Chinertown
Other Resources => Component Deals & Selection => Topic started by: bxcc on April 05, 2016, 01:15:54 PM
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Having never used one, I decided to put one on my plus bike. I went with an AbsoluteBlack Sram direct mount 32t ring. It is paired with an XT M771 11-36 cassette. As far as negatives go, I can't find any. I went for an 8 mile first ride on the plus bike last night and I had about a 1/4 mile of grassy road left when I thought "Crap, I never payed attention to see if I like the ring or not". Which, to me, means I didn't even notice it on the trail, and that is a good thing. But once I started paying attention to it, I really started to like it. 99% of the "rigid bike bounce" is gone! And the pedal stroke does feel quite a bit smoother. Now I can't really tell if it makes my legs more or less tired but if it isn't bouncing, it must be good. And I would think that the bouncing would be some sort of efficiency loss but I really don't know.
What is every's take on these?
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I've been on Q-Rings on my road bike since 2012, Ridea SXX1 on my MTB in 2014, and the Garbaruk Melon in 2015. I will not switch back to round rings. The difference the ovals made for me is the cadence. It feels like I am able to accelerate my pedal stroke easier on sections where I need to get up and over. When cruising, my pedal stroke feels much smoother. I still got a round ring on the full suspension...but I don't do much pedaling on that bike.
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From everything I've read oval rings just don't seem like they offer a significant enough benefit for me to want to change. I would like to try one but it's not high on my list of things I want to put on my bikes.
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A little bit after the fact but... I got an Absolute Black 32t oval for my Epic. Ranged from 30t when you're in the "dead spot" to 34t in the power stroke. Rode it for a bunch of rides. I think my spin felt a little smoother? Honestly, I really didn't notice much of anything. Didn't make me faster. Just swapped the round ring back on for a lower 30t for a trip that'll have a bunch of climbing, and took it out for a ride, and was COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY ... absolutely nothing at all. The pedals turned, the bike went forward. Maybe my pedal stroke wasn't as smooth. Last I checked, you don't get style points for a smooth pedal stroke.
The Absolute Black is a good chainring, no regrets in getting it, but also no real feeling that I got much beyond a nice 1x chainring.
Gotta say being able to thread standard chainring bolts directly into the ring itself makes it much easier than using chainring nuts and bolts.
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Thanks for the update, I've been wondering about the oval rings but now I will also move on.
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COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY ... absolutely nothing at all
Even on steep climbs? That's where I saw a difference.
I have a 36/34 now, coming from a 28 two years ago.
I probably couldn't do some climbs around here with a round 36.
And with that ring, I can even challenge some road bikes too.
Too bad it didn't work.
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COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY ... absolutely nothing at all
Even on steep climbs? That's where I saw a difference.
I have a 36/34 now, coming from a 28 two years ago.
I probably couldn't do some climbs around here with a round 36.
And with that ring, I can even challenge some road bikes too.
Too bad it didn't work.
Around here, the only steep climbs are short, so those are usually done out of the saddle, full gas, get it over with. No miracles there.
I think riding style contributes greatly to how well an oval ring works for a particular rider. For me, my riding style (whatever it may be) just didn't seem to be benefitted.
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COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY ... absolutely nothing at all
Even on steep climbs? That's where I saw a difference.
I have a 36/34 now, coming from a 28 two years ago.
I probably couldn't do some climbs around here with a round 36.
And with that ring, I can even challenge some road bikes too.
Too bad it didn't work.
Good example was a ride I did a few days ago. The final kicker out of the trail was short, steep, with roots. Friend with the fat bike stopped halfway up trying to power up it. I put it in the 42 and spun my way up and out. I can't say I won't make it a round ring...but the smoother pedal stoke didn't hurt either.
Like anything else...it takes time to adapt. If you don't give it that time...you won't really know it you like it or not. Just like clipless pedals.
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Gave it plenty of time. I rode Biopace back in the day and didn't notice a difference with that. Must be the bottomless well of watts I have to draw from. ;D
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Everything I've read is that the new ones are the opposite oval compared to BioPace.
That said I just pulled the trigger on a Absolute Black Oval 34T Red ring. I'll be doing a race next Thursday evening, so I'll let you know how it goes. Not only is it oval, but I'm going up from a 32 round......
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Looking for some advice.. I didn't want to start a new thread so I am posting here.
I picked up a Chinese Oval ring for 104 BCD spider. I have a mounting problem.
Here is the problem ....
The tabs are too long and do not permit it to fit the SRAM spider. Please see the pictures ... I compare to the old SRAM ring and the SRAM spider. Hopefully there is some simple solution that someone can tell me.
(http://)
The Chinese seller seems to not understand or is purposely playing dumb.
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Pictures
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If the holes fall in to place, you can use a file to remove the part of the tabs that are too big.
If the holes are out of the axis, and you bought it from aliexpress, open a dispute showing pictures, and generally they reimburse.
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I'll be doing a race next Thursday evening, so I'll let you know how it goes. Not only is it oval, but I'm going up from a 32 round......
