Scott Cornish 
Absolute Black double chainrings
Some riders swear by them, others aren’t so convinced. Oval chainrings can be a bit marmite, but are certainly here to stay, with Absolute Black dedicated to the cause.
Absolute Black Road Chain Rings
Absolute Black Chain Rings
Cyclists are always looking for ‘the next thing’ to give them that edge and to make them faster. It seems to be addictive with some people, who are looking for those same marginal gains that British Cycling has mastered.
Weird shaped chain rings are one of the current items that people are looking towards for help and performance improvement; so it’s refreshing to see a British company entering the market.
Absolute Black are absolute quality in terms of the items that they produce. We’re really impressed with the quality of the finishing, the machining and the anodising on their premium oval chain rings. The level of detail is superb, with obvious care and attention given to the finished item that carries their brand name.
Here at Moonglu, we specialise in custom builds, and have done so for many years, and can honestly say that if you want you bike to look the biz, these chain rings from Absolute Black will do the trick; but for me as a mechanic and a rider, the ultimate test is in how they perform. Time to fit them to a bike …
Fitting was as simple and straightforward as any normal set of chain rings, and the bolt covers are a classic finishing touch. Consumers will however need to adjust and raise the front derailleur to accommodate the rings. Once fitted and in use, we wondered if the quality of the shifting in relation to the usual Shimano rings would be as smooth, but this was unfounded. It was at least as good and as smooth as the global brand. This smooth transition was particularly noticeable between the small and big ring under load.
In terms of speed and performance, that golden nugget that riders seek, I can’t say that I noticed a change when in the outer ring, but I did notice a slight performance gain in the small ring. On some of the steeper gradients, of which we have plenty here in the Yorkshire Dales, and when in a lower cadence, the performance is there – not bad then.
They do seem to take on the issue of the dreaded dead spot reasonably well, and can produce something for you. If you’re the type of cyclist that’s looking for a high quality performance driven upgrade, then these could be just for you – and they do look very smart too. It’s great to see British design at the forefront of cycling technology, and Absolute Black are definitely a brand worth looking at for that special customised bike.
Some cyclists will clearly get that marginal gain and performance benefit from these oval chain rings from Absolute Black.
Scott Cornish 
