【SimWorks By TANGESEIKI】タンゲって通称？で呼んじゃうけど、昔から使わせてもらっていて、ヘッドとかフォークとか色々使ったから今の僕があるんですよね。だから実は、キングと同じくらいお世話になっている大切なブランドなんです。その名は丹下精機の巻。

2026/2/19 横山誠

Let’s start with a trip down memory lane

Our encounter was 30 years ago.

Back then, I was obsessed with bicycles and constantly broke. No matter how much I worked part-time, my money just kept vanishing into my bike. It wasn’t exactly that I was overcome by material desire or needing this or that, but because I was deep into MTB racing, I’d go for a ride and come back with a broken bike every time. Hence, the lack of money.

Break it → Fix it → Costs money

I couldn’t escape this cycle. I managed to break free from it by learning the skill of repair, so I suppose it wasn't all bad, as it’s what led me to where I am today.

That was when I encountered Tange’s Techno Glide.

CHRIS KING (hereafter KING) was already the object of desire back then, but it was, of course, a high-priced luxury that required the resolve to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu Temple just to afford it.

However, Tange was more reasonable than KING. Not exactly cheap by any means, but reasonable compared to the imported KING of those days. Plus, the word among friends was that it simply wouldn’t break. Naturally, I dove for Tange like someone lunging for a bun in a bun-eating contest.

And when I used it, it didn’t break. I didn't own a KING back then, so my points of comparison were other more affordable headsets, but even when used for MTB racing, it didn’t break, and it still sits proudly in my home 30 years later.

And then there’s this fork. Tange.
Man, I really used them.
I mean, seriously! I used them until they died. I even went through three of the same fork. I kept buying the same one whenever it broke—three times. This is the only part I’ve ever "hard-repeated" like this.

It wasn’t that I kept buying them because they broke easily; I kept buying them because I was breaking them easily.
"I slammed into a rock..."
"I fell off a cliff..."
"I twisted the bike and went flying in a high-side..."
Looking back, I’m surprised I’m still alive.

These old stories are why I recommend TANGESEIKI, and that leads us to the recently released SimWorks by TANGESEIKI “Sim Heads”.

And now, our Sim Heads.

So, about these SimWorks by TANGESEIKI “Sim Heads”.

I’ll leave the story of the encounter with the brand and the official specs for the SimWorks blog.

I’m going to share a secret about what I think makes this headset the absolute best. (What do you mean, "secret"...?)

Simply put: the “press-fit depth.”
I’ll say it twice because it’s important: the “press-fit depth.”

Of course, the bearings and materials are important, but this depth is just as vital. Why? Because you might need to be careful when you go to install it.

Let's look

The yellow arrow indicates the press-fit depth

As you can see when lining it up with a KING, it’s quite deep.
Looking at the numbers:

CHRIS KING NoThreadSet 1-1/8″: 9mm
Sim Heads: 12mm

That’s about a 33% increase over the King.

So, what are the advantages of a deeper press-fit?

The benefit of a wider press-fit is, naturally, that it increases the contact area with the frame.

Especially for frames made with thin-walled tubing, this depth disperses the force from impacts, relieving stress on the frame tubes and making it a frame-friendly headset.

Next, what you need to be careful about.

Be mindful of the position of any welding burrs or buildup inside the head tube. You need to be particularly careful with small frames. (Though, to be fair, most modern frames don't have this issue lol.)

For steel frames, if these weld points protrude significantly, they might get in the way when pressing the headset in, so I recommend confirming that there is enough clearance before you start pressing.

If it’s obstructing, you’ll need to do some reaming or similar work to ensure the headset can be pressed in smoothly.

As long as you’re careful about that one point, this press-fit depth becomes a huge advantage.

My personal thoughts on Sim Heads.

It lacks the flashy colors of a KING and the logo is understated, but that understated quality really captures the "reliable heavy-lifter" vibe of Tange Seiki, which has supported the bicycle industry for so long—it’s actually quite emotional.