@325racer, How was the jump from 32 to 34 oval?
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I'll be doing a race next Thursday evening, so I'll let you know how it goes. Not only is it oval, but I'm going up from a 32 round......
@325racer, How was the jump from 32 to 34 oval?
I've only ridden with it twice so far. Once was a SUPER Easy ride where I was barely spinning (recovery ride after 68 mile road ride, and taking my Dad out), On that ride, I didn't even really notice a difference in pedal cadence or load, etc, pretty much felt the same.
The second ride was a 12 mile race that I did last week. Again, I didn't really notice much difference in feel. So my current evaluation is that going from the 32 round to 34 Oval seems to feel pretty much the same to me. What I'm hoping after I ride a little more is that is still feels like pushing the 32, but I carry more speed because I'm actually pushing the 34.
I guess I'm also thrown off, because on my 32+lb Full Suspension TallBoy LT, I'm still running a 3 ring setup, with a 36 middle ring and 36 rear and I try to push that everywhere, vs dropping to the granny.
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The second ride was a 12 mile race that I did last week. Again, I didn't really notice much difference in feel. So my current evaluation is that going from the 32 round to 34 Oval seems to feel pretty much the same to me. What I'm hoping after I ride a little more is that is still feels like pushing the 32, but I carry more speed because I'm actually pushing the 34.
Shouldn't that already be a significant change? You're pushing the 34T like it's a 32T. Technically, you're exerting efforts of a 32T but going at 34T speed. That's 1 step better output.
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I have a Deckas 32T elliptical pair with XT 11-34. It works great. It gives you more power to accelerate.
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VooDoo 320 did you have to do any sanding to the tabs of your Deckas ring?
Just asking, as I had to do some sanding to get it to fit my SRAM XO crankset.
Thanks!
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ottoreni. I just ordered a nice set of bolts.... It is quite cheap here in China.... you don't need to do any additional effort... :)
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Unfortunately, both China elliptical rings I have bought required a fair amount of filing to fit SRAM cranks. The first one was a the least expensive labeled "SNAIL" I had to file the tabs to fit the crank.
The second one I bought labeled "DECKAS" cost almost twice as much, but still required a fair amount of filing to fit the crank. It came with a set of inexpensive chainring bolts. I used Wolf Tooth bolts to mount both.
Both had 104BCD holes but the tabs were too long and would not let the ring sit on the crank.
Looking at both rings, they are identical besides the "names" painted on them.
Lesson to be learned from my experience, buy the cheapest elliptical ring you can find because you will have to file the tabs regardless of the price if you are using SRAM cranks.
I will post pictures later.
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@ottoreni, these rings are a cheaper option, and filing a little is free :)
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ottoreni.... I thought you were asking about the bolt.... my deckas just fit well with XT crank. Atleast you customized yours to fit. saved a lot of bucks compared to absolute black $$$.
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The clocking on the Snail rings looks to be around 90 degrees, i.e. when the major axis of the oval is pointing straight up, your cranks are horrizontal. This isn't great.
Ideally it should come at around 110 degrees, so that your leg / foot is in the stongest position. I think rotor uses 108 degress, but allows you to change this with the OCP. Fairly sure that Absolute black ones are fixed at 110 - 116 depending on size.
The clocking being too early (90 degrees) will slow your leg down, since the major axis comes at a point when your leg isn't in its strongest position.
If anyone is looking for an innexpenive 'non round' chainring, I suggest checking out Doval on Ebay. Can be had for about $30 and the shape of these rings is very natural - i.e. feels nicer than Q-Rings and all the other oval clones.
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After some more time on the Absolute Black Oval 34t, here are some more thoughts.
Maybe, I'm not strong enough to push the 34..... I haven't gone back to the round 32, but there are times I wonder if I'd be faster with the 32 as I find I just can't push as hard as I'd like. Now, I'm not running out of gear, and I'm keeping my cadence averages 76rpm on a 10 mile, 12.7 mph race. I haven't trained much, so maybe if I could spin closer to 85rpm with a smaller gear I'd actually be faster overall???
Also, I am noticing some Oval effect now, in that I get clunking as I spin because my pedal speed can't keep up with the cassette speed. Again, not sure if this would or wouldn't happen with a round ring, or a smaller ring.
But that's my input to date. On the plus side, as would be expected, no dropped chains or anything....
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You would usually go with the same teeth you're currently running now. I use a 30T, so I stayed with a 30T. The ovals are typically + and - two teeth at the high and low parts of the ring. Going from a round 32 to a oval 34...you kinda went up four teeth from your round 32. At least that's how I understand it works. ;D
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Yes and no. I did go up to the 34 on purpose, as I wanted more gear. Overall going to a 32 oval is still going to be a 32. It allows you to put more power down in the strong part of the stroke.
Either way, yes I knew I was going to a bigger gear. Some of my reasoning came after I had been riding my road bike in the dirt, which only has a low gear or 38 front 32 rear..... so I figured 34 front 42 rear would be fine.
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I tried one for a little while and didn't notice any benefits.
