After releasing the Kolossos Oversized Derailleur Cage for Shimano in January, it was obvious we had a gaping hole in our line-up. As the requests for Red and Force eTap AXS kept pouring in, development started only a month after the original launch.
Oversized is better
Big pulley wheels are here to stay. They are the equipment choice for many pro cyclists in triathlon, road racing, individual time trials as well in off road disciplines like gravel racing and cyclocross.
Reducing drivetrain friction means going faster with less energy. An attractive proposition for those chasing gold medals, as well as those chasing participation medals.
Kolossos does not limit your terrain choice
Since the first design meetings in 2019, it was clear that Kolossos had to serve multiple purposes: use large pulley wheels and an oversized derailleur cage to reduce drivetrain friction while keeping gear changes snappy like a stock derailleur.
The original Kogel derailleur cage for Shimano was two times stiffer than the stock aluminum cage on an Ultegra R8000 derailleur and three times stiffer than the competitor cage we used as a benchmark.
The same angular, industrial look and aluminum construction carries over to the new model. Result: snappy gear changes, on-road as well as off-road. You decide where your adventures take you, not your equipment.
High-tooth profile and a chain catcher to prevent jams
While designing the second generation of the Kogel derailleur pulley collection, we decided that a high tooth profile worked just as well as the narrow wide profile on our first generation pulleys.
The benefit of not using the narrow wide profile is that the chain cannot get out of sync with the pulley wheels. Narrow wide pulleys can skip a tooth and end up with the wide teeth facing the narrow chain links.
To keep the chain from jamming, we also added a chain catcher at the lower pulley.
Who needs cables anyway?
Seeing the Kolossos gel with wireless shifting and Sram's Flattop chain is the kind of thing that will put a smile on anyone's face. It makes us reminisce how far bicycle technology has come since the days of steel frames and down tube shifters.
Kolossos for Sram Red and Force eTap AXS is now available in our web store and through your local dealer.
