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Absolute Black Ring Display
| Item | # | Price | Stock |
| POS MTB (EN) #: X-POS MTB EN Price: $29.99 Stock: In stock | X-POS MTB EN | $29.99 | In stock |
| POS ROAD (EN) #: X-POSROADEN Price: $29.99 Stock: In stock | X-POSROADEN | $29.99 | In stock |
Overview
The most advanced, Patent Pending narrow/wide tooth profile currently produced, guarantee minimum 12 months of excellent chain retention capabilities! We mean it. Always use a new chain with a new chainring.
The World's finest oval (elliptical) road chainring. Non circular chainrings, Non-round chainrings. Asymmetrical chainrings.
The World's finest oval (elliptical) road chainring. Non circular chainrings, Non-round chainrings. Asymmetrical chainrings.
Not convinced yet? Read what other customers write.
Why Oval
Why our oval chainrings work?
Our premium Oval chainrings work because riders do not produce power evenly through a pedal stroke –the musculature of human legs makes it difficult to maintain an even power delivery to a round chainring. Believe it (or not), but a round chainring doesn't transfer torque to your rear wheel as smoothly as an Oval one. Oval rings work with the natural human physiology. Oval chainrings maximize the part of the stroke where power is produced and minimize resistance where it isn't. As a direct consequence, Oval rings enhance a cyclist's ability to spin with a smoother power delivery and feel easier on legs while climbing. You will actually feel your pedal stroke to be more "round" with an Oval chainring than with a round chainring.
Why using AbsoluteBlack oval chainrings matters?
Absolute Black oval road chainrings deliver power more smoothly to your rear wheel. This means you are better able to generate and maintain, constant cadence. Because oval chainrings reduce the peak loads on knee joints, riders using them get less stress on the joints (knees) and therefore are able to keep certain level of effort for longer. This results in higher average speed. You don't need to take our word at Absolute Black; 11 scientific studies by leading universities around the globe show that; in comparison to round chainrings, when using oval chainrings, human legs utilize more muscle groups - but each of them to lesser degree. The overall Load from pedalling an oval chainring is spread over greater muscle mass. This has three key benefits; firstly, it gives you the feeling of fresher and more relaxed legs. Secondly; it allows you to achieve higher average speed riding uphill. Thirdly; spreading the pedalling load over more muscles reduces the risk of cramp, even when riding hard. The compound effect of switching to oval chainrings; the relaxed legs, added climbing ability and reduction of cramp means your overall enjoyment of the ride is enhanced.
Technology
Word on BIOPACE
Please understand that this is not Biopace technology. Shimano created Biopace with the completely wrong orientation of the biggest radius of the oval. Instead of positioning it in power zone which is slightly below the level of the crank, they clocked it to the dead zone where human generates least power. The result was that in power zone pedaling was too easy and in dead zone very difficult. Exactly opposite to how it should be.
Please understand that this is not Biopace technology. Shimano created Biopace with the completely wrong orientation of the biggest radius of the oval. Instead of positioning it in power zone which is slightly below the level of the crank, they clocked it to the dead zone where human generates least power. The result was that in power zone pedaling was too easy and in dead zone very difficult. Exactly opposite to how it should be.
Round rings do not optimize the way humans produce power
Other elliptical chainrings
Clocking (timing) and shape of the oval are the most crucial parts of the design. Ride quality of Absoluteblack Oval ring will be different to ovals from brand X or Y. 2 years of development of our ovals resulted in commercially most successful product of its kind. AbsoluteBlack is the First company who managed to successfully popularize ovals in mountainbike sport. Please note: Other manufacturers offer one timing and ovality setting for all chainring sizes, but pedaling behavior changes with each size considerably. To optimize for this, every chainring size needs to be a bit different. For example the smaller the chainring size the bigger the ovality has to be to help climb steeper hills more effectively. This is where we specialize in and optimize every size to particular pedaling style. This is also why we do not provide information about timing and exact ovality of the chainring as each one is different.
Shifting quality and technology
Both, inner and outer oval chainrings are optimized with smooth shifting in mind. This is why the back of the Absolute Black Oval road chainring does not feature cutouts, like other oval products on the market. Instead, we design smooth angled surfaces, to help chain to slide quickly and precisely between chainrings. Absolute Black outer oval chainrings have 6 up-shifting ramps, for easy and quick gear change, even under load. Each outer chainring also features 12 down-shifting points. Instead of steel shifting pins we use a CNC machined "ramp and recess" solution. Special raised ramps work in conjunction with the tooth recesses to stabilize the chain when shifting. Our oval chainrings DO NOT require any modification to the front dérailleur in order to work properly (apart from small standard adjustment)
The importance of timing and shape with oval chainrings
The oval chainring movement across all cycling disciplines is growing rapidly, led by absoluteBLACK, the world leaders in this important product category.
However, not all oval chainrings share the same performance characteristics as absoluteBLACK. The 'clocking' (timing) and shape of the oval are the most crucial parts of any oval chainring design, absoluteBLACK spent three years in design development and have perfected both timing and shape design elements - ensuring the ride quality of absoluteBLACK oval ring will be different and superior to ovals from other brands (as many abosluteBLACK customers already realised).
Where most other brands retain the same timing (position of the crank arm relative to the oval) and shape of the oval across all their sizes - because it's cheaper and less time consuming. absoluteBLACK believe that each different size ring requires a bespoke, optimised, perfect pedalling solution. So that is what we do - for every chainring absoluteBLACK make. For example, the smaller the chainring size, the bigger the ovality has to be to help climb steeper hills more effectively. We keep our exact Patent Pending data a secret, to ensure we get the best possible absoluteBLACK advantage over other brands, and you get the best possible ride experience.
However, not all oval chainrings share the same performance characteristics as absoluteBLACK. The 'clocking' (timing) and shape of the oval are the most crucial parts of any oval chainring design, absoluteBLACK spent three years in design development and have perfected both timing and shape design elements - ensuring the ride quality of absoluteBLACK oval ring will be different and superior to ovals from other brands (as many abosluteBLACK customers already realised).
Where most other brands retain the same timing (position of the crank arm relative to the oval) and shape of the oval across all their sizes - because it's cheaper and less time consuming. absoluteBLACK believe that each different size ring requires a bespoke, optimised, perfect pedalling solution. So that is what we do - for every chainring absoluteBLACK make. For example, the smaller the chainring size, the bigger the ovality has to be to help climb steeper hills more effectively. We keep our exact Patent Pending data a secret, to ensure we get the best possible absoluteBLACK advantage over other brands, and you get the best possible ride experience.
Installation
FAQ
What size should I choose?
* 34T inner chainring should be used with 50T outer ring. It has 6.5% ovality. Use a 34T to help with spinning higher cadence and hilly terrain.
* 36T inner chainring can be used with 50 or 52T outer ring. It has 11.4% ovality. Use a 36T if you're a strong rider or for rolling terrain.
* 38T inner chainring should be used with 52T outer ring. It has 11.4% ovality. Use a 38T if you're a very strong rider or for flat terrain.
* 39T inner chainring should be used with 53T outer ring. It has 11% ovality. Use a 39T if you're a very strong rider or for flat terrain.
* 50T outer chainring – Choose this size if you ride for pleasure or sportive events. This is the most versatile and comfortable size.
* 52T outer chainring - if you race and feel strong, it's the classic outer chainring size and a great option for experienced riders.
* 53T outer chainring - if you race and feel very strong, it's the classic outer chainring size and a great option for powerful riders.
IMPORTANT
Ramps on big rings are specially configured for combinations: 50/34, 52/36, 52/38, 53/39T
If you wish to use other configuration it will also work, but shifting will be slower and may require more "adjustments" of front dérailleur to be acceptable. Also remember that front dérailleur can only accept max 16T difference between 2 chainrings - this is how Shimano and Sram designed them.
Remember when selecting your chainring sizes - it's not about what others use, but about ensuring YOUR ability to maintain a comfortable and effective cadence across the terrain you ride most often. If you ride chainrings that are too large (round or oval), your cadence will be lower. This can affect your performance by prematurely tiring your legs and possibly lead to stress injury in your knee joints.
Can I use only small oval chainring and keep big one round? (and vice versa) Or should I use both oval rings?
There is no problem using two different shaped chainrings mounted to one crank from mechanical and biomechanical point of view. However, please remember that oval chainrings are most effective in two situations; when you pedal uphill and if you don't have perfect pedalling action. We recommend using small oval ring as a starting point. Many professional riders switch to using an oval inner chainring for races with hard climbing – even when their equipment sponsors do not make an oval ring – knowing that it cannot be seen tucked behind their sponsors outer round chainring. When it comes to the style of outer chainring you need to answer two questions:
* How often do I keep riding on big ring over smaller, less demanding climbs?
If the answer is "often" then fitting an Absolute Black outer chainring is advised to gain the maximum benefit. However, if the answer is "very rarely" then keeping your existing round outer ring is a way to save some money.
* Do I have a perfect pedal spin?
This is an important one. Professionals and semi pro cyclists spin perfect "circles". The rest of us often struggle with our pedalling action, simply because we don't spend every day of every week on the bike, to master this skill. Switching to oval rings effectively correct an imperfect pedalling action – delivering the smooth power delivery the pros developed through thousands of hours of training. One of the key reasons the benefits of oval chainrings have historically proven hard to prove in lab tests, is because they were nearly always done using Professional riders – as a user group they are the least likely to gain a performance increase from a switch to oval, as their pedalling is already close to perfection. Where ovals shine however is with rest of us, who ride for pleasure and not for a job. Simply 99% of road cyclists will benefit from having oval chainrings on their bikes.
Why our Oval chainrings do not have adjustable timing
At Absolute Black we have extensively studied the relevant performance data regarding the optimum percentage of ovality, shape and, critically, the timing of the oval – the positioning of the high and low points of the oval, in relation to the position of the crank arm and focus this into one single mounting position – this is the really important part of what makes Absolute Black Oval chainrings so effective. By simplifying our oval chainring design, to reflect a single high performance ‘sweet-spot', we are able to make the process of fitting Absolute Black oval chainrings faster and easier, as well as making our rings even lighter.
* 34T inner chainring should be used with 50T outer ring. It has 6.5% ovality. Use a 34T to help with spinning higher cadence and hilly terrain.
* 36T inner chainring can be used with 50 or 52T outer ring. It has 11.4% ovality. Use a 36T if you're a strong rider or for rolling terrain.
* 38T inner chainring should be used with 52T outer ring. It has 11.4% ovality. Use a 38T if you're a very strong rider or for flat terrain.
* 39T inner chainring should be used with 53T outer ring. It has 11% ovality. Use a 39T if you're a very strong rider or for flat terrain.
* 50T outer chainring – Choose this size if you ride for pleasure or sportive events. This is the most versatile and comfortable size.
* 52T outer chainring - if you race and feel strong, it's the classic outer chainring size and a great option for experienced riders.
* 53T outer chainring - if you race and feel very strong, it's the classic outer chainring size and a great option for powerful riders.
IMPORTANT
Ramps on big rings are specially configured for combinations: 50/34, 52/36, 52/38, 53/39T
If you wish to use other configuration it will also work, but shifting will be slower and may require more "adjustments" of front dérailleur to be acceptable. Also remember that front dérailleur can only accept max 16T difference between 2 chainrings - this is how Shimano and Sram designed them.
Remember when selecting your chainring sizes - it's not about what others use, but about ensuring YOUR ability to maintain a comfortable and effective cadence across the terrain you ride most often. If you ride chainrings that are too large (round or oval), your cadence will be lower. This can affect your performance by prematurely tiring your legs and possibly lead to stress injury in your knee joints.
Can I use only small oval chainring and keep big one round? (and vice versa) Or should I use both oval rings?
There is no problem using two different shaped chainrings mounted to one crank from mechanical and biomechanical point of view. However, please remember that oval chainrings are most effective in two situations; when you pedal uphill and if you don't have perfect pedalling action. We recommend using small oval ring as a starting point. Many professional riders switch to using an oval inner chainring for races with hard climbing – even when their equipment sponsors do not make an oval ring – knowing that it cannot be seen tucked behind their sponsors outer round chainring. When it comes to the style of outer chainring you need to answer two questions:
* How often do I keep riding on big ring over smaller, less demanding climbs?
If the answer is "often" then fitting an Absolute Black outer chainring is advised to gain the maximum benefit. However, if the answer is "very rarely" then keeping your existing round outer ring is a way to save some money.
* Do I have a perfect pedal spin?
This is an important one. Professionals and semi pro cyclists spin perfect "circles". The rest of us often struggle with our pedalling action, simply because we don't spend every day of every week on the bike, to master this skill. Switching to oval rings effectively correct an imperfect pedalling action – delivering the smooth power delivery the pros developed through thousands of hours of training. One of the key reasons the benefits of oval chainrings have historically proven hard to prove in lab tests, is because they were nearly always done using Professional riders – as a user group they are the least likely to gain a performance increase from a switch to oval, as their pedalling is already close to perfection. Where ovals shine however is with rest of us, who ride for pleasure and not for a job. Simply 99% of road cyclists will benefit from having oval chainrings on their bikes.
Why our Oval chainrings do not have adjustable timing
At Absolute Black we have extensively studied the relevant performance data regarding the optimum percentage of ovality, shape and, critically, the timing of the oval – the positioning of the high and low points of the oval, in relation to the position of the crank arm and focus this into one single mounting position – this is the really important part of what makes Absolute Black Oval chainrings so effective. By simplifying our oval chainring design, to reflect a single high performance ‘sweet-spot', we are able to make the process of fitting Absolute Black oval chainrings faster and easier, as well as making our rings even lighter.
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