There are a plethora of single chainring options available today, and now Praxis Works throws their hat in the ring. Or, rather, ring in the hat?
Praxis’ sales and marketing director Adam Haverstock said they wanted to bring a wide/narrow option to round out their mountain bike line and help it grow to reach the same breadth of offerings as their road lineup. Dealers were asking for it, and they thought they could bring their own
The tooth profile is unique and has some special features to enhance chain retention, though they’re being a bit tight lipped on exact details. The pictures do show that the wide sections are pretty wide, and the teeth are fairly tall. All of that is designed to extend the longevity of the ring, particularly the time before wear would diminish the chain retaining qualities. Even so, they recommend use with a clutch-equipped rear derailleur. For rougher terrain or competition, they say a chain guide would provide a bit extra security.
The chainring itself is not cold forged like their higher end rings for now, but price point is only $50 to $55. They’re stamped and machined from a 4.5mm thick 7075-T6 alloy plate. They’re built for a 104 BCD size with 32, 34, 36 and 38 tooth counts. More pics, plus the new Campy BB system, below…
PRAXIS CAMPAGNOLO ULTRATORQUE BB30 CONVERSION BOTTOM BRACKET
Their expanding collet, threaded bottom bracket designed to allow 24mm spindles to run on PFBB30 frames is now (finally) available for Campagnolo UltraTorque cranksets. Instead of building in the bearings, they designed it to let Campy’s stock bearings slide into the cups. The challenge and delay in bringing it to market was getting that inside bore exactly perfect. Haverstock said anytime you’re trying to build something around someone else’s bearings, it’s always trickier, but he knew Campy fans would want to run the Campy bearings.
The bottom bracket itself comes in two halves that slide in from either side of the frame then thread together. The expanding collet design prevents over tightening and damaging the frame, and it puts the bearings in perfect alignment so there’s no creaking or drag.
It works on BB30, PFBB30 and Specialized OSBB. It ships with the Delrin spacer (shown in top photo next to BB) to space the diameter out from 42mm to 46mm. Without it, the BB fits directly into BB30 frames. With it, it fits PFBB30 frames. Besides fitment, it also helps insulate the alloy BB from carbon frames, which reduces any potential creaking. Retail is $85.
Next up? SRAM GXP conversion BB.
