Today, SRAM officially announces its acquisition of Ochain, adding yet another brand under its umbrella. Founded in 2019, Ochain’s unique active chainring spiders have quickly gained popularity and become quite common on downhill and enduro bikes of both pros and amateurs alike. Now, the brand has additional backing and resources while “preserving the Ochain team, culture, and location. This allows them to continue developing their products while preserving their unique identity and legacy of the brand.” According to SRAM.
After watching downhill racers break chains and perform well on certain courses without them, Ochain’s founder, Fabrizio Dragoni, became interested in creating a system that provided a “chainless” feel while still maintaining the ability to pedal. The result was Ochain, an innovative chainring spider that allows varying degrees of free rotation with the goal of reducing pedal kickback and the drivetrain’s influence on suspension performance.
We first reported on Ochain back in 2020, but Italian DH racer Loris Rivelli started racing with it in 2019. “It’s hard to explain until you ride it — the bike feels like it floats more, like butter over rocks.” said Rivelli, “Now, I run Ochain on every bike I own, even my e-bike — it’s that good.” The benefits of Ochain haven’t gone unnoticed, with plenty of other World Cup Downhill and Enduro racers adding the device to their bikes in an effort to better separate drivetrain and suspension forces and go faster on the race track.
Over time, the brand has continued developing, improving, and expanding its product offerings, including options like the Ochain E for eMTBs and adding external adjustments with the Ochain R. And while the product was initially designed for downhill racing, it has become clear that just about any full suspension bike could potentially benefit from it. According to SRAM, “Now, you’ll find it on everything from downhill race rigs to long-travel e-bikes and even lightweight trail bikes.”
That growing popularity is likely one of the main reasons SRAM acquired Ochain, but it sounds like performance was another. “We started thinking about how to make descending better through drivetrain development,” said Flynn George, Product Manager at SRAM. “We found that Ochain delivered unmatched improvements in traction, stability, and ride feel. It quiets down the chassis, reducing auditory feedback and pedal feedback. On the trail, that means improved traction and control.”
The acquisition of Ochain is just the latest in SRAM’s growing portfolio of component brands. Over the years, the brand has added RockShox, Zipp, Truvativ, and we reported on the acquisition of Quarq way back in 2011. Some of the more recent strategic acquisitions are the addition of TIME pedals, Hammerhead computers, and Velocio apparel. Based on SRAM’s acquisition track record, this is far from the end for Ochain. More resources should help drive innovation and take the brand to new heights. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see fully integrated Ochain cranksets in the not-too-distant future.
According to the information we’ve received, Ochain will continue to operate more or less independently from SRAM, with Dragoni remaining at the helm. The recognizable Ochain name isn’t going anywhere, but it sounds like the brand will be moving into a new facility in Italy. Sales will also continue as normal, with components sold directly through the Ochain website or authorized dealers. And, importantly, we’re told that in addition to SRAM cranksets, Ochain spiders will remain available for Shimano and Race Face cranksets and Bosch and Brose eMTB drive units.
More information on SRAM’s acquisition of Ochain can be found on the SRAM website. To learn more about Ochain products or pick one up for yourself, check out the brand’s website.
