To Oval or Not to Oval

My first Oval chainring. I actually got the five bolt and installed it on my Rival cranks. I found the installation to be easy, just don't over torque or you will 100% snap the bolts. Did I notice a ride difference? Yes and no, I've been riding bikes for over 15 years and I assume I have a good pedaling stroke. If I pay attention I do feel the increase in efficiency.

Andres Munera

Yes, oval chainrings REALLY work

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

These rings really do work keeping your legs fresh on long rides. The oval chainring maximizes your power so you have to work less to produce the same effort with a round chainring. The ring is easy to install and looks amazing. If you are looking for a single ring for gravel or road this is perfect.

nathanael mackay

All good.

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Installed this absolute black haunting in 15 minutes. That time includes removing the original crank set and original chainring. Replaced sram Force. Works perfectly so far. For some reason my derailleur actually got a lot smoother and quieter. No issues thus far but I’ve only had it installed for a few weeks. We’ll see. I do 200+ miles of commuting a week on very hilly terrain. Road and gravel. Recommend.

Vin

Oval love!

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

36t Installed on my Niner RLT 9 Steel - awesome combo. I've been loving my oval ring on my MTB, now I'm enjoying exploring with one, too. The oval does a lot to smooth out your pedal stroke and take stress off your knees.

Chris Broullire

When will you stock larger chainrings? I'd like a 42 for CX stuff but something larger for when I'm rocking the fireroads.

Jason G.

Oval Convert

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Bought this for my gravel/cx bike, and WOW! I thought that I would feel some crazy lopsided sensation while pedaling...but none. Felt smooth as silk, it seemed to eliminate the top dead center smash of the pedals on steep grades. The pedaling action felt super buttery smooth on steep climbs, and made them far less painful. The install took an entire 15 minutes, could have been 5, but i did some crank arm cleaning while I was at it. Give one of these a try, I'm glad I did.

Cam Christensen

I'm on Board With the Oval

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

After being interested in oval chainrings for a long time, I decided to try this one on a cross/multisurface road build. I paired a 38-tooth oval ring with a Force 1 crankarm and an xx1 10-42 cassette. After a few rides I can say that the oval ring doesn't feel much different at higher cadences, but when things get steep and the spin tuns to a trudge, the oval ring works as billed and drives the back wheel more consistently than the conventional round-ring drivetrains I'm used to. installation is simple, and the bulky 2-peice spider and ring of the Force 1 drivetrain is replaced with a light and simple direct-mount chainring. the 1x11 drivetrian is exceptionally smooth and quiet. If you're swapping out rings on a SRAM 1x11, I can't see any reason not to try the Absolute Black RAM CX Oval Direct Mount Chainring.

Mike Nelson