Cyclo track cogs

[Doggus]

Anyone use or recommend using these?


Cyclo track cogs (http://www.bikepartsusa.com/view.asp?f_b=Cyclo)

Edit: just saw over in the SS/FG forum someone asked similar question. Advice was not to skimp on the cogs. My reason for asking is I'm looking for something bigger than what Shimano DA offers (16+). Surly maybe? Miche?

[andre nickatina]

Go with EAI. I've had good luck with them. From experience of friends with cheap cogs, it's definitely sound advice not to skimp on the cog... EAI and Dura Ace are where it's at, and Phil Wood is supposed to make a mighty fine cog too (though $10 more than EAI and $15-20 more than Dura Ace).

[nateintokyo]

very happy with the quality of EAI for cogs bigger than 16t. below that, dura-ace

[mentat6059]

from 63xc.com
There are a number of ways to make a sprocket, but for our purposes we can distinguish two: the right way and the wrong way. The right way is to machine from solid metal, either in one piece (old style) or two (new style). The wrong way is to press-form or lasercut from sheet metal.

Lasercutting was pioneered by a company called Cyclo in the 80s. Although Cyclo had a long and honourable history as a maker of aftermarket components, those sprockets were a bad move. They look the part, but are fatally soft. This means not only rapid wear but also the risk of deformation, and a deformed thread can act on your hub threading like a canopener on a can. One Cyclo user known to me lost his sprocket on a wet day while negotiating a steep downhill at speed in heavy traffic. Think about it.

I've chosen to pillory Cyclo because the company is long-since bankrupt and can't sue me, but similar sprockets are still being sold by a number of retailers who really ought to know better. Although they aren't usually branded, you can spot them pretty easily: the metal looks dull, and the edges of the teeth show a kind of seam. If you are offered one, you are dealing with a shop that doesn't have your best interests at heart. Take your custom elsewhere.

[andre nickatina]

^ ^ ^ Point in case. Don't mess with no-name cogs, throw down $20 and be done with it! It's a huge headache to deal with cog issues, something that should be non-existent when you go out and do it right by getting Dura Ace, EAI, Surly, Phil Wood, etc...