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What others think
#208CX 1X OVAL DM for SRAM (Premium chainring) —
Scott 2023-08-07 15:52
I have an oval on every bike I own plus a chain/bash guard on every bike I can fit one, these are brilliant but my favorite set up is with the race face cinch system!
This is the best money you can spend on your drive train, as an enduro rider these rings really give you an edge, and as an xc rider what the do for your knees is immediately perceptible. The quality of construction is ultra high end.
#207OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
Chris 2023-01-25 22:28
Saved my Knees! Didn't know how much I needed the oval chain ring until I tried it. Keeps me in the saddle with a bad knee. Not going back! Plus the customer service is beyond top-notch, highly recommend!
#206OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
Chip2022-11-16 19:59
I just put a 30T OVAL (replaced a 32T SRAM Eagle) on my Pivot T429. I've only had one ride on it so far, but the difference is obvious. I made the change for two reasons, an arthritic knee, which I think helped but will hold judgement for a longer day, and to make the Pivot a bit more climby. I usually ride challenging climbs with some techie sections and find I tend to lose my cadence and get into grind mode (spinning squares) in the granny gear (50T) with no place to go from there. In addition to simply having more low gears by going 32T=>30T which made the climbing a bit easier the obvious change was that I never lost my cadence all day and felt like I was driving the bike up the hill instead of just surviving the climb. That feeling justified the change right away. I now feel like I'm using the 3-4 low gears effectively on a tough climb instead of just the last two. Caveat: I'm in the 50+ crowd, most climbs are tough. While the feel is different, I can't say that there was any adjusting necessary. It just felt good. :) Oh and the red ring looks sooo sweeet on my bike!!!
Took the plunge and ordered a two sets of SRAM pads paired with SRAM rotors. They arrived within 2 days to the UK. After the prescribed bedding in, I took the bike to the Yorkshire Dales for a hilly ride. Deliberately dragged the brakes down some long steep descents to test the claims and I confirm there was no fading. The stopping power felt as good at the bottom as it was at the top. The feel is unlike any pads Ive used in the past (Shimano, SRAM, Swissstop). Silent in the dry, a little bit of initial squeal in the wet before quickly drying off and going quiet without noticeably affecting the bite. Impressed with them so far.
Amazing look for my bike. More cadence and improve your performance. My others bikes will be oval too. Thanks guys.
#203OVAL Road 110/4 9100/8000 (Premium chainring) —
David 2022-08-21 14:50
Just bought the oval inner 36t. I was expecting the first outing to feel strange but it was exactly the opposite. The pedal stroke felt balanced and quite normal. Climbing feels smooth and overall I am very impressed. Since it is the inner chainring no issues with the gear change. I have done about 100 miles on the new oval inner and very happy with the change.
#202OVAL DM for SRAM 6mm (Premium chainring) —
Paul 2022-08-20 17:50
As a bloke in my mid-50s, I’m one of those who was very sceptical about oval chainrings thanks to Shimano’s efforts in the 1990s. I read everything on the aB website, watched every video and finally committed cash, once I’d really understood why aB’s ovals were different.. I’ve just come back from a short ride. Wow! What a difference on hills - my dodgy right knee didn’t feel like it was about to explode, and even steep hills seemed to be far less effort. On the flat I seemed to be a gear higher than normal for a given cadence. I really didn’t notice much in the way of getting used to the oval ring although it did feel slightly different for the first 10 minutes or so - after that I forgot I was riding an oval until I shot up a hill faster than usual! Excellent product, well engineered, thank you!
#201OVAL Road 110/4 9100/8000 (Premium chainring) —
Kevin 2022-08-11 00:21
All I have to say is the hype is real, maiden voyage was 30 miles with the Trek Domane, 105 group set. From the start at my house which has a gradual .5 mile climb I felt the difference. Climbing was smooth and no pressure on the right knee. Through the ride I hit some 6-8 degree hills, smooth ascent and from saddle to standing was amazing. I recommend absoluteBlack Ovals. My P3 will be getting a set in the near future also.
I’ve been riding the oval for around two years now. I absolutely love it. Multiple pr’s and less knee pain. I worked through a torn meniscus while riding. I can vouch for the HR decrease and breathing efficiency. Now I completely switched to Hollowcage and graphene lube. Just amazing. Love the products!
Just wanted to say how impressed I am with your oval chainrings. I have ridden on them for 3 days now. I can't believe how significant the difference is. No more dead spots. Just smooth application of power through the whole pedal stroke. Less fatigue, increased power, reduced HR. What's not to like! I didn't think I had poor pedal technique before, but the difference the Absolute Black oval chainrings make for me is way beyond what I was expecting. If you haven't tried them before, I would absolutely recommend you give it a go.
#198OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
Charles 2022-06-16 02:35
Customer service at absolute Black is by far the best customer service I have ever encountered. You know the kind of customer service you hear your dad/grandfather talk about. I purchased a 30T chainring for my Stache, super easy to install but had a alignment issue. Stan at AB was super responsive and informative and stuck with me the entire way. The issue was created by the previous owner and quickly rectified.
As for the Oval ring vs round. I’ll never go back and will order one for each of my bikes. Super smooth, eased my knee pain, and has helped my climbs on technical ascents ten fold. Absolute Black for the win!
Super pleased with the overall look and performance of the chainring. I can 100% say that it does improve my pedaling while climbing and getting through rough uphill stuff. Each pedal stroke is now more fluid and cadence is better on those longer climbs. Mounting it to my Sram DUB crankarm took all of a few minutes as it's pretty much a foolproof design in that aspect. I will definitely be talking this up to my fellow mtbers.
#196OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
Jason T.2022-05-04 17:40
Incredible! As I've come back to mountain biking at a slightly older age I needed to give myself every advantage I can. After much research I dove in and purchased a 30T oval for my trail bike and have not looked back since. We have a lot of technical terrain here in the Southwest U.S. that's very unforgiving especially on ascents and since going to the oval I have found myself enjoying the climbing as much as descending. Recently I took a pretty big hit to the bike and destroyed my chainring and I must say AbsoluteBlack has been nothing short of amazing in helping me get it replaced. Well done to the company and Cedric my contact point for the replacement. Gracias mi amigo!!!!
#195OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
James 2021-12-10 18:11
Game Changer! I live and ride in Moab Utah where no matter what trail you ride you have to climb up loose rocky, bumpy, desert terrain. The oval ring makes getting to the top a lot of fun. The consistency of power over big rocks really shines. I even found my overall times on certain trails to be much faster due to the fact that I feel I can keep a much more consistent pedal stroke while getting less tired. I'm never going back to a round chain ring again!
Absolutely cannot over-state the value of a reliable customer service system in any company. I was having trouble setting up my chainring and troubleshooting some problems. I emailed and Stan picked it up, started chatting on WhatsApp and sending some photos of the issue and we went through various things it could be, trial of elimination and we solved the problem. Real patient, really helpful and the real-time WhatsApp is a fantastic win.
Really happy to be getting behind such a great brand that just gets how to be a successful business with an awesome product. 5*
#193OVAL Sub-Compact Road 110/5 (Premium) —
Ian 2021-11-16 11:30
I was quite skeptical until a friend of mine got AB oval rings. He was blown away with how goid they were so I got some too and have to say I’m absolutely delighted. I particularly notice the difference climbing. Just seems to be easier and I feel like I’m turning circles rather than ‘mashing’. The shifting is just as slick as the Shimano Ultegra 8000 too. Customer service is also top notch. Packaging is a thing of beauty too. You seem to have really thought the whole package through very well and deliver an amazing product. Thanks.
#192Antibacterial High performance LONG bike Socks (Premium) —
Michael 2021-09-21 09:27
I just wanted to reach out to you all. I love my ovals, but I wanted to tell you a quick story about how your socks you sent to me are comply AWESOME. The other day I started out for a ride and after going about 3 miles (4.8km away from my house I got two flat tires!! So this caused me to walk back home... Here lies how I love your socks. Since I was wearing cycling shoes there was no way I was going to walk home in my shoes so I took them off and waked home with just my ABSOLUTE BLACK socks on!! When I got home the socks were still in brand new condition and once washed you would never known I walked 3 miles (4.8km) in them.. Thank you for making great products.
#191OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
Scott2021-09-19 23:06
I’ve been around mtb since the early 90s and have seen lots of good and dumb ideas come and go. I dismissed your oval rings as soon as I saw them. BioPace I said, anyone who knows how to spin properly doesn’t need that junk I decreed. Then I rode a friends bike with one of your oval sprockets and he asked how I liked it. I didn’t know it was there. So I rode it again. Interesting. I bought one. After the first ride tonight I decided I needed to let you know that I was totally wrong. Your oval ring is fantastic!! I feel more connected to the bike and it spins quicker and I feel like I’ve got more speed and power. Love it love it love. Egg all over my face and I don’t mind admitting it to you. Keep up the good work and next time I’ll try and not be such an old carmudgen ass about new things.
#190OVAL Road 110/4 9100/8000 (Premium chainring) —
Steve G2021-07-20 17:23
I have been using the inner oval ring since 2017, I love it, it smoothed out the peddle stroke really well and helped with some knee pain I was experiencing, I’ve been putting off getting the outer ring as I’ve read a few reviews saying that Di2 doesn’t work great with oval rings, after some reassurance from AB Stan I went for it and I’m SO glad that I did, after a bit of careful set up of the front mech and with the use of one of the SRAM angular shims to get my mech in the right place it works absolutely great, every bit as good as a shimano round ring, and it hasn’t shed a chain yet and I can’t see it doing so to be honest. If you have Di2 and are on the fence go for it, with some fettling it can be made to work great.
#189GRAPHENwax Ultimate HOT MELT WAX —
Tony 2021-07-19 16:55
Amazing stuff, moved over from liquid lube to this in spring, drive chain runs lovely and quiet and very smooth. Prime example it this last weekend, club did a 2 day tour, 380km with 5000m of climbing (240 miles with 16500ft) over two days in rural Scotland and the drive chain was still running beautifully at the end, it has hardly picked up any dirt at all. In fact I’m away out again today with no need to re lube or clean, you find me a liquid lube that can do that.
#188GRAPHENwax Ultimate HOT MELT WAX —
Bud 2021-07-17 19:13
Purchased several months ago during Chicago winter. Waited until I had chance to ride and clean chain before posting a review. I did not purchase to increase watt output but instead to silence drive chain as much as possible and simplify cleaning process. This product really met my requirements better than any other product I have tried. I did not need to clean the chain after 250 miles but did so just to see if I could follow the instructions with the same results. Drive train quieter than ever and cleaning process much less involved and cleaner than with petroleum products. Will obviously continue to use and highly recommend.
#1871X OVAL DM for XTR M9100, XT M8100, SLX M7100, M6100 chainring —
Richard 2021-07-17 18:50
I had my Absolute Black chainring installed today and after an hour of pedaling, boom, it hit me. This chainring made a big difference. My knees didn’t hurt, I felt faster on flats and uphill. I have yet to consistently measure my improvement on my speed but all I can say right now is that I am impressed. I hope to improve over time and I am confident that Absolute Black would help me achieve that goal. I wished I could’ve bought 3 more of those to last me for a long time. Totally worth it and for sure I’ll place an order again soon.
I have been a long time oval ring user on both road & CX bikes (9+ yrs). I started my oval ring journey with Osymetric rings after seeing Chris Froome riding them in the pro peloton. However after sustaining numerous dropped chains I progressed from Osymetric to Rotor Qrings. I've ridden Rotor QRings now for several years and have been relatively happy. However after seeing a video on Youtube about Absoluteblack (AB) curiosity got the better of me and I ordered a 50 tooth gravel chainring from AB and fitted it to my 1 x crit bike for testing. Having ridden the AB oval ring now for approx 12 months I am very pleased and have just ordered a set (52/36) of premium oval chainrings to fit to my other road bike. Comparing Rotor QRings to AB oval chainrings I've found the AB version to be superior in everyway. I've found that during higher efforts on the bike that fatigue utilizing the AB arrives much later and the following days leg soreness is significantly less. I am a convert and will not ride any other chainring on any of my bikes other than Absoluteblack. Congratulations on producing such a wonderful product.
#185OVAL Road 110/4 9100/8000 (Premium chainring) —
TAM 2021-07-14 02:13
I first tried AB Oval Chain ring back in April on my Road Bike. It improved my pedaling Strokes and increased my average speed. My legs gets less tried on long rides. Every time I ride my Gravel bike with round rings. I could really feel the difference. After 3 months, I replaced my Gravel Round Chain ring to AB Oval. I ride more now with both bikes. Thanks absoluteBLACK. YOU ROCK!
What a customer experience, ordered a set on non oval chain rings to fit onto a stages ultegra crank along with the specific bolts too. in my haste I installed with some old locktight and ended up with one of the bolts dropping out on a ride. Got in touch with Stan, and he sorted me out with a replacement bolt. No questions asked (other than which bolt) I wish half the companies I deal with had an ounce of this level of customer service.
Will continue to speak very highly of absoluteBLACK.
#183OVAL 1X 104 BCD (Premium chainring) —
George B2021-05-06 17:56
Onto my second AB oval after putting my first oval experience through roughly 7k kms of enduro riding. It's still going strong but I feel I'll try a different color this time :) I should mention my hesitation at first when I bought it and no-one around had it to share the experience - I was only concerned about its knee effect. After so many kms with it I can definitely vouch for the positive effect it has on pampering the knees - for example if I ride another bike with round chainring, I can feel a slight knee disconfort whereas with the oval it's never there. I should also mention, my adjustment was instant - there was no break in period or funny feeling at first, it was just something that felt natural. I also love climbing and improved my ride with instant hubs etc but the oval played a major role into making climbing enjoyable. Very pleased with it! Thank you AB for fine tuning oval experience to the right specs!
I've bought your oval chainrings (48/32 for shimano), and after 3 hours of riding i think i'll never change for round chainring, I'm not faster but i can feel much comfortable riding and linear effort.
I decided to upgrade the chainrings on my 2017 Trek emonda ALR4. I purchased the 50T chainring and had it installed at a local shop only to realize I needed to purchase the 34T inner chainring as well. In just over 2 weeks I had purchased both outer and inner chainrings (purchased separately) installed and finally got to test it out. AMAZING. I've already recommended it to a few friends as a MUST! My cadence is much smoother and definitely makes hill climbs better.
#180CX 1X OVAL DM for SRAM (Premium chainring) —
Mike 2021-04-05 03:13
Installed this on my Lauf Gravel Bike (SRAM Drivetrain) with less than 100 miles on it. After several hundred miles of Oval I will never go back to a circle....Oval all the way for me. I started riding single speed steel bikes in the 1960's and have ridden many different styles and designs from Recumbents to Tri bikes to Mountain bikes and now to Gravel. This Oval has given me that little edge to keep pushing and not back off just because some people think I am old.
#179GRAPHENlube Wax Lubricant for Winners (Ultimate) —
Tom 2021-04-04 03:04
I have tried pretty much every big name wax "coating" type chain lubes out there. I've tried Silca Super Secret, I've tried Ceramic Speed UFO Drip (version 1 and 2), I've tried Molten Speed Wax with the Race powder, along with trying probably a dozen other drip wax lubes. I was never satisfied or overly impressed with any of them. I finally decided to order some Absolute Black GRAPHENlube, and after just 3 rides I know for a fact that I've found a winner. I have been absolutely blown away by this stuff (and the customer service from Absolute Black... just top notch). Most wax lubes I've tried will be pretty quiet to start, but within 20 miles or so the wax all falls off for the most part and the drivetrain gets super noisy. So far I've done 2 indoor Zwift rides and an outdoor 60 mile ride today with a few buddies. I REALLY noticed today just how smooth this GRAPHENlube is, and it's dead quiet. My buddy even told me after the ride today that he couldn't believe how quiet my chain was. My chain I'm currently using is a Ceramic Speed optimized Sram AXS chain, I didn't realize until cleaning the chain before putting on this lube that Ceramic Speed's "AXS" chain is only a Force chain. So I just placed an order for the Absolute Black Sram Red AXS GRAPHENlube factory optimized chain. This lube is seriously next level and I recommend it to absolutely anybody. Can't wait to get this new chain now.
