Why oval chainring

I wanted to get a few more rides in and get back on a round chainring to see what difference I felt on it once I had some time on the oval chainring. After getting used to it and trying out a round chainring I can really feel how it smooths out the power spike that you get from your pedal stroke.

It also smooths out the pedal stroke in general and you can feel your legs working more efficiently. But the chainring ramps up the tension as you get to the strongest parts of your pedal stroke, allowing you to take advantage of your legs natural strength curve. By pulling up and pushing down at the same time you lessen the power spike into the pedal, making it less likely you will spin out on a climb.

However, as the studies I have referenced in the Flat Pedal Revolution Manifesto tell us, when you apply this technique you sacrifice power and efficiency. The oval chainring looks to accomplish this same task but from a different angle. Instead of asking you to pedal in a sub-optimal fashion to compensate for the uneven power transfer, you change how that power is being transmitted into the drivetrain.

You change the machine to accommodate how the human optimally moves, not the how the human moves to accommodate the machine. We highlight the key elements in what follows. Whether you install a semi-oval or fully oval chainring, taking the crank off is the easiest method. Removing your crank means removing your chain. For speed, convenience and efficiency nothing beats having a quick release link installed.

Simply open the link, then remove your chain. Locking and unlocking is only clumsily accomplished by hand. All commercially available tools appear to be exclusively designed for vertical use. An alternative to removing the chain from the derailleur cage you have the hassle of threading it back in later is fold it over the cassette. To prevent the back wheel rotating and sending the chain to the floor, zip tie the brake lever, locking it down.

Loosen the pinch bolts a little in turn. Pro Tip : When tightening or loosening crank pinch bolts or stem bolts for that matter , always tighten or loosen in increments. A crank arm fixing bolt removal tool is harder to come by.

Still, the bolt should not be tight. The maximum torque recommendation for these is normally around 1 nM. That just leaves the safety plate. Once you move that forward, the crank slides off easily. Cranks fit precisely to their respective bottom brackets. You can use a ball peen hammer.

A good opportunity to clean accumulated grime from around the bottom bracket prior to re installation. Pot of grease is ready to go. Otherwise it may get stuck on the install, tempting you to force it in. Applying too much force places an unhelpful degree of side-stress on the bearings. You need to adjust the derailleur cage up, so that when the oval chainring reaches the highest point in the arc, you will have the required mm gap between derailleur cage and chainring tooth.

Firstly ensure there is no tension on the derailleur shifting cable. Push the derailleur cage out against the spring across the chainring teeth. Then allow it to return making sure the clearance is right. Then re-tighten the clamp bolt use a torque wrench to achieve correct tolerance on all bolts once the installation is completed. Perfect clearance. Re-fit the the derailleur cable, tighten the bolt, then complete the rest of the crank installation.

A smear of grease on the spindle, and the threads inside, ready for the crank along with the crank arm fixing bolt. Although we apply a loctite compound to this bolt to discourage loosening, there is no conflict with the grease. Grease smooths installation and removal ; loctite discourages premature loosening. The torque setting for the pinch bolts is nM. You spin through the gears on the first test, shift to the big chainring and kerchanngggkk … the chain drops.

The gap between the chainrings and the derailleur cage on the flattest part of the elliptical curve is several centimeters. Way outside any practical recommendations. Actually, there are a lot of myths and inconsistencies out there regarding cycling with oval chainrings.

Some cyclists love it and others will never use or even test oval chainrings. However, there are a lot of professional riders out there who are using oval chainrings already long time with a lot of success. Smoother power delivery to your rear wheel means that you will be able to maintain better, constant cadence; get less stress on the joints knees and therefore be able to keep a certain level of effort for longer.

This results in higher average speed. Moreover, 11 studies made by various Universities in the World show that using oval chainrings human legs utilize more muscle groups compared to round one , but each of them to a lesser degree. Load from pedaling an oval chainring is spread over greater muscle mass which in effect gives you the feeling of fresher and more relaxed legs. All-around shredder and customer service champion, Logan Ammon has spent some time on an oval-ring to see exactly what the fuss was all about.

This is what he had to say about his experience! I have spent almost the last year riding with the oval chainring. At first, it felt a little awkward as my pedal stroke felt off but this feeling quickly faded after the first few minutes of climbing. After a couple rides, I really started to notice that on steep climbs where my legs would normally start to feel the burn were a little easier. The biggest advantage to the oval ring I have found is climbing through technical sections.

The ease of bringing the pedals back around to the optimal power zone. Making those technical climbs a bit easier.