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hello all.
Any users of oval chainrings on road?
what do you think? Any advantage to round?
I'd done some research recently, lots of people commenting on improved traction for MTB and CX, and a few mentions for less sore knees and smoother pedal stroke on road.
Think any power or efficiency improvements have largely been debunked, although someone pointed out that the tests might only have been carried out on pros or experienced riders who already have a good pedal action, so amateurs might stand to benefit.
I fitted one to my CX bike, haven't tested it on anything loose or muddy yet but it felt good when spinning along on tarmac, so I'm going to experiment on the inner ring of the road bike also
Love mine.
My experience on an MTB with ovals:
My knees are now virtually painless. A true epiphany.
It "feels better" at around the 12/6 part of the pedal stroke, especially as I ride flats. Feels slightly easier at that point basically.
Personally, just the fact my knees were virtually "cured" overnight by Oval rings makes them an essential to me now.
Had them on the TT bike and rather like them. Sadly they were not compatible with my eTap front derailleur without a rotor spacer. Apart from dropping the chain 4x in a race set up 1x11, they did have a different feel. Leaving different muscle groups tired. Don’t think it made a huge difference, but I had them set on a relatively modest setting.
Will probably try them again when I change power meter to an SRM.
Leaving different muscle groups tired
Ok, this is what I need to know.
what we’re firing more? Glutes, quads, ?
this will be on a 1x11 replacing a round n/w
Love mine. Put them on all my bikes. Seems to make climbing much easier
I quizzed wolfrace on a FB ad of theirs. They accepted there was no power benefit, but made vague reference to tests that would show other benefits. Can't remember the deets .
Snake oil AFAIC, and I have one on the single speed (MTB).
Quads in my case. Moved the effort further down toward the knee.
I’d also look at a chain catcher or FD for 1x11, the shape makes shopping the chain more likely. Mine was on a slightly bumpy road course. Off road a clutch RD may do it, I have no experience.
I could honestly notice no difference between oval / round. I've now gone back to round since the oval wore out.
You will however need a chain catcher as well, just in case the chain unships (in my experience it never has, but I know others who have had it happen a couple of times).
Have them on my MTB and noticed a difference immediately, but got used to it very quickly. I'm not sure about the claim they generate more power..that isn't the point of them I thought - the oval cancels out any power gains...you get a power gain when the radius increases but a power reduction when the radius reduces so the net affect is zero power benefit. I thought it was more about smoothing out the effort different muscle groups use and less fatigue.
I'm not too fussed about them, but if replacing a chainring I'd go oval...may as well have it than not. There certainly are no drawbacks or downsides to them so whatever benefit they're giving, no matter how marginal, you might as well have it than not.
Tried them, felt no difference once I got used to them and Strava suggests I’m neither faster or slower with them. Now back on round rings as the shifting is better.
If anyone wants a pair of 36/52 for Ultegra 6800 with maybe 150 miles on them then drop me a message.
Just fitted one to my gravel bike, the pedaling feels more even and round to me. thumbs up.
WRT power gains, when Sky released the data for Froome after the Giro, there was a comment on the power figures that the oval rings gave a % increase in power, (can't remember the actual figure), so his actual output was less than recorded.
Therefore, there Def appears to be a performance gain using ovals, (if you have the right cadence).
The issue Froome has is with the combination of the Stages power meter and oval rings. Its not a power gain...the issue is the Stages powermeter over-reads by 6%, so they have to reduce the power meters output by 6% to get the true value. The Stages power meter doesn't know how to compensate for the effect of the chainring and miscalculates the power. So you're not gaining any power benefit, it just causes the powermeter to mis-read.
I have one on my CX bike (1 x), came with a bike I stripped the gear off. No idea if it works and can feel no difference. Hope that helps 🙂
When it wears out I'll just get a normal one or whatever is cheaper.
Indeed.