Ochain Components Announces New Lineup

Apr 2, 2024
by Ochain Components  
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PRESS RELEASE: Ochain Components

Enriching the riding experience with the - finally! - renowned chainless feeling is our core principle at Ochain Components. Our passion for mountain biking and our engineering know-how are put in service of riders with commitment day after day, year after year. We are collaborating with top riders and worldwide teams, nourishing our curiosity, our enthusiasm and our ambition as well. Such a broad community of riders inspired us to develop innovative products, allowing even more flow to the riding experience.


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Orienting into the new Ochain range

Today we proudly unveil the brand new Ochain range with its fresh models, ingenious solutions and coherent naming. All rooted in our vision and values. Let’s explore it!

Ochain | N is our North. Our first active spider for muscular MTB was the bright reference point for rethinking this model. Same old features, brand new technologies.

Ochain | S is our South. Our exploratory direction, an exotic product for e-bikes featuring exciting solutions such as the EASY external degree adjustment system. It is so unique that it could get along with a dedicated Ochain pedal crank... stay tuned.

Ochain | E is our East. Made for E-bikes, now available also for Fazua and Polini motors. In this new edition it allows riders to go beyond the 9° option with a fully internal adjustable setup from 4 to 12 degrees.

Ochain | R is our West! We wanted to celebrate his outlandish ancestor’s wide success by not changing his name. It has been totally redefined as well and the EASY system is also embedded to close the circle.

Our new Ochain range is the answer to the evolving needs and wishes of our valued customers and supporters.



DETAILS


Introducing the EASY System
Unlock unparalleled adjustability with our patented EASY (Easy Adjustable SYstem). Travel options include 12°, 9°, 6°, 4° and 0°. In this way riders can tailor their riding experience to suit their preferences and circumstances without needing any tool.

We also added the locked position feature to guarantee a "zero delay engagement," ensuring instantaneous response when it may matter most.

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EASY system: tool free knob adjuster, just pull it and rotate. On the inside, clean and simple.


Reliability Redefined
Every component stays securely in place even during the most demanding rides, with new proprietary design screws and a special thread. A new sealing system and new low friction material pads has also been addressed, in order to allow minimum maintenance and the best performance.

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New blue silicone seals, new POM white washer, new POM black pads, new special threads, new metal to metal coupling...
We put everything we could into it.


Enhanced Strength and Stiffness
We know that Ochain works in a complicated place, subject to high stress and possible impacts. Thanks to the complete redesign process we produced stronger and stiffer components; every single part was redesigned thanks to five years of experience.

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Every single inch of every single part was optimized. Up here a "little big" resume of our design process.


bigquotesThe new Ochain is consequently improved in many spots! More reliability through improvements on a few spots, so there's less maintenance and more riding time. To be able to change the setting on the fly without tools is perfect for finetuning my race bike individually per stage.—Christian Textor


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OCHAIN RANGE


OCHAIN | R

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• Intended use: Trail, Enduro, Dowhhill, Freeride
• EASY system: Set up from 0° up to 12°
• Cranks Compatibility: Sram 3 bolts / Sram T-type, Shimano XTR / XT / SLX, Raceface clinch, E13, FSA and Hope direct mount standards
• Chainring compatibility: BCD 104mm from 32t, 3mm offset
• Colors: Nero, Pregio
• Weight: 160grams average, depending on the version
• Price: € 385
• Availability: 15th April


OCHAIN | N

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• Intended use: Trail, Enduro, Downhill, Freeride
• Internal adjustment system: Set up from 4° up to 12°
• Cranks Compatibility: SRAM 3 bolts / SRAM T-type, Shimano XTR / XT / SLX, Raceface clinch and E13 direct mount standards
• Chainring compatibility: BCD 104mm from 30t, 3mm offset
• Colors: Nero, Pregio
• Weight: 140grams average, depending on the version
• Price: € 317
• Availability: 15th April


