SUPERSTAR RAPTOR1X

£29.99

The technology

British brand Superstar manufactures its wide-narrow Raptor chainrings in the UK, and offers a variety of crank fitments, compatibility with 9, 10, 11 and 12-speed chains, sizes from 34-42 teeth, and four anodised colours.

Dimension data

The Raptor is CNC-machined from 4mm-thick 7075 T6 aluminium, with 6mm-tall teeth that are centred with no offset from the ring’s centre line. The teeth alternate between 1.4 and 3.2mm wide at the tips, and widen by 0.3mm. The narrow ones’ leading edges are trimmed at 45 degrees, the wide teeth less so.

Performance

Weighing just 56g for our 38-tooth ring, the Raptor is machined between the mounting bolt holes, reducing to below 1mm thick on its inner edge. It can be flexed a bit by hand, but with big, low pressure tyres it was impossible to detect deflection. The teeth sit level with the chain links, whose outer plates seat in scalloped recesses in the trailing edge of each tooth. Despite seeking out all the mud and drivetrain-unfriendly conditions we could, the bike’s clutch mech helped ensure our chain stayed put.

Durability

With less time to judge the Raptor compared with SRAM’s original ring, early impressions are positive, although it is wearing faster. In the largest sprocket of our SRAM drivetrain, the chain angle is more extreme and may further shorten the ring’s life.