Which size oval chainring, 32 or 34??

Going to be needing a new Hope Direct mount chanring soon and fancy trying an oval one for a change.

Reading up on the web it reckons that a 32 is equal to a 30 for climbing and 34 to a 32. As I currently have a 32 1×11 and don’t use the 42 much anyway. Don’t fancy shelling out nearly £50 and either spinning like mad or struggling everywhere, so any real reviews are grateful

For the record, I ride all over Wales, The Peak, The Lakes and don’t have any probs climbing with the 1×11 32/42 or the other bikes 1×10 12/36

Cheers

You don’t say what wheel size you are using.

I just went for the same number of teeth as I had on the circular chain rings. It’s definitely easier climbing but I’m not sure it’s 2 teeth difference, what you notice climbing is a much smoother transfer of power rather than a cyclic stomp-ease-stomp.

Are you happy with your top gear or do you spin out?

If you don’t spin out then go 32. If you do then 34.

I was running 34 (oval) and 11-42 on my 26″ (now switched to 10-42) and am running 32 (oval) and 10-42 on the 27.5″ FS but I do have an 11-46 cassette just in case as I am on 104 bcd cranks so would need to go direct mount to go smaller over without an expensive 30 oval 104 bcd ring.

I don’t notice any difference between a 32t oval and a 32t round.

@ Whitestone – 650b

Andyl – no don’t spin out on 32f 10rear

I’d stick with 32 then.

but everyone is different.

SuperStar have some Hope oval rings btw.

An added benefit of oval is that it’s quieter downhill as the ring spreads the chain wider apart, clearing the chainstay more.

Surely it spreads it wider for part of the stroke and narrower for another part of the stroke .

I suppose that when the cranks are level the two runs of the chain are almost at their furthest apart, so it will give marginally more chainstay-chain clearance.

the Absolute black website used to say that a 32T oval ‘worked’ like a 31tT round chainring… a 34T Oval ‘worked’ like a 33T Round.. etc

I’m not sure when it changed.. but it now advises swapping like for like..

poah – Member

I don’t notice any difference between a 32t oval and a 32t round.

Me neither. But it’s a hard thing to judge tbh, maybe I just go a bit faster, or use a different gear.

I just went for the same number of teeth as I had on the circular chain rings. It’s definitely easier climbing but I’m not sure it’s 2 teeth difference, what you notice climbing is a much smoother transfer of power rather than a cyclic stomp-ease-stomp.

I’d agree with this so have stuck with a 32.

carlos – Member

Reading up on the web it reckons that a 32 is equal to a 30 for climbing

Never been convinced by that – it’s not free energy – for a 32t oval you’re pushing a 34 at the storng part of your stroke and a 30 at the weaker part. For a 30t round, it’s 30 at all times. Strong part of your stroke or not, you’ll notice 4 more teeth,

i went from 32T round to 32T oval but if was replacing it again i think id go for a 34T next. its very rare but have spun out a couple of times recently.

If you have 11 different cogs at the rear of the bike and rarely use the largest or smallest ratios then the difference between 32 and 34 will hardly be noticable. Any time you don’t feel you’re in the right gear there will still be another to change to.

I swapped a 32T oval for a 32T circular, and found the “normal” ring harder work, but that might be my weedy legs…. The new ring is a Hope Retainer ring, and interestingly it has dropped the chain a few times, where my Works Components oval one never did – though that may be down to me leaving the new 11 speed chain deliberately long in case of breakages?

Thanks for the replies.

Going to swap out for a 32T oval instead this time and see what the craic is.

With riding 600Km or so a month, off road in The Peak, Wales and The Lakes whilst the weathers like it is, it’s not going to be lasting too long anyway and next time I might try the 34T