We have been asked many times over the years if we could make a less expensive idler. One that was still very good, just not so fancy. We began thinking about and working on how to do this, and it's taken three years to complete the designs, test them, and tool up for production. It was worth the wait, though!
As you can see, there are three new idlers in the Sport Series line. A Power Side, with 7075AL cog, a Return Side with industrial urethane bed, and an Over/Under idler that is a combination of the two. All Sport Series idlers feature ABEC 5 bearings and fiberglass reinforced molded Nylon bodies.
We are still making our high end CNC machined idlers for everyone that simply has to have the very best. The Sport Series idlers are for everyone that wants performance and reliability without the expense that comes with having a full CNC machined, top of the line part. The Sport Series idlers are available in only one size, with one choice of cog, and with only one size and type of bearing. Titanium cogs, different sized cogs, and unusual sized bearings will only be available in the CNC machined line.
The Power Side idler features a solid metal core for efficiency and long life. A specially machined 15T 7075AL cog is pressed onto an aluminum bearing carrier, and the 8mm ABEC 5 bearings are pressed into that. All the pedaling forces are carried straight from the cog to the bearings. Nothing is wasted in flexing plastic. Two tough, chainlube resistant Nylon body halves support the cog and keep the chain under control. Four stainless steel bolts with stainless NyLock nuts hold everything firmly together.
The Return Side idler provides a durable, low noise urethane chainbed similar to the CNC machined idlers, but in yellow to match the bearings. The abrasion resistant Nylon body plates have smoothly rounded chainguide edges for low noise. As with the Power Side idler, everything is held together with stainless bolts and Nylock nuts for reliability and ease of maintenance.
The Over/Under idler is a combination of the Power and Return idlers. The molded Nylon inner part matches the power idler on one side and the return idler on the other side. The power side cog/bearing unit is the same as the Power Idler, and the Urethane bed is the same as the Return Idler. Since the forces on the return side are so low compared to the power side, there is no bearing on the return side (same as our CNC machined idlers).
Sport Idlers are all USA made. We make the cogs ourselves, and have the Nylon molded parts made by a local company that molds mostly aerospace parts. We have the bearing carriers made locally by a precision lathe shop. We core out the Nylon body parts and assemble everything in house.
Pricing on the Sport Series Idlers is straightforward: $45 for a Power Side idler, $35 for a Return Idler, and $59 for an Over/Under idler. Nearly all of our idler kits are available with Sport Series idlers with a commensurate reduction in price. Keep in mind that if a kit requires a different bearing size, only the full CNC idlers are available.
These new idlers have been in the works for a while and are already spec'd as standard equipment on Catrikes and Carbents. Utah Trikes has been helping to test them as well. We are very happy to announce them after all this time. Everyone that's tried them likes them a lot, and we think you will too!
Click over to our webshop and you can order your idlers and idler kits here.
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Sport Power Side Idler 70mm OD 8mm Bearings 15T AL cog |
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Sport Return Side Idler 70mm OD 8mm Bearing Industrial Urethane bed
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Sport Over/under Idler 70mm OD 8mm Bearings Al Cog + Industrial Urethane bed
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Mold Tools There are 4 sets of these to make the complete Sport Idler line |
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Milling Cogs We machine them 7 at a time for efficiency
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Sport Return on an Easy Racers C-Rush
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Power/Return Pair on an ICE QNT
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These new idlers have been in the works for a while and are already spec'd as standard equipment on Catrikes and Carbents. Utah Trikes has been helping to test them as well. Here's what these manufacturers and dealers had to say about the new Sport Series idlers:
Catrike
"At Big Cat we are always looking for ways to make a good product even better. We believe that by continuously improving our products we can in small steps achieve perfection. For that reason we look very carefully in the details down to the bolt & nut level and things that most people will not look at but they will feel its smoothness when assembling, riding and maintaining a Catrike. The new Terra Cycle Sports Idler Pulley was just one of those perfect complements that we see as an opportunity for improvement towards perfection. We were happy with our pulley before, but we were even happier with the Terra Cycle pulleys on our high end models Expedition and 700. So when our friend from TC approached us with the idea of making a new pulley using the same technology of their high end pulley but a bit more affordable by simplifying and optimizing a few components, we immediately jumped on board and gave them 80% of our lineup. In our company we work very hard to be competitive, but above all our goal is to make a product with excellent engineering and passion in design. At the end of the day it is all about the product. We don't save costs there. We have been very successful that way, and Terra Cycle thinks the same way. Because we make a premium product, we use premium suppliers and parts and the Terra Cycle pulleys are the very best."
Thank you, Paulo Camasmie
Big Cat (407) 905-0626
Carbent"I set out to build the Carbent HPV line of bikes with the best components possible. I have worked with TerraCycle for many years, I know their products are top-notch both aesthetically and functionally. So, there was no question which idler would go on my bikes. And now with the new Sport line of idlers, TerraCycle quality will be available at a reasonable price! It sounds like a win-win-win situation to me...TerraCycle keep producing top notch components, I know I'm still putting great components on my bikes, and my customers know they are getting the best value for their money!"
Utah Trikes
"With the new Sport idlers there is no excuse to have an inefficient chainline.TerraCycle proves once again that you can have high quality components at affordable prices, and they are made in the USA!I'm impressed with the amount of engineering that has gone into the Sport idlers. There were no sacrifices made in the quality. I think that the Sport idlers should be OEM on every trike!They roll smooth, are rebuildable, extremely efficient, and affordable! What else could you want?"