Cane Creek Angleset Review

 FEATURES

Cups and Covers	7075 T-6 Aluminum
Head-Tube Length	Design is head-tube length independent
Alignment	Spherical bearing interfaces allow the AngleSet bearings to be aligned with the steerer-tube regardless of head-tube length or slight cup mis-alignment.
Offsets	Steeper or Slacker +/- 0.5, +/- 1.0, +/- 1.5 & Neutral 0.0
Crown Race	Fully face-sealed crown race
Bearings	Dependable black-oxide, sealed cartridge bearings
Interlok®	Interlok® spacer compatible
Manufacturing	Cut in Cane Creek’s Fletcher, NC machining facility from U.S.- made aluminum
Warranty	1 year
Compatibility	Internal parts are cross-compatible across the 10, 40 and 110 series

The AngleSet™ threadless headset makes it possible to change the head angle of a mountain bike with ease. The AngleSet™ offers up to six offset angle adjustments.  With steeper or slacker adjustments from 0.5 to 1.5 degrees, dialing in the perfect geometry to attack the trail is a breeze. 

The proprietary design of the AngleSet™ is head-tube length independent and fits most standards.  A self-aligning feature between the bearings and steerer tube ensure a perfect fit and allows for easy fork installation.

Back in late 2009, several bike manufacturers (including Santa Cruz) voiced a need for adjustability of frame geometry and sought our expertise to accomplish this through the headset.  Our engineering team had been kicking the idea around but this was the impetus to get it accomplished.  In collaboration with our partners, we rapidly developed the AngleSet which allows for up to six offset angle adjustments -steeper or slacker adjustments from 0.5 to 1.5 degrees.  We were pleasantly surprised by the market's reception of the AngleSet, particularly OEMs. It won several media awards as well as a prestigious Eurobike Award.

AngleSet Calculator

There was some complaints early on of creaking from some users. Upon further investigation, we found that improper installation was the culprit.  So we developed an initiative to educate consumers about the finesse required.  This was not a headset that could be pounded in on the side of the trail. In addition to our videos we include a bright yellow "Critical Instructions" sheet wrapped around the headset and secured by a black band which reads 'Knowledge is Power - Read the Instructions!".  The result has been a huge success - gone are the reports of creaking - which makes us extremely happy.

Mountain bikes have evolved drastically over the last two decades. They have gone from being full rigid to full suspension, lost weight, gained better brakes and tires. With all the advancements in technology allowing riders to travel at ever increasing speeds many riders have found it neccesary to slacken their bikes out to keep them more stable at higher rates of speed. Also the terrain being ridden by the masses has gotten steeper as bikes have progessed. Gone are the days when only a few would brave the rough rocky descents. Now many of these trails are being ridden by the genral public. Mountain bike companies have seemed to fall behind rider demand on getting slacker frames made. Cane Creek saw a need to be filled and created the Angleset to help slacken out frames in need.

This began in the Downhill segment and has evolved into the trail bikes being ridden by the masses. One Downhill bike we tested with an Angleset was The Banshee Legend MKII although this bike is already "slack" we ran it in the -1 setting for almost our entire 2 years with the bike. Install was pretty easy, we greased everything and the headset never made a sound!

The bike we are using to test this Angleset is an Intense 275. The bike comes standard with a 67.5 degree head angle. The bike works well on most trails with this HA but there are some faster, steeper trails in the area where a slacker HA would make the bike that much better.

The Cane Creek Angleset uses more parts than competitors angle adjusting headsets. First there’s an upper and lower CNC’d aluminum cup, then a pair of gimbles that accounts for the angle regardless of headtube length, then bearings and normal headset parts like a crown race and bearing cover, etc. The one problem with this design is that it can creak. I have heard of people having really creaky anglesets, and it seems to be the only drawback to them. That said, mine has been quiet as a mouse for the course of 6 weeks since I got it. Cane Creek makes it clear in the instructions about lining up the cups perfectly, and I guess that I managed to do that, because I literally have not had one creak from the headset. I also have an aluminum frame which may have something to do with it.

I used Progold EPX grease because it’s pretty thick and has some good stick to it. Then I greased everything: the inside of the headtube, the cups, the inside of the cups, the gimbles the bearing seats, the crown race… you get the picture. If there was a possibility of metal to metal contact, it got greased. I tightened the top cap bolt to 3.5 Nm and the headset hasn’t given me a single issue. The only thing that this does is it makes your steering tight. Not so tight that you feel it riding, but when standing over the bike, it takes a tiny bit more effort to turn the bars one way or the other. It’s a small price to pay for the handling benefits, but one that should be noted. As to why other people’s Anglesets have creaked, I can only think of a few possibilities. First, they’re probably radder than I am. I’ll be the first to admit there are faster people out there. Second, they may have been used on carbon frames, which don’t have the best reputation for being quiet. Third, I think the EPX grease may have something to do with it. It’s pretty thick, much thicker than Park. It’s thick enough that I don’t use it on bearings, but for assembly applications, it’s perfect though. I’ve also never torque’d my top cap bolt before, but putting it to 3.5 Nm was much more than what I would have called “tight” when adjusting any other headset. Lastly, if the cups aren’t perfectly aligned, it’s obvious why that would create a problem and creaking would ensue, which is probably why Cane Creek mentions it in multiple times in the instructions. Although, Cane Creek says that the gimbles are designed to make up for a slight cup misalignment.

The Cane Creek Angleset might just be the best upgrade you can make to your bike. It was for mine. When I got my Tracer 27.5, it felt much too excited. Almost like it was trying to be a 26” bike. The short stays and 67.5 degree head angle kept the bike from feeling planted. Rather it was lively and flickable. This may not sound like a bad thing, but I wanted it to feel planted and stable. So I put an Angelset on and installed the -1 degree lower cup and bam, my bike is now a downhill sled with some agility. Nothing seems to upset it. In fact it feels like it picks up speed even better now. It’s much more composed and stable. The angleset brings my geometry numbers to 66.5 degree head angle, 17” chainstays, 13.3” bottom bracket height, and a nice long 46.75” wheelbase. The bike feels like it was made for this head angle. The only drawback is that the front wheel sticks out a bit farther, so it takes a little more effort to pull it up over obstacles. However, I got used to it after one ride, and it’s a sacrifice I am happy to make in exchange for the stability the bike now has.

Overall The Cane Creek Angleset allowed us to set up the Intense better for our local trails. It is almost impossible to have angles for a bike that will work well everywhere. Using a headset to adjust the head angle of your bike is a way for the customer to fine tune their bike for their local riding conditions. The Angelset does as Cane Creek intended. With this owners can slacken or steepen their bikes somewhat easily. This can bring new life to an old steed or allow a more Freeride based bike to be turned into a more XC based one. 

The angleset cups are machined in North Carolina. The bearings are black oxide coated for longevity. Everything about this headset screams quality. There’s no reason to think it won’t last for years, and at the same weight as a Chris King headset of the same size, there’s no real downside either. We have had good luck with the Anglesets we have used and would for sure suggest them to friends to use. Their install is pretty straight forward just use grease on every part and they will not make a peep!

Cane Creek has created a game changer with this headset. It will allow the customer to tailor the headangle of their bikes to the terrain they ride on a regular basis. We would for sure reccomend an Angleset to a friend that is in search of a new one and may have the desire to alter their bikes ride characteristics.

 Rider and Words by: Brad Smith