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Project 1.1: Homebrewed Components 2-Piece Cog

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What better way to kick off a single speed build than with a single speed cog?  That’s right, it’s getting cooler and with shorter days and the snowline creeping downhill, it’s single speed season!  For this year, I’m retiring my too-small On-One Scandal 29er in favor of an appropriately-sized Tomac Flint 29.  As with our other build projects, look for a series of posts on what (was chosen), why (it was chosen), and how (it works) for each piece of the puzzle.  First, the part that makes a single speed a single speed:

Because Chris King were out of their steel Kogs in my preferred 19t size, I set out to find an alternative- and found Homebrewed Components’ 2-Piece Cog.  It would be easy enough to justify Homebrewed’s cog on the basis of its broad base (better to protect aluminum freehub bodies), American manufacture, or light weight- but the fact of the matter is that I wanted a purple one to match my bottle cage and headset.  Read on for more details and photos…
Homebrewed Components pin their stainless steel cog pinned to an aluminum carrier that is machined to remove some of the load -bearing responsibilities from the pins.  The concern with multi-piece designs is always that they will creak -or worse- separate over time.  In our limited time together, the Homebrewed cog has done neither.  Because each cog is made to order, the only real downside so far has been the three-to-four week period between order and shipment- something that Homebrewed is up front about on their website.  With higher end Chinese made cogs running $30 or more, the $50 purchase price seemed reasonable.  Homebrewed make their cogs- and chainrings- available in eleven colors, so should have something for everyone.  Stay tuned to see how it works over time…

marc

homebrewedcomponents.com

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16 Comments
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RC
RC
12 years ago

I use their regular SS cogs. Wow. What a beautiful job of machining. AND they come in colors!! Their bash rings are also a work of art. The real upside is they just plain seem FASTER!!!

Trulyspokin
Trulyspokin
12 years ago

Should have save a little money on the cog and replaced the chain.

Dustin S
Dustin S
12 years ago

Innappropriate Marc. That chain and cog are the dirtiest things I’ve seen on the internet in a long time.

Steve
12 years ago

A problem waiting to happen? What is wrong with regular cogs?

oilcanracer
12 years ago

steve i race SS, train on steep mountains in big gears and have been riding these cogs for a while. they are rock solid and with no problems. very very strong. the reason is because you get longer wear with steel or ti gears at aluminum weight. best of both worlds.

RC
RC
12 years ago

Ts/Marc— I think it’s about time somebody showed real use on a bike part. At least we know he rides! Not like all the pristine stuff usually up. Again, I can’t recommend these cogs highly enough. Buy Some!! … no I am not affiliated/related to the machinist. The tooth profile is just sweet. The chain really has no interference to deal with unlike some cogs out there…

Mitch
Mitch
12 years ago

wow, someone over-engineered a cog. fantastic.

Whatever
Whatever
12 years ago

Cool stuff but order now for delivery in September 2012. You’ll pay and wait 6 months +.

Good stuff, crap company.

Topmounter
Topmounter
12 years ago

It’s not carbon?

/dissapointed

LoveTheHaters
LoveTheHaters
12 years ago

Love all the haters hiding behind fake names being negative. You fools even single speed? I bet I know who the sissy “Whatever” is. He had post closed on MTBR for being a baby.

Dan makes great stuff. I ride them and love them. So suck it haters.

KP Springfield
KP Springfield
12 years ago

Homebrewed Components has the tightest tolerances and roundest rings and cogs on the market, period. If you’re looking for the the absolute highest quality, no compromise singlespeed drivetrain, Homebrewed is the choice. The tolerances are less than five thousandths of an inch – as thin or thinner than a hair. My Ti Homebrewed cogs and rings have been absolutely flawless and silent in operation, and the bling factor is off the charts. Get some. You’ll be happy you did.

Samuel J. Greear
12 years ago

-1 to everyone who has left a negative comment about this product without cause, this is really cool stuff.

My only issue? $50 is overpriced, simply because it is merely $20 more than a $30 Chinese-made cog does not mean the cheaper cog from which the comparison was derived was not grossly overpriced in the first place. (But to be fair, bicycle parts in general are overpriced.)

Lars
Lars
12 years ago

Beautiful cog! It says on their website that this cog cannot be used with a 9 or 10 compatible chain. What chain were you using?

Joshua Murdock
12 years ago

Your main reason for buying that cog was just to match other purple components? Why would you need to further justify that? That’s reason enough! Hopefully one of these will grace my SS in the future.

MissedThePoint
MissedThePoint
12 years ago

I like how the article point out that the carrier was machined to take some of the load bearing off the rivet pins and then look at the picture and see how. Good to point out those small details that might not be so obvious.

: Well designed, not over-engineered. If you made a base that thick with steel, it’d weigh quite a bit more. That alloy carrier is much friendly to alloy freehub bodies than a straight up steel cog, even if the steel cog had a base just as wide.

@Lars: Looks to be a single speed chain, since it doesn’t have any bevels or groves on the side plates (which help with shifting). They’re wider than 7-9 spd and 10 spd chains too, which is the main reason why it’s incompatible.

pimpbot
pimpbot
12 years ago

I can vouch for HBC. I got one of their two piece cogs (the older, slightly less beefy, but still beefy design) and I’ve been pounding on it for a year without a hint of wear. No creaks or pops or nuthin’, plus, it’s sexy looking as all heck. I got mine in blue ano with steel ring. I think he does Ti as an option for the ring as well.

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