#178OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
David2021-03-28 21:19
I've been riding mountain bikes since before there were mountain bikes--44 years ago I threw my leg over my big sister's Malvern Star CroMo dragster and rode down the bush track my parents lived on. I've never stopped riding.
As near as I can tell without instruments, with the elliptical chainring more than half the time I'm one smaller cog on the cassette than I was on a circular chain ring, with the same cadence. Climbing out of the saddle clearly delivers more power to the back wheel, which is really useful when exploding over obstacles on the track.
It took 1 ride to acclimatise to the new chain ring. Now it feels entirely normal.
The elliptical chainring makes no difference on descents but descending on a MTB is about overcoming fear and not touching the brakes.
The Absolute Black oval chainring is the cheapest 'go faster' upgrade I've come across in 45 years of cycling. Good job. Well done.
My second bike with AB sub-compact. Dura Ace 7950 mated to an 11/32 cassette with a 11 speed Dura Ace chain. I followed the short video to a T and I was a smooth setup. Now me and my ol Madone are ready for the hills of southern IN. I couldn’t be happier with AB!
#176OVAL Road 110/5 bcd for SRAM (Premium chainring) —
Kevin 2021-02-23 23:17
A friend of mine mentioned that he had put this on his bike, a year later I did my research and decided to change out the crankset(130BCD) to a BCD 110. Purchased and had it installed, short ride today here in IOWA(USA). All I can say” AMAZING”, I don’t know what it is, but, my pedal strokes feel smoother with less effort to crank.
#175OVAL chainring for APEX 1 cranks (Premium) —
David_T2021-02-06 22:19
I'm now 75 years old, and need all the help I can get, if I'm to continue riding. I have a Ribble hybrid AL-e, equipped with Apex 1, 11t - 42t cassette and 42t chainring. I was finding the top gear to be higher than I needed, and the bottom gear to be not quite low enough. So the obvious thing was to find a smaller chainring, but they don't seem to be available in the Apex 1 range, Then I happened on absoluteBLACK, and bought a 38t chainring. First time out today with it. It's quite uncanny how pedalling seems smoother, "rounder" and easier, just as claimed, and I was climbing hills that would have me struggling in bottom gear with the old round ring, in gear 3 or 4 with the new oval ring. Even on the flat, the going was faster and easier. I'm convinced!
#174OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
Carlos 2021-01-21 19:48
bought one for my bronson i'm a big guy so climbing is hard for me. I didn't notice anything personally but my strava times is showing the difference (my best climb is with the bronson with an oval on it), I thought i was going to smash the strava time the week after with the hardtail and I didn't. I couldnt figure out how my climb times on my bronson vs my hardtail was better? my buddy i ride with noticed i'm a little faster on the bronson and hit the tech parts really good must be the chainring. I ordered a second one for my hardtail and my coworkers got in on it in as well. Super high quality and they look cool too if your looking for some bling.
#173OVAL Sub-Compact Road 110/4 (Premium chainring) —
Sean w2021-01-20 05:31
Truthfully I got these for a gravel bike mainly because it’s the only option to allow a 48/32 to fit a dura ace crank (and because they look “cool”). Mechanically they are fantastic, shifting is as smooth and dependable as it was with stock dura ace rings , granted you make the proper FD and chain adjustments as needed. Looks are also excellent ( most important, right?) I was pleasantly surprised that I did not feel much of a difference, definitely not negative or anything that would make you feel like you would have to get used to them vs round, but it is subtle and better/ smother feeling than round. even after getting rid of “placebo” effect I do notice climbs feel better with these rings. Most likely I will be putting these on my road bikes as well. Customer service was also excellent. So far very happy I decided to try these out.
#172GRAPHENlube Wax Lubricant for Winners (Ultimate) —
Jason2020-11-27 08:42
Gold oval shimano... gold integrated top cap.. silicone grips .. and graphene lube.. I have bought everything I can for the bike I have .. mad impressed with every aspect ! Amazing quality components and impressive shipping to the states .. thank you
Just ordered my second chainring as I finally have worn mine out after 4 winters of fat biking and around 5 chains and cassettes. I still never have dropped a chain. This is the only 26 and 28 tooth with 64bdc made and it saved me from buying a new crank too
For past two years I've been using Absolute Black chain rings. It was installed during the winter while using my trainer and, to tell you the truth, I didn't noticed much of difference. Still continued using them during the summer and noticed that, all of a sudden, I am doing 60-80 km trips with out even getting tired or pain in my knees. Just finished building a new bike and, this time around, I went with regular, round chain rings Sram Red 50/34. After my first 20K ride, I have realized how much I miss my Oval chain rings and that I need them on my new bike ASAP. With Absolute Black chain rings, WAY smoother pedaling and climbing, impact on your knees is almost gone and my legs are fresh after the ride, no matter how long the ride is. I am lucky that I can test both chain rings , side by side on two different bikes and difference is huge....This is very honest review from a amateur rider about this GREAT product. I will use their chain rings for a long time. Thanks Absolute Black for taking my cycling to another level, where I thought I will never be... Cheers
I had the chain ring on for 10 months now averaging 30 miles a week in all terrain. Sprocket just starting to show wear. I noticed it was easier to clear technical uphill sections with out a pause or the rear wheel breaking loose. My knee's have also been digging it the are no-longer soar after longer rides. Great product, trying to go to a smaller 28 tooth sprocket to clear even more technical climbs.
#168OVAL DM for SRAM 6mm (Premium chainring) —
Federico2020-08-14 14:08
I was sceptical but decided to try it out on my MTB; I could feel the difference immediately !!!! ....on the first trail; the pedalling was more smooth, more efficient; the biggest positive difference was uphill with rocks; I am glad that I have discovered the oval chain ring and I don't see myself going back to traditional round one !
#167OVAL Boost for SRAM 3mm (Premium chainring) —
scott 2020-08-12 23:20
This is the third oval I've bought from absolute black. I'm a 57 year old XC Marathon racer and the oval has helped me in improving my performance and it's easy on my knees. Unfortunately, they don't send the nice little decal with the chainring anymore. Just a little thing, but at about 100 bucks a pop for a chainring, it would be nice to have that little extra to put on the downtube next to the cranks.
#166Silicone MTB Grips —
Christopher 2020-06-07 16:24
I have ridden many grips in the 16 years of riding MTB. The Ribbed silicone grips give me the perfect feel in the dry or the wet. I prefer not using gloves and have never found my hands slipping off the grips, but always suck to them. Tacky and comfortable with vibration damping making me a happy rider on gravel of steep techy descents. I will definitely have these on every MTB I own!
#165OVAL boost 148 chainring for SRAM —
WILLIAM2020-05-26 17:06
18 months ago, I purchased my first MTB with a 1 X drive-train. It came with a 32-tooth crank-ring and I found myself all-out in the flats and needing more from the gearing. Since my cassette is a 10-50 I knew I needed to upgrading the crank-ring. My last MTB ('97 GT LTS-2) came with 44-34-24 setup. As I was happy with the 34 tooth (finding myself riding in it 90% of the time) I was about to purchase one for my current MTB. While researching options I noticed a review on the WorldWide Cylcery website entitled "Oval vs Round." I've avoided "OVAL" crank rings like the plague due to the BIOPACE setup on my very first MTB ('87 Dimaondback APEX). To say I HATED it would be an understatement! In fact, I replaced the bike just 2 years later when Shimano introduced Rapid Fire shifters into the market. Since then “OVAL” has been a dirty word in my MTB vocabulary. So understandably I blew past the review.
Fast-forward a couple of months in self-quarantine and I found myself watching most of WorldWide Cylcery reviews and came upon "Oval vs Round." I decided to watch it and found myself intrigued! I hopped over to the absoluteBLACK website where I reviewed all the posted material. To say I was blown away would be a bit of an understatement and thought this might be the product I was looking for. So I took the leap and ordered a 32 tooth OVAL for my Sram with boost 148. When it arrived I immediately installed it and went directly to my go to trail head, hoped on my MTB and started my warm-up. The first minute or so I noticed the unusual feeling in my pedaling. This subsided before my warm-up was completed (I have not noticed it since). I started up (and I do mean up) the trail and found myself working more efficiently in at least one higher gear. When I hit the first tough section of up-hill with rough terrain I found (as promised) I had the power to get up and through it where I normally would struggle. Since this experience I have ridden several other trails and on the flats. I found the ring to live up to expectations and more! All in all you have made me a believer in the power of "OVAL"!
I only have two complaints. One, I purchased a chain guide just months before installing your ring. It has the height but the narrow guide causes rubbing in the top and bottom gears (sigh). Two, the product did not come with a sticker. I have stickers from several of my favorite MTB suppliers going back decades adorning my bike work stand and would have been proud to add absoluteBLACK to that group.
#164OVAL Road 110/4 BCD chainring (premium) —
Martin 2020-05-17 20:15
First ride out today with the Absolute Black oval rings. Cannot believe the difference, I couldn’t feel any difference but was climbing better and somehow the ride felt easier than before! Very pleased with the product and so glad I tried them.
#163RaceFace OVAL boost148 chainring —
robert 2020-05-17 01:49
To AB team , After having a Bio-pace equipped 1988 Diamond back ascent ex mountain bike I thought I would give your oval gear a try .Well 2 rides in and I seam to have less knee pain as I have a bad left one . I can climb hills in 4th gear where I used to climb them in 1st or 2nd gear. I seam to have more push with your oval. I've read reviews that people say that they could have went up a size with your oval & I can see why. so far I am very pleased with your product ! I do not notice the oval difference in my pedaling as I am used to the Bio pace ring while not the same as your product a similar concept. Your ring is making me reconsider my cassette gearing up -grade to my 2017 Trek Farley 7 as I may not need any lower gears now. I just wanted to share my testing results with you. Keep up the great engineering ! cheers Rob
#162OVAL Boost chainring for SRAM for HG+ 12spd chain —
Vince2020-05-12 07:28
30T MTB ring, I have owned one for Sram 12 speed and now for new Shimano 12 speed. The oval design AB has scientifically developed is incredible. At 58yr young, I climb better that I did two years ago and keep up with or beat much younger riders on the short steep punchy climbs we have on my local trails. I don't at all feel that I am pedaling an oval ring except that I instantly noticed the complete pedal stroke became much smoother with it. I don't know if any other brand can claim what AB does but AB has hit the bulls eye with their ring design. Its the talk in my mtb circles when I grind past the young guys up a climb! Wish I had this ring years ago.
Just amazing, faster on the flats and the hill are a breeze. First ride on the rings, many pb’s on Strava segments, on my winter bike. Will be swapping over to my summer bike to see how they work out, 100% converted to sub compact rings, well worth the change.
#160OVAL Road 110/4 BCD chainring (premium) —
Dave 2020-04-19 04:25
Acquired the SRAM Red chainrings 36T 52T after reading the reviews, doing research and seeing all the positive outcomes. I am a convert. Solid, comfortable, assured, full throughput on each pedal stroke - no going back! I do not notice a difference between the Absolute Black and a round chainring in terms of motion - but Absolute Black covers every stroke and every tooth... Good Luck with your purchase - appears many of us are converts
52/36, SRAM Red 11. Moved them to a Hakka MX which I am making into my one bike quiver. At least mostly. I have used Rotor Q Rings before, for years, and these are better. Stiffer. Shift more quickly. Easier to install. Definitely beneficial. I am running them on a Di2 system and had zero problems setting them up.
#158OVAL boost 148 chainring for SRAM —
Alllen2019-12-22 20:06
I've written a review of the Sub Compact chainrings by Absolute black and going straight into it I'm a convert.
This chainring is on a rigid 29 plus bike that I use for BikePacking the heaviest this bike has been is just over 70lbs - reduced knee fatigue was needed. Since getting the sub compact rings, I didn't even ride with the new round Sram chainring that came on the SX cranks, I took it off and threw it into the spares for eBay corner and mounted an oval. I rode Edinburgh Capital Trail over 3 days with this oval boost chainring - no chain drops, no pain, nothing. You need to buy all of your bikes oval chainrings, round is wrong.
I've heard about oval chainrings in the past and always avoided them because of the looks alone.
I took the leap on my gravel bike to try out oval sub compact chainrings after switching from a double set up.
The weight of the gravel bike loaded with bivvy stuff is usually about 45 lbs so I needed a lower ratio without switching out my Ultegra cranks. Absolute Black came up with their sub compact chainrings which where on my bike before the week was up after finding them!
I struggle with ankle and knee issues and I needed anything that would help, Absolute black claimed to reduce the load put onto knees.
I was SUPER apprehensive and during the first ride, I was convinced, not through marketing, not through social media posts, through actually getting on them and trying them!
Since riding oval by Absolute black, I have been able to cycle further and longer. I took part in the BearBones 200 which I completed in 25 hours and 45 minutes moving time and just over 28 hours elapsed time with zero sleep. This was the icing on the cake. Oval chainrings are for everyone. You really really need to stop riding round. Once you try these, honestly, you will not go back.
#156OVAL Road Premium 110/5BCD chainring for SRAM —
Wayne 2019-12-09 22:15
The improvement I've notice with the 52t & 36t oval rings is remarkable, no weak point in my pedal stroke, just an even, fluid power transfer. I have no hesitation in reccomending you try them
When i first put this on the bike i didn't notice a difference between it and a round chainring, but when i used a round chainring i didn't like it at all, the oval is such a ingenious idea.
Ordered yesterday, and was really hoping that the new chainring would arrive in time for a Hill Climb event this weekend... it arrived today! Amazing service, and a really good looking high quality piece of kit. Hoping it will help me glide up the gradients in the races! Thanks so much :)
#153Premium oval ring 52t racing red —
Shawn2019-09-08 01:22
Absolutely amazing. I’ve only ridden 25 miles on it so far, first ride nearly 16 achievements on Strava and nearly 30mph max. Most importantly it FEELS better, more efficient! I feel like NONE of my power is being lost! It’s insane, and super sexy on the bike.
#152AB NW Oval 36 T 104 BCD —
Martin B2019-08-15 20:40
When I thought about moving to 1x12 on my HT XC bike, I was curious about trying oval chainring. I waited for XT M8100 to be available and then I paired it with NW Oval. It was really great idea and I love oval. It helps me with "round" pedalling and helsp in steep uphills. At this time, I have about 300 km with my oval and I am really happy. I am thinking about buying small oval chainring to my 2x11 gravel bike.
At 72 my best days might be in the distant past but I still managed around 6000 miles on the road each of the past couple of years. Climbs were getting pretty difficult however, which led me to consider even lower gearing (Ultegra 6800 50-34 chainset with 11-32 cassette). The Absolute Black 30 tooth small ring has made a huge difference but the real surprise was the way the oval rings improved my pedaling in the big ring. Pedaling seems effortless.
No e-bike for me! With over 600 miles on the setup I couldn't be more pleased. Setup with Ultegra 6800 works just fine. Highly recommend.
#150Absolute Black 34T Oval MTB and 52/36T Oval Road Chainrings —
Corne 2019-07-26 13:46
After significant research I finally went with the 34T Oval as part of my 1x12 upgrade to my MTB. Let’s start by saying oval chainrings do not give you more power in relation to FTP, only training can do that, a misconception I seemed to come across in many reviews or opinion poll when trying to counter their benefits.