OCHAIN | S

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• Intended use: E-MTB, E-MTB race
• EASY system: Set up from 0° up to 12°
• Motors Compatibility: Bosch CX, Shimano EP8/EP6, Brose Specialized, SRAM, Polini, Fazua
• Cranks Compatibility: All models must be used with Ochain cranks only
• Chainring compatibility: BCD 104mm from 30t
• Colors: Nero, Pregio
• Weight: 160grams average, depending on the version
• Price: € 385
• Availability: 15th May


OCHAIN | E

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• Intended use: E-MTB, E-MTB race
• EASY system: Set up from 0° up to 12°
• Motors Compatibility: Polini, Fazua
• Cranks Compatibility: Fazua model must be used with dedicated Ochain cranks only
• Chainring compatibility: BCD 104mm from 30t
• Colors: Nero, Pregio
• Weight: 140 grams average, depending on the version
• Price: € 317
• Availability: 15th May


Ochain | N and Ochain | R Available from 15 April by our distributors and in pre-order on our website.

Learn more about the new range here: ochain.bike

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Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Press Releases Ochain


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Member since Jan 26, 2020
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113 Comments
  • 222 4
 That’s a really convoluted way to say there’s an externally and internally adjustable version for flintstone bikes, and two versions for boomer scooters.
  • 39 1
 Ochain, hire this man.
  • 18 0
 THANK YOU for making sense of this. I don't think I'm an idiot, but I was f-in confused.
  • 9 1
 They should really change their compass from NESR to WTAF.
  • 25 6
 You had me at boomer scooters!
Also known in Australia as ‘fat c*nt flyers’
  • 2 0
 #Dunning-Kruger Wink
  • 10 0
 @norcalbike, you're not seeing the big picture here. This is a paradigm shift. They did some brainstorming and generated some synergies to move them to a new plateau. The idea grew organically. Originally, they put a pin in it, but now they've circled back and are ready to start their next chapter.
  • 3 0
 @big-red: * Now they want to touch base with the customers, and fire a shot across the bow with this product line refresh.
  • 91 1
 I absolutely love my Ochain but this is an incredibly confusing product lineup, what is going on with the directions and compass, and how does that relate to ebikes and adjustability?
  • 14 17
 I work for an American subsidiary of a Dutch company, and I translate our service manuals and a lot of our marketing material from their English into American English. It is not my primary job. It really takes me very little time and is minimal effort that shows the company cares that you can understand things like the service manual or understand what the heck you’re ordering when you’re buying a $300 chain ring. I want one. It looks like a great product but it’s a little exasperating.
  • 9 0
 Ignore the compass nonsense and look at the lineup at the bottom, then it should make more sense.
  • 15 0
 Agreed. But I suppose we can applaud their investing all of their dollars into product development and none into marketing?
  • 8 0
 I'm guessing the compass idea/relationship is due to the ochain having degrees. Degrees in compass/degrees adjustable on the ochain.

Its really forced though.
  • 2 0
 @dancingwithmyself: That I can definitely appreciate! Who needs a good marketing team anyways when you're products are ubiquitous at WCDH races?
  • 70 0
 "R" being for West when every other single letter model corresponds with its cardinal direction is hilarious. Either commit to the bit, or rework the joke. This half ass advertising pitch is a little sad. That being said, it only marginally detracts from the parts.
  • 20 0
 Just looked it up, and even in Italian (Ochain being an Italian company), west is ovest. It doesn't work in any language.
  • 8 0
 I completely agree with you. It would have been smarter to create another product (e.g. for trekking bikes) and call it West. Then they could have positioned the existing R as the centRRRR.
  • 24 0
 North, south, east and rest. Say it with an accent and it works
  • 5 0
 Putting the R on the compass makes it ok
  • 2 0
 @Endo79: Funnier in a Scooby-Doo voice
  • 2 0
 The “R” model should really be labeled as the “L” model, since west is left…
  • 3 0
 The "R" for West is really a pedal kickback for me.
  • 2 0
 I was hoping some O-Chain employees would come and astroturf the sh*t out of this post while expressing sentiments on how this is the greatest marketing angle ever. But alas, I'm left disappointed.
  • 5 0
 “Today we proudly unveil the brand new Ochain range with its fresh models, ingenious solutions and coherent naming.”

