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Wolf Tooth bolts on chainring versatility with new CAMO system

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WTC Camo chainring one by 1x narrow wide chain ring-4

On the surface, Wolf Tooth Components new CAMO system almost seems like a step backwards. The whole reason to go direct mount was to eliminate unnecessary hardware and create a lighter, more robust system.

While they did just that, Wolf Tooth wasn’t convinced that direct mount rings were the only answer. They wanted something that was still lighter, but offered more versatility, while maintaining some of that direct mount look.

Still not sure why you’d want the CAMO system over one of WTC’s direct mount rings? Read on to find out…

WTC Camo chainring one by 1x narrow wide chain ring

WTC Camo chainring one by 1x narrow wide chain ring-3

Short for Chainline And Material Optimization, CAMO is sort of a hybrid between a direct mount and bolt on spider system. Starting with the spiders, there will initially be four SRAM GXP spiders with chanciness for 135/142mm (Standard), boost, bb30, and reverse dish, three direct mount options RaceFace Cinch (135/142mm, boost, bb30, and reverse dish), and one coming for Cannondale AI.

Future spiders will include e*thirteen, S-Works, and FSA – which is one of the big advantages of the system. With all the different direct mount standards out there, WTC simply can’t manufacture direct mount rings for each standard in a range of colors, sizes, and round or oval options. The ability to make just the spider opens up a number of standards that wouldn’t have many options otherwise. Wolf Tooth figures that in order to cover all the options, sizes, standards, and colors, they would need several hundred different chainrings.

WTC camo chainring one by 1x narrow wide gnarwolf

Comparatively, WTC claims just 9 rings and 5 spiders will cover 85% of direct mount chainring demand which would require 45 individual rings. WTC will offer two kits for dealers, one with the standard selection, and another with 7 rings and 4 spiders that covers all the fitments needed for fat bikes.

The separate spiders also allow for you to dial in the perfect chainline for your bike with -8mm, -5mm, and +1mm offset spiders. WTC points out that it wasn’t that long ago that mountain bikes were basically 142 x 12mm in the rear and a standard chainline up front. Compare that to now 142, 148, 150/157mm axles and multiple chainlines needed for various drivetrains and tire sizes, and you start to see the need for individualized chainlines. Especially for aluminum rings, optimum chainline is necessary for the best drivetrain durability and shifting.

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While it may look like a standard bolt on ring, the CAMO system has been tuned to create the lightest bolt on system possible. Sort of like their 30t 104 BCD chainrings, the spiders have a shoulder that bears the load of the ring. That allows for smaller T25 alloy bolts for easy chainring swaps. Aluminum rings will be available in 28-34t in round (36t coming soon) and 30-34t in oval. Another benefit of the system is easier gear changes if you show up to a race and decide you want to run another front ring. Instead of having to pull the crank, you can simply unbolt the outer ring, pull it over the crank, and swap it out.

That’s all well and good, but one of the biggest draws will likely be the ability to run a stainless steel front ring without the added weight of a full stainless direct mount. WTC claims the SS ring with aluminum spiders will be 50% of the weight of a full stainless steel option.

You might not need to worry about wearing out the SS rings, but if you do wear out the aluminum rings on the CAMO system, you’ll be able to replace just the outer ring for less money than it would take for a full direct mount.

WTC Camo chainring one by 1x narrow wide chain ring-6

WTC Camo chainring one by 1x narrow wide chain ring-5

Of course, the system also allows for even more anodization customization with anything from a stealth black, to colorful bolt and spider options. Available now, aluminum rings are starting at $44.95 and the spiders start at $27.95. Each spider will include matching bolts – black with black, blue with blue, etc. Bolts in other colors will be available for purchase as well at $5 for five bolts.

Aren’t sold on the CAMO system? Don’t worry, WTC isn’t going to discontinue their direct mount options. The new system just adds another way to dial in your bike.

Details:

  • Aluminum round chainrings 28t-34t available now, 36t in 2-3 weeks

  • Aluminum elliptical chainrings 30-34t available now

  • Stainless round chainrings available in 2 weeks

  • 4 offsets of SRAM direct mount compatible spiders available now covering all the different offsets:  135/142mm (Standard), boost, bb30, and reverse dish

  • 3 offsets of Raceface direct mount compatible spiders available now covering all the different offsets: 135/142mm, boost, bb30, and reverse dish

  • Cannondale AI compatible offset available in 2 weeks, standard and other offsets this Fall

  • E-thrirteen, Sworks, FSA, etc all in the coming months.

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Belgmeister
Belgmeister
7 years ago

This image comes to mind so often lately

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/gg/up/sshot50509a6b8cb11.jpg

(can I post links?)

Champs
Champs
7 years ago
Reply to  Belgmeister

It’s a single line of standard rings, mounted to a small number of spiders, i.e. adapters. You can freely swap rings between disparate bikes, and like they mentioned, get the mileage of steel rings with the weight of an alloy spider.

If anything, this is the opposite. Headsets, and especially bottom brackets, that’s another story.

SB
SB
7 years ago

I wish someone would make a spider to fit 96 BCD Shimano rings on other folks’ cranks. WT aluminum chainrings pretty well suck, at least in the durability department…although to the best of my knowledge, Shimano is discontinuing their current design. 🙁

I fear we just need to get used to wearing out chainrings before chains.

gringo
gringo
7 years ago

I gotta get me one of them aftermarket direct-mount-non-direct-mount rings that are more expensive than an OE direct-mount ring.

