It’s a good thing for riders that a lot of smart people like cycling. Often after finding success in their field of study these professionals take their expertise and apply it to their passion, which leaves consumers with plenty of innovative components, tools or riding gear to choose from.
KA Engineering was created by a group of engineers with experience in the telecom and aerospace industries, who also happen to enjoy action sports. KA produces a line of drivetrain components including some tantalizing titanium chainrings and derailleur pulley wheels. Their ti upgrades are durable, lightweight and of course, impressive to onlookers!
KA does everything from machining and anodizing to packaging products inside their factory in Kiev, Ukraine. Read on to check out all the sizes, specs and details on their ti chainrings and 3-Star pulley wheels…
KA’s titanium Sharktooth spiderless chainrings are CNC’d from one solid chunk of metal and feature the company’s own version of narrow-wide, high-profile teeth. These spiderless rings are designed with a variable offset (determined by the tooth count) to ensure the most precise chainline possible.
The company currently produces Sharktooth ti rings that fit Sram BB30 and GXP, Race Face Cinch, or Cannondale Hollowgram drivetrains. KA is already working on creating BOOST 148mm compatible versions as well.
The titanium chainrings come in 26/28/30/32/34/36t sizes and are available in round or oval options (with 12% ovality). As for weights, a complete list wasn’t provided but for reference a 34t round Hollowgram ring hits the scales at 79.5g. And despite the weight, these rings should last for quite a while- the chainring shown above was test ridden for roughly 3300km’s by French racer Tomas Skubiszewski, and it’s still looking pretty new.
KA’s ti chain rings can be finished in raw or your choice of several colors including Blue, Sky blue, Dark yellow, Yellow, Violet and Pink. All models and sizes of the spiderless ti rings sell for $218 USD.
The company also produces a simpler version of the Sharktooth chainring for 76/80/96/102/104mm BCD bolt patterns. These rings are made from a 10mm thick plate of Ti-6Al-4v titanium, so they don’t feature the variable offset and 3-D machining touches like the spiderless rings. They are available in 28/30/32/34/36t sizes, and cost $57.
KA has implemented the narrow-wide, high-tooth profile on their 3-Star titanium pulley wheels as well. They say this provides precise shifting and ‘fair’ mud shedding capabilities. Aside from their machined out ti bodies, the 3-Star pulleys also use a smaller than typical 686Z bearing to keep the weight down to under 26g for the set. Like the chainrings, the pulleys’ anodized titanium teeth should resist wear and tear for the long haul.
The 12t derailleur pulleys are designed for Sram 1×10, 1×11 or 12-speed Eagle drivetrains. KA’s titanium pulley wheels come in silver or grey, and a pair sells for $109.
If the price of ti is a bit too high, KA also produces aluminum versions of the Sharktooth chainrings and a line of alloy pulley wheels. All of KA Engineering’s products can be ordered online, and global shipping is available. Their website lacks some information, so you may have to contact the company for info or ordering details.
