In anticipation of a longer distance bikepacking trip, that I just completed, In January I purchased a 10-52T version of the ZTTO Ultralight MS Cassette.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807011522435.htmlI have been running the ZTTO 10-50 version for several years without any problems.I installed the brand new 10-52 cassette on my bikepacker about 3 weeks ago, made adjustments, and believed I was good to go for my ride.
1-day after arriving home, I stripped the bike apart to clean and inspect everything. While cleaning the cassette, (
Now, with only 800 miles on it), I noticed that 4 of the teeth on the lowest "52 tooth" aluminum cog were bent and mangled. All 4 of these teeth are in areas where ZTTO has machined what appears to be shift ramps to help the chain be driven up onto the cog. 2 of the teeth have cracks below the tooth where the ramp machining has made the cog very thin below the tooth. Therefore I took measurements: The 52
tooth cog is between 2,1 and 2.18mm thick. Where the teeth are all failing, and the ramps cut into the cog are nominally .
71mm thick. This is
33% of the metal left below to the tooth. This is a bad/weak area design!!!
FYI - The rest of the cassette still looks brand new!
In comparison, My ZTTO 50 tooth cogs on my other cassettes all have ramps that leave 50% of the material below by the teeth with ramps.
On this 52 tooth cog, this appears to be a bad design to remove so much material below a key tooth used to help lift the chain onto the cog! (See pics.)
yesterday, I wrote the store I purchased the cassette from explaining the problem. They reply was. - "friend the biggest cog is aluminum alloy"
This morning, I directly wrote ZTTO explaining the problem and failure. I will share what they write back.
My questions to other forum members is:
- Have any other of you purchased and used the 10-52 version of this cassette?
- How deep are the ramps cut into your 52Tooth aluminum cog? (
I am wonder if this ramp machining was cut too deep on my cassette, or is it the same for all of them.)