If you understand that cycling has a lot to do with efficiency and therefore performance gains you will be hard pressed not to be convinced that an oval is the way to go. I have personally experienced many of the benefits claimed, a much "rounder" pedal stroke, better power delivery and an ability to hold power values for longer efforts, riding a higher gear, climbing technical terrain with ease and overall just a much more enjoyable ride !!!
I have been so impressed with these rings that I purchased the 52/36T ovals for my road bike today. Very highly recommended. Thank you AbsoluteBlack for a great quality product, that performs the way it was intended to.
#149OVAL boost 148 chainring for SRAM 32T Black —
Sylvain 2019-07-25 23:39
WoW delivery from Poland to Canada (1hr Montreal area) took 3 days only. This oval is really great !!!
I love the product, was skeptical a first but after the first ride I was sold, easier climbing and super smooth, I went back to normal circle chainring for a bit just to compare and I felt a huge difference, I would never go back to a normal chainring again.
Customer Service by Santiago was first rate, fast and very helpful. I would recommend doing an even swap round to oval. I was shocked how quickly I received the product in the states!
Installed with new chain and did a couple of test climbs. I didn't really feel a difference per se...oval to round, but my legs felt the difference. I seemed to float up the climbs, standing. I was also able to float up climbs seated in a bigger gear than normal and no fatigue in the legs.
As others have said, my pedal stroke seems much more efficient (and I thought it was already pretty efficient)
Great product, great customer service. A very happy customer! Thank you!
#145Absolute Black 48t & 32t oval sub-compact —
Jeff 2019-06-29 17:35
Okay, so here’s the deal. Don’t just jump on the bike and expect to experience an instant change. Rather, as you ride ‘feel’ for the difference. Believe me, it’s there. Granted, like all things, you’ll get used to it and might not realize the difference but rest assured it’s there.
The two differences I felt was exactly what absoluteBlack says to expect with this sub-compact set up. The first is the climbs. Don’t kid yourselves, you still have to apply force on the pedal to get uphill but there’s a certain ease on those power strokes.
Cadence is smoother than you would expect. And despite what your friends might think as you pedal, no - you will not be riding like a pony on a merry-go-round.
OMG! Finally! Climbing gearing for “regular” riders who need help climbing! Beautifully crafted and easy for our local bike shop to install. Husband and I both had them installed on our Trek Domane’s with Ultegra R8020 Cranks. Took them on their maiden voyage on a 65 mile gravel ride with lots of short and punchy climbs. Gearing made the ride easier and much more fun! Highly recommend these rings!!
Hi I have the 30 mtb ring and I am finding it very very good apart from riding on the flat as the maximum speed I can get is 18 - 20 mph and so can you tell me when you get a double bigger ring
bought a 40t chain ring for a 1x project im building. took less than a week for the item to reach Manila. great job guys. thank you :-)
#141winter chainrings —
Roger dodg32019-05-22 15:38
I purchased a set of oval chain rings 34/50 for my 105 giant defy 1 crank and rode them for 2 weeks.my pedal stroke felt smoother but it did take a short ride out to get used to them and i was always looking down to my disbelief how this could work and my legs felt less sore after riding regardless how long or short the ride was. My pedal stroke is more smooth & the dead spots have almost gone . I now have purchased another set & put absolute black winter chain rings 36/52 on my other giant bike Tcr. the oval chain rings work for me in the smoothness and the riding up hill was a ease & i seem to have more energy when out with riding buddies. now i have the best of both 34/50 & 52/36 on my bikes & i cant recommend these chain rings enough to cycling buddies who have notice that my riding style has changed for the better when out on group rides.
#140Sub Compact 48-32T for Specialized Roubaix Di2-Ultegra FC8000 —
ALLAN 2019-05-05 01:35
Ordered the oval chain ring 48-32T and installed on Ultgera Di2 group sets to replaced the round 50-34T round chain rings. I did not like the oval chain rings but I LOVED them instead. It's so easy to pedal on hilly and flat rides. There are huge differences than the standard round chain rings. No knee pain and legs are fresh after my hilly ride today. The best bike upgrades on my bike and will order another compact oval rings for my Pinarello. I will never go back to round chain rings. Hands down to absoluteBlack for these technology they created.
OMG ! All I can say I was very impress with my first Century, I get carrion on with group A average speed 24.8 on 50 mile and the I stop to refuel they did not stop , So I reach high speed of 32.3 mph very impress cadence higher of 128 , my legs feel good . Good improvement.
#1385 Bolt Compact Rings for Specialized Crank 50/34 —
Adam 2019-03-11 16:48
I moved from the relatively flat New Jersey shore area to Hunterdon County last year. Back in the old neighborhood a 40 mile ride would typically have 1,000 to 1,600 feet of climbing. In the new neighborhood it's more like 3,000 to 3,500 feet with plenty of 12-16% and long climbs of 3-8%.
My SWORKS Venge was set up with mid-compact 52-36 and DA 11-28. Just not enough gearing for for the big hills.
I switched to absoluteBlack oval chainrings in compact 50-34. The small ring varies in equivalent torque between 32 and 36 depending on the position of the pedals. It works very, very well on the climbs! It saves your legs in the weak part of the stroke and puts the effort into the strong part.
What I like best is that I can sustain higher wattages at higher cadence. On some of the flats I kept looking down at the Garmin thinking, "I can't sustain this..." but I was wrong. For the same heart beat level I was generating 200 to 220 watts versus 160-180 with the old setup.
Very highly recommended.
I also just tried "sub-compact" 46-30 on my Bontrager - but that is a bridge too far. Yes it's great going uphill, but it spins out at 110rpm around 30mph or so. So for my location with my power output compact oval seems to be the way to go.
I have no affiliation with absoluteBlack. I stumbled upon their website and liked the price point and the science behind the product. I would be curious to hear what other people have to say about oval chainrings, as well as cadence and gearing on the hills.
#137Ovals on Etap / Force CX1 / Eagle XX1 —
Marc2019-02-10 01:15
Started with my first oval chainring on the MTB, got used to it in the first km’s already. CX/Gravel and Roadbike followed suit. Very convinced, definitely improved my climbing and relieved me from back and knee pain.
I ride AB 52/36 (red) ovals on my Specialized Venge. I am sold.
I find the entire pedal stroke much smoother, particularly uphill. I also find I can get out of the saddle for longer periods (I'm a big guy.)
The 36 tooth inner ring works well for me. I'm confident I can get my conditioning right for the 36 over a standard compact 34 and the smaller gap (50/36 vs 50/34) makes for a better shift pattern for me.
There are only two things I'd call for: - working on the chainring shifting for eTap - it works but it can be a bit temperamental - produce the big ring in a white option - dirt and grease never shows on the red ring. I'm sure you could achieve the same in white
#135Sub Compact Oval chainring Set —
Mike 2019-01-15 14:52
Hi Guys, just wanted to say what a terrific bit of kit these Oval chain sets are. I went for the 46-30 set which bolted straight onto my 105 cranks, and all went back on my bike with no issues. On the road, and on the hills especially, the drive is smooth and quiet. I believe that for a 55yr old rider, this set up has helped with my lack of power, and is smoother on my knees and legs. Also, in the "champagne" colour they look the "AbsoluteBollocks" !!!! One of the best add-on bits of kit i have bought. Highly recommended. Mike.
#134RaceFace OVAL boost148 —
Marc 2019-01-10 00:25
I ride a Rocky Mountain Blizzard 50 Fat Bike. The thing is a monster truck! It's really fun to ride but understandably a beast to peddle up hill. After putting aB OVAL on the RaceFace boost148 I immediately noticed a difference in effort level. I don't feel like I'm massing on the peddles when climbing and it feels like the same speed with less effort. A huge thumbs up for absoluteBlack. I just spoiled myself with a new bike and I will again be buying another OVAL from aB!
Hi after putting 52/36 on my road bike I wanted to change the rings on my CX bike for the winter my LBS persuaded me to go 1x hence the 42t oval c/r absolutely perfect I,m so enjoying my riding and as on my road bike no sore knees or back at 62 years of age I feel re born.
#13248/32 Sub compact chain rings —
Gary 2018-11-15 11:03
Hello, As an English cyclist living in the shadow of the Pyrénées, I was more than a little disappointed to find that I had calcification in the arteries in my heart last spring. Some surgery and a little convalescence followed and I was given the all clear to ride again, but ‘doucement’. Not easy in a region where all roads rise and fall. I purchased a set of your sub compact rings, 48/32. Fitting was simple, adjusting was easy. In use, they shift as smoothly as I want (I run UltegraDi2). They allow me to continue to ride without undue stress where perhaps I might not be able to otherwise. Thank you!
#13150/34 Oval for Shimano Sora —
Steve 2018-09-23 00:42
Yes, it does work on 9 sp! Knee pain (not debilitating, but annoying) went away. Feel like I don't pedal squares when tired. Front ring shifts seem to go smoother/quicker, as well. Having a 38 tooth 1x installed next week on the CX/Gravel bike (11 sp.). Color me impressed!
#130Oval chainrings MTB and Race —
Theo 2018-09-08 19:41
Last winter I mounted an absolute oval chainring on my MTB bike and the result was great. My legs were less tired after heavy training, hills seemed less steep, speeding up is a party. Assembly was very simple. After the winter period I also provided my Road bike with a cranckset with two oval chainrings. Again the same result, but I could ride a bigger resistance in the mountains with less effort. Super product, just do not understand why not everyone drives this.
Love these, just purchased my third set as i wanted a 52/36 as well as my compact sets. They work like a dream and look fantastic . Unlike other brands of ovals AB have designed their chainrings to match/ blend with your existing cranks. Brilliant job guys and thanks! Ooh and customer service has been superb too!
#128Oval Sub compact 46/30 —
Nathan2018-08-30 18:20
Changing to oval 46/30T rings made a gnarly steep local climb easier by far. The smoothness of the ovals plus the mechanical advantage of the 30T over my old 36T brought my HR down 5% and got me up the hill faster. Great service and fantastic product.
Stan really helped me out to pick the correct chainring. And it works fantastically! I really love it. BUTTERY SMOOTH..... BUTTERY! You gotta try out these oval chainrings. It's not a gimmick, it really works. Stan will help you out too. He is excellent. Thank you Stan!
#126Oval Boost Cinch Chainring for Race Face —
Thomas 2018-08-06 22:21
Today out on my ride I made it up a steep climb that I haven't made in quite a few years, back then I was riding a 100mm FS XC bike, today I'm on a 160/140 trail bike and am also about 60 lbs heavier, I tried this climb when I first got the new bike and was only able to make it about 1/3 of the way up, today was the first time since I got the AB Oval that I attempted it, and I was surprised that I was able to make it up the climb, no wheel spin just planted, after today, I will never go back to a round ring again, and I could not recommend Absolute Black Oval Rings Higher.
#125chainrings for Sram red c/set —
keith 2018-06-25 20:20
Absolutely the best. I have had an ongoing back problem and thought these rings could ease the strain on my lower back. YES they did and they have me back to enjoying my cycling again. No scientific data just pain free enjoyment. happy days
Thought that I'd try them and if I didn't like them I could put the Ultegra rings back on. The Ultegras are now for sale,. Very easy installation and no problems tuning the front Di2 front Derailleur. The Absolute Blacks give a smoother pedal stroke and I can't prove it, but I swear they're faster and climbing is easier. Great product - Many thanks Bill
#123SS cog + Oval 34t 104 ring —
Sam2018-05-21 01:19
20t SS cog on the rear and 34t oval ring on the front of my Trek Single-speed. Service and advice from the absoluteBLACK team have been awesome. Shipping to New Zealand was RAPID. An awesome combo, great ratio and both being NW should eliminate any chain issues. Variance in chain tension with the oval is minimal and makes no impact, drive train is silent and performed flawlessly on my initial rides. Very happy
Ok, I admit it. I was one of the people that bitched and said Shimano did this with Biopace and it sucked. However, I road a friend’s bike with one of your chainrings and it was enough to get me to buy one for myself.
I just installed a 36 tooth chainring and it made such a huge difference, and I couldn't tell in the pedal stroke.
Some great service here to go with the great products. I have just purchased 2x SS cogs, online order placed last Friday afternoon, arrived at my door this (Tuesday) morning - less than 2 week days to the other side of the planet. Wow! As always the presentation/packaging of the products is top shelf. Coupled with this has been the excellent advice I have been getting from the technical staff regarding cog and chain maintenance. I am one happy repeat customer.
HI, I've been using a 32 ring for a long while with my 1x10 setup now (its lasting amazingly well). Last Winter I took off the 32 oval and put on an old 28 non oval AbsBlack ring. Its very slippy here and that means its hard to stand and climb when it gets steep so a lower gear is needed. Well, the 28 didn’t seem significantly easier to pedal than the 32 oval, but I left it on for the Winter anyway as the mud here really can grind parts. Summer '17 meant the 32 went back on, great. I love the "oval" feel. A month ago I fitted a new AbsBlack 28 Oval. Wow, it's just amazing on climbs. I can even stand to pedal as it just seems so much smother and more grippy than last Winter's non oval 28. Oval mis the way forward.
#119Oval 36 tooth 104 BCD Green —
Sean 2018-01-12 19:59
I started with the 34t oval ring and 10-42 cassette. I could finish climbs that I couldn’t finish before. I felt like a goat. I had the power I needed to make a hard climb. Changing to a 36t to see if I can gain more speed on flat single track. The AB oval ring works!
I recently upgraded my KTM Revelator with the Absolute Black Oval Raod Chain rings. They definitely make climbing easier but it also helped with my occasional knee pain. On my previous long distance rides (55 and 66 miles) I had some knee pain towards the end. This pat Saturday I did 100 miles with no pain at all. These rings simply work and improve pedal stroke without the knee strain I used to get
first ride with the oval, 10 miles on moosic across the top, noticeable improvement on climbing, rocky med. technical stuff and flat out sections, I seemed to be running 1-2 gears higher in most instances , I will give it a conservative 5% increase in efficiency (more like 10 though)
I have been riding Absoluteblack rings for almost 2 years. I love them. I felt the boost in power climbing right away. And felt I could push a small gear in the rear in most condition. Before I switched I was running a 32T so I ordered a 32 T. After riding the 32T for about a couple of months I felt I could run a bigger ring and help out my top end. So I ordered a 34. It's been great. I live in a rolling hills area in NC. I thought I might struggle with climbs in the MTNs with the 34. But the oval makes it do able. I have ridden all over the NC mountains and made a trip to Co. (rode some crazy steep big MTNs) had no issues with the 34x11-42. I am thinking of going to a 36x11-46 the next time I have to replace the chain and cassette. I will be a lifer on oval rings!
Just have the oval chainrings on my new Bike for a few days Now . Was already just riding them with rotor but the AB rings are much more smoother while pedaling . They feel really good , are lighter than rotor rings , better look and cheaper . Very happy with them , no problems shifting with E-tap !
#11250-34 110-5 bolt Shimano —
Jeff B2017-08-24 06:03
Absolutely the best! I have been using Q rings for the past 2 seasons and I am so glad I found Absolute Black, no doubt 100% smoother than the competition Could not find a replacement ring for my Shimano 5 bolt... Look no further as this is the "Real Deal"with awesome Customer service
What s fantastic product... bought for my son a budding time trialist.. last night he set his fifth consecutive PB over both the 10 and 25 mile distances shedding 3:30 off his 25 mile PB and 1:30 off his 10 mile PB... these chain rings really suit the lighter rider maximising power output and overcoming the lack of body mass in the less efficient part of the pedal stroke... can't wait for the 54t ring...
