Absolute Black Oval Guide - Review
If you're already familiar with oval chainrings, then you probably know that a regular chainguide system will struggle to cope with the peculiarly shaped sprocket bolted to your ride. And, if you're reading this and wondering what the hell an 'oval chainring' is, RC put one through the grinder last year and you can read his review here.
As one of the first brands to champion the benefits of ovalized chainrings, Absolute Black now have a chainguide to match, designed in partnership with chainguide specialists, 77Designz. We've been hammering the miles into one for the last few months to see how it fared...
As one of the first brands to champion the benefits of ovalized chainrings, Absolute Black now have a chainguide to match, designed in partnership with chainguide specialists, 77Designz. We've been hammering the miles into one for the last few months to see how it fared...
Oval Guide Details:
• ISCG 05 mount
• Articulated outriggers
• Compatible with any 1x10, 1x11 or 1x12 drivetrain with AB oval or round chainring
• 48-53mm (Boost compatible) by every 0.5mm using 4 spacers (included)
• 26-34T Oval or 28-36T Round
• Backplate: 7075 aluminium, Cage: GF + PA66 polymer composite, Bolts: Titanium Torx T25
• MSRP: $62.95 USD
• www.absoluteblack.cc
• ISCG 05 mount
• Articulated outriggers
• Compatible with any 1x10, 1x11 or 1x12 drivetrain with AB oval or round chainring
• 48-53mm (Boost compatible) by every 0.5mm using 4 spacers (included)
• 26-34T Oval or 28-36T Round
• Backplate: 7075 aluminium, Cage: GF + PA66 polymer composite, Bolts: Titanium Torx T25
• MSRP: $62.95 USD
• www.absoluteblack.cc
Less is certainly more with the Oval Guide and...
...once on and correctly set up, it's tool-free.
Given the superb chain management on offer from a chainring with a narrow-wide tooth profile, why develop a chainguide at all? Simply put, a chainguide offers additional security that for some riders, especially those who frequently find themselves on faster, rougher trails, view as a necessity. After all, who wouldn't want additional peace of mind, especially if it only weighs 19 grams (no hardware). But until recently, finding a chainguide that would work well with an oval ring was no mean feat. Thankfully the solution didn't require a drastic redesign of the humble chainguide.
Increasing the drop of the top guide would allow it to accommodate a chainring that rises and falls as it rotates (see gif below), solving the problem and keeping the chain neatly in place. Innovative or not, that didn't stop the team at Absolute Black from cramming some interesting features in all the same.
0% Loaded
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.In the workshop and on the trail
After familiarizing myself with the manual and all the parts installing the Oval Guide took just a few minutes. With the back plate bolted directly to the ISCG 05 tabs on your frame (thankfully no spacers here) you just need to measure your chain line, which for this application is the distance between the center point on your chainring to the outside edge of the Oval Guide's backplate. In the box, you have four spacers to play with: a 0.5mm, 1mm, 2mm and a 3.5mm spacer. With your chain line distance determined, a quick glance at the manual will tell you the spacer configuration.
The spacers slip on to the back of the top bolt via a tear-drop shaped design and are then sandwiched between the top guide and the back plate. With the correct configuration of spacers installed and everything torqued up, all that's left is to set the height of the top guide in accordance with your chainring size. If you're running a regular 'round' chainring, you have to go up two teeth, so you can only run between a 26 and 34-tooth oval chainring and between a 28 and 36-tooth round chainring.
The Oval Guide is more than just a chainguide for oval chainrings.
On the bike and on the trail, the chainguide did its job without any issues, but then what else was it going to do? It has no moving parts and provided you follow the assembly instructions to a tee and have everything nipped everything up (the three bolts) to the correct torque settings, what could go wrong? The chain could come off, but it didn't budge, after all, the Oval Guide is loosely based on a design which has been around for years, and for good reason - it works. For me, the only chink in its armor is a lack of protection from below in the shape of a bashguard, but Absolute Black have recently added such a guide to their line with other options to suit frames without ISCG tabs.
Pinkbike's Take
 | If you're a fast rider, competing and frequenting rough terrain or someone who regularly finds their drivetrain clogged with crap, a chainguide to accompany your narrow-wide chainring is a wise move for that extra peace-of-mind. And at just over 20 grams and just over 60 bucks, Absolute Black's Oval Guide isn't going to upset the scales any more than your bank balance. While it will tick a big box for the oval ring convert looking for additional "chain management," it's also a neat little upgrade for any rider looking for a great chainguide that happens to weigh next to nothing. - Olly Forster |
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
www.pinkbike.com/news/oneup-chain-guide-review-2016.html
One up guard is not a copy of 77 designz lol... it may be a copy of Paul chainguide.
77 designz stuff is poorly designded.
Btw, I've been using the combination of the absolute black chainring with the 77 designs oval guide and their bash guard. Flawless function at 50 grams in total.
I dont even know where to start with all the other bs... they just took a rotor ring, and changed it a little bit... AB owner is all over the Internet, accusing other companies of copying their ring-lol lol lol--- just what AB did with rotor rings... still have to see all the "universities reaserch" done in "years". And still have to see a picture of any if these guys riding a bike.
Maybe they should check their site for facts "our ring makes you faster! Lightest ring! Most adanced! 12 months warranty!" Etc etc
They continuously bash on every other company-and all they have to show is a bad copy of a rotor ring.
For sure they spent €€€ on designing their website and hiring a good advertising agency.