I don’t think “coherent” means what they think it means…

“Ochain | R is our West! We wanted to celebrate his outlandish ancestor’s wide success by not changing his name. It has been totally redefined as well and the EASY system is also embedded to close the circle.”

????????
  • 2 0
 @mackster23: Its clearly pirate-speak and it's pronounced "Arrrrrrr!"
  • 45 0
 Why does this release read like it was written by AI
  • 19 0
 probably because they translated it from Italian to english with a translator program. They are "very" Italian.
  • 18 0
 Adjectives in this press release about a mechanical bicycle accessory include:
Juicy
Coherent
Muscular
Bright
Outlandish
  • 2 0
 Dang, should have paid for GPT-4
  • 18 0
 @davesc: Should have paid a human to write it.
  • 3 0
 @sfarnum: Given that lots of marketing copy has sounded like LLM word salad long before AI was a thing, it really doesn’t matter how the garbage is made.
  • 1 0
 @sfarnum nailed it
  • 42 1
 I assume this is to offset my unnecessarily high engagement hub.
  • 2 0
 Their marketing says the system works when pedals are level and evenly weighted. So if I go to take a pedal stroke will it engage instantaneously? I don’t need a super high engagement hub but I don’t want more than about 10 deg of slop.
  • 4 0
 @shredddr: if only they gave numbers on how many degrees for free play there is...and if they were really smart they would write it somewhere on the thing!
  • 4 0
 @Muckal: hardy har. Their wording says it “deactivates” but I understand it does no such thing - you just push through the 6, 9, 12 or whatever degree of slop you’ve added to your system. Ultimately I guess I’m curious to hear real world experiences.
  • 2 0
 @shredddr: that is exactly how it works. And it automatically disengages so you always have the same amount of slack (?) before it activates Unlke rear hubs that are always somewhere between 0 and the degrees of engagment that the hub has. so if you have 36 poe hub, and 6 degree setting on o-chain that means you would allways have between 6-16 degrees of slack to engage a rear hub.
  • 3 3
 exactly, a while back my buddy was telling me about he downside of high engagement - I didn't listen but found it so ironic when this product came out. Fixing a problem that is created by the people who got us all to think we need 100+ points of engagement!! I will just stick with the lower POE Hope hubs and not try to further complicate my bike with this BS.
  • 3 0
 I think it's designed to counter the kickback of the rear suspension and it's not related directly to the rear hub POE. There's a video somewhere explaining it but I can't find it. I'm not interested at this product but it's what I heard from those who like OChain.
  • 3 0
 @gunslingger: It's not that simple though. On a low-POE hub - let's say 36 POE for example - you could have anywhere from 0-10 degrees of float before the hub's engagement pushes on the chain. With an Ochain, you always have at least as much float as the setting of the o-chain. So if you set it to 9deg, then you have between 9 and 19 deg, meaning there's always some relief. In that sense, a high POE hub plus an ochain actually offers a different experience than a low POE hub.

All that being said, I still don't get the ochain. If you're rolling forward at a reasonable clip, the forward rotation of the hub should keep up with the forward movement of the cassette during compressions in most situations. I have a Hope Pro 5 with 108POE and I can tell when I bounce on my bike in the parking lot with the brakes locked, but once I'm rolling on the trail, I can't feel any chain feedback to the pedals.

In fairness though, I've never tried an Ochain, and there are people out there that swear by them to a degree that seems to be more than just a placebo effect. So maybe there's more to it. IDK. I LOVE high-engagement hubs for their ratcheting abilities on techy climbs.
  • 3 0
 @big-red: There are two situations where o-chain works.

