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FSA Headset BMX DH

Average Rating 3.67/5
# of Reviews 143
MSRP
Weight
More Products from FSA

Description:
  • Sky Pilot Pro - 102 grams
  • Sky Pilot - 145 grams
  • The Pig DH Pro - 176 grams
  • The Pig - 180 grams

Other Ways To Shop
  • Buy and Sell the FSA Headset BMX DH from our Classifieds.
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    Submit a Review


      Submitted by pete ride bikes from harwinton CT 06791
      Date Reviewed: 3/6/2005 6:14:08 AM
      FavoriteTrail: my trails, and street
      Duration Product Used: 6 months
      Price Paid: $40
      Purchased At: bikers edge in bristol
      Strengths: Its an awesome headset, i went through a few bottom bearings on it but thats regular, i suggest greasing the bearings often if its unsealed.. Sealed headsets are great but the sealed bearings are known to blow up or break if you case a jump pretty hard. But if you get the King headset its a lifetime garuntee. I have the FSA pig UNsealed and its great
      Weaknesses: bottom bearing gets shot but that happens on all headsets
      Similar Products Tried: DK mph, king, odyssey
      Bike Setup: hoffman loyalty, pitchfork, fit crank, T1 disc, FSA unsealed,Odyssey hazard lt in front, primo hula hoop in back, odyssey brakes, s&m bars, primo wall&demolition trail slayer in rear, dk stem, primo grips, kmc chain, you probably didnt need to know all that but i like reading about what other people have on their bikes so maybe you do too
      Bottom Line: good deal buy one its sweet
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 4

      Submitted by John from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
      Date Reviewed: 10/5/2002 10:41:18 PM
      FavoriteTrail: Anywhere flat and paved
      Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
      Price Paid: $45
      Purchased At: East Coasters, Blacksburg
      Strengths: Review for FSA Pig DH Pro:

      OK, if you haven't already figured it out, I'm a BMXer. I ride a very customized 2000 S&M Sabbath flatland frame, all repairs except cup pressing are done by me, and I know the frame a lot better than most guys know their girlfriends. I tend to be rough on headsets and parts in general. I do plenty of front wheel tricks and my 170lbs of husk coupled with a 40lb bike coming off of ledges (good landings, bad landings, what have you) tends to create a lot of strain. I also run a Gyro rotor unit, and need a headset with a SMALL upper cup that is capable of fitting into the main bearing unit's inner diameter. Hence, Chris King headsets and plenty of others were out of the question. FSA's DH Pro fit my bill - I was looking for a headset that was around half the price of a King, had sealed bearings, worked with a Gyro, and wouldn't have to be serviced annually.

      I ride without hands 90% of the time and do several no handed trick variations so not only am I able to closely assess a headset's merit, but having one that is reliable and precise is essential! To the mountain bikers out there, my bike is chromoly 4130 and spends most of its time on paved terrain. I don't ride in the rain and rarely come in contact with dirt, grime, and mud, so if this sort of dexterity is what you're looking for in a review, you won't find it here :)

      I have always been a loyal Dia Compe customer; in particular, I love their AD-990 U-Brakes and believe they surpass many similar models in quality and feel. Needless to say, I was somewhat apprehensive of trying out FSA, a relatively new company in my opinion. At this point in time, FSA's website bears little to no information regarding their hardware as it is currently under construction, and not many of my friends ride with their products. So I had to go on word of mouth from the honest guys at East Coasters, and several customers who happened to be innocent bystanders at the time I decided to start firing off questions.

      The qualities of this headset became clear after I put my steering unit back together. From ride one the sealed bearings proved themselves unsurpassingly smooth. The steering characteristics were not too heavy in turns and not loose enough to be over-affected by speed. Comparable, I'd say, to a Dia Compe Aheadset after getting broken in from its initial packing and a proper tensioning via compression. Granted, my tastes in bearing tension is an opinion and results depend heavily on how one sets up their headset unit. I know that this headset's review is intermingled with other FSA models on this site, and many users haven't given it the full 4-5 star rating it deserves for this reason and the fact that its Conix system doesn't seem to be receiving much praise. I wonder why more riders don't use I-beams (headlocks) in place of the star fangled nut. I think I-beams make setup and adjustment a heck of a lot easier than star nuts, and enable the headset unit to remain tighter and more resilient to beatings.

