Ochain: The best value suspension upgrade isn’t related to suspension
For decades we’ve seen substantial improvements in suspension performance come from the likes of Rockshox, Fox, and other suspension manufacturers. But recently it seems that those advancements are slowing and riders and racers looking to extract seconds from their downhill times are looking for speed elsewhere.
Ochain was the best kept secret of the professional downhill and enduro circuit, but these days it’s becoming more clear that this little drivetrain add-on can bring benefits to anyone’s bike.
What is Ochain?
Ochain is a chain damping system, which adds an elastomer between your chainring and your cranks thereby allowing your chainring to rock back and forth and isolate chain forces from suspension movements on bikes with rear suspension.
As a dual suspension bike moves through its travel, the rear-centre of the bike changes in length relative to the chainring. This produces ‘pedal-kickback’ which can sometimes be felt through the pedals on rough descents. Tension held in the chain from the rider's weight restricts suspension movement as the rear wheel must overcome this tension in order to move freely. Ochain helps resolve this issue.
You can read a review of the last-generation Ochain system on Pinkbike, which includes videos demonstrating the impact of suspension movement on the pedals.
Will Ochain make me faster?
You can actually test the benefits of Ochain without buying one. If you remove the chain from your bike and ride a rough section of downhill trail, you will feel the suspension react more smoothly and freely - this is the same effect as Ochain provides. Just remember you can’t pedal if you take your chain off!
Ochain is best suited to Enduro and Downhill bikes, as these are the types of bikes where descending performance matters most.
Ochain isn’t so well suited to you if you do a lot of technical climbing, this is because the elastomer creates a delay between pedal input and the force transmitting to the rear wheel, which can make techy climbing maneuvers more difficult. Ochain have recently released an adjustable model called the Ochain R which allows you to adjust the slack without any disassembly. This means you can keep pedaling response for XC days, and improve suspension performance for days in the bike park.
Ochain is also better suited to bikes with high ‘anti-squat’, or lots of chain growth. There is no simple rule for this, but we’ve made a table below to help you understand if it’s right for you:
| Suit Ochain | Less suitable for Ochain |
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Which Ochain will fit my bike?
| Ochain Model | |
| OCHAIN | R |
Ochain R is an adjustable system which can be set from 0 to 12 degrees of movement. Best suited to bikes used on a variety of terrain so you can set the movement depending on the type of riding you’re doing. Fits cranks from: Sram 3 bolts / Sram T-type, Shimano XTR / XT / SLX, Raceface clinch, E13, FSA and Hope direct mount standards
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| OCHAIN | N |
Ochain N is a fixed system, the movement can be internally adjusted but requires disassembly. This is better suited to downhill bikes, or bikes that are ridden in one type of terrain and don’t need to be adjusted often. Ochain N is a more affordable option than Ochain R. Fits cranks from: SRAM 3 bolts / SRAM T-type, Shimano XTR / XT / SLX, Raceface clinch and E13 direct mount standards
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| OCHAIN | S |
Ochain S is an adjustable version similar to Ochain R, but is suited to E-bike’s. The Ochain S comes with Ochain cranks, which must be used to ensure compatibility with these systems. Fits motors from: Bosch CX, Shimano EP8/EP6, Brose Specialized, SRAM, Polini
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| OCHAIN | E |
Ochain E is a non-adjustable version similar to Ochain N, and is specific to E-bikes.
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