Hope's new R22 chainring looks to banish drivetrain compatibility issues
The new tooth profile is compatible with 9/10/11 and 12-Speed MTB and e-MTB drivetrains, plus SRAM T-Type Transmission setups
Hope has released a new chainring that is designed to be compatible with all new drivetrain systems but also comes in a number of spider designs for MTB and e-MTB.
While the components from the big drivetrain manufacturers are usually very good, there can be incompatibility issues if you don't want to run an entire drivetrain ecosystem. That opens up plenty of opportunities for problem-solving companies like Hope to develop third-party components and upgrades which allow you to cross-pollinate components that otherwise wouldn't be compatible.
Most notable is SRAM's recent T-Type Transmission which requires a specific T-Type chain and chainring to use the American brand's best MTB drivetrain. However, Hope's new R22 1X chainring is compatible with the SRAM T-Type flattop chain, along with other major 9, 10, 11, and 12-Speed drivetrains.
This has been achieved using a new asymmetric tooth profile engineered for cross-compatibility. Hope also says that the tooth profile has improved chain retention, mud shedding, and can better handle wider chain angles.
As you would expect from Hope, the rings are CNCed from 7075-T6 aluminum and are available in many different colors; Black, Silver, Blue, Red, Orange, and Purple. The ring will be available in 28t to 36t sizes options.
Not only is the ring compatible with many different drivetrains, but it also comes in a wide range of mounting options. For mountain bikes there is a 104mm BCD 4 Bolt, Hope Direct Mount STD Offset (49mm chainline), and Hope Direct Mount Boost offset (52mm or 55mm chainline with WIDE axle crank). If you are looking for e-MTB compatibility the R22 can be mounted on Bosch Gen 4 Direct Mount (52mm chainline), Shimano EP8/E8000 Direct Mount (52mm chainline), and Brose/Specialized Direct Mount (52mm chainline).
Hope says that chainrings will begin shipping to Hope dealers on the 21st of August.
Graham Cottingham joined the BikePerfect team as our senior tech writer in 2020. With over 20 years of riding experience, he has dabbled in downhill, enduro, and gravel racing. Not afraid of a challenge, Graham has embraced bikepacking over the last few years and likes nothing more than strapping some bags to his bike and covering big miles to explore Scotland's wildernesses. When he isn’t shredding the gnar in the Tweed Valley, sleeping in bushes, or tinkering with bikes, he is writing tech reviews for BikePerfect.
Rides: Cotic SolarisMax, Stooge MK4, 24 Bicycles Le Toy 3, Surly Steamroller
Height: 177cm
Weight: 71kg