      Some quality features of this headset include:
      Huge chromoly lower cup (approximately 5mm more rise than a normal Dia Compe Aheadset)
      Brass compression ring (not plastic)
      Smooth sealed bearings!
      Dashing good looks
      Weaknesses: None discovered yet
      Similar Products Tried: Dia Compe Aheadset SX-1, SST...beat both up pretty badly with pitting, etc.
      Bike Setup: http://filebox.vt.edu/users/atan/sabbath.htm
      Bottom Line: I love this headset. I suggest you buy one if you don't want to hawk out the $ for a King. I recommend this product to BMXers in particular, since I know nothing about mountain biking, and am experiencing its benefits on my trickbike. Sealed bearings are great, and if this unit lasts me 5 years I'll buy another one in a heartbeat.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Aaron a Weekend Warrior from Richmond, BC Canada
      Date Reviewed: 9/8/2002 9:31:26 PM
      FavoriteTrail: Delta Watershed
      Duration Product Used: 3 months
      Price Paid: $45
      Purchased At: Steveston Bike Store
      Strengths: This is for the Pig DH Pro - Great Price, Strong as hell, smooth operation, looks great, ummmm did I say great price???
      Weaknesses: None so far, well maybe the weight but only racers need to worry about that.
      Similar Products Tried: O.E.M. stuff
      Bike Setup: Kona hardtail with XT, LX, FSA headset, Bontrager saddle, Psylo XC's, Avid SD-7 V-Brakes, Sram, Panaracer, etc... (next year I'm getting a Cove G-Spot!!! oh yeah)
      Bottom Line: Some people say this headset weighs too much. I'm not a competitive racer so a couple grams here and there doesn't mean all that much to me. I can buy 3 of these for the price of a King headset and I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two. It's a great headset, especially for the amount of money it costs. Every store in the North Shore area sells it and recommends it.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Konacopia a Weekend Warrior from L.A.
      Date Reviewed: 9/3/2002 3:00:13 AM
      FavoriteTrail: Da Bumps
      Duration Product Used: 3 months
      Price Paid: $24
      Purchased At: Weeeeeeel World
      Strengths: Smooth action
      Cheap price
      Durable
      Weaknesses: Heavy (Who cares?)
      Lower race is a tight fit
      Similar Products Tried: Tioga, Dia-Compe
      Bike Setup: Kona Stuff, Marzocchi Z1
      Bottom Line: For the money, you can't beat this headset. It gets the job done and you never notice it's there which is good for an area of the bike that most of us neglect anyway. Most would argue that it's a bit on the heavy side but I'd trade a few grams for strength any day. This item wasn't intended for the XC crowd, besides you would never be able to take full advantage of it's strength. I did have a bit of a struggle getting the lower race onto the fork steerer but it doesn't matter because whatever bike the Z1 goes onto, this headset will be sure to follow. This one was built for the DS/DH/DJ set and doesn't fail to live up to its specified intentions. For the price of a "Rip" King, you can get 6 of these but you'll never have to. Save yourself a hundred bucks, get one of these and save yourself from the Heaven's Gate cult that is Chris King.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Bryce a Downhiller from North Vancouver
      Date Reviewed: 7/8/2002 2:05:42 PM
      FavoriteTrail: Skullcrusher
      Duration Product Used: 2 Years
      Price Paid: $20
      Purchased At: www.dizzycycles.com
      Strengths: -Cheap
      -Strong
      -Simple
      -Functional
      Weaknesses: -Cups not deep enough to help prevent ovalizing headtubes
      Similar Products Tried: other cheap aheadsets
      Bike Setup: BB7, typical Dh stuff
      Bottom Line: In the time I've used this headset it has outlasted 2 DH frames and it never saw even a second of maintenance. I totally forgot about it until it started to ovalize my current frame. This is a dependable headset for all around riding but if you tend to ovalize headtubes you should look for something with deeper cups (ie Chris King). The Pig DH is a good headset but it is not tough enough to desrve the name "Pig DH". Keep it on the uphill bike.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 3

