Think of an oval chainring as two chainrings in one. A major benefit of oval is how the shape of the chainring alters your gearing in two important phases of your pedal stroke by harnessing your body’s natural biomechanics. Here’s how it works. The area of the chainring with the larger diameter engages with the chain at the optimal point on the downstroke, which is what’s known as the Power Zone. If you were to look at a clock, the Power Zone would be between 1-5 and 7-11. Conversely, the Recovery Zone – back to the clock face, between 11-1 and 5-7 – is the weakest part of the pedal stroke, when the oval maximizes your efficiency. A 34T oval chainring behaves like a 36T chainring when you want power, while behaving like a 32T chainring when you’re climbing.

We’ve also engineered our oval chainrings to provide smoother, more efficient pedal rotation. This equates to better traction because of steadier torque on the rear wheel. With a Wolf Tooth oval chainring, you can harness more of your strength in the Power Zone, while having easier pedaling in the Recovery Zone.