Head Angle Adjust Headset VS Reach Adjust Headset

[tim3638]

Hi All,
Can someone please explain to me the difference between Head Angle Adjust Headsets and Reach Adjust Headsets? For background I have an old DH bike, around 15 years old that I ride about once a year. It has a short top tube and steep head angle by today standards. Is it worth buying a headset or as usual is the answer new bike?

Thanks All.

 

[kten]

Yes new bike is the answer.

Reach adjust headsets basically move the bearing seat on the top and bottom cup of the headset the same amount forward or back depending if you want to increase or decrease the reach.

Head angle adjust headsets move or offset the bearing seats in opposite directions creating the increase or decrease in angle…top seat back, bottom seat forward for slacker etc. Hopefully that makes sense?

 

[tim3638]

Perfect sense. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Isildur]

The other thing to keep in mind is that with an Head Angle headset, if you slacken the HA of your bike, on paper you increase Reach my a few mm due to the drop in BB height, but in reality, the actual reach you'll feel will be shorter as the for steerer tube is now coming back at you at a sharper angle.

So with a short TT, steep HA old DH bike, it'll feel even smaller with a HA Adjust.

The obvious answer is New Bike Day