      Submitted by Jeff from Van
      Date Reviewed: 6/8/2002 6:02:14 PM
      Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
      Price Paid: $40
      Strengths: The tapered needle bearings in the lower race.The grease port and serviceability.CroMo lower cup;long engagement length.Precision upper bearing.Looks like a quality piece.Half the price of "name brand".Isn't it always?
      Weaknesses: Just installed and unridden,so?
      Similar Products Tried: Cheap Aheadsets
      Bike Setup: 2002 COVE Stiffee,5" 2000 Z-1 QR20,Rhino Lite/Rhino Lite XL,Formula/XT hubs.HMX-1,Monkey-lite bar.
      Bottom Line: Just received new frame,wanted to upgrade headset.While I haven't used it yet,I think only an technoweenie/goofball would pay more.What's the deal with headsets?It turns,but it doesn't spin,so how good does it have to be?By the way,I'd recommend a good mechanic to install it(like myself),and take the stem,so they can install it correctly and possibly re-cut the steerer.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Matt from Spokane WA
      Date Reviewed: 2/24/2002 8:41:44 PM
      FavoriteTrail: Beacon
      Duration Product Used: 3 months
      Price Paid: $40
      Strengths: This is for the Pig DH Pro.
      I put it in, I rode on it and I forgot I had a headset.
      Weaknesses: Heavy, but all good things are heavy.
      Similar Products Tried: Aheadset piece of $hit.
      Bike Setup: 01' Kona Stinky. All the flashy parts, raceface cranks, hayes hydros, z-1 QR20, big meats..ya get the idea
      Bottom Line: I was a little nervous buying a headset that weighed this much and was a little cheap but the damn thing is awesome. Ive never had a problem with it, it never comes loose like Aheadsets do and its buttery smooth goodness. BOMBER
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by David M a Racer from Toronto Ontario Canada
      Date Reviewed: 1/10/2002 6:06:11 AM
      FavoriteTrail: Waterloo
      Duration Product Used: 3 months
      Price Paid: $20
      Purchased At: cycle solutions
      Strengths: The Pig DH was designed to be bombproof... well I have put mine through hell and its fine... if it were to blow up, I wouldn't care, it only cost me $20. This headset performs better than a race face real seal, and cane creek. I can't compare it to a Chris King headset because I've never been stupid enough to pay for one...
      Weaknesses: Havn't found one yet
      Similar Products Tried: Race Face real seal..
      Bike Setup: 24 Pornking, Z1 qr20, wicked components....
      Bottom Line: But this headset if you've never tried it. Once you try it you won't ever care about your headset ever again! I wouldn't even post a review unless a product has totally blown me away!
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by jeff a Cross Country Rider from phoenix, AZ, USA
      Date Reviewed: 6/23/2001 12:36:44 PM
      FavoriteTrail: corona loma
      Duration Product Used: 1 Year
      Price Paid: $27
      Purchased At: Supergo
      Strengths: THIS IS FOR THE FSA ORBIT DL
      Cheap
      Light
      Durable
      Nice Colors
      Weaknesses: Umm...The included sticker doesn't stick well
      Similar Products Tried: Tange, Dia-Compe, Ritchey, El Cheap-o Crap
      Bike Setup: 98 Specialized Rockhopper, practically nothing stock
      Bottom Line: I had this installed nearly a year ago, and about a month later i moved from the desert here to college in california. i didn't have time to overhaul it for the past year and subjected it to lots of dust, urban jumping, rough rocky singletrack, RAIN, stream crossings, and the like. I just took it apart today to clean and everything is still in good shape. There were no signs of wear, so i cleaned it and slappe some grease in and it's good to go for another year. Those seals may look cheap but they do a damn good job of sealing the headset. I can't think of a better bike deal than this headset. By the way, for those that care, i took the advice of other reviewers and DID NOT use the conix star-fangled nut replacement.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by jeff a Cross Country Rider from phoenix, AZ, USA
      Date Reviewed: 6/23/2001 12:35:40 PM
      FavoriteTrail: corona loma
      Duration Product Used: 1 Year
      Price Paid: $27
      Purchased At: Supergo
      Strengths: THIS IS FOR THE FSA ORBIT DL
      Cheap
      Light
      Durable
      Nice Colors
      Weaknesses: Umm...The included sticker doesn't stick well
      Similar Products Tried: Tange, Dia-Compe, Ritchey, El Cheap-o Crap
      Bike Setup: 98 Specialized Rockhopper, practically nothing stock
      Bottom Line: I had this installed nearly a year ago, and about a month later i moved from the desert here to college in california. i didn't have time to overhaul it for the past year and subjected it to lots of dust, urban jumping, rough rocky singletrack, RAIN, stream crossings, and the like. I just took it apart today to clean and everything is still in good shape. There were no signs of wear, so i cleaned it and slappe some grease in and it's good to go for another year. Those seals may look cheap but they do a damn good job of sealing the headset. I can't think of a better bike deal than this headset. By the way, for those that care, i took the advice of other reviewers and DID NOT use the conix star-fangled nut replacement.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Mateusz from Canada
      Date Reviewed: 6/1/2001 8:54:10 PM
      Duration Product Used: 1 Year
      Price Paid: $60
      Purchased At: UIC
      Strengths: Smooth.
      Weaknesses: The head cap is pretty weak.
      Similar Products Tried: The review is for FSA orbit extreme.
      Bike Setup: Custom made Cro fram, Z1 drop offs, XTR, XT, LX components
      Bottom Line: Good headset, no major problems. Had to replace the head cap once, yes it was a pain in the a$$, as I hate replacing parts due the weakness in materials. Overall though the headset is fanstastic, smooth, bearings are durable. Easy to install.
      Value Rating: 4 Overall Rating: 4

