Test - Oval Chain Ring - Leonardi Factory

Oval chain rings once produced by Shimano in the early 1990′s have never really been accepted, so with an open mind we thought we would try the custom offering from Leonardi Factory that allows the rider to use a single Oval 34T ring that depending on the mounting position acts like a 32T ring or a 34T ring.

Test Video

Product Review

When this type of oval chain ring, the chain will easily jump off the ring in a rough section, so it needs to be used in combination with a specific chain guide made for this chain ring. The chain guide from Leonardi Factory is strong light and works very well and is highly adjustable for all types of bottom bracket style setups.

We tried the system back to back against a traditional 1x 10 setup and we immediately noticed a difference in the pedal stroke and how it felt. The most important point for us was that when pedalling uphill on rocky surfaces the dead points in the pedal stroke seem to have been eliminated and the movement was more fluid. The result of this was we found it easier going uphill on rough ground. We have ridden this system for a while now and are convinced that it does work fairly well. The feeling at first is a little strange but after a few rides and switching back to the old system, it is possible to see the advantage and ease of pedalling up a hill.

Bradley Wiggins the 2012 Tour de France used an oval system on his race bike back in 2009 and was an advocate of the feeling it produced. The advantages of this system off-road seem to be quite good, as without dead points in the pedal stroke as you pass over a small technical section the movement of the bike is definitely improved and forward momentum is preserved.

The chain ring is constructed from CNC aluminium with the chain guide being made of aluminium, plastic and with a resin skid plate. The whole system is as light as normal comparable systems. The quality of finish of the components is very high and in our tests lasted well up to now. The system mounted on standard cranks well, although we do recommend that  the chain line is correct for smooth running. The custom chain guide is highly adjustable and thus we can recommend it fits most bikes with ISCG tabs. It is available in the newer standard 05 or older ISCG mountings.

Conclusion

In our opinion then this product is actually quite good and does work as we described. We would say the feeling of pedalling without  dead points is noticeable and advantageous in our experience.  Depending on how fast your pedal cadence is the rings can be adjusted to match your preference as they have two different bolt hole patterns.  Bike radar concluded back in 2010, “If you’re an experienced rider looking to make small improvements…it seems that the two best ways to do this is are optimising your cadence and trying out ovalised chainrings.” We would have to agree with this statement and would add off-road on technical and non-technical climbs, the advantages are clear for carrying more forward momentum and speed.

This product is available from www.bagnolibike.com