I just got one of them fancy oval chainrings from Absolute Black. I found out about it thanks to MTBR and their facebook page.
My new bike has a 1x11 drivetrain, and while it's good for Annadel, I was thinking about my 3rd lap at the Boggs race and how I'll probably be wishing for an easier gear. I considered getting a 30-tooth ring for that, but I thought I'd give the oval ring a try.
At its widest point it's like a 32-tooth ring. At the narrowest it's like a 30-tooth ring. It's not the same as Biopace. Biopace was "clocked" different--meaning the wider part of the ring was at a different point relative to the crank arm. Basically when your crank is just above horizontal you're at the widest point in the ring, and when it's just past 6:00, you're at the smallest.
The Absolute Black ring doesn't require a change to the chain length, and as you pedal the rear derailleur moves only the tiniest bit. In fact single speeds are one of the target audiences.
I did the same 23 mile loop at Annadel two weeks in a row--last week with the round 32-tooth ring, and today with the oval ring.
First of all, just riding flat, it doesn't feel weird. After a few pedal strokes, you don't even notice it. It feels natural.
As for climbing, it felt slightly better--on climbs where I often am wishing for a lower gear, I was fine today. I also was much faster on all the strava segments. Now this could totally be a placebo effect--I was excited about a new bike part, so I pedaled faster. Who knows.
I have bad arthritis in my left foot, so pedaling hard can be painful. This chainring definitely made a difference there. I imagine it might also help for those with knee issues.
As far as I can tell there are no drawbacks, other than the cost and all the biopace jokes you'll get. If you see me at Annadel you can try it out.
Here's a pic:
https://i.imgur.com/LRBiRcX.jpg
My new bike has a 1x11 drivetrain, and while it's good for Annadel, I was thinking about my 3rd lap at the Boggs race and how I'll probably be wishing for an easier gear. I considered getting a 30-tooth ring for that, but I thought I'd give the oval ring a try.
At its widest point it's like a 32-tooth ring. At the narrowest it's like a 30-tooth ring. It's not the same as Biopace. Biopace was "clocked" different--meaning the wider part of the ring was at a different point relative to the crank arm. Basically when your crank is just above horizontal you're at the widest point in the ring, and when it's just past 6:00, you're at the smallest.
The Absolute Black ring doesn't require a change to the chain length, and as you pedal the rear derailleur moves only the tiniest bit. In fact single speeds are one of the target audiences.
I did the same 23 mile loop at Annadel two weeks in a row--last week with the round 32-tooth ring, and today with the oval ring.
First of all, just riding flat, it doesn't feel weird. After a few pedal strokes, you don't even notice it. It feels natural.
As for climbing, it felt slightly better--on climbs where I often am wishing for a lower gear, I was fine today. I also was much faster on all the strava segments. Now this could totally be a placebo effect--I was excited about a new bike part, so I pedaled faster. Who knows.
I have bad arthritis in my left foot, so pedaling hard can be painful. This chainring definitely made a difference there. I imagine it might also help for those with knee issues.
As far as I can tell there are no drawbacks, other than the cost and all the biopace jokes you'll get. If you see me at Annadel you can try it out.
Here's a pic:
https://i.imgur.com/LRBiRcX.jpg