Home | Reviews | Controls | Headset

Login  |  Register

Tange Seiki RBC-2

Average Rating 2/5
# of Reviews 8
MSRP $
Weight
More Products from Tange



Submit a Review

Description:Tange Seiki RBC-2





Submitted by Rich B. a Downhiller from Albany, OR
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2003
Favorite Trail:Lower Dan's Trail
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $35.00
Purchased At:Bike-n-Hike
Strengths:Came with a great bike.
Weaknesses:Try and find a replacement bearing. (Good luck!)
Similar Products Used:Aheadset ($20.00 purchase so I wouldn't miss a ride)
Bike Setup:FSR XC Stumpjumper (2001)
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.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Gregory Lamm a Cross Country Rider from Laramie
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:Black Canyon, Teton Pass
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
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.
Bike Setup:Specialized Rockhopper FSR XC Comp
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.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Jamez a from Toronto
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2002
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:No problems.
Weaknesses:Other people say I will get problems?
Bike Setup:Specialized FSRxc
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.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Steve Young a Cross Country Rider from San Francisco, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2002
Duration Product Used:6 months
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)
Bike Setup:Stumpjumper M4 pro, hope hubs, hope mini front brake, flite saddle (see review)
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.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by SJ a Weekend Warrior from Upstate NY
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
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
Bike Setup:Rockhopper A1 FS
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!
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by unfortunate victim a Weekend Warrior from Hongcouver, BC
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2000
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Lasted a year.
Weaknesses:Lasted a year. The internals are weak.
Similar Products Used:Aheadset SAS
Bike Setup:Specialized (Stock Tange), LX/XT all over.
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.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by ed a Weekend Warrior from Michigan
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2000
Duration Product Used:2 Years
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.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Matt a Weekend Warrior from Kenosha, WI
Date Reviewed: August 20, 1999
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
everything, it blows
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Raleigh M80 custom
Bottom Line:this part sucks, fork out some money and buy something decent.
Overall Rating:1






What's New
» Win a Set of Michelin Reinforced Tires! Enter Here»
» New Bike and Gear Reviews! read pro review articles on the latest hot products now»
» Browse User Reviews by Brand - New Feature: Browse and research user reviews by your favorite manufacturers»
» Mtbr Videos - View and Share your videos here»
Latest Articles and Reviews:


Quick Poll

(sponsored by Rocky Mountain Bicycles)
How do you feel about BMX as an Olympic sport?

  love it
  hate it
  don't care

Photo Caption Contest

(sponsored by Maxxis)

Enter here

Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
 MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
 PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
 AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
Copyright ©1996-2008 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed