ABSOLUTE BLACK SRAM Oval Boost148 Direct Mount Traction Chainring

Ok, here's the deal. I don't write reviews, complain or praise about items that I have purchased or even send stuff back that I didn't like. But I have to say that switching to an Absolute Black Oval Chainring was one of the best things I ever did and wish I did it sooner. I really couldn't notice any difference while riding on flat gravel or pavement as far as any "bobbing" goes. But come to a hill, OMG what a difference. My knees feel better and I didn't seem as "winded" as I used to be. I also felt that I had more power going up a hill and a smoother ride. Sounds crazy that switching something as simple as a chainring would create such a huge difference but hence the review. I received the product earlier than promised and the seller was great. Get this, it works

If oval is your thing, then absoluteBLACK is the only place to go. Great quality, reasonable price for what your getting, and I can only guess that this will hold up as good as previous AB chainrings have. If you’re looking at this, then you have likely already done your homework. I can assure you that this is the best of the best when it comes to oval chainrings.

If you want improved climbing performance and a sick looking chainring, this one’s for you. Light, durable, oval, what’s not to like?In all seriousness I’ll never go back to a round chainring on my trail or enduro bikes, oval makes a big difference in ride quality.

Great! I was skeptical, needed a replacement gear, and the best I can describe this, is that climbing, your power to the wheel is much smoother, and overall effort is put tot he wheel way more efficiently. It honestly felt faster / easier to accelerate, and maintain a higher speed. I ride this on a 2016 trek fuel EX-9, factory boost, factory 1X11 drivetrain, all sram x1. I run a xx1 chain however. The ONLY thing about this that I could find at all to nitpick, and this is reallly reaching, is there is a slight bit of audible noise from the drivetrain. not a bad noise, but a teeny tiny clicking of sorts. It is the sound of the chain entering or leaving the gear. Nothing is being abraded, rubbed or abused. This is just an observation, and after inspection, I am confident there is nothing detrimental going on.

AB still makes the best Oval ring for the money. I've tried going One-up Switch, and they have Quality control issues that end up costing you the same as AB to get functional rings. I've tried the extremely costly SRAM ovals and they don't hold the chain any better than the AB ovals.

Before I tried this oval ring, I thought that I would really notice it and it might be a distraction while riding technical trails. That is not the case. Riding with this oval ring, you do not notice it when you are pedaling. This is good, it doesn't feel strange or disrupt any function of the drive train. What it does do is allow me to clean steep climes and technical sections that I wasn't cleaning before. Also, the primary reason for trying the oval ring was due to the condition of my knees. After multiple knee surgeries, I have significant arthritis in my knees, which would often leave my knees sore after a mtn bike ride with lots of climbing. This oval ring has noticeably reduced that post-ride knee pain. This is a huge win for me! I have found no downside to using the Absolute Black oval chain ring, and plenty of good reasons to adopt it.

I had a specialized Epic from 2011 which was a rocket. Converted it from a 2x10 to a 1x10 years ago. Eventually tried an absolute black 34T chainring. (5+ years ago). I was surprised at the lack of fatigue and how much further I could ride. Never once did I drop a chain, no chain guide, just a Sram X9 rear derailer with a clutch. I've watched friends with chain guides drop chains left and right through the chunder and rock gardens, but I just keep going no issues.Fast forward to 2021, I bought a '21 Epic Evo with the Sram Eagle XO1 1x12 and sold my Epic. I made it about a month before I caved and bought an absolute black oval chainring. (32T). It's been a few months now and I couldn't be happier with the chainring. I've got a perfectly good SRAM chainring in the workshop that will likely never be used again.

The AB Oval came with my new-to-me 2019 Specialized Venge Pro road bike. It's difficult to tell if it made much difference since the bike itself is a lightning bolt already, but I do feel the difference, especially when dealing with elevation gains. I'd have to admit I probably wouldn't spend the money if it were an upgrade from ovals, but my initial assessment is that it works. After a few strenuous rides to test the new bike I do feel less fatigued.