#110SRAM GXP 32t chainring —
Dave B.2017-07-09 16:17
Just brought this as part of a conversion to 1X11 - seriously impressed with the conversion, but especially your chainring. Firstly, it only took one day from order to deliver, better than the 3-5days advertised and allowed me to do the conversion and go riding today. Secondly - well finished product which fits perfectly without any problems. And finally I really like the feel of your chainring when pedalling - it's so smooth. I do like the uphills, and it felt much easier to spin up them. It's almost like free power. I'm old enough to have used Biopace, (which was useless) and was a little sceptical about the benefits, but am so far convinced. I will be using these on any new bikes in the future. I ride currently ride a Whyte 729. Cheers Dave
#109Oval RaceFace Cinch direct mount chainring 26t —
Dave S.2017-07-07 00:28
I recently installed your 26t oval chainring on my hardtail carbon 27.5 Norco Mtn Bike. I'm incredibly impressed with this product and here's why.
I'm a pure climber, that's ALL I DO!! I only ride uphill! I'm a 50 yr old retired male who bikes up forest roads in the US to Forest Fire Lookouts. The national forests of the Western US are full of these lookout towers. A typical ride is a 4000 ft climb in 8 miles via a gravel road. This is my hobby and I gear my bikes to be pure climbing bikes.
Your oval chainring had the following benefits for me: 1. Less aerobic fatigue 2. Less leg fatigue during and less residual knee ache after. 3. Faster climbing times 4. Eliminated stops to 'catch my breath.' Less taking of breaks. 5. Allowed me to stop taking rest days between brutal climbs.
#108Absolute Black 50T outer and 34T inner oval chainrings —
Harald H.2017-06-25 19:19
I was curious to try these after accidentally finding them online. I can't believe how much of a difference they have made on my road bike. My cadence is much more efficient and I'm actually faster. Overall, this product is legit!
Bought oval XT M8000 36t for my Scott spark rc 900 pro. It fits perfect. I have sufficient clearance on the frame however I had to shave a bit off the chain guide. Riding is very natural.
#106PREMIUM OVAL ROAD 110/5 BCD CHAINRING FOR SRAM 52/34T —
Paul Glover2017-06-09 13:14
Bike Porn at its very best. I thought moving from round to oval might be a test, but not so. Apart from moving to SRAM eTap, the easiest bicycle transition I have made. As well as ease of riding, this has improved my performance and also just made the bike a talking point wherever it goes, Dubai, Sydney, Cape Town - always an attraction and works too - bargain!
#105110 BCD Outer and inner chainrings —
Kaymo2017-06-01 01:00
Looking at the Absoluteblack website I was intrigued. After reading reviews, I knew I wanted to try the chainrings. I have been riding a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed drive train with a stock 52/36 crank. As a start, I ordered the 36T Absoluteblack chainring.
Installation was simple: Remove the crank (this also gives you an opportunity to inspect your bottom bracket and properly torque the crank after re-installing). I watched the installation video on Absoluteblack’s website. Note: I needed a T30 Torx, not T25, to remove the stock Shimano bolts holding the small chainring against the big chainring. I didn’t have to raise or lower my front derailleur, and I continued using the same chain (it was relatively new). No need to remove links.
My first ride was interesting. If you don’t think about it, you may not notice any difference in your ride. Focusing on my pedaling, I noted more “fluidity” in spinning the cranks. I’d agree with others that these chainrings do make you a better pedaler and, perhaps, a bit more conscious of when to shift or if you’ve shifted too soon. If I slow cadence just a bit or get a little bit ahead of myself pedaling faster in a low gear, I’ll get what I call the “clank”, the sound of your pawls in your freewheel engaging and taking-up just that little bit of chain slack. I think (and I could be wrong) this has something to do with turning over the crank from its most oval to least oval. Another reason to pedal with a smooth cadence. All said, while it could be the “placebo-effect” of me wanting to notice a difference, I think I do—even riding up hills seems just a bit easier and now can I say it: more controlled, more even with each downward push of the pedal making the bike climb more steadily. I liked the inner ring enough that I since have bought the outer ring. I can report the same feeling and results with it.
It’s worth mentioning that the outer ring is finished beautifully. Nice anodizing and the design in the ring makes the bike stand-out. It looks good on the bike.
#10428 tooth oval 64 bcd —
christopher frolich2017-05-16 00:40
great product. I instantly noticed less knee strain with the ovalized chainring
#10328T oval chainring —
Mario Turcotte2017-05-03 23:49
Amazing product! I just switched from 2x10 to 1x10 using your 28T oval with a Sunrace 11-42 cassette on my Trek Fuel EX8. I'm not a strong climber, yet this past Saturday I tried every single climb I could, and there are many at my favourite trails center, many have roots as well, and I powered right through them!! Never needed to put a foot down or walk up a climb. I'm really, really glad I converted over to 1X10 using your oval chainring!! Thanks for a great product!
Difficult to describe the feeling but I can say that you cannot feel the difference in pedalling action. However that said I can absolutely say that Cadence has increased along with smoothness, it's a very subtle effect. If you are unconvinced try the small ring first. Point to note this is not going to turn you into Peter Sagan, but you will feel better after a ride and pedal more smoothly. I am now purchasing the Large Oval to see the effect. Also zero chain drops or problems on a 3 hour ride.
Last week I converted my Specialized carbon Stumpjumper HT to a 1x10 with 36t ab oval chainring and an 11-42 cassette. I was taking a bit of a risk riding the new setup in one of the gnarliest XC races I've ever ridden, but on Saturday that's what I did. XC race SoNoMás is 34 miles long with 7,000ft of climbing (not a typo!) and the 36t x 11-42 was purrrrfect. 8th place, cat 1. Granted, I did need my granny gear, but I didn't need more. This is my second bike now sporting an ab oval ring, and I have total confidence in the Absolute Black product.
#100Oval CX/Gravel 1X Direct Mount Sram —
Herman2017-03-29 11:30
Wonderful product, am pleasantly surprised by the smooth rotation of the pedals!! I have no time having to get used to the Oval,rides great!! I'm going to mount them on my other bikes i am a fan for sure!! Thanks Guy's View the pics of my Koga Beach racer with Oval in the Gallery!!
I've ridden for years but sometime ago l developed severe knee pain some hours after riding. The pain was so bad it either kept me awake at night or woke me up. I was getting to the point where l was looking to give up riding.
By pure chance l read the oval rings could relieve knee pain. I was hopeful but sceptical. After 12 months of using the ring, l've never looked back. No pain at all. I did have a twinge after a couple of weeks and thought I'd found a short lived solution, but it was a one off. A life saver for me.
In terms of how the ring feels to use, l can't say l've ever noticed the ovalisation. Power delivery is definitely smoother, but from my perspective that's just and added bonus.
I converted my 2x10 to 1x11 and chose the 30t oval and Shimano 11/46 cassette to keep the lowest gear ratio close to what the 2x10 provided. It turned out perfect. Just as advertised, it is easier on steep climbs with less stress on my knees, I really notice the difference.
#97Winter oval road chainrings —
Alan Renshaw2017-01-10 21:26
I have been running my single oval ring now for almost 4 months and approximately 5 weeks ago purchased 2 winter road rings and a bash guide to go on my mountain bike. As usual the quality is superb, fitting instructions very clear and the customer service second to none. The oval rings continue to impress me and have made a genuine difference to my riding particularly as suffer from osteoarthritis in both knees. There does not seem to be as much stress on my knees and they don't ache when I have completed my rides. I am so pleased with the oval rings I am going to purchase 2 premium oval road rings for my carbon road bike once winter is over. Keep up the good work, the futures bright the futures oval.
#96Road Premium Oval Chains Ring —
Joe2017-01-06 21:00
Hi Absolute Black,
Setup:Shimano 5800 105 50/34. After a month of riding on your prem. oval chains rings I have nothing negative to say. I'm absolutely impressed how well they shift, which was my biggest fear. If your thinking of updating your 105 crank or ultegra crank don't, just slap on these chain rings and your good to go!
I got an 11-36 casette with a two by, And I switched to the absolute black oval chain ring, and it felt like I had the same range of a two-by. It also doesn't lose traction under power. I can't recommend this enough
#9432T SRAM direct Oval chainring —
neil B2016-12-23 19:38
Hi guys, I just removed my AB Oval 32 SRAM direct ring as the cassette and the KMC X10SL Ti chain had eventually worn after 16 months of UK riding, quite some of that riding in mud and grit. That's pretty impressive. The drivetrain felt totally fine ’til last week, then some gears just began to skip at the back. The Oval ring was to worn for a new chain though. (unsurprisingly). Next time I’ll rotate 3 chains as absoluteBLACK now recommend. For the Winter I've put an older 28t non oval AB ring on there, as it had been in the spares box since July '15 when I fitted the 32. That 28 had gone through the foul conditions of Winter of 14/15 and is still going strong (it was packed away with it's original chain and cassette, I’m pleased to say). I'd kinda expected the 28 to be a touch easier to climb with which would be useful for the mud that is here now, but, I feel it's no easier than the 32, and the 32 oval was so much "smoother". Smoother in both spinning and when climbing out of the saddle. I'll back on a new 32 oval as soon as I can put some wear on that 28 for sure.
Thanks absoluteBLACK, great quality gear in a world of built in obsolescence. Recommended 100% for design quality and build quality.
I was initially skeptical about the oval chainring as I am somewhat familiar with the old designs that didn't really take off, but I was going to give it a try. My first ride on them had a long sustained climb and I noticed a huge difference right off the bat! Just like I've read, it feels more round than a round chainring, especially on long sustained climbs. Amazing product! Another important thing is that it looks awesome!
Thought I should go a bit harder on the SS and replace my AB 18T cog with a 16T. As it turned out my 18T cog had snapped a tooth (not bad after 20 months), and I never knew it had happened.
Packaging, finish and speed of delivery were great again, and the price is entirely reasonable too. I have binned all my other (el cheapo) cogs which have lost a chain on two occasions - this has never happened with my AB cog, maybe it's the fact that the cogs are NW, maybe something else...? The extra width also means no perceptible damage to the freewheel body.
The oval chain ring does change the tension a wee bit on an SS as it goes around, but with a bit of persistence you can find the right spot.
#9132t and 28t SRAM DM Oval —
Crafty2016-11-29 08:13
I've been mashing your oval rings since the first batch hit US soil in early 2014. From the first ride, the benefits were very noticeable. It's difficult to describe...it's like my pedal stroke was cut by 10-15%. You know, that last bit of grunt on a steep climb or technical maneuver when you're about to stall out? It's gone. That's the best description I can give. I run oval on both my full squish and single speed, and the benefits on the SS are huge! There's only one problem though (not for me). Both of my rings show very little wear after thousands of miles. The anodized finish is still nearly perfect, even on the teeth!
Thank you for providing such a quality, innovative product!!!
#9034T & 50T 110 BCD —
Michael Raider2016-11-28 01:18
I bought the 34T first and after riding for a month I decided to also get the 50T. I had a noticeable improvement in climbing with the 34T. The 50T took a bit to get used to as I was finding that my cadence was lower than before. After about a half-dozen rides I back to spinning my normal 90-100 RPM on the flats.
Shifting feels a bit quicker than on my round Sram rings.
Be sure to put the small ring on correctly!
Bottom line: better climbing and I feel faster on the flats now that I am used to the big ring.
#8930T Chain Ring "racing red" —
Craig C2016-11-14 17:30
I wanted to let you know that I did take your advice and I ordered a 30T absolute black sprocket. I must say after just a few rides I am truly in love with this product. I definitely feel less fatigue on the bike and after riding. It is so refreshing when you receive a product and it works exactly as advertised. Phenomenal product, incredible response time by staff, On time delivery and easy installation. You have earned a customer for life!
Sincerely, Craig C
#88Oval 30 tooth 104bcd chainring in anodized red —
Jeffrey Davis2016-11-14 13:38
Just converted my 2x10 setup to 1x10. I wanted a 30t chainring to keep the same low end gearing (when adding a 40t cog to my cassette), but I also wanted to try out an oval ring since everyone seems to rave about how much of a difference a make.
I'm glad absoluteBLACK found a way to make an oval 30t in the 104bcd!
I expected to feel some difference, but I honestly couldn't have dreamed it would have made that much difference! Wow! It's true that it's difficult to explain the sensation. You don't realize what a dead spot there is at the 5-7 o'clock position of your pedal stroke until it's not there anymore.
I can't express what a difference it the oval ring makes in steady climbs, but also in increased power for punchy climbs or to get up and over an obstacle.
I just wanted to drop you a line after my first ride with my absolute black oval chainring, I bought a 30t oval for my 1x11 xt m8000 for my EVIL The Following. Now I must admit that I was skeptical but it was the only ring that would work and give me a 28t range on the front, so I bought one.
WOW! I have been riding mtb' for 25yrs & you guys have solved a problem that I didn't really think needed solving. I tried the ring out today for the first time at Afan Argoed on The Blade, it is really amazing how the oval ring smoothed out the torque curve when climbing, no loss of traction due to over torque, no disproportionate effort on the down stroke, no pedalling squares, no stalling, really amazing.
The other revelation was when pedalling through whoopy sections there was just a steady cadence, no bottom out bump, no spin out on the down slope & no over torque on the up slope.
I am a convert, the oval ring is an amazing piece of kit for the 1 x 11 drive train, I will fit one to my single speed, I'm sure there will be a marked improvement in pedalling efficiency here.
Thanks for your hard work & development of this product
It's always nice when your product turns up impeccably packaged and presented well - especially with a nice touch like the foil decal for the bike!
The machining is beautifullly done and sits on the dura ace seating lugs just like the original making for a very easy diy. Having a red decal saying "This side out" would save a few minutes.
The climb output as a result of clever manipulation of the biomechanics of a pedal stroke is sublime! I can get "over" the top of the gear I am in and I climb better for it
Fantastic. 30T Oval running on Power2Max power meter perfectly.. It does tend to collect dirt and other crud, but also allows for low gears on big climbs on long days.
SMALLEST TRACTION RING AVAILABLE FOR THE POWER2MAX meter. Might fit on other 104bcd power meters. -tc
Rode for the first time my World Cup Epic on training group session on Saturday., gearing was perfect with the New 30T.. chased down better/ younger rides who normally have an advantage over me on the longer ( power sapping) technical climbs not the case this time with better cadence on the climbs- tempo based technical 5-15min efforts.. much improved!! Thks again.
#83winter training rings oval —
Andy2016-09-27 20:43
Wow thanks guys if the rings provide half the quality of service it'll be amazing ,I ordered 50t &34t on Monday afternoon hadn't paid for express delivery so was looking forward to end of week to receive them ,but low and behold got back home Tuesday lunchtime rings awaiting ,duly fitted also such easy process ,a round the block ride to iron out any possible issues and none ,so once again thank you ,
I've fitted an Oval 32T Chain ring as part of my 1 x 11 conversion. (Shimano XT) The Chain ring is very well made and finished, and fitted onto my existing XT HT2 Crank with no problems. I just used the existing crank bolts and tightened to the correct torque, I did use a spot of 'Locktite' on the treads as well. On the first ride I did notice a slight 'pulsing' at first but I soon forgot about it. The pedal stroke just felt smoother and I was able to climb better as the power delivery was constant. Whether is was psychological or not but I seemed to be able to push a higher gear on short steep climbs. I don't think I'll be going back to a round 'ring anytime soon. Top product - well recommended.
Great article to read abour Absoluteblack RF oval ring:
[not allowed to post links here]://thetruingstand.com/uncategorized/absoluteblack-chainrings/
#79road 130mm 2x oval and round chainrings —
Michael2016-09-05 10:49
I'm using your chainrings on my tandem, with a pair of 53/39 oval rings on the drive and a pair of round wide/narrow rings for the timing chain. The tandem is now a 2x10 setup (was previously 3x10).
