SS chainrings, cogs, and chains, oh my

This is long overdue. In learning about riding a bike with one gear, I've come to see that it can take some effort to uncover useful information about the different options in terms of cogs and chainrings. When googling phrases like, "what are options for SS chainrings?", lots of biking forum threads and links to retailers cover the screen. Some retailer links are helpful, most are not. Some threads are informative, but at least for me, it took a long time to wade through all of the anecdotal commentary and tangents to finally find practical advice and info. I'm still learning about all sorts of different aspects and issues related to a one-gear ride (as evidenced by my recent insight regarding the utterly basic fact that a 1/8" cogs & chains are different than a 3/32" cogs and chains, especially when it comes to trading out cogs--thank you Dan W for facilitating my comical lightbulb moment!).

So, along the way, I've run into two companies that I've found to have quality products and excellent customer service-- Endless Bikes and Homebrewed Components. I've got products from both places and I'm really grateful for both of them, so here's my plug:

I love the KickAss cog from EB. Its brushed silver, flying saucer appearance is instantly recognizable. In addition to liking the cog, Shanna Powell has always made me feel like I'm right there in Asheville when I place my order. Any questions you have are answered very quickly. The cog arrives lovingly wrapped in the comic section of the newspaper or some other sort of personalized shipping paper. It arrives fast. Shanna even offered to bring my a cog to a race in order to get it to me faster.

I also love the cog and chainring I currently have on my bike, brought to me by HBC. The HBC cogs and chainrings are light, come in aluminum or titanium, and also come in a spectrum of color options. Like EB-company, it's a small company that makes products locally. Dan Wilcox, the maestro behind it all, spent a LOT of time helping me figure out my components. Having a m985 crank on my current race bike limited the chainring options b/c of the 88 bcd. Dan had recently machined one for a friend of his and happily made one for me too. I opted for a red ring and cog and he processed it twice to make the color really robust. Throughout building the Superfly up, Dan was so helpful with prompt advice and tips. He was very conscientious when it came to making sure all my questions were thoroughly answered, and once I placed my order, it arrived at quickly.

Thank you Dan and Shanna!