      Submitted by Dave a Cross Country Rider from Indianapolis
      Date Reviewed: 5/18/2001 12:08:59 PM
      FavoriteTrail: Hoosier National - Knobstone
      Duration Product Used: 2 Years
      Price Paid: $30
      Purchased At: Supergo
      Similar Products Tried: DiaCompe
      Bike Setup: GT Pantera, Manitou SX-R, Sun CR-18 Rims
      Bottom Line: Orbit DL: This is a solid headset. caged-bearing headsets don't get any better. If you're not a DH or trials rider, you probably don't need anything more. I've put thousands of miles on this headset, and never had any trouble. I usually clean and repack every couple of months, or as needed after a really sloppy ride. (Keeping the bearings packed in clean grease is ESSENTIAL to proper function of ANY headset)

      Top cup and race have a small enough gap to eliminate the majority of particle/water contamination, and the bottom cup and race have a rubber seal that does the same.

      If you're going to ride in really dusty conditions, you might want to invest in some lizard skin (or equivalent) headset covers.

      If you're going to ride your bike underwater, plan on repacking your headset when you're done. (And that will be the least of your maintenance worries...)

      As for CONIX: Anyone who has problems with conix failing needs to tighten their stem. All the top cap is meant to do is take the play out of the bearings during the assembly process. A properly tightened stem can handle any load you can put on it, even if you remove the top cap totally. (That's why DiaCompe can get away with using a polymer top cap on their cheaper models)

      **For those who are interested in actual numbers: If you have two 6mm bolts on the stem tightened to 20 ft-lbs each, it would take in the neighborhood of 60,000 lbs of force to move that sucker. That's the equivalent of a 200 lb guy jumping off the edge of a 982 foot cliff. Or a 200 lb guy running into a brick wall at 172 mph. If I do either of those, I don't care what happens to my bike...
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Aram West a Cross Country Rider from Seattle
      Date Reviewed: 5/6/2001 8:14:10 AM
      FavoriteTrail: tiger mountain
      Duration Product Used: 2 Years
      Price Paid: $6
      Purchased At: swap meet
      Strengths: Looks, durability, smoooooofffffneesss
      Weaknesses: parts, needs attention
      Similar Products Tried: dia-comp, shimono
      Bike Setup: Alpinestar FS, Magura brakes, different forks.
      Bottom Line: I bought an FSA Orbit for a BMX bike, it was threaded etc. Threw away the conix thing IMMEDEATELY (sp?)!! I bought it because it was cheap and blue and it looked pretty cool. I got an indestructable needle bearing headset. This headset has been a dream and I wouldn't trade it for a Chris King.
      I have broken three forks now, of my own fault, but the headset is still strong. In the Pacific Northwest we see some of the nastiest rain and mud anywhere, this thing holds up!
      Use a regular star nut system to hold the stem down and everything will be just fine!
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by nikke a Downhiller from stockholm, sweden
      Date Reviewed: 3/26/2001 11:10:47 PM
      FavoriteTrail: anything downhill
      Duration Product Used: 1 Year
      Price Paid: $40
      Purchased At: cykelcity
      Strengths: Doesn´t cost a fortune, great quality, looks real nice
      Weaknesses: none
      Similar Products Tried: tioga
      Bike Setup: Kuwahara Extreme C3, Downhill setup
      Bottom Line: Buy it, the best headset for the money.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by mad max a Weekend Warrior from northampton
      Date Reviewed: 2/5/2001 11:55:17 AM
      FavoriteTrail: everdon
      Duration Product Used: 3 months
      Price Paid: $35
      Purchased At: leisure lakes (dav)
      Strengths: put in and forget
      smooth as a bay backside
      looks cool
      Weaknesses: nothing as yet
      Similar Products Tried: wtb
      Bike Setup: z4 dual slalom
      Bottom Line: put and walk away know u will have no problems for a long while
      does the job and that s abotu all u need and no problems to setup apart form the conix but that is just me i cant do those new fangeled ideas

