{{ data.msg }}

Your browser does not support all of our website’s functionality. For an improved shopping experience, we recommend that you use the most recent versions of Google Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

Related Image

BENEVENUTO IN FAMIGLIA, OCHAIN!

When it comes to bike parts, we’ve come a long way. I mean, your bike is pretty incredible, right? What if it could get better? In the spirit of tirelessly chasing the perfect ride, we leave no trail unridden and no stone unturned, which led us to the newest member of our family–Ochain.

Suspension and frame design constantly redefines the boundaries of what’s possible on your bike. Ochain adds a new dimension of performance to the system, isolating the suspension, chassis and rider to make you more stable and neutral on the bike, spending less energy adapting your body position to the trail. For us, the decision was easy. We couldn’t be happier to have them by our side to help us and you on the journey for the perfect ride. Salute!

SRAM x Misspent Summers in La Thuile Italy announcing Ochain

EXCLUSIVE: SRAM WELCOMES OCHAIN, CELEBRATES PEOPLE, CULTURE AND PRODUCT

By Dave Johnson, Misspent Summers news network

Company culture is key, says American manufacturer SRAM, as it announces move that will see Italian components maker Ochain join its family of brands that already includes RockShox, Time and Velocio.

Flynn George of SRAM told The Daily Note, ‘We started thinking about how to make descending better through a drivetrain development’ – and what effect any improvements could have on suspension, chassis and overall bike performance.

George explained that the company’s top technicians rigged up a bike with more than 20 sensors (‘the most complicated data acquisition bike we’ve ever made’) to record angles, torques, speeds and more across every area of the bike – external and internal – and explore ways to improve ride experience.

Related Image

The data session, he continued, ‘highlighted a bunch of different mechanisms that we were testing, a bunch of different hypotheses, and a couple different ways or products in which we could achieve that type of performance, that type of stability, quiet and traction.’

After extensive testing, George said, SRAM ‘landed on the chainring-based solution being the best, and Ochain being the best chainring-based solution.’ Elaborating on its benefits, George explained that ‘Ochain quiets down the chassis, reducing auditory feedback and pedal feedback.

On the trail, that means improved traction and control. It feels like a more consistent experience, regardless of how fast you’re going and how rough the terrain is.’

About bringing Ochain into the SRAM family of brands, George noted that ‘these guys know what they’re doing, they’ve done something cool and unique. They were first in the space, and they’re also awesome … so we said, OK, let’s figure out how we [acquire Ochain]’

Related Image

Ochain founder Fabrizio Dragoni, who will lead up a dedicated team out of a new headquarters in Italy, explained to The Daily Note that SRAM’s interest didn’t come out of the blue: ‘When I founded the company, I said to my team, Maybe in five years the company will be part of SRAM’. That vision became reality in 2025 when the acquisition was finalised and Ochain joined SRAM.

Story continued on scroll >>

SRAM x Ochain Test Mule Downhill bike
SRAM Ochain exploded diagram

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING: COUNTLESS DOWNHILL AND ENDURO WORLD CUP RACERS USE OCHAIN

Related Image

Ochain is a device mounted between a bike’s cranks and chainring that allows the chainring to freely rotate by a certain amount without the cranks moving, creating a ‘chainless’ feeling. As a bike with an Ochain moves through its suspension travel, the suspension and transmission are partially isolated from the cranks and pedals (by up to 12 degrees of rotation in the current Ochain iterations). As the chainring rotates and comes to the end of its movement around the Ochain, custom-made internal elastomers act as stops. With a bike’s suspension freer to do its thing and its transmission able to float smoothly, the result is a calmer, quieter bike. The proof is in the pudding: countless downhill and enduro World Cup racers use Ochain on many bike models and brands.

After founding the company in 2019, Dragoni and his team have taken Ochain through multiple iterations to create a long-lasting product resistant to dirt, water and rock strikes. From the first prototypes that ‘let water in – and out again’, as Dragoni recalls, to the most recent for-sale versions that contain dozens of bespoke parts and seals to ensure longevity and performance, the Ochain team has rapidly moved from concept to polished product in just a handful of years.

While initially conceived as a product for downhill racing, it soon became clear to the Ochain team that, in fact, almost any riders could use it. Now, you’ll find it on everything from downhill race rigs to long-travel e-bikes and even lightweight trail bikes.

SRAM and Ochain staff did not comment when The Daily Note questioned them about future plans. We can only speculate: Might manufacturers spec Ochain on complete bikes? Will we see innovative new bike designs? Perhaps SRAM has something else up its sleeve. Time will tell.

Related Image
Amaury Pierron and Fabrizio Dragoni on Ochain
Amaury Pierron riding Ochain at UCI World Cup

GET OCHAIN

Buy now

A COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Read more