Buying Chain & Sprokets

[robm]

Anyone know where I can find 15/50 sprokets? I read a recommendation here that I recommended steel rather than aluminum. Also, what size chain would I be running with 15 front 50 rear? and once again where could I buy one?

[The CyberPoet]

BikeBandit.com usually has good prices. Your local dealer may also have a good price (ask).

Since a 15/47 takes a 118 link chain, a 15/50 should take 121 link chain (three extra teeth = three extra links in length).

Yes, I recommend steel for long chain & sprocket life.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[trinc]

i put a 120 link on my 15-50 kat.

tim

[Trigger]

Try ebay right now, Found alot this week, RK, Sigma, and D I D

[Special K]

Aluminum is also very good, and can withstand the pressures, etc. They both will wear out eventually, usually a few years, so unless you plan to try & push it for 5 years plus, either will work fine.

Lots of guys bad mouth the aluminum ones saying that they cannot take the torque................think again! Drag racers use aluminum rear sprockets!!!! You think that Kat can match THAT torque!

[The CyberPoet]

Lots of guys bad mouth the aluminum ones saying that they cannot take the torque................think again! Drag racers use aluminum rear sprockets!!!! You think that Kat can match THAT torque!

Keith, I'm of the belief that pro-level racers of all sorts use whatever is lightest, but also change out very, very frequently (along with their racing chains) for pure performance reasons. If pure performance is your ultimate concern, then you should definitely use aluminum or other light-metal solutions.

IMHO, based solely on technical merits:
Aluminum can be surface-hardened to the point that it is as strong as steel through use of specific blends and hard-anodizing. But up to this point, I have not seen anything that makes the sub-surface aluminum (beyond the extremely thin anodized layer) nearly as strong as even mild steel. Thus, it would appear to me in such instances that the real wear doesn't happen at the surface, but in the aluminum directly below the surface that has to take the brunt of the torque (hence it's not uncommon to see aluminum teeth somewhat bent or scalloped on high-torque applications, while their surfaces may still be good). Unfortunately, this change of shape tends to ruin chains faster than steel and high-carbon teeth applications (because the chain has to adapt to the change of shape in the sprocket tooth interface). Thus, it comes back to the basic question: longer life (& often lower cost) steel, or higher performance in the short-term?
Personally, I want the tri-metal rear sprocket when the time comes -- best of both worlds.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet