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Unread 06-04-2012, 19:53
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Siri Siri is offline
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Re: Andymark Plaction wheels vs IFI wheels

The big differences are material/weight and tread integration (both have replaceable treads).

Material
IFI: aluminum
AM: polycarbonate - AM also sells aluminum performance wheels with a different hub design than IFI. These are also lighter at each diameter than the IFI versions.
The IFIs are heavier than the AMs at every diameter (4", 6", 8") - difference increases with diameter.
I haven't noticed any difference in performance based on the material.

Tread Insertion
IFI: around wheel perimeter only
AM: inserted between the two wheel halves which are unscrewed by 6 bolts (fewer wheel-tread attachments needed)

Tread Attachment
IFI: rivets (only?), tread is simply riveted on the outside - this is a real pain for some team/drivetrains
AM: lacing or screws - we like this

Width
IFI: 1", 1.5", 2"
AM: 1" only

Treads
I believe the treads each company sells may be used on the others wheels. We've done IFI tread on Plactions, though it's a little tougher.
IFI: IIRC, they're slightly thicker with like an extra layer of backing on them.
AM: Anecdotally, we feel they wear better and may have slightly higher CoFs.

They're sold differently in terms of bearing options and sprockets, but I don't think there's actually a bearing ID or a sprocket tooth count (#25 or #35 chain) that you can achieve with one but not the other. I may be corrected, though.
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Last edited by Siri : 06-04-2012 at 19:57. Reason: remebered the treads