AeroCoach has introduced its latest track specific chainring and sprocket called the Aten, which is made from titanium and carbon and fetches a staggering £1130.
Claimed to be the “most aerodynamic and technologically advanced chainring for top level track competition”, the Aten is machined from titanium that’s reinforced with carbon fiber for optimal stiffness.
Aero Coach says, each Aten chainring and sprocket is polished to a high-gloss finish and coated with titanium nitride, resulting in improve “durability and efficiency” compared to standard uncoated aluminum chainrings.
However, strength and durability aren’t the only attributes of the Aten, as AeroCoach claims the new chainring cheats the wind to the effect of a 0.3% reduction in total drag, resulting a 1.6 watt savings at 60kph compared to a standard aero chainring.
Breaking those claims down further means, a 1.6-watt savings is said to be worth an extra 25cm per 250m lap at 50 to 70kph when compared to other aero-chainrings, or an increased advantage of 37cm per 250m lap at 50 to 70kph when up against standard chainrings.
Why is the Aten so expensive?
According to AeroCoach, it’s mostly due to the lengthy research and development process, as well as the resource-intensive manufacturing process.
“Machining titanium is incredibly difficult. You have to make sure the titanium you’re using is high quality as any inherent stresses will result in a warped part once you’ve done the machining”, he tells us.
“Titanium is also so tough you wreck cutting equipment constantly, sometimes requiring a new cutting tool for every ring.”
The Aten is compatible with 1/8in track chains, which is available in a five-bolt 144 BCD, with chainring sizes starting at 58 teeth all the way up to a whopping 66 teeth.
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