Here’s another video from this year’s interbike. This time, Ride BMX visits the Full Factory booth to check out our Flatware lineup. In this, you’ll get a sneak peek of The Waltz frame, a Flatware version of the Vandero 2 and a new color way!

Ocean Blue Bayou Bars, Flatware Forks and Socket Drive Twombolts will be available later this year (black versions are available now).

Dan’s Comp has a BIG Flatware giveaway going on right now! If you signup, you can win a Flatware kit including Terry Adams signature Bayou Bars, Flatware Stem, Flatware Twombolts w/Rhode Island Sprocket and Frequency G tanwall tires! Click the pic above to enter.

We released our Socket Drive system a while ago and we recently received a new shipment of our Rhode Island sprockets. High Polished, Gold and Black sprockets in 20t and 22t are now well stocked so hit up your local shops and dealers to get some on your flatland machine. Make sure to hit up the original post for full info on our Socket Drive.

New “Socket Drive” Interface

This 9-sided sprocket interface has been designed as a new standard for sprocket fitting. It can be built into the spindle on 2-piece cranks like the Twombolt, or it can be incorporated into the arm on 3-piece cranks.


A new interface seemed to be a necessary development because sprockets have become smaller across the board. On anything less than a 25-T there starts to be a heavy concentration of stress around the drive bolt and the sprocket teeth. Switching to a closer spaced sprocket bolt is one solution, but that also increases the stress on the sprocket as the same torque applied at a closer radius results in a much larger contact force.

This new feature eliminates the need for a drive bolt altogether, which saves weight and simplifies the entire assembly process, as well as removing a potential weak spot in the crank arm.


The Socket Drive interface size is big enough to let a 22mm axle pass through in the case of 3-piece crank designs. Nine sides were chosen because an odd number of sides allows the sprocket to self-center, so the sprocket can be a relatively relaxed fit on the interface rather than needing to be a interference fit to ensure concentricity (as it is on the standard Twombolt crank).

Nine was chosen over “seven” sides or “eleven” because ultimately the engineering numbers look good. As the number of sides increases the fit becomes more critical, making manufacturing and assembly harder. As the number of sides decreases, the inefficiency of the interface overall decreases and the weight increases. The nine-sided Socket Drive interface also eliminates the need for the steel insert that might be necessary with a splined interface, which helps keep everything simple and affordable.


Sprockets down to a size of 10 teeth are theoretically possible (though lets hope things never go that far) so this means the interface should be “future proof” too.


If you’re a manufacturer that’s interested in using the ROYALTY FREE interface, please download the spec sheet for dimensions and tolerancing specifications and feel free to use the drawing to produce your own Socket Drive sprockets. Dimensions for making the crank’s sprocket boss will also be posted soon.

All photos are by Robby Klein.