PRAXIS WORKS DIRECT MOUNT WAVE CX

£75

What is it?

Praxis Works has made a name for itself with high-quality cranks, chainrings and bottom brackets. This direct mount Wave CX ring is available in 38-42 tooth sizes and fits threebolt crank arms. Our 40-tooth example weighed in at just 97g.

Design

Machined from 7075 T6 aluminium plate, the Praxis ring has an approximate five-arm construction. Chain retention relies on the ‘wave’ arrangement of the 2mm-wide, CNC-shaped, staggered teeth, which apply alternating lateral force to each link. This doesn’t rely solely on the insertion friction of other wide-narrow designs with heavily shaped teeth, and so evenly spreads the chain’s load across more of the teeth. Praxis recommends only using with a clutch rear mech, and using an upper chain guide for peace of mind.

Performance

We raced this in eight cyclocross races, and as well as giving perfect chain retention through mud, grass and sand, the hard anodised surface has suffered only very minor abrasion, supporting Praxis’ claim that the Wave design wears more slowly than the competition. Ring stiffness was never in question, even at maximal effort, and its pedalling performance felt equally slick in every gear of a wide ratio 11-speed cassette.

The verdict

The Wave CX is a top-class alternative to the big names that we’re confident won’t let us down.