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Tange Seiki RBC-2 Headset

2/5

(8 Reviews)

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Product Description

Tange Seiki RBC-2

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Reviews 1 - 8 (8 Reviews Total)

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by Rich B. a Downhiller from Albany, OR

Date Reviewed: June 17, 2003

Strengths:    Came with a great bike.

Weaknesses:    Try and find a replacement bearing. (Good luck!)

Bottom Line:

This is the best bike I have ever ridden but this headset is a peice of garbage. If it comes with a bicycle purchase get yourself a back-up in a hurry, and when it sound like your forks are broke or possibly your frame. Forget about it, it's just the lousy bearings they put in this hunk of junk head set.

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Favorite Trail:   Lower Dan's Trail

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $35.00

Purchased At:   Bike-n-Hike

Similar Products Used:   Aheadset ($20.00 purchase so I wouldn't miss a ride)

Bike Setup:   FSR XC Stumpjumper (2001)

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Submitted by Gregory Lamm a Cross Country Rider from Laramie

Date Reviewed: March 10, 2003

Strengths:    None that I have found yet.

Weaknesses:    I just bought the bike and was putting it through its paces when I discovered my headset was jacked up. I had not even got it on the dirt yet and was curb-hopping and getting aquainted with my new bike. I guess a bearing came out of the retainer and was rolled under forcing the bearing retainer and dust cap up and out.

Bottom Line:

Junk, if it could not handle curb-hopping how is it going to react on the single track, rock-hopping and stump-jumping. I am already looking to replace it and I have only owned the bike two weeks.

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Favorite Trail:   Black Canyon, Teton Pass

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Bike Setup:   Specialized Rockhopper FSR XC Comp

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Submitted by Jamez from Toronto

Date Reviewed: June 1, 2002

Strengths:    No problems.

Weaknesses:    Other people say I will get problems?

Bottom Line:

Basically this piece of crap has worked flawlessly for me for over a year of rough riding now. I have nothing else to say, it works.

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Duration Product Used: 1 Year

Bike Setup: Specialized FSRxc

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Submitted by Steve Young a Cross Country Rider from San Francisco, CA, USA

Date Reviewed: January 15, 2002

Weaknesses: Impossible to adjust (either too loose - everything rocks or too tight - binds and does not turn freely)
In wet weather got gritty fairly quickly (forever adjusting and cleaning it to try and maintain reasonable performance)

Bottom Line:

Pretty disappointing performance for a component specced on a bike that I spent 1600UKP on before upgrades.

O.K. if you just ride you bike on smooth surfaces in the dry but who wants to do that all the time. Has the advantage that it teaches you (through repeated experience) the principles which make the aheadset such a strong design (O.K. written in jest but I could strip one of these down blindfold now)

Apparently completely lacking in seals and the little loose bearings are a real pain when repacking the races (takes me back to the early nineties when I did this once a month on my first mountain bike!)

Bottom line: If you get this specced on a new bike my advice would be to pay to trade up (although I doubt the trade-in value is very much even when new). If you're thinking of buying new I wouldn't advise it.

I have just ordered a Chris King headset which I hope will mean I don't have to keep thinking about my headset. (at the price it should do). The tange headset is the first component (except for the seat) that I have replaced on the bike since initially speccing it.

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Duration Product Used: 6 months

Bike Setup: Stumpjumper M4 pro, hope hubs, hope mini front brake, flite saddle (see review)

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Submitted by SJ a Weekend Warrior from Upstate NY

Date Reviewed: December 7, 2000

Strengths:    -Hasn't failed yet(..but I guarantee it WILL!!)
-Cheap

Weaknesses:    -Trashy!
-No seals
-Collects mud like a shovel!
-Feels a bit gritty--after only 3 mud rides

Bottom Line:

Why the hell does Specialized spec such a crappy headset,crank,and bottom bracket on what is otherwise a pretty respectable bike?!A headset is a important part,just like the cranks and BB are.It aggravates me to see this corporate cheapness being performed!!

The headset has NO seals whatsoever,and the bearings are CHEAP.It hasn't died on me yet,but I see it's getting more and more clogged with crap on the lower race on every ride,even after washing it out!And the steering is starting to get a little gritty..

This thing is terrible.I really wonder how it's even survived this long!!I'm replacing it and getting myself an Aheadset Tank(as strong as its namesake implies).They sell them for a mere $25 or so at DansComp.Check them out!

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Duration Product Used: 6 months

Bike Setup: Rockhopper A1 FS

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Submitted by unfortunate victim a Weekend Warrior from Hongcouver, BC

Date Reviewed: August 7, 2000

Strengths:    Lasted a year.

Weaknesses:    Lasted a year. The internals are weak.

Bottom Line:

Beig a receational rider, I do not really go for "high-performance" headsets so I thought Tange will do just fine for me. This work ok for one year until one day i tried to do drops and the steerer tube got "loose" luckily i am within 200 metres of my home.

Once home, i took apart the headset and realised the cup race bit into the bearing ring and cut it loose. So the headset is as good as gone unless i bother to buy bigger bearings to replace the ringed ones.

Right now, i am waiting for my Cane Creek C2. see how it goes....

word to Specialized buyers, change that stock Tange before they become nasty.

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Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Similar Products Used:   Aheadset SAS

Bike Setup:   Specialized (Stock Tange), LX/XT all over.

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Submitted by ed a Weekend Warrior from Michigan

Date Reviewed: March 21, 2000

Strengths:    cheap
durable, if properly sealed

Weaknesses:    if not maintained, it will fail quickly

Bottom Line:

This is a super cheap, super basic headset. People do not realize how often an unsealed headset needs maintenance. However, if you get lizardskins headset seals you will basically never need to rebuild the headset. I used to rebuild mine every month or so, which was fine. But I have not touched it for over a year since I put the lizardskins on it and it works perfect still. I weigh 240 lbs. and ride 3-4 time a week in some pretty rough singletrack so I'm impressed with its durability. Bottom line, get some seals for it otherwise you will have to tear it apart constantly.

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Duration Product Used: 2 Years

Overall Rating:

Submitted by Matt a Weekend Warrior from Kenosha, WI

Date Reviewed: August 20, 1999

Strengths:
none

Weaknesses:
everything, it blows

Bottom Line:

this part sucks, fork out some money and buy something decent.