Oval chainring?

[matticus]

Actually that's got me thinking ... purely a thought experiment really:
Would non-round rings make fixed descending better or worse?
(It's perhaps the cycling activity I have the least empathy for ... but it's still interesting :-) )

 

[screenman]

Well written review. Excellent grammar and some some nice fuzzy but vague terms like feels, sounds and smooths. Unfortunately, not a single ounce of evidence that the chain rings do anything except lighten your wallet in exchange for a nicely machined piece of placebo bling!
Where is the data, the increased power outputs, the reduced times, the gold medals?

Have you heard of Bradley Wiggins or Chris Froome.

 

[MichaelW2]

Could you combine an oval chainring with an oval sprocket. This might be effective at lightening wallets but to what effect?

 

[Sharky]

I see what you mean. Could be right! Don't know how big the effect will be ... can someone make a video? Are you busy Fossyant?

Here's one that was prepared earlier


View: https://youtu.be/IQVSMAz0bTo

 

[I like Skol]

Have you heard of Bradley Wiggins or Chris Froome.

Of course, but so what? Just because they were using them doesn't mean they contributed to the successes. I'm sure team Sky, or Ineos, or whatever they are calling themselves nowadays still have access to the oval chainring technology, but they seem to be struggling on the medal front at the moment regardless....

EDIT: Or maybe the oval rings did contribute. Placebo effect can be a strong influence.

 

[screenman]

Of course, but so what? Just because they were using them doesn't mean they contributed to the successes. I'm sure team Sky, or Ineos, or whatever they are calling themselves nowadays still have access to the oval chainring technology, but they seem to be struggling on the medal front at the moment regardless....

EDIT: Or maybe the oval rings did contribute. Placebo effect can be a strong influence.

Marginal gains. Tour of Italy maybe. All your focus seems to be about money, for many of us it is not so strong.

 

[Chris S]

I've got an oval chainring on my 1990 Raleigh. Nothing coming out of Nottingham was particularly round towards the end.

 

[Archie_tect]

I'd never heard of oval chainrings before I'd posted the CyclingUK blog, learnt something new today, this is from 2018...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld-p0cOJySk&feature=emb_rel_end


The 30/34 section on each of the four quadrants of the oval makes sense, making the over the top crank movement faster and easier... maybe that's it in a nutshell.

 

[screenman]

I've got an oval chainring on my 1990 Raleigh. Nothing coming out of Nottingham was particularly round towards the end.

God old British made.

 

[ColinJ]

Here's one that was prepared earlier


View: https://youtu.be/IQVSMAz0bTo

I watched that one last night and just went off to YT to copy the address, but you beat me to it!

But not as much as gears would

Yeah, I've got a nice low 28/30 on my proper climbing bike!

I only built my singlespeed because I wanted a cheap bike to nip to the shops on and already had most of the bits to do it. What surprised me was that I actually enjoyed riding it so I started using it for longer and harder rides. I have done a couple of rides of over 200 km on it and many rides of 100-160 km.

6-7% climbs are ok for 100s of m in in 52/19, 8-9% is doable for 200 m or so, 10% for 100m, anything much steeper/longer than that brings me to a dead stop because I can't get the cranks to the positions where I can get a decent amount of force onto the pedals. I think the oval rings could ease that problem without making me adopt a climbing gear that I would spin out at relatively low speeds. Even 52/19 feels slightly undergeared for cruising along on the flat. Ideally, I'd ride 52/17 but then I would have even more problem going uphill.

I'm not going to buy an oval ring for now - I'm hard up and they cost almost as much as I spent building the bike in the first place! I'll treat myself to one when my bike parts budget is higher...

Anyway, oval rings are past their sell-by date. Quadrant rings are the latest thing...

 

[matticus]

I'd never heard of oval chainrings before I'd posted the CyclingUK blog, learnt something new today,

Would you like to buy some L-shaped cranks?

 

[Archie_tect]

Would you like to buy some L-shaped cranks?

Do they help you ride round corners faster?

 

[T4tomo]

Where have Cycling Uk been for the last five or more years ? These aren't new on 1x MTB's. Personally I will stick with round, but they have been the 'fad' for many years.

There is a who load of 'rubbish' talked in MTB circles about them. It's another bit of bling ! Some folk like them. I can't see them helping much as there is way too much other stuff going on on a MTB, rocks, gravel, mud affecting traction, suspension movements and all sorts.

I thought MTB's nowadays took the lift to the top of the trail and freewheeled down anyway?

 

[screenman]

Do they help you ride round corners faster?

Depends if you believe in them or not

 

[matticus]

Do they help you ride round corners faster?

Why yes, indeed I think they do! And with increased torque. And stiffer (due to more metal being used).

Shall we say £200? (ovno of course)