Oval Chainring? Gimmick or legit

[herrowpreeze]

Most of my riding is very steep technical uphills and then into the downhill enduro sections.

 

I'm putting on a smaller chain rings to help with the climbing and was wondering what everyone opinions are about oval chain rings?

 Are there any cons to using an oval chain ring?

 

TIA

[Dexter-morgan]

Personally, I think there are benefits but that might be just my feel on the MTB, some youtube analysts would prove me wrong but I prefer the oval on my MTB. 

[Bub Marley]

I have an oval ring on my mtb. I have no idea if it makes any difference or not.

 

I will also say that after 5min on my first ride, I couldn’t even notice any difference between round and oval. People have this assumption that with oval it’s gonna feel weird or something. Honestly, it’s barely noticeable. 

[DieselnDust]

There's no science that proves oval rings deliver the advertised benefits. Some  like the feel, others can't tell the difference between round and oval (me). I'm not a fan mostly due to the snake oil marketing that sells these things. I don't like buying products supported by blatant lies and pseudoscience. Call it my not-so-silent protest, Absolute Crap

[Bub Marley]

11 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

There's no science that proves oval rings deliver the advertised benefits. Some  like the feel, others can't tell the difference between round and oval (me). I'm not a fan mostly due to the snake oil marketing that sells these things. I don't like buying products supported by blatant lies and pseudoscience. Call it my not-so-silent protest, Absolute Crap

Yeah tbh I only have the oval because the crank i bought came with the oval ring. I didn’t specifically go out and choose it. So I just thought let’s just try and see it if there’s anything different. And honestly if you just ride, you wont feel anything different especially off-road when the terrain varies all the time.

 

Maybe on a road bike on smooth tarmac it would be more noticeable. But i gotta be honest even when i ride on my mtb on tar I would need to really concentrate on my pedal stroke to actually feel anything.

 

I personally would not waste money on oval if you’re thinking of upgrading. If you are already thinking of changing rings then perhaps. But dont spend just for the sake of getting ovals.

Edited 5 hours ago by Bub Marley

[guidodg]

the biggest benefit [and I used one for years on my MTB] is that they give more linear power delivery on very steep loose climbs and definitely improve grip...

[INDABUSCHE]

Chris Froome can't be wrong can he. Been on oval for years.😎

[Bro Derek]

3 minutes ago, INDABUSCHE said:

Chris Froome can't be wrong can he. Been on oval for years.😎

He was 100% correct about disc brake road bikes never catching on in the pro peleton too...... 

 

[mecheng89]

I can't say. But it seems like snake oil.

[Dappere]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

There's no science that proves oval rings deliver the advertised benefits. Some  like the feel, others can't tell the difference between round and oval (me). I'm not a fan mostly due to the snake oil marketing that sells these things. I don't like buying products supported by blatant lies and pseudoscience. Call it my not-so-silent protest, Absolute Crap

Tell us how you really feel! 😆

I hear you - there is plenty of overhyped marketing in the cycling world. It’s not a magic bullet, but calling it blatant pseudoscience ignores the real-world mechanical effects.

Oval rings don't necessarily increase power, but they change how power is applied throughout the pedal stroke. The benefit isn’t raw wattage but efficiency, particularly on technical climbs and loose terrain, where traction and cadence control are crucial. A well-trained pedal stroke can achieve similar results with a round chainring, but at a low cadence in tricky sections, the oval difference can still be noticeable.

Some riders don’t feel it, some swear by it - at the end of the day, it’s just another tool in the box. 

[NotSoBigBen]

53 minutes ago, guidodg said:

the biggest benefit [and I used one for years on my MTB] is that they give more linear power delivery on very steep loose climbs and definitely improve grip...

That has also been my experience .... Since I don't do those kind of climbs anymore though ... I feel no difference either way for my 'normal' riding

Have ridden oval 'rotor' 2* on my TT bike for many years, interesting I'll see if there's a difference I guess as I'm busy fitting a 1* round ring at the moment

[GaryvdM]

I think they are great for road bikes.

But for anything with a clutch derailleur they are a bad idea: The constant lengthening and shortening of the chain results in power lost to the friction in the clutch, and causes the clutch to wear faster.

Edited 3 hours ago by GaryvdM

[waveduke]

I've switched to oval on my MTB a few weeks ago and my experience are in line with the comments above:
- subjectively more control and rounder pace on steep climbs
- not very noticeable on the flats

As usual there is already a GCN clinic on that topic 🙂

 

[DieselnDust]

A much better upgrade for every cyclist is shorter cranks. Even for mountain biking. The phyiological gains are real, and there's science to back it up,......unlike squashed rings

<cue shorter cranks married to oval rings debate>

[NotSoBigBen]

40 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

A much better upgrade for every cyclist is shorter cranks. Even for mountain biking. The phyiological gains are real, and there's science to back it up,......unlike squashed rings

<cue shorter cranks married to oval rings debate>

Now you have me thinking 🤔 

As I'm making changes to my TT bike anyway albeit from oval to round but I could also go to shorter cranks

Man I love tinkering with bikes 🤪

[DieselnDust]

12 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

Now you have me thinking 🤔 

As I'm making changes to my TT bike anyway albeit from oval to round but I could also go to shorter cranks

Man I love tinkering with bikes 🤪

just remember to raise the saddle and move it forward by the corresponding amount of the crank length change.