Nice step up in power and the wide/narrow profile has made the timing chain feel smoother (and needs less tension to keep it on). Great product and you should think about advertising for tandem applications.
Thanks,
#78Road chain rings —
James Hustwayte2016-09-03 17:18
I bought these 3 weeks before embarking on London to Paris, I felt the difference straight away with pedal strokes feeling more direct and climbing feeling easier. After 3 days riding and nearly 15000ft of climbing my legs felt fresh with no signs of fatigue. Believe the hype people.
I expected it to feel different, but my initial impression at a normal cadence was that it felt almost exactly the same as any new ring and chain. Very smooth, otherwise normal, and certainly not weird. Jump forward several months, and I will never go back to round rings for MTB. The oval design is so valuable any time you're off cadence. On a steep hill with changing gradients but no chance to shift, or a climb with roots that slow you down for a few pedal strokes... or when the rider in front of you gets hung up on something unexpectedly and you have to track stand before trying to ride over it yourself with no momentum. This ring turns what would be mashing into a considerably more fluid, natural-feeling effort and motion. In turn, I'm less likely to break traction or unintentionally lift my front wheel, my knees thank me, and I feel less worn out by the end of a ride. TBH, I think it's a matter of time before oval rings are the norm, and round rings are a relic that people in the know generally avoid. Other than the ovality, the ring has been great in every other way as well. Smooth and silent.
#76Oval chainring & oval bashguide —
Darren Jacob2016-08-29 22:35
Superb quality and a real game changer!! Been using the chainring for a long time and can honestly say that it's the best upgrade that I've put on my AM bike. Really do feel the benefits just fitted oval bashguide excellent quality and so simple to fit and set!!! Absolute black products are super high quality and there service is second to none!!!
Super happy with my SHIMANO OVAL XT M8000 TRACTION CHAINRING. I opted up to a 34T from a 32T XT and couldn't be happier. I don't feel any weirdness from the shape but there certainly is a difference in better traction and power in climbs. Slightly harder granny from the 32T XT but with a payoff of better performance and a higher top speed. Fit and finish are excellent. I ordered a second one for wear and tare. My 1X has never dropped a chain so no surprise there. I'm definitely an AbsoluteBlack Oval convert.
#7430T Raceface Cinch Oval chainring —
Alan Renshaw2016-08-27 23:05
I purchased a 30T oval chainring for my Raceface Cinch cranks for my 1x11 drivetrain I decided to buy one because I have arthritis in both my knees, my left being so bad that I am getting a total knee replacement on my left knee in the new year.
I emailed the guys for advice on what size to buy and received a reply within two hours. After delivery I fitted the ring (quality is superb by the way) and after two rides I am very impressed. After ten minutes I stopped noticing that it was oval and I have never dropped the chain. With regard to the effect on my knees, it has been very noticeable. I seem to be able to push hard up climbs but nearly all the pressure through my knees seems to have gone. My knees definitely feel better after a ride. Also in some sections I seem to be pushing one or sometimes two gears harder. I was going to get rid of my SRAM 1x11 and change over to 2x11 Shimano XT (at a cost of about £350) but so far I'm happy to stick with the current set up. Next purchase is an inner oval ring for my road bike.
For me so far the futures bright, the futures oval.
Oval Black did not disappoint in Downieville! First time in its history that the race sold out, completely in both XC and all-mountain divisions, 650+ riders. I raced XC, cat 1, ages 29-44. 15th place, stoked! Would've placed 34th in pro:). Pass on the good news, you guys have a ring like no other, I'll be spinning Absolute Black from here out.
Initially, reluctant ...However, after riding my 29er with a 1 x 11 cogset (10/42) I was very impressed with the power distribution and no knee pain. AB undoubtable got it nailed! ...YOU won't even know your are riding an OVAL after 15 minutes time.
In the last 10 weeks since I have fitted the Absolute Black chain rings to two bikes, we covered 4,360 kilometres, and 75,000 meters of elevation gain,! Not only were the Absolute Black chainrings faultless, but our climbing pace and consistency improved significantly. It only took half an hour for our legs to settle in, and after that each new ride it felt like normal.....until I got back on a bike of the same model. with normal chainrings.. Needless to say I'm back on the Absolute Black rings again. Thanks guys for providing a product that delivers on its promise. Steve
#70Road Oval Chainrings —
Peter Humphreys2016-07-27 11:26
Just ordered another set! Fitted my first set and they did everything you said they would......and for me, most importantly, after 46 years of cycling, my knees love them ( and now hate round rings! ). That's 3 of my bikes that will now be on Absolute Black!!!
Works as advertised. One of the best urgrade you can do to your bike. With this combo climbing is easier and I notice a little more speed on the flat sections too. I also recover faster after long climbs and shifting is very smooth. If you want a little edge that will help you go a little faster and ride a little longer, look no further. I am completely satisfied with my purchase and I highly recommend it. Basically this is a chainring on steroids! And the look of this chainring is killer!!!!
I have been mountain biking for about 15 years and have ridden some very high end bikes with always all of the best technology (some not so good). I have innovated products as well and although understood the technology in Absolute Black's elliptical/oval chainrings, I really considered them to be a 'novelty' as opposed to a really advantageous tool. I ordered one for my high end SC Nomad IIIc mtn bike and bolted it on when it arrived. I have no cartilage in my right lateral knee and I found after a one hour longer ride of 4 1/2 hours of climbing and descending, I not only could climb trails I gassed out on, but the smooth even force on my knee reduced the pain to go along with the phenomenal climbing ability. I LOVE it when technology works......good job gentlemen and keep up the good work.....you have a loyal convert and believer in me. Doug Lockhart, Vancouver Island, B.C.
#67ABSOLUTEBLACK SRAM OVAL GXP® TRACTION CHAINRING —
C Kenth2016-07-12 20:14
I put this oval on my MTN Bike and left my brother in the dust on a CX ride. I'll be putting them on my road bike now.
I got two chainrings one 34t for my scalpel and a 32t for my s works epic. These products are amazing and the support of getting the correct chainring has been flawless. The product is amazing I can ride two gears harder on every climb and my rotation is a lot faster. If you want to have a better rider and climb faster you have to get AbsoluteBlack Oval chainrings.
The biggest ring available for the Cinch is a 34t and i've been told that, on the power stroke, it would act like a 36t ring. Well I am writing this email to tell you how right you were! I love the ring, and have talked three of my customers into ordering them as well. So far 100% satisfaction! I recently road the Dirty Kanza 200, if you are not familiar, it is a 200 miles of gravel and minimum maintenance roads through the Flint Hills of Kansas, in one day. Very tough ride with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain! I am convinced that the ring helped me finish 207.21 miles. In August, I am going to complete in the Maah Daah Hey 100 mountain bike race in North Dakota. 100 miles of mountain bike single track in one day, with almost 12,000 feet of elevation gain! I am confident that my Absolute Black oval ring will once again help me to the finish line.
Wow, I don't think I could ever go back to round again. Takes a little getting used to shifting up on the front but riding normally you wouldn't notice a lot of difference. Hit an incline and it how peddling should be! Thanks for changing riding forever.
I've had these rings for a while now and couldn't be happier. The machining on these rings is fantastic and the shifting performance is at least on par with the standard Shimano rings. They really suit my riding style (climbing in the saddle) and I can really keep the power level up when climbing shorter hills. The customer service has also been great, fast replies to all my email queries.
Having used Rotor Chainrings for over two years on my road bike, I decided to change over to absoluteBLACK - the difference is night and day. Shifting is way smoother, and no extras required to sort out the front mech. Might just have to swap out my other two chainsets to absoluteBLACK chainrings. In a word - Superb!
I live in the UK and I race cross country mountain bike and 4 years ago I nearly died in a training accident. I'm currently trying to get back to my previous form and I think I'm there but I noticed after my accident something had changed and at 53 I haven't got much time to get my form perfect, so I decided to try your oval chainrings and I can tell you what a revelation it has been. I took it to my local trails today and I seemed to flow over very wet and slippy roots and breezed around corners much smoother. I must have been pedalling with a very jerky motion on a normal, circular chainring, but now everything is much smoother and faster using your oval chainring so I'd just like to say thank you and I'm a complete convert and will always use absolute black oval mtb chainrings.
Shifting to oval made me 3% faster on singletrail on at 1 hour ride. It's just faster going up. The effect has stayed over the last month. I've ridden the same trail for years at the same pace and time... Suddenly af few minutes disappeared from strava! Doesn't feel weird at all / if anything more natural flow for my legs. I'm a 201cm tall guy / and this feels more ergonomic and natural for long legs... *(riding 1x10 with 11/36 rear and 32 oval nw up front. Used to have round 32 in front chainring)
#5840t cassette cog and 32t oval —
Richard Jacinto2016-06-23 22:45
It works great with my 10 speed derailleur. Just needed to use a little more b-screw tension. I'm now running it with an 11 speed XT GS cage and my 10 speed shifter. Much lighter shift action, even with the clutch.
The oval chainring makes out of the saddle climbing easier and I can maintain a much higher seated climbing cadence.
Wow! I can't put it in words other than the 1x oval chain ring I just installed on wed rode 1st time at santos today. For me this is the best up grade I have bought in the last 15 years. Tks.
#5636T Road Inner Chainring —
Rob Davis2016-05-30 04:44
I initially wanted it off my bike. This was due to spinning to high. I've continued to get used to it and now am relying on the AB inner ring as I feel stronger using your product. Shifting is great Next step is put on your outer chainring! I'm a believer!!!
#55SRAM GXP+AB Direct Mount oval 32 —
Erik Olsson2016-05-25 01:09
I had been reading reviews on AB products for a while and was impressed by their look and weight along with the obvious R&D that went into their creation. I have spent time on Rotor Q-Rings and I enjoyed the power and the fact that my knees didn't hurt as much as with round rings. After changing from a 2x10 setup to a 1x11 I decided that it was time to try out an AB Direct Mount GXP Oval 32. One thing that I'd like to add is that the AB oval has a great percentage of ovality making all of the aspects of this type of system more dramatic. The end result has been a good list of improvements over my previous round ring. First, my knees feel much better on long rides, second is that I'm able to maintain a higher speed with a lower heart rate, third is a huge improvement in climbing traction, and fourth is a much lighter build. If you're considering a way to improve your riding experience and have a better looking rig this is a great place to start.
I ride the AB oval chain ring for more than a year now in the most different conditions from the Belgian mud to the Spanish dust. In all that time the chain didn’t dropped a single time! I love the way the oval chainring provides traction in the mud and on steep climbs! Great job done guys!
I ride the AB oval chain ring for more than a year now in the most different conditions from the Belgian mud to the Spanish dust. In all that time the chain didn’t dropped a single time! I love the way the oval chainring provides traction in the mud and on steep climbs! Great job done guys!
Hi Marcin, I fitted the AB oval Sram GXP chainring and new chain/cassette and went for my first ride today. I received it a while back, but didn't want to use it whilst we still had a lot of mud. The 28T (direct mount GXP, one of yours) I took off still has life in it after many months use in some awful mud - I'm pleased to say. Well, I am entirely amazed by the smoothing of pedalling with the oval ring, I always believed the theory but had never tried it. There is an MBUK / Fabien Barel tuition DVD with a section on climbing, he stands and is just so smooth on very steep loose terrain. My smoothness today had that same feeling, stronger through the whole pedal stroke. I'll never climb like Fabien but anything that makes standing climbing on a low traction surface more feasible is a great thing to have. Didn't feel any harder to turn than the 28 either. In short, I am amazed. It was as good for my ego as having a new bike, less bob on my 171 travel Nicolai AM with the smoother stroke too. Well gone for redesigning the Biopace concept and getting it right. Happy trails.
#5128T oval direct mount —
Jeff Rocco2016-04-03 17:59
This works great. Compared to round 28 T ring on the same climb, the oval ring was 10% faster and my average heart rate was about 8 beats lower. Also noted less strain on my patella. Pedal stroke only felt strange for about a minute. I have previously used Rotor Q rings. What's not to like? Faster riding with less cardiac and less musculoskeletal stress.
Picked up an AbsoluteBLACK oval ring for my Bronson last season and it seemed to have helped with some knee pain I was experiencing. Today I got a package with two more for my rigid singlespeed Karate Monkey and my Rohloff equipped Moonlander. Can't wait to see how these feel on those two rigs.
After a 5 year brake in cycling I decided to roll again last April. Almost a year later i'm getting serious again. Back in the day I used to race quite a bit. I even had support from Trek as one of their 29er Crew team members. I really loved putting the hammer down on the race course giving it all I had. I was never quite "Pro" caliber but I was a Cat 1 level mountain bike racer and enjoyed it immensely. I raced on a geared bike as well as a Singlespeed, XC courses and endurance lengths. Soon enough life took over and I had to call it quits for a while. I sold all my bikes and moved on.
Married now with a loving Singlespeed racing wife, two little girls and one on the way I once again have wheels under me for at least 70 miles a week, all dirt. As my fitness built I wanted more performance out of my bike. I bought a stiff and light set of wheels and a bigger chainring for my 2x10 setup. I got fitter and faster over the last year and now it was time to really get my power to the ground.I changed things up to a bike with a 1x11 and a solid rear end.
Back in the day I used a Rotor Ring and felt petty good results on my Singlespeed. So of course this time around I was thinking of getting another one. As I began my search I found an add on Facebook for Absolute Black Oval chainrings. A lot had changed in the mountain biking industry in the 5 years I hadn't been around. So instead of just going with Rotor Ring I read reviews on ABO's and I just couldn't find a bad review. Of course some guys were installing them and taking them off because they decided they just felt wrong but they didn't take something into account. They were just pedaling wrong, quite squarely actually, just like the rest of us. They didn't give the rings a chance to smooth things out. No worries tho cause they will be back. All the other reviews were astounding!
These rings work. They are not a fad and when people really catch on and come to realize the many benefits of using one, the face of mountain bike racing is going to change. A racer or weekend athlete who is already strong with a round ring will start to think after a hard day on the bike, how much better could I have done on an ABO??? 1x11 is catching on to the every day rider, not just the racers. It could really get more people on these rings and as they made the transition to 1x11 they would most definitively get one then as well.
So those are my thoughts and testimony on the awesomeness of Absolute Black Oval chainrings. I really look forward to spreading the word.
Being 6'1" and a lean 84kg's I don't climb as well I'd like, thats just my genetics, so I look for every advantage I can get over my 70kg comrades. Other than the chainrings looking like something that should be hung on the wall they have definitely helped me bridge the gap on the lighter guys. You find yourself being able to carry an extra gear with out any extra effort leaving you with that all important last gear up your sleeve if you need it! Looking forward to getting my hands on the 52t version on release soon.
I have been running the ring on my specialized Fatboy for about 3 months with no issues. I love the way it feels when climbing. It really smooths things out and increases traction on the snow trails. I will be installing AbsoluteBLACK oval rings on all of my bikes.
Really impressed on how it works. Climbing seems easier now and when I need more power it's there...hard to describe but it works really really well...great upgrade so far!
A great note about the absoluteblack customer care: simply amazing. I've returned a previous order due to my fault on choosing the size and in few days I've got the full refound ...in few words...amazing
#4530t Oval Chainring, direct mount —
Mark Kligerman2016-02-11 18:19
I am really impressed at just how well this product works. My knees love it and I am putting down the power easier than with a round ring. The quality is excellent too.
Have been using this on my rigid single speed for a year now, paired with an 18t AB sprocket. Both look superb out of the box and are still in good nick despite it being my 'do-everything' bike. The oval chain ring really comes into its own on the climbs - smooth power delivery, especially when standing.
