BikeDotStuffAtOnzaDotCom Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 (edited) Most recently (yesterday) the Tensile headsets arrived. Since we had the chance, we thought we'd spec them as highly as possibleThe prototypes were tested by Danny Butler. Very kind of him. He didn't even break them.For the headset the relevant specs are:Weight complete: 117.5gand from the top down:Carbon fibre top cap (alloy insert to stop the bolt pulling through) attached with titanium bolt.6061 T6 alloy cups, with interference fitted angular contact ("AC") sealed bearing units.The sealed bearings are a bit special, being ceramic balls moving very smoothly round titanium nitrided hardened steel races.You will have seen titanium nitriding on drill bits. It makes them more durable, reduces friction and gives them that gold colour.The crownrace is stainless steel.We haven't got the boxes yet, this ones a mockup...We expect the boxes to arrive in two or three weeks... although you can buy the headsets immediately if you're prepared to go without.Suggested price: £65 Edited February 22, 2007 by BikeDotStuffAtOnzaDotCom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisboats Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 (edited) Looks alright i guess. I don't know if i'd pay £65 for it though. In my past two frames i've had two mid price (£15-20) sealed headsets and neither have broken. £65 seems so much to spend on some fancy bearings that i'm sure a lot of people don't need. Edited February 22, 2007 by Krisboats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash-Kennard Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 great, a headset... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oskar Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 looks very good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Logan-Price Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 £65 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the organiser Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 This is a top head set along the lines of chris king etc and a king one is something like £100 +As with all Tensile products they are top level comp parts at middle of the road prices,the finished item is A1 nice little touches like the carbon top cap and ti boltNice bit of kitRoll on the tensile B/B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe b Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Looks very swish, and very much like a Chris King. But, to be honest, i'd have to wait for a fair few people to test them before i were to buy one - i'd have a Chris King headset off eBay for £70...Looking good, though .Cheers,Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_Porter Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 if someone wants to spend that on a headset they will buy either hope or raceface or spend a tad more on a king... really bad idea making it that exspensive... you would have been better off getting it down to £25-30 and sacrificing some of the "pimpness"no doubt my opionions will get slated, or just told im wrong and should shut up cause i havent tried one and it feels so much better than anything else????...not assed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 porter is right, exactly what i was gonna say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Arnold Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 looks really good on paper! worth 65 quid when compared to other, definitely! but i wouldnt personally spend 65 quid on a headset, but thats not the point here to be honest...gd stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisboats Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 if someone wants to spend that on a headset they will buy either hope or raceface or spend a tad more on a king... really bad idea making it that exspensive... you would have been better off getting it down to £25-30 and sacrificing some of the "pimpness"no doubt my opionions will get slated, or just told im wrong and should shut up cause i havent tried one and it feels so much better than anything else????...not assed.Exactly what i think too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Token Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 If I was to buy a top of range headset, which isn't really a necessity but still, this would probally come top of my list. I mean its surely got to be on par with King having titanium nitrided steel and ceramic bearings.65 quid? Alot for a headset, but it will last... forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 It looks heavy, what does it weigh?Ben. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeDotStuffAtOnzaDotCom Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 For the headset the relevant specs are:Weight complete: 117.5g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Poyzer @ Onza Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Tensile produces as the name says "optimum" products. Every Tensile product has total input from ourselves and is never a "badge" engineered or off the shelf component. When we set about producing the headset we looked at every aspect of it and produced the best available specification. We already produce (and have done since 2001) our Onza Mongo 3 (also marketed as DDG Roulette)sealed headset which is great value at £24.95. Industrial sealed bearings, alloy cups and extremely reliable. Other companies also market this headset under their own brand names.I know everybody will not want to pay a higher price for the Tensile but a significant number of people are prepared to pay for top end quality. The RRP is £65 and I know you can buy a Chris King from the USA at not much more. The RRP of the Chris King is however considerably higher and you only buy it at lower prices by avoiding duty and VAT. We can sell a Tensile to an American much cheaper than £65. Unfortunately we have to work within whatever Tax regime operates in the UK and that is the price we are suggesting. (no guarantee of course that dealers will stick to it). We still feel that it offers very good value for money and using the Chris King as a benchmark we have tried to make constructive improvements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synergy Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 looks rather nice but i agree with kris boatts a bit expenisve i could see it being a great seller at maybe £45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Poyzer @ Onza Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 Unfortunately we don't just pluck prices out of thin air, they are based on product costings. If you want to spend £45 on a headset there are plenty available but you will not get what you get in a Tensile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavyn. Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 Unfortunately we don't just pluck prices out of thin air, they are based on product costings. If you want to spend £45 on a headset there are plenty available but you will not get what you get in a Tensile.The thing is, you don't really need what's in the tensile a £40 headset will last as long with a little work. You buy king for the name, you buy hope for the quality, and you buy Deng for the asthetics why would you buy tensile?just my opinion but it would have been better if you'd developed a cassette hub or bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun H Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 Can see real attention to detail has gone into making these as good as possible.If I had that much money to spend on a headset I'd probably go for this but a King would be very tempting considering how much you get them for on eBay nowadays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogre Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 could you get a hope for the same price? and is it just me or do none of you tensile as "that good" compared to every other company looks cool, just something about tensile i don't like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 It's a high quality bike part (ti, carbon etc.) and whether or not the price is justified - there will always be people out there willing to pay the price, just to have something special and different. Same with a ti king headset. It doesn't make you ride better and it's absolutely useless to pay that much for a headset, as you can have an almost equivalent one (standard king) for just half the price.As soon as a product is in a higher price range and features special materials, the quality of the product itself doesn't always count most. It's more the feeling of having something special on your bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 I agree with james - Its slightly too much to be competative ? example - 59 for a hope or 65 for a tensile ? hope wins every time for quality and service and warranty. and possibly function.dont get me wrong it looks like a good headset but I know what i would choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrishayton Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 I dont know if this is just me but i destroy cheap headsets in a couple of months. this has high quality materials and isnt really that much. and isntthe hope one suposed to be crap anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun H Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 I agree with james - Its slightly too much to be competative ? example - 59 for a hope or 65 for a tensile ? hope wins every time for quality and service and warranty. and possibly function.dont get me wrong it looks like a good headset but I know what i would choose.Aren't Hope headsets a bit bad for trials. Thought the cups dented easily on rails and stuff.Not sure you can justify it being higher quality than the Tensile either without seeing it, or the factory it's been made in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Token Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 I think because its black, you all immediately assume that its crap. It resembles the cheap Aheadset and if it was white, then the assumption that it isn't worth 65 would be thrown out the window. Thinks its got to look abit more specialist for it to be in the realms of king or hope, not saying that it isn't a top quality part. It just looks pretty naff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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