      had resort to my mate put it in but he is got with bikes so not for those have no patient
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Rick a Weekend Warrior from California
      Date Reviewed: 1/9/2001 1:15:03 AM
      FavoriteTrail: Mr. Toads Wild Ride
      Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
      Price Paid: $55
      Purchased At: Supergo
      Strengths: Cheap, durable, looks good lasted 5 yrs so far
      Weaknesses: Some come with the wrong sized Conix that just spins and spins but the great FSA customer rep will send you the right size for your specific fork, ASAP!!
      Similar Products Tried: Cheapos, Cane Creek cartridge, and Chris King
      Bike Setup: Stumpjumper M2/SRAM 9.0 SL/Z2 and FSR Enduro/SRAM 9.0/Z1
      Bottom Line: Won't spend the $$ on a chris king anymore. I've had my FSA Extreme for 5 yrs now. Moved it from my last bike to my stumpjumper. It's the nice XTR grey they used to sell. Still smooth as day one. seals seem cheap but after plenty of mud and zero maintanence, there's no problem. Straighten out the Conix problem with the FSA cust. rep and you'll never have to touch it after the first adjustment.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Akusti-revenz a Weekend Warrior from Tampere, Finland
      Date Reviewed: 12/10/2000 11:33:34 AM
      Duration Product Used: 3 months
      Price Paid: $80
      Purchased At: ET-Sports
      Strengths: REVIEW FOR FSA ORBIT EXTREME!!
      looks good and kind of smooth when not broken
      Weaknesses: too weak
      Similar Products Tried: lots of Tange's (broken lots of them also)
      Bike Setup: hard tailed XC/freeride
      Bottom Line: this headset doesn't hold up! I bought mine in july and the upper cup broke in the first weeks after installation and the lower cup broke just some month ago. Sure, got new from the warranty, but still, I don't like stuff that breaks.
      Value Rating: 1 Overall Rating: 1

      Submitted by Adry Alauddin a Weekend Warrior from Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
      Date Reviewed: 12/2/2000 5:16:36 AM
      FavoriteTrail: all of em!
      Duration Product Used: 3 months
      Price Paid: $45
      Purchased At: Local Bike Shop
      Strengths: Moderately weighted , nice colour , smmmmmmmmmmmmmooooooth sealed bearings. Easy to fit!
      Weaknesses: None so far
      Similar Products Tried: Tioga alchemy , other older FSA headsets
      Bike Setup: Full sus bike with 3 inches...tripple clamp..FSA afterburner ..shimano and grip shifts
      Bottom Line: Cool headset comapred to other sealed bearing units that cost twice the price. Looks really sturdy and reliable to give you the extra confidence while riding. No problems so far...and i don't understand the commotion about the conix top cap. My brother has been usinhis unit for more then 3 years and have had no problems with them!

      GET THIS HEADSET IF U ARE LOOKING FOR CHEAP SEALED BEARING PERFORMANCE!
      I'm gonna give it 5 chillies!
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Jason Miller a Racer from Chico California
      Date Reviewed: 11/28/2000 12:18:12 PM
      Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
      Price Paid: $30
      Purchased At: Sports LTD.
      Strengths: Good Anodization, really good color, Good combination of alum. and cro-mo. Very smoooth for non-cartridge bearings.
      Weaknesses: none
      Similar Products Tried: none had no reason to
      Bottom Line: The Conix Cap has given me no problems at all and I feel that it is the best way to secure the a-head set. No better value even for the bottom of the line. They all spin extremely smooth.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by GammaDriver a Cross Country Rider from Pennsyltucky
      Date Reviewed: 11/17/2000 12:12:44 PM
      Duration Product Used: 6 months
      Price Paid: $20
      Purchased At: www.chucksbikes.com (where else?)
      Strengths: Cheap
      Looks great
      Works great
      Installs well
      Seems to stay adjusted
      Weaknesses: nkw
      Similar Products Tried: Diacompe
      King
      Bike Setup: CAAD3 1 1/8" (obviously)
      Y2K Judy Race
      Bottom Line: It's really too bad FSA doesn't get the same consideration other headset manufacturers do here in mtbr.com's product reviews. After the years of this mess, why doesn't mtbr.com separate FSA's headset models so we could get some order to the info from reviews?