They gotta be worth at least 2 watts over 53km while post holing and carrying my fatbike.
Money well spent.

gringo
gringo
7 years ago
Reply to  gringo

I should also say I am just taking the piss. I got wolftooth products on 3 bikes. great stuff.

Jon MacKinnon
7 years ago

I can’t help but think it’s a good thing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Wolf Tooth
7 years ago

Thanks for the comments…will try to answer questions as the come up here:
@SB – that is why we make stainless rings…and with CAMO you get a 50% lighter stainless ring and rings are $75 once you have a spider. Total cost on a spider + stainless ring is $3 more than our current stainless rings. Our Stainless are 416 heat treated and electropolished (pretty and very hard) so these will meet the demands of riders blowing through 7075 T6 Al rings.

@ Gringo – replacement rings are $45 or 50 once you have the spider. The ring+spider is $3 more than our current DM. And we won’t stop making the one piece DM rings for those that like them. Our rings are made in the US and have best in class chain retention!
It is worth 3.65 watts too.

In sum, it is all about more fitments, more chainline offsets, lighter stainless, fast swapping, cheaper replacements etc…for those that want that stuff.

Loki
Loki
7 years ago

I’m all for options and in these cases, in the end the market will decide BUT 5 bolt? I’m sure there’s a reply quoting structural this and lighter that but it’s surely overshadowed by the increased SKU count.

Why not make 4 bolt spiders in the various offsets/DR types to use current rings? Even if it means I could use some of the rings I already own …

Chris
Chris
7 years ago

I like it, and ordered a system last night so hopefully it arrives soon. This is the only way for me to get the ring size I want in elliptical for a Boost skinny-fat bike with Cinch crank. Thank you so much for releasing this during Saddle Drive and not waiting until Interbike. My hope is that eventually WTC will produce elliptical replacement rings in stainless steel. Then my dreams will come true. Now, please don’t delay on shipping my order. HA!

the biz
the biz
7 years ago

just make each tooth replaceable in case you break one

mateo
mateo
7 years ago

What is the BCD? Cross compatible with anything else (other companies’ rings/spider)?

jay
jay
7 years ago

What about CX? It’s coming….

Kevin Collings
Kevin Collings
7 years ago
Reply to  jay

This. 38-44t would make my day.

Tom
Tom
7 years ago

Someone will find one of these rings on a bike store discount table 15 years from now and not know WTF it is for. At least they won’t pay more that $5 for it.

yard dog
7 years ago

Wierd bolt circles are something I’m strongly against. Why not use one of the existing standards out there already? There’s plenty to choose from.

Wolf Tooth
7 years ago

We used this bolt pattern for 3 reasons that may or may not satisfy you. Here they are in no particular order (all important):
1. We wanted to get a 28t round and 30t elliptical on the bolt circle. NO common bolt circles today support this. 28t is a very common ring size anywhere where there are hills
2. We wanted this system to look like our direct mount 5 spoke pattern from 5 feet away. And it does.
3. 5 bolts allowed us to provide enough support on all rings, 28t-36t while keeping the system light weight.

Remember that this also allowed us to drop replacement ring price by $15 vs say a 104 BCD ring.
Also, while you might say “awe crap, I have to buy into a new standard”, the truth is that it is basically the same price as our direct mount rings so in the end, you aren’t paying extra for the advantages of the system. If you don’t like it after one round, you aren’t out any more than a direct mount ring=)

James Fryer
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolf Tooth

Reason #4 – Makes people who grew up with 5 bolts feel slightly less old…

Thundercat
Thundercat
7 years ago

Stainless Oval and I’m sold!

jan
jan
7 years ago

so are the new chainrings 12S compatible (eagle) ?

Wolf Tooth
7 years ago

Yes, they are definitely Eagle compatible, as are all our other Drop-Stop rings=)

Henry Krates
Henry Krates
7 years ago

I love the autocorrect (or spellcheck) to “chanciness”.

birdlegs
birdlegs
7 years ago

In! Gotta wear out my GX 2×11 first…

Steve
Steve
7 years ago

Only in the MTB industry would a company come up with their own standard because making parts for other companies standards requires too much in the way of resources.

I really cant get my head around this idea, WT specific spider to fit WT specific rings being fixed by WT specific bolts – Any part of the system gets damaged or lost and you dont have spares you will be fitting the old reliable spiderless / OE manufactuer setup back to the bike as there is no chance anybody will have parts for this.

Surely the time could have been put into making more of the options you are struggling with for the big manufacturers?

Mike Pfeiffer
7 years ago
Reply to  Steve

@Steve — we will continue making our 1-piece direct mount rings for those that prefer that design. This is all about options though. The guy who wants an elliptical stainless steel ring to fit an S-works crank will be pretty excited about this. As will the bike shops that can’t possibly stock all the 1-piece direct mount options but they can stock a few CAMO spiders and rings and fit almost any bike a customer may have.

VeloKitty
VeloKitty
7 years ago

> This is all about options though.

This is all about selling proprietary stuff which will be unfixable after 5 years.

mbikerider
mbikerider
7 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

I think its neat, reminds me of the older Hollowgram chainring bolts. Different standard or not this makes sense and opens up chain ring sizes that people with proprietary cranks have been closed off from because other proprietary companies cant get their sh*t together.

Chris
Chris
2 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

I was doing some research and saw this … it’s now 5 years later and there are more Camo options than ever. 🙂

JoJo
JoJo
7 years ago

Please also stainless oval! That’s what we need.

Tom R
Tom R
7 years ago

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