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So, update on my Absolute Black. As I'm riding more this year and getting stronger, I'm tending towards riding bigger gears. My fitness and my preferred cadence have always been inversely related. When I'm weak, I spin like a top. When I'm strong, it's all big gear bashing. Dunno.
Either way, the 30t on the Epic has been a bit short lately. Did a ride on local trails where we averaged about 120 feet per mile of climbing over a 13 mile ride and realized that most of the time I was on the high end of the cassette. Have a bunch of chainrings in bigger sizes, but they're all 4x104 or Race Face Cinch spiderless. No use to me since I've got the 4x94 BCD on the SRAM cranks. So, I decided I'd bust out the 32t AB oval ring as it's a little bit larger. Plus, it'd be good to revisit the oval and see what I thought.
Commuted home the other day, and had the Epic waiting, so before I got changed, switched from the road bike to the Epic with the AB oval ring. Holy crap, that was weird. Switching from a 34t round ring on the road bike where I had been spinning along merrily on my easy cruise home, the oval felt REALLY strange. Like, lumpy. Interesting if inadvertent back to back comparison. The feeling went away quickly, though, and I imagine if I switched back after my quick cruise on the Epic, the road bike would feel strange the same way.
Did a proper ride with the oval again, and honestly, I still can't say as I notice the ring.So for me, it's really neither good nor bad. It's something different that you notice at first and then adjust to and it disappears.
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I was reading a French MTB magazine last week end. There is an article related to a research center doing advanced studies related to XCO racing, supporting a specific local team. They mentioned non-round rings and their short conclusion is that it only makes a difference if you have a VERY good pedaling technique. Otherwise you should just stick to round ring.
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I have one on my SS and 1x11 bikes. I really like the oval rings, get one!
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I been eyeing this! Anybody know about this?
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I have never seen that one before. It doesn't appear to have the narrow wide tooth profile that most 1x rings have now. Not sure if that's a deal breaker or not but it's something to consider.
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... It doesn't appear to have the narrow wide tooth profile that most 1x rings have now...
Isn't this key to keep the chain on the ring without a chainguide ?
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... It doesn't appear to have the narrow wide tooth profile that most 1x rings have now...
Isn't this key to keep the chain on the ring without a chainguide ?
Yes.
It is very important if you are running a 1x
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... It doesn't appear to have the narrow wide tooth profile that most 1x rings have now...
Isn't this key to keep the chain on the ring without a chainguide ?
Yes.
It is very important if you are running a 1x
That was my impression too. But since I’ve never run anything but narrow wide rings on my 1x setups, I’m not sure how bad it would be with a uniform tooth thickness. I would assume that if the teeth are long enough, it wouldn’t be as bad as using a ramped ring intended for 2x or 3x setups.
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Shimano doesn't use narrow-wide profiles on their 1x chainrings and it works.
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Shimano doesn't use narrow-wide profiles on their 1x chainrings and it works.
Shimano uses a tooth profile that's more square to help keep the chain on. The chain ring should have some sort of retention, whether it's narrow-wide, square tooth like Shimano, or a chain guide. A standard tooth profile is designed for shifting, which is not ideal for 1x.
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Agree with Aceduece, in lieu of narrow-wide, Shimano's 1x chainrings have a squareish profile, so it helps secure your chain. Also, I believe that using the derailleur with clutch also helps keep the chain from poping out.
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Finally bought the elliptical chainring. First impression is good. It has a 3 settings. 1st is for sprint. 2nd is normal and 3rd is for climbing. Still experimenting which setting is the best. As for the tooth clearance.... chain is always in place.
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Do you feel the difference between the 3 positions when pedalling ?
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Yes you can feel the differences. Tried the normal and change it to sprint. I felt the rotation more effective than normal. Very satisfied with the product.
Here is the link where I bought it. Beware!!! It is in Chinese but we are in Chinertown. ;) ;) ;)
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.16.58d9f097ulpBYv&id=45067009823&ns=1&abbucket=9#detail
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Here's an eBay link (in English) of the Stone oval chainring.
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Oval-Chainring-BCD104-Narrow-Wide-NW-Teeth-1x-System-Big-Ring-for-Shimano-Sram/272649816744?var=571777782318&hash=item3f7b320aa8:m:m2yZMoOdO8hlZ7YDhSUYZRA (https://m.ebay.com/itm/Oval-Chainring-BCD104-Narrow-Wide-NW-Teeth-1x-System-Big-Ring-for-Shimano-Sram/272649816744?var=571777782318&hash=item3f7b320aa8:m:m2yZMoOdO8hlZ7YDhSUYZRA)
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The bottom of the Taobao text and the eBay link point to a narrow/wide version of that ring.
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yeah taobao is lot cheaper than ebay. ;)
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I recently started using an elliptical chainring from AliExpress and I'm very happy with it. I picked up a 32 tooth for only $7.04 and I'm glad I made the swap!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/EKFan-104BCD-Multicolor-XT-Oval-Round-30T-32T-34T-36T-Circle-Crankset-Plate-Narrow-Wide-MTB/32826549087.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.8JRGti