I got an AbsoluteBlack oval chain ring on my road bike for unique situations:
- Bad knees
- Easy to find and get installed
- Wanted the lowest possible gear ratio for easy climbing up 1/4 mile or longer >8% gradient hills.
As a newer road bike cyclist, the last reason - getting up long hills - has transformed my riding and I now climb 1+ mile hills with confidence. It has been worth the expense. It effectively created a mountain bike ratio on my road bike.
That said, the research is mixed on how they will work for the broader community. Here is a video that does a good job reviewing oval chainrings (TL:DR it’s inconclusive) and this is the article that originally got me excited about getting them installed in the first place. Would love to hear others’ experience.