The Ochain is a crank mounted spider with a small amount of in-built rearward rotation, designed to filter out pedal feedback on full-suspension mountain bikes.
This latest version boasts improved sealing and impact resistance, lengthening service intervals in the process.
The Ochain R, featured here, is easily adjustable, too, allowing riders to quickly toggle between the five different float settings. This means riders can use tune ride feel or perfect set-up depending on the terrain.
Swapping between just a few degrees of chainring float might not sound like a lot, but in practice, it does make a difference.
Just as I was when I started testing the Ethirteen Sidekick hub, I was a little sceptical of the difference this chainring mounted spider could make. But on the hill, the difference was easily noticeable.
Reducing the tension
The Ochain R is available to fit three or eight bolt direct mount SRAM cranksets, and is compatible with 104bcd chainrings.
Travel or rearward chainring float be set using the small, integrated adjuster wheel. This can be used to set the Ochain with 3, 6, 9 or 12 degrees of travel, or fixed in the lock position so it behaves as a normal crank spider with zero movement.
The rearward movement of the chainring is afforded through the use of springs and elastomers inside the Ochain device, allowing it to rotate backwards as and when the chain tugs backwards when the suspension is being compressed.
This happens due to a number of reasons.
SRAM were keen to point out that pedal kickback, the sensation felt when the distance between the rear wheel axle and the bottom bracket increases as a bike moves through its suspension travel, causing the upper chain to pull back on the ring, rotating the cranks backwards and disrupting suspension performance, might not be quite as big of a deal as some might think.
While presenting the updated Ochain at the product launch in New Zealand, much of their focus centred on the effects that chain has on the cassette as it bounces around while descending. According to SRAM, who bought the Ochain brand last year, “Cassette backwards slap” can cause “the cassette to roll forward then ‘slap’ backwards, which tugs the chain and crankset”. This can then be felt through the riders feet.
Ochain is said to help mitigate this and other types of feedback - including rear wheel and cassette lock ups under braking - smoothing things out, helping to decouple chain influence on suspension performance. And even though the SRAM team say pedal kickback doesn’t happen as frequently as you might think, Ochain will still deal with it.
Less maintenance
Bikes are complicated enough as it is, so adding another moving part which’ll need to be serviced does have me a little worried. As much as I like working on bikes, adding another thing to the maintenance schedule isn’t ideal.
Thankfully, the new Ochain R (along with the others in the line-up) feature new, double lip silicone seals to better protect from water ingress, while revised gasket materials help to keep contamination at bay.
It’s tougher, too, having had its impact resistance improved – something very much needed to handle the rigours of downhill riding and racing, especially on bikes with lower bottom brackets that are susceptible to whacking chainrings/chainguides off the floor regularly.
Service intervals have increased over the older models, with the elastomers needing replacing every 100 hours, and a full service required after 200 hours.
So, although the Ochain will still need some TLC, at least it shouldn’t need to be done that regularly – important if you’re not a fan of the workshop.
Smooth operator
I’ve by no means had enough time on the Ochain R to write a full review at this point, but my time aboard two bikes equipped with it did highlight a few things.
Firstly, although you have to push through the float at the spider, once the crank engages, it’s incredibly solid with zero play when you’re putting the power down. It feels more positive compared to some hub solutions, especially on technical climbs.
Secondly, it makes a real difference. On the Canyon Sender downhill bike I was riding in New Zealand, I found the bike lacked pop when lapping the jump riddled bike park trails. Switching from the 12 to 6 degree setting – something I did in seconds while stood in the lift line - increased the influence the chain had on the suspension system, meaning I could pump the bike and get more out of it, rather than it feeling totally stuck to the ground.
Although the overall bike build makes a bid difference to this, both bike I’ve been riding with Ochain are ridiculously quiet. Having ridden the bikes without this tech attached, I’d say it has a part to play. That’s not the be all and end all, of course, but I do like a quiet bike.
Look out for a full review coming in the not too distant future.
