.K. Norway)
"I have installed the HAS on my '08 RFX and I'm very pleased with how it performs. I replaced the fork with a Revelation, so the angles didn't change by more than about 0.3 degrees, but I can really notice the lower BB.
All in all, great service from Saar and a very well performing headset."
(J.S. Norway)
"Now I have few rides in good conditions and my favorite trails. Bike is
absolutely better than before. Its easier to lift front or simply ride
thru rocks and roots. I have a "testuphill", short steep uphill, that I
just can ride up, now I think it went easier. Tight uphillcorners might
be a bit trickier than before (I have 170 mm Lyrik on spot.
Thanks again."
(T.H. Finland)
"The headset worked out great, huge improvement over stock geometry. In fact, I’m considering another one for my 2008 DHR.
Thanks"
(A.N. USA)
"Installed on a large 5spot 08 model, so far the original pike fork has been transfered with the new headset, so according to http://bikegeo.muha.cc/ I now have a slightly lower BB, 0.5 inch longer weelbase and a 67.7 headangle.
Simultaneously I lowered the handelbar about 1 inch by rearranging the spacers.
Uphill the bikes rides very similar, really hard to put the finger on any differences without doing a side-by-side comparison. Climbing square ledges I don't feel I hit the rocks any more than with the old headset installed. Downhill though is another story, positively more confident and stable, really steep feels much less intimidating. I also find that I go faster without really thinking about it. Surprisingly slalomy turns on singletrack are just as quick if not quicker, maybe the lower handlebar also helps here.
I have tried a 160mm Lyrik on the bike for a short test ride, did a short climb and it felt fine, so now I am waitng for a 55 rc3 Ti to arrive.
All in all a very positive experience!"
(E.S. Norway)
" I wanted to give Saar the good feedback he deserves. Good to work with, the headset appears well made, and the end result is awesome.
My "trail tuned" Inbred: 68.5deg HA with a 100mm thru axle Marz. Way more capable feeling than the 72deg HA with a 80mm QR fork that it had at one point."
( N.B. CA USA)
"Using Saar's website, I ordered the headset. I was emailed directly by Saar to validate the information relating to my bike and order.
The headset arrived within 5 days, as Saar specified.
Installation was easy, cups went in smoothly (weren't overly tight). I removed a Chris King headset, it doesn't have the same quality feel as a CK, but hopefully the bearings will have some decent longevity.
Its now fitted to my Turner 5spot 2009 (DW). I was thinking of selling this frame and getting something slacker to replace it, with the head angle being my only complaint.
Saar's headset solution has sorted the bike right out, it now goes downhill with confidence, loosing all of its previous twitchy feel. Landing fast jumps feels better, where before on landing the bike would get twitchy.
Headset has been in for about 6weeks now, bike is ridden once/twice a week and thrashed, all good so far."
(J.P. UK)
"I received it yesterday, very fast delivery! It seem well made, headset fit ok.
I have tested it. My bike is more stable in speed and only a little slow in change of direction.
Very glad! Thanks
(A. U. Italy)
