ok i searched for "cogs" and got 18000 hits.

i got a new wheelset and my lbs stocks surly track cogs. for riding on the street is there any reason to look any further than the surly cogs? they look to be reasonably good quality, and have a good selection of cog sizes.

i assume these are fairly well liked, and that i'm not going to find anything thats VASTLY superior?

I don't like them. They wear way too fast. The Shimano Dura Ace cogs offer far more bang for the buck in my experience.

no.

thanks, that changes my mind then, this is for my commuter bike, which gets ridden in the wet a lot, wearing out fast is not desirable.

I had a Surly cog a while back and absolutely hated it.

I have a 17t 1/8 that has about 1500 miles on it and still appears perfect.

I was in my LBS a week ago and noticed he had some 16t in stock so I picked one up for 27.99 which is about twice I'd pay online.
I think they are worth it and I've been in the shop a few times and felt like I needed to buy something.

If you want something 13-16t, then look at Dura Ace cogs. Otherwise, I've had good luck with the Eighth Inch cogs.

I don't use Surly cogs anymore, only Dura Ace for 16T and smaller and Soma for 17T and larger. Not only are the Surlys more expensive, I had one that was machined incorrectly such that the tooth spacing (pitch) was off and the chain would not mesh properly, resulting in a lot of noise and grinding. As soon as I replaced it with a Dura Ace, the problem completely vanished.

Look closely at the attached photo. The cog on the top is a 14T Suntour and the one on the bottom is a Surly. Notice how the troughs between the teeth on the Surly have a larger diameter, making the pitch larger since the circumference has increased. I have several other 14T cogs, and they are consistent with the Suntour shown in the photo.

Mine must've had the same problem as TT's. Damn thing sounded like a hedge trimmer.

Dura-ace FTW

According to Harris Cyclry, old Surly cogs sucked, but they have redesigned them and have a new supplier and are now very good. This comports with my experience. I have a new Surly cog that has about 250 miles on it without any problems. Of course, that isn't enough to comment on it's longevity.

Dura Ace cogs aren't available in larger sizes. I bought an 18T EAI (Euro Asia Imports) cog. Despite the name they are an american company...

I've read great things from Track and Street riders and so far have been very happy with it.

To echo what has been said already, Surly cogs are no bueno. I also prefer Dura Ace and, if I need a bigger cog, EAI.

I have a Milwaukee Bicycle Co. cog and lock ring and like them both a lot. Not sure how many miles I have on it, but it hasn't shown any signs of wear yet.

I'm going with E.A.I. for my 17t. ~$30 LBS retail. From what I've read they're the best bang/buck if your going larger than 16t. Dura-ace for 16t and less.

I've got an EAI Superstar on my Leader and I couldn't even imagine having a quieter cog. Real talk.

I've also been really happy with the few EighthInch cogs I've had.

+1

I was considering getting a Surly Cog for a SS build I am doing. However, my bike is a conversion with a cassette hub. Will I encounter the same problems with a cassette cog as well?
I also saw some pretty cheap cogs from Dimension but initially dismissed them because they looked liked they were stamped from thin guage sheet metal. But if Surly which is a solid machine milled cog is so bad, maybe a stamped cog would be better. Any opinons?

Surly cog: $30
Dimension Cog: $3.50

I haven't had any trouble with mine. I have a 19 and 18, been using them for two years with almost daily use in commuting and other riding. I havent had noise or whatever else is being said here. My Surly hub on the other hand...

Stamping is a super cheap method of finishing metal. I would avoid it for something that is so crucial to your bike's operation. The general rule of thumb is to avoid cheapening out on cogs. Most of the cheaper CNCed cogs (~$20-30 range) are about the same quality in terms of durability. I suppose Surly cogs are an exception to this.

No wonder why my TT is so loud, but with the fact that it is so loud there is no need to sound off on the bike trail!

I've bought some cheap cogs at the LBS and I've always been able to get an almost-silent drivetrain. Not sure what brand, they didn't have a name. They cost like $12 and are only available in 15-18 teeth.

TejanoTrackie, that's weird! I'd be upset if I got a defective part like that.

I buy the cheapest cogs I can get. What's the worst that can happen, I wear out my $10 z chain?

I guess one answer is that a cheap cog might strip hub threads.

I'm extremely pleased with my Origin8 cog.

Anybody hear anything about Chris King Cogs?
The Stainlees steel version is steep at $42 but they have an aluminum version for $25 too.