It won't be too long before we wonder why we ever had 30 gears and round chain rings!
Received this item today, its absolutely beautiful. Workmanship is highly impressive, so much so I'm back to check pit the chainrings, write this review and say a big thank you to a company that produces fair priced quality products.
Not many pictures on the web, but it is a deep blood red which is a great match for the kcnc anodised parts, theres no machine lines like you see on some pictures, very very smooth finish, almost liquid looking. Strong enough for what it needs to do without the excess. It doesn't seem much when your talking grams but compared to the standard chunk of drilled metal its feathery light.
Wanted a smaller ring from the standard 30T for climbing in the Alps and riding deep snow. Amazing how much smoother hills are especially when riding out of the saddle. On my 29+ it dampens done the tyre bounce you get when running at low pressure too. Love it, a real improvement
Pedaling was never so "round". Funny how round an oval chainring feels when you are pedaling. Just beginning to use, the quality and strength will be reviewed later
i love, love , LOVE this ring everything is easier even uphill is sweet! if you have aches and pains in your knees get this , if you want to go faster up hill get this , if you want to have more energy to do more km's get this .
Being honest, I was not very keen to taking up the idea of Oval Chainrings, don't seem to be the norm here in Singapore(or it have not caught up yet). But after a few rides, man this oval chainring design do make a positive difference when climbing! But remember, the most effective upgrade is the rider's fitness!
Tried this oval ring after a similar review and have to 100% agree it makes a huge difference going up hills and as a narrow/wide ring also keeps the chain secure. I rode three black routes at Coed Y Brenin without any problems and certainly made the ups easier! Highly recommended!
As per all the previous reviews this chain ring is brilliant,pedalling feels so smooth.I have converted to 1x set up,used a 32t oval & kept my 10 sprockets on the rear,so far no problems with gear ratios at all or with climbing.
I purchased an oval chainring and rode it for 2 weeks. I was amazed of how round it felt . The power stroke felt more spread out , and felt less fatigue .I placed my round ring back on and I felt the "dead spots" in the pedal stroke .Also the power felt more of a "peak " and less spread out , and gave a feeling of a more concentrated in the power stroke. I now put the oval back on and it staying on, also I purchased 2 more for my other bikes . Bottom line they work for me in the sense of smoothness , and up hill felt less knee strain.
#32oval 104 34t black —
Sean Perez2015-12-08 22:43
Could not believe what a difference this made in my riding. After installing on my Scott Spark 750. I hit the Arizona Trail in Vail Az. not a single chain drop! Hills and deep sand would stop me. Not this time! My knees are the most grateful. The design is a marvel.
32T oval + 11-42T + 29er = perfect climbing Climbing on oval is much better, you can feel it instantly! I'm very sure about this as I swapped between oval and round cranks a few times to prove it to myself. Climbing on round chainring generates some kind of tension and fatigue on knee zone. On oval that tension disappears and it feels easier to climb both seated and standing! On oval chainring the pedaling feels more "round", more natural.
Every MTB rider should try the oval chainring. It worths! Thank you AB for this excellent product!
Installed my 32T this morning on my E-Thirteen cranks then went for a ride before they close the trails due to rain and talk about sweet, no more dead spot and am able to climb at ease without having to change gears as much as I used too. Should have install this a long time ago.
First ride on my oval the other day. 34 tooth absolute black on a SRAM Force CX1 drivetrain with 10-42 cassette on a 150 mile rail trail. I know you aren't supposed to change major things on your bike for a long ride but man oh man I am glad I did. For starters, I would NEVER have known it was an oval just from pedal feel, all I knew is I had a silent, smooth drivetrain that was efficient and got me through 150 miles of pushing in about 12 hours with almost no knee pain. When I did this ride last year I was slower and walked with a limp for 4 days after. This year I was in worse shape but somehow managed to pull it off. I can't say I place 100% of the success on the oval, but I am now a full on convert and am about to order ovals for all my bikes. Best bike purchase under $100 I ever made.
Where I ride: San Diego North and East County (lots of climbing, loose, rocky, sandy terrain. Almost always dry).
What I ride: Pivot Mach 429 Carbon, Pivot Mach 6 Carbon.
How often I ride: about 6 times a week, 80-100 miles per week
Style: XC / Trail
Age: 45
Weight: 205
Crankset: NEXT SL w/ 30T Cinch chainring
Comments:
As many have already pointed out you don't get much gain when your RPMs are higher, however, I do feel that even in this mode of riding, my pedal stroke feels smoother and it isn't has hard to feel like you are "pedaling in circles" even though you are using an elliptical chain ring.
Here is where you notice it:
1) Aggressive bursts - getting crank up to speed takes less energy. Powering over obstacles, etc. 2) Climbing - you realize you are in 1-2 gears higher than usual - shifting up to your "normal" gear for a given climb is almost frustratingly easy 3) When recovering - the oval motion facilitates recovery - hard to explain but it does 4) Your lower back doesn't hurt 5) Standing - less stress in lower back as well as more traction
I want to emphasize #4 - I think a lot of lower back issues (including periformis) come from pedaling too high a gear and trying to exert too much force near the top of the pedal stroke on circular rings. With the oval ring, I feel that I can exert the same force, but the transition from the 1:00 to the 3:30 position where the power zone starts enables me to avoid that dreaded lower back strain I sometimes feel and which causes me to have to drop my exertion down a few notches until I can lead it out, or sometimes it just doesn't go away at all. Many of the comments focus on the dead zone, and the back stroke, but the start of the forward stroke at around 1:00 (not to be confused with where we get maximum leverage) I believe is yet another advantage of this approach, as the elliptical ring provides a mechanical advantage when your knee has more flexion and where you are using muscles in the lower back and upper glutes to start the downstroke.
Another thing I noticed is this chain ring is quieter than the 30T RaceFace ring that came with the NEXT SL crank I use.
Does it screw with the RD? No. The RD doesn't move as the crank rotates.
Does it screw with shifting? No.
Was it easy to install? Yes. No additional adjustments to shifting. No noises, not chain drops, etc. I just put it on, and went on my way.
I had recently installed a new 1x11 system which meant I lost my granny gear. I did a regular ride that has a 45min technical climb to start off. Due to a combination of the new system and the oval chain ring, I knocked 5 mins off the limb time. This didn't seem to affect my stamina over the length of the ride. As for noticing it, after 2 mins, it feels just as natural.
Say good by to Lead legs is I like to call it. I've not been a good pedaler, lengthy gradual climbs wear me out and my legs would feel like lead, heavy and no power to spin the pedals. Bought this and my typical 11 mile route average speed went up from 8.7 to 9.7mph. The long boring climb that my spd friends would drop me on in than less than 1/3rd of the way in, that changed to me being right on his back wheel all the way to the end with my flat pedals. So my lead leg feelings have gone. I could immediately feel the deadzone in the pedal cycle had shortened, so the effort to push through that has decreased and has gone into propelling me forward. I kept looking down and noticed I was in a smaller cog than normal, some of climbs resulted in not using first gear. Using the same number of teeth as my round sram x sync chainring. Your first ride you'll how different the pedal cycle feels, your next ride all I feel is how efficient the Oval ring feels. Highly reccomended
#25Cannondale Oval DM Chainring —
Pedro Rasquete2015-10-15 16:02
First of all, thanks for the great support, awesome. The chainring is ABSOLUTE (lly) amazing, work great, really smooth. I had to wait a little bit, but`s ok, and when you got it in stock, it arrived at my house in the next day, super fast
I'm not usually inspired to write reviews but this product's got me motivated. Super easy to replace round 32T on spider with direct mount Oval 32T. Advantages: Rode up a benchmark lowest gear grinder of a hill, heart rate was 5% lower and time 5% faster than with round 32T on ride 2 days prior. Ended up holding onto higher gears longer as pedal stroke was so smooth. When switching from sitting pedal to standing pedal rear tire grip was much improved. Climbs felt like I was on a 30T Round Chainring, so almost got a gear expander effect with the 32T Oval. It all seems very natural with Oval Ring and no issues with chain tension, clutch or gear changing. Disadvantages: ??? None so far.
I love my oval. I have a disability from birth where one leg/foot is smaller than the other, so I've never been able to ride clip less pedals. I ride flats with spikes. Uphill is and has always been about how much I could push down. I bout the oval and has it installed and used this weekend for the first time and I was climbing like a madman. There was never that hard spot where I had to force my pedal downwards. Pedaling was so smooth. I was even able to start from a dead stop on a climb without problem. Never going back to a round ring.
#22direct mount xx1 chainring —
Rafael Rodriguez2015-09-21 21:12
im very happy with the weight of the chainring and the durability of the part
Hi there, I got this 34T oval direct mount. First I should say I was quite ok with my original 32t chainring, but was looking for maybe something bigger like 34-36T for flat or road rides, where my friends all uses double chainrings and I have to spin much faster than they do. I was also somewhat skeptical about the oval hype. Good for me that I also like to try out new things, so combined with the need to have the bigger front ring available for some rides, I decided to give it a try. I start from the least important fact = it looks simple and great! Well done! I have heard from some of my friends that the ovality you can feel in your legs while pedaling and that it needs some time to get use to it. I coudn't feel anything while the road was flat and not demanding. Once the road turned uphill I felt like I might indeed be pushing more smoothly. But I was not sure if it is not just my will or imagination. So I took it from road to forest trails. I have one small hill behind my homeground, where is a turrist trail up to the castle at the top. Its quite an uphill, short, but with rocks and roots, with some switchbacks and steep parts. I was shocked how smooth the pedaling was. The elimination of the dead zone is absolutely fantastic. I have never been able to keep such a cadency on this trail, bottom to the top. On similar uphills I can keep pushing heavier gears than before, with no higher power output, it seems. Second day I took it to a quite hard uphill, where I used to use round 30*40 gear and was at the limits. This time oval 34x37-42, which is heavier and with better feeling. Great job there, I plan to switch my second bike soon as well.
First, I would definitely recommend to do an even swap chainring size with your current round ring. I log a lot of long miles, with lots of long climbs and I feel noticeably less fatigued. I feel like I always have that little extra left in reserve I can tap into to power up the final part of a long climb. I really believe that the shape of the chainring allows for a better "resting phase" in your pedal stroke, lessening fatigue. I have a pretty smooth pedal stroke to begin with, and the oval didn't "mess" with this in any way. The feeling is slightly different, but I seem to be more effective. Standing climbing is a whole other kettle of fish with the oval. I feel like it requires so much less effort. Like it really affords me an opportunity to rest my legs. Just awesome. Technical climbing is improved as the ability to maintain traction is increased, and punching and surging your way up rocky climbs is effective. Love it.
Sceptical at first but this really works! Don't expect miracles but does change pedal stroke- particularly if you're a pedal masher like me! Helps on the climbs - gives better traction on slippy stuff.
It feels different for the first few minutes and then you forget about it, does make climbing easier. First ride and I was in the saddle a lot and actually felt even through the pedal revolution. Didn't think I could improve my ride that much. If I had to use one word to describe the Oval Chainring it would be 'Efficient'
Most of my cycling is cross country and forest single track. I was looking to convert to a 1x10 setup and purchase this oval chain ring because I read it makes climbing easier. After my first ride out last weekend I have to say this works really nicely, pedalling now feels more consistent . Before there was always a point in the pedal cycle that seemed harder than the rest with this oval ring you dont get that feeling anymore. to me the full pedal cycle feels more natural now than it did before
Mounted the ring on Saturday, tested it on Sunday on a muddy marathon of 60Km.I have to say that first test was really good. Almost no strange feelings, although I have never ridden oval chainrings before.On steep (and muddy) climbs, you feel that the power distribution is very good, no rear wheel that slips in the mud. I rode up climbs where others needed to walk and where I am convinced that I would have need to walk also if I rode normal chainring. Although the very muddy conditions, the chain didn’t fell off a single time, perfect smooth working. Great product!
Installed AB oval SRAM Direct Mount 32t yesterday. Even though the chain pulsates coming and leaving the chainring on the bike stand....riding with it feels natural, almost immediately. My cadence is smoother and less "forced." I feel like every full rotation of the cranks has more thrust and sustainable momentum - pure gold, climbing the techy steeps. I cannot get over how eerily dead-silent the AB oval is, combined with the XX1 drivetrain now. No chain slap, no chain drop, no chain suck....no nada. I find the meticulously crafted Absolute Black oval a climber's best friend now.
I have recently acquired a 34t oval chain ring from you and after doing +/-300km on said ring I must be honest and state that I’m completely sold on the idea. It has truly opened up certain climbs that I could never clear before not to talk about the efficiency.Double thumbs of from me as you have created a truly awesome product.
I've had the chainring a good few weeks now and have had plenty of time to test its credentials. Firstly, the narrow wide tooth profile works excellently, with next to no grinding at the extremes of the cassette, a problem other chainrings can apparently suffer from. The oval shape also does what it says on the tin. Technical climbs are that bit easier with consistent power delivery and it doesn't take much to break away from my friends in end-of-ride races, making sure I never have to pay for cake again! Thanks for bringing oval rings to the masses as well, paying for a Rotor chainring was too much for my wallet to bear! Oval chainrings for 1x drivetrains are the most underrated piece of kit of the year!
Just a short….. ”update”. By now I’ve used your oval chainrings for 3 months and it has been great. Less fatigue and more torque – can’t really say why I’ve bothered using regular round chainrings for so long. My training has been less hard and moderate than ever – but I still feel more efficient and significantly stronger when riding uphill. Can only recommend my fellow riders using your chainrings!!!
We are very happy with the oval rings. (On mine and my son's trek remedy 9 29) My legs and pedal motion got used to the oval ring within two rides and the increase in low cadence power and acceleration in particular, was noticeable instantly. Very sexy addition to the bike, too. Art, like you say.
Just a quick note to say how pleased I am with your product. I have converted my X01 cranks to spiderless with your chain ring option and I can highly commend the quality of the item. Great fitment with no issues, holds the chain well even without a top guide during racing and overall it helps shed a few grams over the stock spider. I definitely will be purchasing the cassette extender/ another ring for my 1x10 xc bike in due course. Very happy with the product and will be recommend/reviewing it well. I’ll fire a couple pics up at some point on social media.
I got the chainring friday.... And oh my it is cool!! The best looking chainring on the planet. And I love the black package too! Thank you so much for the fast replay and super fast shipment. I'll defiantly buy Absolute Black again. Best regards from a very happy customer! :)
I'll never use a regular round chainring again. Much more power when going uphill and much easier to get lactate out of the muscles. When warming up I simply ran out of gears....;-) Best regards
Just to let you know... Awesome product, just finished third ride with the AB N/W Sram Spiderless chainring and it didn't miss a beat. Had a pretty rough time of it in the Peak District with some rubbish weather and scary descending, but no sign of a drop. Cheers gents!
First, it's much lighter than the previous chainring I used (Wolf tooth), and about half the weight of the original XX1 spider+chainring - great! I've done about 500 km of mostly singletrack here in Israel, and I am super happy - no chain drops, and it made made my XX1 drive train as quiet as when it was new, 2-years ago.. Great product at a decent price, Thank you!
Really happy to say it’s as good on the bike as it looks off the bike, no dropped chain, near silent running really impressed me, well done on designing a quality product that works so well.