First is when braking. Wheel is locked, meaning that freehub engages when wheel is going through travel, and the rest of induced rotation is picked up by o-chain
Second one is chainslap. Without o-chain upper chain slap is transmitted directly to cranks. If you have o-chain it probably dampens it to some degree.

Now wheter this is worth it and actually noticeable on the trail idk
  • 1 0
 @malca: That makes a lot more sense. To clarify though, you mean when the brake is locked to the degree that the wheel is skidding or stuttering, right?
  • 1 0
 @big-red: I appreciate your effort, but I don’t think he gets it.
  • 27 0
 I‘m waiting for the Ochain C
„C“ is our „cheap“
  • 20 0
 But what does it all mean?
  • 60 0
 It's provocative
  • 5 5
 basically makes your rear suspension work better - like you don't have a chain on
  • 25 0
 @everythingsucks: It gets the people going
  • 23 1
 @everythingsucks: Kanye Rest
  • 2 0
 It certainly lightens your wallet. We can debate about the other benefits.
  • 19 0
 What is with that YT Izzo equipped with a 38 and an X2?
  • 6 0
 That's the most interesting thing here
  • 2 0
 New capra probs
  • 17 2
 But I just spent a bunch of money on a high engagement hub!
  • 22 1
 Owell
  • 5 1
 you get to put this thing on, all the annoying noise with the slop of cup n cone hubs. yay !!!!
  • 1 0
 Hopefully it was a silent Onyx.
  • 10 0
 The compass thing was a bit hard to read/confusing. "N is our north, and S is our south" has me thinking "yep, mine too!".

The lockout on the product... actually looks like a meaningful/useful change though. Especially for the winch/plummet sort of rider.
  • 10 0
 godzilla had a stroke trying to read this.
  • 7 0
 Did they also make any changes on the technical side, or is it still necessary to re-tighten the screws every 15 minutes trailside?
  • 2 0
 all versions have this problem? i want to get the non-adjustable one
but don’t want this issue. I guess green loctite would solve that though
  • 1 0
 @housem8d: longer bolts and red locktite!
  • 6 0
 Love my Ochains and it is good to see them evolve and improve, but this press release and naming scheme was so confusing from the start to the finish.
  • 7 0
 this kind of article around the 1st of April is confusing
  • 4 0
 3mm offset chainring plus ochain gets me what chainline? I assume since they make a t-type one that it would be 55. But I can't find the specs anywhere.
  • 1 0
 on my t type setup I use a wolftooth 0mm offset 104bcd ring, the ochain adds 3mm offset. Brings it to 55mm
  • 2 0
 get to the top of the climb and unlock your shock and your chainring. I've never ridden with one on my personal bike but that's the way to do it! Onyx hubs for the win, i cant touch anything else, adding slop doesnt sound enticing, but being able to unlock it before a big DH sounds pretty shweeet yo....
  • 12 1
 If I can't be trusted to unlock my fork before a big DH, there's absolutely no way I'm remembering to unlock my chainring
  • 2 0
 @mashrv1: Sounds like a personal problem haha
  • 1 0
 @nismo325: it happens to nearly everyone using lockout on a fork/shock.

Better to leave everything open if you are not racing XC.
  • 1 0
 @mashrv1: how do you guys not feel the difference immediately? You must not need the suspension length you’re using
  • 1 0
 @mariomtblt: because I’ll chastise myself for riding shit before considering other issues.
  • 1 0
 @mashrv1: haha! Classic
  • 4 0
 I was really hoping they would make it compatible with at least a 30T if not 28T chainring. Some of us like to pedal our 40lb enduro bikes up the mountains too.
  • 3 2
 Yep. I'm pushing 40 and I have a kid that I tow up hills with my Shotgun tow rope. I'd love to say I am fit enough to do that with a 32T ring, but I just ain't anymore. I'm still "fit-ish" in that I can complete a BC Enduro in the top 20% but I've got a few businesses to run, two kids, a house to maintain and a social life. As much as I'd love to practice my hill climbs non-stop I just can't anymore. And until I can't ride up Moose Mountain more than a couple of times in a day I'm not buying a motorcycle to do it.
  • 1 0
 @cueTIP: Hello fellow Calgarian! I am with ya down to the age and number of kids and all of the above. Exactly, doing shattered or husky on is doable on a 32T but it really limits the number of laps you can get in without completely trashing your legs. Can't be limping home to the kids post ride.
  • 8 3
 Muscular mtb!? Ah hell no,

You mean mtb?
  • 5 0
 Ok, can’t fig it out.. what is this for?
  • 2 1
 For when you think a High engagement hub is an 'upgrade' and then want your suspension feel back......
  • 1 0
 @HeatedRotor: kinda like a low engagement rear hub but at the cranks. Meh maybe lol
  • 3 1
 I’m genuinely interested in this product. Apart from the fact it’s almost always out of stock, the guidance around selecting, fitting and adjusting iit s so utterly crap I just won’t go anywhere near it.
  • 4 2
 What guidance do you need? You select the crank interface, pick a desired level of free play, and off into the sunset you go?
  • 1 0
 Whoever is doing the copywriting for this brand needs to have a break. From the dictionary, ChatGPT or whatever they're drinking. It undoes all the good work they've done on the product. Marketing 101 fail here. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
  • 4 0
 Waiting for "Weast" ochain that's hardtail compatible...
  • 3 0
 Absolutely no idea what this does from this press release. If you were trying to sell me something, you failed.
  • 1 0
 Need a blind test on these, build up 2 Chilcotins with Onyx rear hubs, one with O-Chain and one without, do a few back to back rocky runs and then remove the chain and do a few more runs and compare telemetry/time/feel etc.
  • 1 0
 Wish they made an externally adjustable one for non-ebikes that worked with 30t chainrings. I like my old non-adjustable ochain with 30t...
  • 1 0
 That'd be nice, but I guess there's simply not enough space? Has to be the reason.
  • 1 0
 Love the last pic. I bet the Ochain office Christmas party always starts out a little awkward, but ends up being awesome!
  • 1 0
 The emtb ones require specific ochain cranks? This seems like a typo or design decision mistake for the S model.
  • 2 0
 The Easy Adjustable SYstem System
  • 1 0
 Ochain does look interesting and I see how it could improve pedal kickback, but it is pricey.
  • 1 0
 An expensive product to help bikes work better expensive a$$ instant engagement hubs. Hey here is an idea...
  • 1 0
 At first i thought the thumbnail for this article was a hardtail with an oChain. But i was relieved to find out i was wrong
  • 1 0
 Session with a Slash rear end?
  • 1 0
 Does this allow me to ride fakie like a freecoaster or not?
  • 1 0
 Not
  • 5 3
 Snake oil hahahahahah
  • 1 0
 EDIT: Nevermind, I looked at their website. lol
  • 1 0
 I think this was supposed to be released on Monday.
  • 1 0
 I'd like to get my hands on one but there never in stock in the UK.
  • 1 0
 They were previously stocked by Cyclorise, who have now ceased trading Frown not sure who's taken import responsibility over.
  • 1 0
 take off your chain, its free!!!!!!!!
  • 1 0
 Now if only Shimano made a new Saint crank I'd have one for my DH bike :/
  • 2 1
 Waz bout to show her my O-chain.
  • 1 0
 Another add list in the ChatGPT word soup! Is there editors at pb?
  • 1 0
 They literally swallowed the whole marketing book there
  • 1 0
 Glad they come in my two favourite colours, Nero and Pregio.
  • 1 0
 No battery, very disappointed
  • 1 1
 At which point do you just give up on accessories and just buy an enduro motorbike?
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