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Any experiences here?
I've had a few in my eBay watch list, as well as an absolute black which is much more expensive. Why? What's so good about one company's bit of metal vs another's? Do cheap ones wear quicker, fit worsererer? Not hold the chain? Use a rough guide to guess the best oval compared to R&D for a more expensive ring? Are the cheap ones copies or just their "own thing"??
They're £15 each at superstar at the moment, get one, they work
most of the cheap ones I've seen on ebay aren't offset/clocked like the the AB's or everyone elses, so may not give you the 'larger' in the power and the 'smaller' in the dead spot..
There's a lot more going on a N/W than a normal ring, Oval even more so - so of the cost of the fancy ones will be the pay the wages of whatever pro they're supporting and shiny mag pics but there's R&D there too.
For me they're a pretty low-cost item in the grand scheme of fancy bike bits.
I bought one of these
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/oneup-components-narrow-wide-oval-single-chainring/rp-prod141752
Think you could do worse than get a Works Components one at £21.99.
http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/works-components-32t-oval-narrow-wide-chainring---104bcd-870-p.asp.
I have just put one on mine to replace a regular Superstar one, seems pretty solid and well made(anodising looks better than Superstars).
No idea on longevity as only had a spin up and down the street on it, that said the regular Superstar one has lasted well.
Both ss and works out of stock. Bum.
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CROOTHTH/on-one-ringmaster-chainring
£21 currently, were £13 in Fib Sale at the start.
[quote> http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CROOTHTH/on-one-ringmaster-chainring
£21 currently, were £13 in Fib Sale at the start.
Apparently not 11-speed compatible if that's what you're looking for.
I've used works and absolute black, the works was quieter but the absolute black looked more refined. Works are out of stock quite a bit but I'll go for them each time in the future as they're cheaper and seem to wear just as well as the absolute black.
I won a cheapo thick/thin ring on ebay a while ago for a few pennies that came from China.
It was only thick/thin on one side!
I've got an Absolute Black one, paid the extra chiefly because they're the only people making direct mount oval rings for my E13 cranks.
The machining & finish are absolutely gorgeous & it rides great too. definitely feeling a positive difference.
I got a Superstar one, it's fine for a while but the longevity isn't very good compared to the Works components ones I normally use. (thing with narrow wides is, they're not like standard rings where as long as they work, they work- once a narrow/wide gets worn it can still have lots of tooth left, but it stops narrow/widing as well)
Absoluteblack are lovely but ironically have the worst chain retention of any narrow/wide I've ever used. It's not appalling, just less good.
Only had the Absolute Black so nothing to compare against. Had no dropped chains and quiet. Then again I could be deaf!
Hadn't really looked on AB's site but @panzerjager's comment about direct mount piqued my interest and I notice they do RaceFace direct mounts which will be useful for an upcoming project 😆
They do- direct mount ovals too for raceface. (I think maybe wolftooth have theirs out now as well but when I got mine AB were the only game in town. Which was annoying, because they promised me they were in stock then weren't, and took ages to deliver but since it got here it's been good.
Works components do a direct fit Raceface cinch ring too now,
http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/works-components-raceface-cinch-fitment-oval-narrow-wide-chainrings-1090-p.asp.
Northwind is right about the AB stock issue, so I ordered mine from Velotech. Great service & quick delivery.
They seem to stock the full range & their stock levels are based on what they've actually got...!
Not noticed it any noisier than the E13 one & haven't dropped a chain so far.
Works Comp nw / oval is $70 here (oz). Works out about 45 quid. Is that about how much there are over there?
There's a lot more going on a N/W than a normal ring, Oval even more so - so of the cost of the fancy ones will be the pay the wages of whatever pro they're supporting and shiny mag pics but there's R&D there too.
In true Internet forum style I'm not sure I'd agree...surely more design in getting chainrings that are light and shift well in all conditions (plus trying to keep chain on) than a narrow wide?