I received my beautiful Absolute Black oval XX1 style chainring. I mounted it up spun the cranks and thought to myself "this is going to be weird", but I jumped on the bike and it did not feel weird at all. In fact, it felt just the opposite. My pedal stroke felt more natural and the cranks felt easier to turn. What was great was that moving from a standard 30t, my low gear felt lower, and my high gear felt higher. It felt like my gear range expanded. Super happy, can't wait to log more miles. All my best
I received your oval chainring yesterday and installed it right away.as of today, i logged about 35miles on it.i would say that i like your chainring better than wolftooth. visually,AB tooth profile looks shorter and that made me think the chain retention will not be as good as WT. I was totally wrong! I put AB chainring thru the wringer and no drop or hint of a drop chain was noticed.another difference i noticed is the off set distance of the AB on the bottom bracket.WT is thicker and is farther away from the bottom bracket.chainline is better with AB, hence it is quieter.AB is also 20g lighter!a big plus for me - a weight wennie lol.
I just finished my first ride on the oval ring Despite finding out that my Oneup 40t ring will have to be replaced, it went awesome. I love the oval ring. I also installed the 13t lock ring... What a great idea! I have just ordered a new 40t sprocket from you and won't be going back to oneup again. Thanks for making awesome gear
What others think
This is the best money you can spend on your drive train, as an enduro rider these rings really give you an edge, and as an xc rider what the do for your knees is immediately perceptible. The quality of construction is ultra high end.
My others bikes will be oval too.
Thanks guys.
Excellent product, well engineered, thank you!
As for the Oval ring vs round. I’ll never go back and will order one for each of my bikes. Super smooth, eased my knee pain, and has helped my climbs on technical ascents ten fold. Absolute Black for the win!
Really happy to be getting behind such a great brand that just gets how to be a successful business with an awesome product. 5*
I particularly notice the difference climbing. Just seems to be easier and I feel like I’m turning circles rather than ‘mashing’. The shifting is just as slick as the Shimano Ultegra 8000 too. Customer service is also top notch. Packaging is a thing of beauty too. You seem to have really thought the whole package through very well and deliver an amazing product. Thanks.
Prime example it this last weekend, club did a 2 day tour, 380km with 5000m of climbing (240 miles with 16500ft) over two days in rural Scotland and the drive chain was still running beautifully at the end, it has hardly picked up any dirt at all. In fact I’m away out again today with no need to re lube or clean, you find me a liquid lube that can do that.
in my haste I installed with some old locktight and ended up with one of the bolts dropping out on a ride. Got in touch with Stan, and he sorted me out with a replacement bolt. No questions asked (other than which bolt) I wish half the companies I deal with had an ounce of this level of customer service.
Will continue to speak very highly of absoluteBLACK.
I should mention my hesitation at first when I bought it and no-one around had it to share the experience - I was only concerned about its knee effect. After so many kms with it I can definitely vouch for the positive effect it has on pampering the knees - for example if I ride another bike with round chainring, I can feel a slight knee disconfort whereas with the oval it's never there. I should also mention, my adjustment was instant - there was no break in period or funny feeling at first, it was just something that felt natural.
I also love climbing and improved my ride with instant hubs etc but the oval played a major role into making climbing enjoyable. Very pleased with it! Thank you AB for fine tuning oval experience to the right specs!
I finally decided to order some Absolute Black GRAPHENlube, and after just 3 rides I know for a fact that I've found a winner. I have been absolutely blown away by this stuff (and the customer service from Absolute Black... just top notch).
Most wax lubes I've tried will be pretty quiet to start, but within 20 miles or so the wax all falls off for the most part and the drivetrain gets super noisy.
So far I've done 2 indoor Zwift rides and an outdoor 60 mile ride today with a few buddies. I REALLY noticed today just how smooth this GRAPHENlube is, and it's dead quiet. My buddy even told me after the ride today that he couldn't believe how quiet my chain was. My chain I'm currently using is a Ceramic Speed optimized Sram AXS chain, I didn't realize until cleaning the chain before putting on this lube that Ceramic Speed's "AXS" chain is only a Force chain.
So I just placed an order for the Absolute Black Sram Red AXS GRAPHENlube factory optimized chain.
This lube is seriously next level and I recommend it to absolutely anybody.
Can't wait to get this new chain now.
As near as I can tell without instruments, with the elliptical chainring more than half the time I'm one smaller cog on the cassette than I was on a circular chain ring, with the same cadence. Climbing out of the saddle clearly delivers more power to the back wheel, which is really useful when exploding over obstacles on the track.
It took 1 ride to acclimatise to the new chain ring. Now it feels entirely normal.
The elliptical chainring makes no difference on descents but descending on a MTB is about overcoming fear and not touching the brakes.
The Absolute Black oval chainring is the cheapest 'go faster' upgrade I've come across in 45 years of cycling. Good job. Well done.
Mechanically they are fantastic, shifting is as smooth and dependable as it was with stock dura ace rings , granted you make the proper FD and chain adjustments as needed. Looks are also excellent ( most important, right?)
I was pleasantly surprised that I did not feel much of a difference, definitely not negative or anything that would make you feel like you would have to get used to them vs round, but it is subtle and better/ smother feeling than round. even after getting rid of “placebo” effect I do notice climbs feel better with these rings. Most likely I will be putting these on my road bikes as well. Customer service was also excellent. So far very happy I decided to try these out.
The Ribbed silicone grips give me the perfect feel in the dry or the wet.
I prefer not using gloves and have never found my hands slipping off the grips, but always suck to them.
Tacky and comfortable with vibration damping making me a happy rider on gravel of steep techy descents.
I will definitely have these on every MTB I own!
Fast-forward a couple of months in self-quarantine and I found myself watching most of WorldWide Cylcery reviews and came upon "Oval vs Round." I decided to watch it and found myself intrigued! I hopped over to the absoluteBLACK website where I reviewed all the posted material. To say I was blown away would be a bit of an understatement and thought this might be the product I was looking for. So I took the leap and ordered a 32 tooth OVAL for my Sram with boost 148. When it arrived I immediately installed it and went directly to my go to trail head, hoped on my MTB and started my warm-up. The first minute or so I noticed the unusual feeling in my pedaling. This subsided before my warm-up was completed (I have not noticed it since). I started up (and I do mean up) the trail and found myself working more efficiently in at least one higher gear. When I hit the first tough section of up-hill with rough terrain I found (as promised) I had the power to get up and through it where I normally would struggle. Since this experience I have ridden several other trails and on the flats. I found the ring to live up to expectations and more! All in all you have made me a believer in the power of "OVAL"!
I only have two complaints. One, I purchased a chain guide just months before installing your ring. It has the height but the narrow guide causes rubbing in the top and bottom gears (sigh). Two, the product did not come with a sticker. I have stickers from several of my favorite MTB suppliers going back decades adorning my bike work stand and would have been proud to add absoluteBLACK to that group.
I do not notice a difference between the Absolute Black and a round chainring in terms of motion - but Absolute Black covers every stroke and every tooth...
Good Luck with your purchase - appears many of us are converts
This chainring is on a rigid 29 plus bike that I use for BikePacking the heaviest this bike has been is just over 70lbs - reduced knee fatigue was needed. Since getting the sub compact rings, I didn't even ride with the new round Sram chainring that came on the SX cranks, I took it off and threw it into the spares for eBay corner and mounted an oval. I rode Edinburgh Capital Trail over 3 days with this oval boost chainring - no chain drops, no pain, nothing. You need to buy all of your bikes oval chainrings, round is wrong.
I took the leap on my gravel bike to try out oval sub compact chainrings after switching from a double set up.
The weight of the gravel bike loaded with bivvy stuff is usually about 45 lbs so I needed a lower ratio without switching out my Ultegra cranks. Absolute Black came up with their sub compact chainrings which where on my bike before the week was up after finding them!
I struggle with ankle and knee issues and I needed anything that would help, Absolute black claimed to reduce the load put onto knees.
I was SUPER apprehensive and during the first ride, I was convinced, not through marketing, not through social media posts, through actually getting on them and trying them!
Since riding oval by Absolute black, I have been able to cycle further and longer. I took part in the BearBones 200 which I completed in 25 hours and 45 minutes moving time and just over 28 hours elapsed time with zero sleep. This was the icing on the cake. Oval chainrings are for everyone. You really really need to stop riding round. Once you try these, honestly, you will not go back.
No e-bike for me!
With over 600 miles on the setup I couldn't be more pleased. Setup with Ultegra 6800 works just fine. Highly recommend.
If you understand that cycling has a lot to do with efficiency and therefore performance gains you will be hard pressed not to be convinced that an oval is the way to go. I have personally experienced many of the benefits claimed, a much "rounder" pedal stroke, better power delivery and an ability to hold power values for longer efforts, riding a higher gear, climbing technical terrain with ease and overall just a much more enjoyable ride !!!
I have been so impressed with these rings that I purchased the 52/36T ovals for my road bike today. Very highly recommended. Thank you AbsoluteBlack for a great quality product, that performs the way it was intended to.
Installed with new chain and did a couple of test climbs. I didn't really feel a difference per se...oval to round, but my legs felt the difference. I seemed to float up the climbs, standing. I was also able to float up climbs seated in a bigger gear than normal and no fatigue in the legs.
As others have said, my pedal stroke seems much more efficient (and I thought it was already pretty efficient)
Great product, great customer service. A very happy customer! Thank you!
The two differences I felt was exactly what absoluteBlack says to expect with this sub-compact set up. The first is the climbs. Don’t kid yourselves, you still have to apply force on the pedal to get uphill but there’s a certain ease on those power strokes.
Cadence is smoother than you would expect. And despite what your friends might think as you pedal, no - you will not be riding like a pony on a merry-go-round.
My SWORKS Venge was set up with mid-compact 52-36 and DA 11-28. Just not enough gearing for for the big hills.
I switched to absoluteBlack oval chainrings in compact 50-34. The small ring varies in equivalent torque between 32 and 36 depending on the position of the pedals. It works very, very well on the climbs! It saves your legs in the weak part of the stroke and puts the effort into the strong part.
What I like best is that I can sustain higher wattages at higher cadence. On some of the flats I kept looking down at the Garmin thinking, "I can't sustain this..." but I was wrong. For the same heart beat level I was generating 200 to 220 watts versus 160-180 with the old setup.
Very highly recommended.
I also just tried "sub-compact" 46-30 on my Bontrager - but that is a bridge too far. Yes it's great going uphill, but it spins out at 110rpm around 30mph or so. So for my location with my power output compact oval seems to be the way to go.
I have no affiliation with absoluteBlack. I stumbled upon their website and liked the price point and the science behind the product. I would be curious to hear what other people have to say about oval chainrings, as well as cadence and gearing on the hills.
I find the entire pedal stroke much smoother, particularly uphill. I also find I can get out of the saddle for longer periods (I'm a big guy.)
The 36 tooth inner ring works well for me. I'm confident I can get my conditioning right for the 36 over a standard compact 34 and the smaller gap (50/36 vs 50/34) makes for a better shift pattern for me.
There are only two things I'd call for:
- working on the chainring shifting for eTap - it works but it can be a bit temperamental
- produce the big ring in a white option - dirt and grease never shows on the red ring. I'm sure you could achieve the same in white
just wanted to say what a terrific bit of kit these Oval chain sets are. I went for the 46-30 set which bolted straight onto my 105 cranks, and all went back on my bike with no issues. On the road, and on the hills especially, the drive is smooth and quiet. I believe that for a 55yr old rider, this set up has helped with my lack of power, and is smoother on my knees and legs.
Also, in the "champagne" colour they look the "AbsoluteBollocks" !!!!
One of the best add-on bits of kit i have bought. Highly recommended.
Mike.
As an English cyclist living in the shadow of the Pyrénées, I was more than a little disappointed to find that I had calcification in the arteries in my heart last spring. Some surgery and a little convalescence followed and I was given the all clear to ride again, but ‘doucement’. Not easy in a region where all roads rise and fall.
I purchased a set of your sub compact rings, 48/32. Fitting was simple, adjusting was easy.
In use, they shift as smoothly as I want (I run UltegraDi2). They allow me to continue to ride without undue stress where perhaps I might not be able to otherwise. Thank you!
Knee pain (not debilitating, but annoying) went away. Feel like I don't pedal squares when tired. Front ring shifts seem to go smoother/quicker, as well. Having a 38 tooth 1x installed next week on the CX/Gravel bike (11 sp.). Color me impressed!
Super product, just do not understand why not everyone drives this.
I have had an ongoing back problem and thought these rings could ease the strain on my lower back. YES they did and they have me back to enjoying my cycling again. No scientific data just pain free enjoyment.
happy days
Great product - Many thanks
Bill
An awesome combo, great ratio and both being NW should eliminate any chain issues. Variance in chain tension with the oval is minimal and makes no impact, drive train is silent and performed flawlessly on my initial rides. Very happy
I just installed a 36 tooth chainring and it made such a huge difference, and I couldn't tell in the pedal stroke.
I am convinced and impressed.
Well done!
As always the presentation/packaging of the products is top shelf.
Coupled with this has been the excellent advice I have been getting from the technical staff regarding cog and chain maintenance.
I am one happy repeat customer.
Summer '17 meant the 32 went back on, great. I love the "oval" feel. A month ago I fitted a new AbsBlack 28 Oval.
Wow, it's just amazing on climbs. I can even stand to pedal as it just seems so much smother and more grippy than last Winter's non oval 28.
Oval mis the way forward.
Will definitely be back!!
Norco Mtn Bike. I'm incredibly impressed with this product and here's why.
I'm a pure climber, that's ALL I DO!! I only ride uphill! I'm a 50 yr old
retired male who bikes up forest roads in the US to Forest Fire Lookouts.
The national forests of the Western US are full of these lookout towers. A typical ride is a 4000 ft climb in 8 miles via a gravel road. This is my
hobby and I gear my bikes to be pure climbing bikes.
Your oval chainring had the following benefits for me:
1. Less aerobic fatigue
2. Less leg fatigue during and less residual knee ache after.
3. Faster climbing times
4. Eliminated stops to 'catch my breath.' Less taking of breaks.
5. Allowed me to stop taking rest days between brutal climbs.
Installation was simple: Remove the crank (this also gives you an opportunity to inspect your bottom bracket and properly torque the crank after re-installing). I watched the installation video on Absoluteblack’s website. Note: I needed a T30 Torx, not T25, to remove the stock Shimano bolts holding the small chainring against the big chainring. I didn’t have to raise or lower my front derailleur, and I continued using the same chain (it was relatively new). No need to remove links.
My first ride was interesting. If you don’t think about it, you may not notice any difference in your ride. Focusing on my pedaling, I noted more “fluidity” in spinning the cranks. I’d agree with others that these chainrings do make you a better pedaler and, perhaps, a bit more conscious of when to shift or if you’ve shifted too soon. If I slow cadence just a bit or get a little bit ahead of myself pedaling faster in a low gear, I’ll get what I call the “clank”, the sound of your pawls in your freewheel engaging and taking-up just that little bit of chain slack. I think (and I could be wrong) this has something to do with turning over the crank from its most oval to least oval. Another reason to pedal with a smooth cadence. All said, while it could be the “placebo-effect” of me wanting to notice a difference, I think I do—even riding up hills seems just a bit easier and now can I say it: more controlled, more even with each downward push of the pedal making the bike climb more steadily. I liked the inner ring enough that I since have bought the outer ring. I can report the same feeling and results with it.
It’s worth mentioning that the outer ring is finished beautifully. Nice anodizing and the design in the ring makes the bike stand-out. It looks good on the bike.
Richard, Suffolk
I have no time having to get used to the Oval,rides great!!
I'm going to mount them on my other bikes i am a fan for sure!!
Thanks Guy's
View the pics of my Koga Beach racer with Oval in the Gallery!!
By pure chance l read the oval rings could relieve knee pain. I was hopeful but sceptical. After 12 months of using the ring, l've never looked back. No pain at all. I did have a twinge after a couple of weeks and thought I'd found a short lived solution, but it was a one off. A life saver for me.