Butt hurt over non round chainrings..... just another cold winters night on Pinkbike. Gotta love it.
Big Red hates AB and nobody will change his(?) mind. Take that world!
Anyone who thinks otherwise is a dumb ass!
"The world's most sought after Oval chainrings"
"We produce the highest quality, beautifully designed and engineered oval chainrings on the market with impeccable attention to detail"
Who writes this stuff?! - You would think they are revolutionising the world or creating some amazing never seen before products, not simple products like chainrings and guides that have all been done before in some way or another.
Its a simple case of marketing but dispite this they seem to attack others that 'copy' from them even though all of AB's products are copies anyway with small changes.
Little Red, not everyone hinges upon every word of marketing speak that is written on a website. We consumers don't go home and feel better about our purchases by visiting a website and re-reading all the claims. I like their stuff. And their site doesn't cause me to have a conniption fit or seizures as it does for you. Your hatred is misguided. Do you work for a competitor or something?
Racer9er, it sounds like you need some self love....... or maybe just a hug.
In fact, why don't you and Big Red get together and talk about how horrible AB is, then give each other a hug and be happy already.
I'm going to go ride my oval ring in the snow now..... sorry, you guys aren't invited.
Apologizes for my english please hope you will understand this
IGMC
I need one for a 11 speed SLX crank (new bolt pattern), and honestly, both versions look exactly the same as far as ovality goes.
Does anyone know which brand started producing ovals first? I'm not saying one of them just copied the other one's design but it kind of helps on the decision.
The machining on the AB is a thing of beauty though.
The guy who owns AB is an absolute idiot, spends his time bashing other companies online and being narcistic to the extreme (look at the guys photo!) One Ups facebook and insta are the latest on his list though he has done WT and others.
It's One up and WT that came into the oval ring game later.
That was after wearing out 3 Rotor Q-Rings (which at the time were the only other big player in the oval ring game). While I suspect you are right and I'm of a similar view that AB copied the timing and ovality of a Q-Ring (I put one on top of the other when I first got my first AB ring, and they match exactly, with timing matching the center hole mount on Q-Ring's 3 timing options), the AB ring is a far superior product imo. For an XC gram counter as I am, it's lighter than a Q-Ring, much more elegant looking and far harder wearing. My Q-Rings were much more worn after a season of riding, no question about it.
Their first oval ring was in early-mid 2015, not even 2 years from now. Many companies already had non-round rings for years. There are lighter rings out there, as garbaruk, ari, etc etc.
Rotor rings are more durable and do not bend on impact like the AB. Which dont have enough material where the ring attaches to the crank (dm). Show us pic of your q rings... let me guess you dont have any.
How did my comment signal to you a start of a pissing match?.. I was just stating my experience, that's all.
I know when I bought my first AB ring, so please don't tell me I'm wrong. Even the long mtbr thread started by them dates back to September 2014, at which point they already had rings. I had my AB ring on my single speed since before very first spring ride of 2015. While I have since bought another one, I still haven't swapped them, since the first one actually lasted longer than I thought it would and is still on my bike now. Which is what I'm basing my durability observations on - the Q-rings I have were visibly way more worn after one year already. Again, ymmv.
We were not talking about "many companies" that might have had rings before AB. You were referring to WT and One Up specifically, and they did come out with their ovals later than AB.
I have no problem saying that I don't think I'd seen Ari ring before you mentioned it. I don't see their weights posted on their site, but my 34T AB 104BCD ring weighed in at 43g (actual). Without anywhere near the same machining work involved, I doubt they're lighter than AB, just as Q-ring isn't. If you like them - great! Good for you.
I find it funny how you keep saying that marketing spiel on AB's website is nonsense, since you don't seem to have the same issue with other oval rings companies, while all of them have similar writeups on their products, how and why ovals work etc. I don't really care. All I know is I've been on ovals exclusively for about 6 years and they feel like they work for me, whether it's a placebo or not.
With that, I'm out. Have at it.
Hi,
Thanks for the order.
Oval 34T will be sent by Monday due to enormous amount of orders.
It is worth waiting, so we will really appreciate your patience.
Marcin
On Tue, 04 Nov 2014 01:53:28
I might end up going for a WT, even with the decreased ovality, which seems to be the case and not because AB's owner says so on every forum, but because some riders have tried both and the effect is less pronounced on the WT. They last more though.
On a side note: You can´t compare it to BioPace. It´s a completely different feel. I know because I have both
Anyway it's the same product and has been flawless for me since June after I started dropping chains ocassionally on my six-month-old Wolftooth oval ring. I got the ISCG05 BSA version and filed down the metal legs a little to work with my Race Face Cinch BSA30 but I had to file the inside of the plates a little to make it run silent in all gears of my 10 speed setup, no big deal. Their bashguards are nice too.
Mmmmmmm...... tacos.
*I've been using Biopace rings on my commuter for years (actual years, like 3 - not 1.5) and it's been fine, though I do notice my knees start bugging me after awhile it's hard to say whether that's linked to Biopace or not. However, I've worked for some highly skilled fitters who made comments about how Biopace was phased out because of the knee issues.
www.cornant.uk/info/ovals03.html
After tying the new "generation" of ovals I`ll never go back to round ones.
Every oval that has a different timing then BioPace is in mind new generation, including Rotor.
@kinny what I meant was that if you have 4mm gear housing (as I do) you'll want 4mm ID hose to protect it.
Good of Mr Forster to reply directly, apologies for confusing matters.
why have they anodized it RED?