Oval Chain ring v Round.... the future..!!... read the article too... very relevant to amateur cyclists (pedal action) https://absoluteblack.cc/why-oval/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoavnvbL63wIV5FkVCB1cUgjTEAEYASAAEgKGKfD_BwE Anything to make it easier getting up a hill.... I thought it would be massively expensive but seems not...
They had oval chain rings for MTBs back in the 90s. I didn’t like them then either. Down to personal preference. Getting up hills quicker is down to the person pedalling. A slightly different shaped chain ring will make little to no difference in my opinion.
Nothing new ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopace The arguments / evidence / sales gimmicks appear every few years ...
What did you feel was different? do you think that in the intervening 20 years technology could have perfected it..? As it says, only professional and semi- pro riders ride with a perfected technique, so anything to help serious enthusiasts..? Reading the analysis and reports which admittedly would be biased, they are designed to help with climbing, pressure on joints, pedal stroke, energy output and breathing.
Silly me for doubting you... Five years after Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour de France riding oval rings, Chris Froome continues to use Osymetric chainrings on his Team Sky bike. Wiggins reverted to round rings towards the end of his career and continued to win at the highest level, including the World Championship time trial. Froome has ridden them since 2011, and has since won three Tour titles using the Osymetric rings. In addition to Osymetric, Rotor’s Q-rings continue to be used by a considerable number of professional riders. But should you consider using a cam-shaped ring? Jean-Louis Talo, a mechanical engineer from Menton, France, produced a prototype Osymetric ring and has spent 22 years trying to convince the cycling world that it works. “You can alter the design so that you give the leg muscles work to do where they are at their strongest and less work to do where they are weak,” says Talo. “A round chainring gives you work to do where you are weak and takes power away from you where your legs are strongest. A bicycle chainring is round because at one time that’s all factories knew how to produce.” Read more at https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...nrings-do-they-work-28044#Z0r6BfsUiIPLlSD4.99 The thing is GLP, I just put it out there as I thought it might be interesting for those of us that cycle.
https://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/absoluteblack-oval-chainrings-review AbsoluteBLACK oval chainrings review Potential for pedal stroke smoothing makes these rings worth a look By Jason Sumner January 16, 2017 PARTS please log in to view this image You’ll either like the look or you won’t. What is it? The PR claim is that by using oval shaped (rather than round) chainrings, pedaling smoothness and overall efficiency is improved because the impact of the dead spot in your pedal stroke is minimized. Various iterations of the concept have been around for years, but it has never gained widespread acceptance. However, some pro riders such as reigning Tour de France champ Chris Froome and the now-retired Bradley Wiggins have used oval rings (from a different manufacturer) to great success, and many amateur riders swear by their effectiveness. please log in to view this image Six machined up-shift ramps on the backside of these rings help keep shifting relatively crisp and smooth. AbsoluteBLACK promotes its oval chainrings as being among the best due to the refinement of design and detail via use of top materials and state-of-the-art CNC milling machines. The company makes a huge variety of oval rings for both mountain and road bikes. RoadBikeReview tested a 52-36 set-up on an 11-speed Shimano Ultegra drivetrain. Test ring weights were 140 grams for the 52t and 35 grams for the 36t (175 grams total). The standard Ultegra set-up that was removed weighed 148 grams total, but had a smaller tooth count (33 grams for the 34t inner ring; 115 grams for the 50t outer). Pros Some improvement on very steep climbs Subtle smoothing of pedal stroke Options for most bike set-ups Durable aluminum construction Potential placebo effect Chris Froome swears by oval rings The look (if that’s your thing) Cons Slight shifting degradation Some impact to “feel” of pedal stroke The look (if that’s not your thing) Break up of drivetrain system Slight weight penalty Rings can collect road gunk and grime Lack of concrete science behind claims please log in to view this image Our test set-up was a Parlee Z5 SL with Shimano Ultegra drivetrain and ENVE carbon wheels. RoadBikeReview’s Take Did these oval chainrings make a huge difference in my riding experience? Probably not. But I did manage to PR a few short steep climbs while they were mounted on my road bike. Current level of fitness certainly played some role in those efforts. (I was going good then.) But I also believe that the subtle dead spot smoothing helped increase efficiency just a fraction, meaning my legs didn’t load up with lactate acid quite as quickly. It also took very little time to get used to the feel, which is a frequent complaint among oval ring detractors. When I first made the switch, things felt a little off. But within a handful of rides all seemed normal again. please log in to view this image The lattice-pattern on the front of the rings helps keep weight low, but creates a trap for grit and grime. It’s also worth noting that I stepped up from a round 50-34 set-up to an oval 52-36, yet did not feel over-geared on steep climbs because the oval 36t ring essentially mimics the feel of a 34t when you’re in the weaker portion of your pedal stroke. Conversely the 52t big ring meant I was less likely to get spun out during descents. But a standard 52t would still be preferred to maintain speed going downhill. please log in to view this image These oval rings come in a wide variety of BCDs to fit nearly any road or MTB drivetrain. Other knocks against the set-up include the look, which is a little loud for my tastes, and shifting feel. I never had issues with dropping the chain or anything like that. But even with the absoluteBLACK’s six machined up-shift ramps, changing gears was not as crisp as with the standard round-ring Shimano Ultegra set-up. Was it a deal breaker? No. Was it noticeable? Yes. please log in to view this image The machining detail on these rings is impressive. Bottom line, I believe the ideal application for this set-up is for the rider who does a lot of low-cadence climbing or on a 1x mountain bike drivetrain, where front derailleur shifting is not an issue, and steep, low cadence climbing is frequent. I also think that if you’re at all curious, they’re worth trying for yourself. The barrier to entry is not that high, and you may find that you love the results
Cool. I just don’t think they make any difference. Just saying. Pro riders pretty much ride what they are told to ride as it’s sponsor supplied kit. If pro riders don’t see any noticeable gains then the hobby cyclist will probably see none at all.
Four things that would help me get up hills quicker 1) Losing weight [ha] 2) Lighter Wheels / Tyres [this did work] 3) Lighter bike [quite happy with what I've got & helps with #1] 4) Training going up hills ... [5) ~ an E~bike]