In terms of how the ring feels to use, l can't say l've ever noticed the ovalisation. Power delivery is definitely smoother, but from my perspective that's just and added bonus.
Just ordered another ring for a new bike.
Setup:Shimano 5800 105 50/34.
After a month of riding on your prem. oval chains rings I have nothing negative to say. I'm absolutely impressed how well they shift, which was my biggest fear. If your thinking of updating your 105 crank or ultegra crank don't, just slap on these chain rings and your good to go!
I just removed my AB Oval 32 SRAM direct ring as the cassette and the KMC X10SL Ti chain had eventually worn after 16 months of UK riding, quite some of that riding in mud and grit. That's pretty impressive. The drivetrain felt totally fine ’til last week, then some gears just began to skip at the back. The Oval ring was to worn for a new chain though. (unsurprisingly).
Next time I’ll rotate 3 chains as absoluteBLACK now recommend.
For the Winter I've put an older 28t non oval AB ring on there, as it had been in the spares box since July '15 when I fitted the 32. That 28 had gone through the foul conditions of Winter of 14/15 and is still going strong (it was packed away with it's original chain and cassette, I’m pleased to say).
I'd kinda expected the 28 to be a touch easier to climb with which would be useful for the mud that is here now, but, I feel it's no easier than the 32, and the 32 oval was so much "smoother". Smoother in both spinning and when climbing out of the saddle.
I'll back on a new 32 oval as soon as I can put some wear on that 28 for sure.
Thanks absoluteBLACK, great quality gear in a world of built in obsolescence. Recommended 100% for design quality and build quality.
Thanks guys for great, high quality products!
Packaging, finish and speed of delivery were great again, and the price is entirely reasonable too. I have binned all my other (el cheapo) cogs which have lost a chain on two occasions - this has never happened with my AB cog, maybe it's the fact that the cogs are NW, maybe something else...? The extra width also means no perceptible damage to the freewheel body.
The oval chain ring does change the tension a wee bit on an SS as it goes around, but with a bit of persistence you can find the right spot.
Thank you for providing such a quality, innovative product!!!
Shifting feels a bit quicker than on my round Sram rings.
Be sure to put the small ring on correctly!
Bottom line: better climbing and I feel faster on the flats now that I am used to the big ring.
Sincerely,
Craig C
I'm glad absoluteBLACK found a way to make an oval 30t in the 104bcd!
I expected to feel some difference, but I honestly couldn't have dreamed it would have made that much difference! Wow! It's true that it's difficult to explain the sensation. You don't realize what a dead spot there is at the 5-7 o'clock position of your pedal stroke until it's not there anymore.
I can't express what a difference it the oval ring makes in steady climbs, but also in increased power for punchy climbs or to get up and over an obstacle.
WOW! I have been riding mtb' for 25yrs & you guys have solved a problem that I didn't really think needed solving. I tried the ring out today for the first time at Afan Argoed on The Blade, it is really amazing how the oval ring smoothed out the torque curve when climbing, no loss of traction due to over torque, no disproportionate effort on the down stroke, no pedalling squares, no stalling, really amazing.
The other revelation was when pedalling through whoopy sections there was just a steady cadence, no bottom out bump, no spin out on the down slope & no over torque on the up slope.
I am a convert, the oval ring is an amazing piece of kit for the 1 x 11 drive train, I will fit one to my single speed, I'm sure there will be a marked improvement in pedalling efficiency here.
Thanks for your hard work & development of this product
The machining is beautifullly done and sits on the dura ace seating lugs just like the original making for a very easy diy. Having a red decal saying "This side out" would save a few minutes.
The climb output as a result of clever manipulation of the biomechanics of a pedal stroke is sublime! I can get "over" the top of the gear I am in and I climb better for it
SMALLEST TRACTION RING AVAILABLE FOR THE POWER2MAX meter. Might fit on other 104bcd power meters.
-tc
Thks again.
The Chain ring is very well made and finished, and fitted onto my existing XT HT2 Crank with no problems. I just used the existing crank bolts and tightened to the correct torque, I did use a spot of 'Locktite' on the treads as well.
On the first ride I did notice a slight 'pulsing' at first but I soon forgot about it. The pedal stroke just felt smoother and I was able to climb better as the power delivery was constant.
Whether is was psychological or not but I seemed to be able to push a higher gear on short steep climbs.
I don't think I'll be going back to a round 'ring anytime soon.
Top product - well recommended.
[not allowed to post links here]://thetruingstand.com/uncategorized/absoluteb lack-chainrings/
Nice step up in power and the wide/narrow profile has made the timing chain feel smoother (and needs less tension to keep it on). Great product and you should think about advertising for tandem applications.
Thanks,
After 3 days riding and nearly 15000ft of climbing my legs felt fresh with no signs of fatigue. Believe the hype people.
I emailed the guys for advice on what size to buy and received a reply within two hours. After delivery I fitted the ring (quality is superb by the way) and after two rides I am very impressed. After ten minutes I stopped noticing that it was oval and I have never dropped the chain. With regard to the effect on my knees, it has been very noticeable. I seem to be able to push hard up climbs but nearly all the pressure through my knees seems to have gone. My knees definitely feel better after a ride. Also in some sections I seem to be pushing one or sometimes two gears harder. I was going to get rid of my SRAM 1x11 and change over to 2x11 Shimano XT (at a cost of about £350) but so far I'm happy to stick with the current set up. Next purchase is an inner oval ring for my road bike.
For me so far the futures bright, the futures oval.
650+ riders.
I raced XC, cat 1, ages 29-44. 15th place, stoked! Would've placed 34th in pro:). Pass on the good news, you guys have a ring like no other, I'll be spinning Absolute Black from here out.
It only took half an hour for our legs to settle in, and after that each new ride it felt like normal.....until I got back on a bike of the same model. with normal chainrings.. Needless to say I'm back on the Absolute Black rings again.
Thanks guys for providing a product that delivers on its promise.
Steve
If you want a little edge that will help you go a little faster and ride a little longer, look no further. I am completely satisfied with my purchase and I highly recommend it. Basically this is a chainring on steroids! And the look of this chainring is killer!!!!
Doug Lockhart, Vancouver Island, B.C.
I love the ring, and have talked three of my customers into ordering them as well. So far 100% satisfaction!
I recently road the Dirty Kanza 200, if you are not familiar, it is a 200 miles of gravel and minimum maintenance roads through the Flint Hills of Kansas, in one day. Very tough ride with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain! I am convinced that the ring helped me finish 207.21 miles.
In August, I am going to complete in the Maah Daah Hey 100 mountain bike race in North Dakota. 100 miles of mountain bike single track in one day, with almost 12,000 feet of elevation gain! I am confident that my Absolute Black oval ring will once again help me to the finish line.
Doesn't feel weird at all / if anything more natural flow for my legs.
I'm a 201cm tall guy / and this feels more ergonomic and natural for long legs...
*(riding 1x10 with 11/36 rear and 32 oval nw up front. Used to have round 32 in front chainring)
The oval chainring makes out of the saddle climbing easier and I can maintain a much higher seated climbing cadence.
Tks.
In all that time the chain didn’t dropped a single time! I love the way the oval chainring provides traction in the mud and on steep climbs!
Great job done guys!
In all that time the chain didn’t dropped a single time! I love the way the oval chainring provides traction in the mud and on steep climbs!
Great job done guys!
I fitted the AB oval Sram GXP chainring and new chain/cassette and went for my first ride today. I received it a while back, but didn't want to use it whilst we still had a lot of mud. The 28T (direct mount GXP, one of yours) I took off still has life in it after many months use in some awful mud - I'm pleased to say.
Well, I am entirely amazed by the smoothing of pedalling with the oval ring, I always believed the theory but had never tried it. There is an MBUK / Fabien Barel tuition DVD with a section on climbing, he stands and is just so smooth on very steep loose terrain. My smoothness today had that same feeling, stronger through the whole pedal stroke.
I'll never climb like Fabien but anything that makes standing climbing on a low traction surface more feasible is a great thing to have. Didn't feel any harder to turn than the 28 either.
In short, I am amazed. It was as good for my ego as having a new bike, less bob on my 171 travel Nicolai AM with the smoother stroke too.
Well gone for redesigning the Biopace concept and getting it right.
Happy trails.
What's not to like? Faster riding with less cardiac and less musculoskeletal stress.
Married now with a loving Singlespeed racing wife, two little girls and one on the way I once again have wheels under me for at least 70 miles a week, all dirt. As my fitness built I wanted more performance out of my bike. I bought a stiff and light set of wheels and a bigger chainring for my 2x10 setup. I got fitter and faster over the last year and now it was time to really get my power to the ground.I changed things up to a bike with a 1x11 and a solid rear end.
Back in the day I used a Rotor Ring and felt petty good results on my Singlespeed. So of course this time around I was thinking of getting another one. As I began my search I found an add on Facebook for Absolute Black Oval chainrings. A lot had changed in the mountain biking industry in the 5 years I hadn't been around. So instead of just going with Rotor Ring I read reviews on ABO's and I just couldn't find a bad review. Of course some guys were installing them and taking them off because they decided they just felt wrong but they didn't take something into account. They were just pedaling wrong, quite squarely actually, just like the rest of us. They didn't give the rings a chance to smooth things out. No worries tho cause they will be back. All the other reviews were astounding!
These rings work. They are not a fad and when people really catch on and come to realize the many benefits of using one, the face of mountain bike racing is going to change. A racer or weekend athlete who is already strong with a round ring will start to think after a hard day on the bike, how much better could I have done on an ABO??? 1x11 is catching on to the every day rider, not just the racers. It could really get more people on these rings and as they made the transition to 1x11 they would most definitively get one then as well.
So those are my thoughts and testimony on the awesomeness of Absolute Black Oval chainrings. I really look forward to spreading the word.
I will be installing AbsoluteBLACK oval rings on all of my bikes.
A great note about the absoluteblack customer care: simply amazing. I've returned a previous order due to my fault on choosing the size and in few days I've got the full refound ...in few words...amazing
It won't be too long before we wonder why we ever had 30 gears and round chain rings!
Not many pictures on the web, but it is a deep blood red which is a great match for the kcnc anodised parts, theres no machine lines like you see on some pictures, very very smooth finish, almost liquid looking. Strong enough for what it needs to do without the excess. It doesn't seem much when your talking grams but compared to the standard chunk of drilled metal its feathery light.
No regrets at all.
Funny how round an oval chainring feels when you are pedaling.
Just beginning to use, the quality and strength will be reviewed later
if you have aches and pains in your knees get this , if you want to go faster up hill get this , if you want to have more energy to do more km's get this .
Bottom line they work for me in the sense of smoothness , and up hill felt less knee strain.
Climbing on oval is much better, you can feel it instantly!
I'm very sure about this as I swapped between oval and round cranks a few times to prove it to myself. Climbing on round chainring generates some kind of tension and fatigue on knee zone. On oval that tension disappears and it feels easier to climb both seated and standing!
On oval chainring the pedaling feels more "round", more natural.
Every MTB rider should try the oval chainring. It worths!
Thank you AB for this excellent product!
Long version:
Where I ride: San Diego North and East County (lots of climbing, loose, rocky, sandy terrain. Almost always dry).
What I ride: Pivot Mach 429 Carbon, Pivot Mach 6 Carbon.
How often I ride: about 6 times a week, 80-100 miles per week
Style: XC / Trail
Age: 45
Weight: 205
Crankset: NEXT SL w/ 30T Cinch chainring
Comments:
As many have already pointed out you don't get much gain when your RPMs are higher, however, I do feel that even in this mode of riding, my pedal stroke feels smoother and it isn't has hard to feel like you are "pedaling in circles" even though you are using an elliptical chain ring.
Here is where you notice it:
1) Aggressive bursts - getting crank up to speed takes less energy. Powering over obstacles, etc.
2) Climbing - you realize you are in 1-2 gears higher than usual - shifting up to your "normal" gear for a given climb is almost frustratingly easy
3) When recovering - the oval motion facilitates recovery - hard to explain but it does
4) Your lower back doesn't hurt
5) Standing - less stress in lower back as well as more traction
I want to emphasize #4 - I think a lot of lower back issues (including periformis) come from pedaling too high a gear and trying to exert too much force near the top of the pedal stroke on circular rings. With the oval ring, I feel that I can exert the same force, but the transition from the 1:00 to the 3:30 position where the power zone starts enables me to avoid that dreaded lower back strain I sometimes feel and which causes me to have to drop my exertion down a few notches until I can lead it out, or sometimes it just doesn't go away at all. Many of the comments focus on the dead zone, and the back stroke, but the start of the forward stroke at around 1:00 (not to be confused with where we get maximum leverage) I believe is yet another advantage of this approach, as the elliptical ring provides a mechanical advantage when your knee has more flexion and where you are using muscles in the lower back and upper glutes to start the downstroke.
Another thing I noticed is this chain ring is quieter than the 30T RaceFace ring that came with the NEXT SL crank I use.
Does it screw with the RD? No. The RD doesn't move as the crank rotates.
Does it screw with shifting? No.
Was it easy to install? Yes. No additional adjustments to shifting. No noises, not chain drops, etc. I just put it on, and went on my way.
Will I keep it on the bike? Yes.
Highly reccomended
The chainring is ABSOLUTE (lly) amazing, work great, really smooth.
I had to wait a little bit, but`s ok, and when you got it in stock, it arrived at my house in the next day, super fast
Thank you to contribute for our happiness
Cheers
Thanks a lot for doing great components
I start from the least important fact = it looks simple and great! Well done!
I have heard from some of my friends that the ovality you can feel in your legs while pedaling and that it needs some time to get use to it. I coudn't feel anything while the road was flat and not demanding. Once the road turned uphill I felt like I might indeed be pushing more smoothly. But I was not sure if it is not just my will or imagination. So I took it from road to forest trails. I have one small hill behind my homeground, where is a turrist trail up to the castle at the top. Its quite an uphill, short, but with rocks and roots, with some switchbacks and steep parts. I was shocked how smooth the pedaling was. The elimination of the dead zone is absolutely fantastic. I have never been able to keep such a cadency on this trail, bottom to the top. On similar uphills I can keep pushing heavier gears than before, with no higher power output, it seems.
Second day I took it to a quite hard uphill, where I used to use round 30*40 gear and was at the limits. This time oval 34x37-42, which is heavier and with better feeling.
Great job there, I plan to switch my second bike soon as well.
I log a lot of long miles, with lots of long climbs and I feel noticeably less fatigued. I feel like I always have that little extra left in reserve I can tap into to power up the final part of a long climb. I really believe that the shape of the chainring allows for a better "resting phase" in your pedal stroke, lessening fatigue. I have a pretty smooth pedal stroke to begin with, and the oval didn't "mess" with this in any way. The feeling is slightly different, but I seem to be more effective.
Standing climbing is a whole other kettle of fish with the oval. I feel like it requires so much less effort. Like it really affords me an opportunity to rest my legs. Just awesome.
Technical climbing is improved as the ability to maintain traction is increased, and punching and surging your way up rocky climbs is effective.
Love it.
First ride and I was in the saddle a lot and actually felt even through the pedal revolution.
Didn't think I could improve my ride that much. If I had to use one word to describe the Oval Chainring it would be 'Efficient'
I mounted it up spun the cranks and thought to myself "this is going to be weird", but I jumped on the bike and it did not feel weird at all. In fact, it felt just the opposite. My pedal stroke felt more natural and the cranks felt easier to turn. What was great was that moving from a standard 30t, my low gear felt lower, and my high gear felt higher. It felt like my gear range expanded. Super happy, can't wait to log more miles. All my best