Nope. 13spd chain is too narrow internally for the cog that’s used.
It might be possible to use another thinner 14t cog with a Shimano HG splined interface… if Ekar chain rollers are close in size to Shimano.
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Good video…thanks for breaking it down @GPLama!!
the extra height / thickness of the 14t cog is interesting, especially given the claims of noise reduction. You would think the extra interface would cause more noise.
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Yes - great video @GPLama
Have you tried / will you try putting the Zwift Cog hardware minus the free hub on another trainer (e.g., Wahoo Kickr) to be able to use this in just Erg Mode (I understand you will lose the virtual shifting)?
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Wonder if you could dampen the sound transmitted/amplified by the cone parts with a little silicon caulk/rtv type product. Not fill the whole back side but maybe a ring or two around the inside that would reduce vibration through the cone. Watched the video but didn’t pay enough attention to how substantial the cones may or may not be already.
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I think it will take more than a little rubber to dampen sound. The shape is a resonance chamber in essence, so I suspect filling the void with a light foam might be the best solution. It’s possible that coating the interior with something like rubber, felt or foam could also help without filling the entirety.
I am sure some sound engineers could hit on solutions too, but those potential hacks above would be easy enough to try for those inclined.
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To best dampen the sound you’d want “wavy” foam to both absorb sound as well as break-up the sound waves / cause interference.
I actually also think a v2 of the Cog should include a slight amount of play in the actual code to allow for slight mis-alignment between the cog location and a straight chainline
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Looking at a wider lens and how other trainer makers may be planning for virtual shifting to counter this new offering, I wonder if any of them will take the basic approach already used on smart bikes? That being a fully “self-contained” control system vs the multi-step way Zwift does it with the Zwift app in the middle.
Seems like it should be possible for the trainer makers to offer something like an shifting remote paired by ANT+ (skipping BLE since there are 1:1 cons and limited vs unlimited ANT+), that connects directly to the trainer (like Wahoo does with the Climb to Kickr’s IIRC) and alters the resistance level like they do for stuff like the Kickr or Neo smart bikes and such.
Those smart bikes tweak their resistance level in virtual shifting in Zwift and most other apps. Perhaps part of the issue is the wider range of gearing as seen in the trainer setting vs a single and known gearing of the smart bike? That is part of what Zwift is doing in the initial steps by tracking rider cadence and wheel speed to set the base for the virtual shifting.
But if varied gearing aspect is an issue that can be addressed, I am curious to see if trainer makers take on a solution of their own vs waiting for Zwift to open their solution to other trainers?
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This would sort of depend what you are actually hearing. Are you hearing the vibration of the chain vibrate the cone and the cone is creating the sound, like a speaker. Or are you hearing the cone pick up the sound of the chain and amplifying it, like a megaphone. (my analogies may not be 100% accurate outside of my own brain).
Think I need to rewatch some videos to understand the sound better. Wasn’t really shopping but new house has low basement ceilings and a wheel off would get me an inch+ back from my research, talked myself out of upgrading but now this has me interested again. Guessing even this version with some extra noise is less than anything wheel on.
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I think you are correct. Wahoo / Tacx (Garmin) could mimic this solution by having their shift controller talk to their trainer, and their trainer talk to Zwift just like their smart bikes do today. They’ve + Zwift / Rouvy / FulGaz / etc. have already figured out how to mimic gearing with a single speed bike. Companies would just need to take the SmartBike solution and mimic it with their trainers.
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The excess height isn’t actually touching the chain, so shouldn’t impact noise. And the width is still well narrower than the inner pitch of an 11 speed chain (a hair over 2mm).
It’s possible (I’m no engineer) the thicker teeth are quieter by reducing sideway chain movement?
Anyway, looks like it’s just a cheap stamped single-speed cog.
Assuming the “fake” get shifts work in Zwift races, I’m tempted to order one to replace my early Kickr. Right now, I usually have my SS cross bike on the trainer, and if I want to race, I have to swap not just bikes but also cassettes.
Zwift kills the Hub (Classic) trainer and the the Wahoo KICKR Core is now $449 everyday.
the times, they are a-changing…
edited for clarification
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… since the One (w/ Cog & Click) continues in the lineup.
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Yup…edited my post for clarification. The Hub One continues…for now. 
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A Wahoo/Zwift merger would be WILD!
Not sure if I would be against that hypothetical merger though. 
I can see both sides of this from the consumer perspective:
- Good: hopefully more resources invested in improving / innovating trainers to make indoor riding better
- Bad: potentially if this moved Zwift away from supporting open standards that any smart trainer could use. Bad if you are a Wahoo Bolt / Rohm user, as these would probably get killed off to just concentrate on indoor training tools
never gonna happen…while Wahoo is still the #1 trainer brand, to exclude other brands would be excluding a health chunk of the overall market and would only allow for the rise of competitive platforms as those disenfranchised users move elsewhere.
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I also don’t think the outdoor side would get killed off from a merger - Wahoo is huge in that area.
@mcneese.chad - I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this. Please move it if needed. This is an addition to the new Wahoo/Zwift bundle announcement. Key new piece of info,” Alongside this announcement is the discontinuation of the Zwift Hub smart trainer, a quiet removal that leaves just the Zwift Hub One…as the sole Zwift trainer option.”