      Ok, enough ranting. I done bought me an Orbit RD for real cheap through chucksbikes.com. Didn't know that's what I was ordering, really thought that, by what he had listed, it was a regular ball-bearing headset. When it got here I was surprised and delighted to try needle bearings for a change.

      It did not come with a Conix. Apparently I was in luck, though I wasn't going to use a Conix anyway.

      I believe I paid less than $20 for it.

      lessee... what to say? WHAT TO SAY?!?

      Installed it myself with a threaded 3/4 inch rod, large washers and nuts. (throw a little grease on the threads of the rod to make the homemade tool smotther)

      I've heard that needle-bearing headsets are more sensitive about needing a properly faced head-tube, but the C'dales come that way from the factory so no problem here.

      In the (over?) six months I've ridden the RD it has only needed snugged up once out on the trail (probably should have checked it at home before the ride), which seems acceptable.

      I used Quaker State's synthetic white Itasca grease liberally before final assembly, and added a Lizard Skin to the bottom race.

      Hey, for the price it really seems to be the headset to go for if the bike isn't worth a King. Based on value-per-dollar, 5 out of 5 flaming dead horses.
      Value Rating: 5 Overall Rating: 5

      Submitted by Chado a Cross Country Rider from Darwin, NT, Australia
      Date Reviewed: 10/31/2000 10:03:04 AM
      FavoriteTrail: Table Mountain, Cape Town
      Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
      Price Paid: $45
      Purchased At: by mail order
      Strengths: sealed bearings
      Weaknesses: Conix device design
      Similar Products Tried: race face
      Bike Setup: Intense Tracer, marzocchi z2 atom, race face, mavic 317, hope xc4 pro disk
      Bottom Line: I brought the Orbit xl II, the Conix device is absolute crap, it's held together by a thin rubber oring, a bike machanic had just installed it, I road on it for about and hour, I was changing stems and 'pop' the conix device fell to pieces. I have a 'head lock on there now. Wish I had brought a crane creek or something else instead.
      Value Rating: 1 Overall Rating: 1

      Submitted by Phil... from Alaska
      Date Reviewed: 10/20/2000 3:59:08 AM
      Duration Product Used: 2 Years
      Price Paid: $25
      Strengths: Inexpensive. Light. Durable.
      Weaknesses: Lower bearing race was a very tight fit onto the fork steerer tube. I am afraid I may have trouble removing it should I ever have to do that.
      The Conix headset tightening system never worked right in the Alloy steering tube on my Manitou SX R, so I ditched it for the star mangled nut. (The older style Conix worked fine in the steel steerer on my old Indy however.)
      The seals are kind of marginal... but work ok. Just don't direct any water directly onto the head set. Wipe it clean.
      Similar Products Tried: Tange/Diacompe steel Aheadset.
      Bike Setup: Specialized Rock Hopper A1, Manitou SX R
      Bottom Line: I like the Orbit DL. Its cheap, light, durable, looks nice, and comes in black. I just wish the lower bearing race wasn't so hard to install on the fork steerer tube.

      I have decided I don't care for the Conix device that comes with it. It would break free and spin in the steerer tube as I would try to tighten it. I swapped it out for the original star mangled nut device.

      I will probably buy another for my new FS frame... They work good and don't cost alot. Thats always a winning combination in my book. IMO the Orbit DL is a fine choice for XC riders who ride in moist to drier conditions. Really wet drenching conditions would probably require frequent rebuilds.

      If It wasn't for the Conix that I payed for and couldn't use, I would probably have given it a 5 for value...

      Value Rating: 4 Overall Rating: 4

      Submitted by d-mon a Racer from Arkansas
      Date Reviewed: 10/9/2000 2:11:48 PM
      FavoriteTrail: almost all of dem
      Duration Product Used: 1 Year
      Price Paid: $40
      Purchased At: Supergo
      Strengths: Low price
      Weaknesses: Conix device fails to hold after several months of wear and tear
      Similar Products Tried: Chris King on my road bike
      Bike Setup: Schwinn Homegrown Pro, 99 Sid XC, 8 speed XT.
      Bottom Line: