BLACKseries - Oval Chainring review

The Lab is a brand new series where we’re going the extra mile to put the latest trends, products and innovations to the test. This week we take a look at the BLACKseries oval chainring by absoluteBLACK...

If you’ve got anything you think we should be taking a closer look at, let us know in the comments section below.

[albertagt]

Today Jan 7 2016 I test ride my 32T oval Absolute Black. I would like to explain it in a very easy way, regardless the speed you are you will feel that you have that extra power with no extra effort that you need to climb. It will give you the chance to push hard in your current gear on the saddle or stand in your pedals in a low gear and still have power to climb. The power in your legs remains the same but more availability in a lower cadence rate. The ring is a piece of art, NARROW/WIDE, NO CHAIN DROPS AT ALL. YOU WILL NEVER GO BACK TO ROUND.

[gearhigher]

I researched the AB OVAL 32T thoroughly, outfitted my Open Cycles Open+ 29er out of the box mounted on Shimano 1x11 Crankset. They undoubtably make a huge difference IMO. I am a 52 year old male who has knee issues, and have ridden on this set up for over a month with much skepticism. The quality and ride with the AB Oval is a no brainer.

[GoProheroSailing]

Love oval chainrings, had mine produced privately at a factory in Russia. Ridden it for almost a year and now I it feels weird riding with circular chainrings

[ChrisZacho]

What you should do is have two rings on the same crankset, both the same size but one circular the other oval. That way you can better compare them with a quick shift rather that relying on memory. That's what i did, best road test I ever did.

[rolandfletcher]

Back in the 90s I had an emmelle classic 300 bike which came with a 3 speed oval chain ring the bike
Felt brilliant to ride and I have not been able to find a bike that can replace the power in the pedaling.

[danielluneau]

I plan on trying one on my soon to be Chisel in the spring. Can’t wait.

[johncruz]

Oval chainring takes some getting used to. There was difficulty going up a steep winding slope: takes practice to get pedal timing right or stall. On level ground(more or less) oval chainring feels faster.

[EvilBambo]

the difference is not dramatic because 32T ring in MTB simple isn't big enough to notice the benefits. Effect is very pronounced if you try a 53T Osymmetric that's almost durian looking on a road bike. During actual pedaling it felt quite smooth, as the dead spots were eliminated. So in theory, you would be pushing a slightly bigger ring at 2 o'clock (strongest) position and slightly smaller ring at 6 o'clock (dead spot). The most annoying part is usually the drop chain from shifting in FD, not really a problem for MTBs with 1x so this is awesome!

[stinlastout]

I'm getting a race face one fitted today, looking forward to trying it out .

[kurtXhecticXpl]

I wouldn't call it a review. Just first impressions.

[LuisManuelHdez]

i like oval rings. the diff is not dramatic on small mtb rings but there is a benefit nonetheless!

[willitodp]

I have a 32t oval on my Orbea Occam and I love it.

[brakejuice]

Give you the advantage where you don't have it, never going back to round

[rorytowers]

Could you make a vid on the best trail centres in the UK as looking on YouTube and knowbody has any vid of the sort. You could maybe make it into some sort of series with a different centre every week telling us it's pros and cons. I'd love to see something like this on the channel.

[woodyinthewoods]

I love my oval chainring wouldnt want to miss it

[fordn]

If you leg muscles don’t have the strength to develop the necessary power to climb the hill at the speed you desire, no change in geometry will increase your power. Geometry can only affect efficiency but a standard drive train is already above 97% efficient. There’s only a few percent room for improvement which can also be accomplished through strength training.

[stuartlarge]

I have a Garbaruk melon on my road bike, I didn't find a whole lot of difference, but I like it.(less knee pain)

[jorenthys]

you should take a look at the proval non-cicular chainrings they're the best on the market

[winandd]

My 1991 Specialized Hardrock Sport had 3 oval "Biopace" chainrings from Shimano, so it's around for 30 years..

[J_CARTR]

I have the same AM5 trail shoes 😂😂 the best trail shoes for me, its only heavy and wide.