This invention relates to chainrings, and more particularly, to a solitary chainring for use with a conventional chain in a bicycle drivetrain system including a bicycle crank.
Bicycles and other chain-driven vehicles typically employ one or more chainrings and a set of rear hub mounted sprockets connected by a chain. Various mechanisms are used to maintain the chain on the chainring and sprockets. These mechanisms include chain guards, chain tensioners, chain catchers, derailleur configurations and so on.
While riding a vehicle with a chain driven drivetrain, management of the chain and chainring engagement is particularly important to safe and effective propulsion of the bicycle. Keeping the chain engaged with the chainring can be difficult, which is especially true of geared bicycles which can experience severe changes in chain tension, and energetic motion of the chain, especially from riding over rough terrain.
Moreover, the chainring in any bicycle can potentially touch the chain stay of the bicycle frame when the crank is in a position where high loads are applied by the rider, causing an elastic deformation of the bicycle frame and the crankset. This can lead to damage to the frame and chainring and cause other problems.
The invention provides an enhanced drive chain management, especially for a bicycle that can successfully and reliably be ridden over rough and challenging terrain.