The Elite Chainring was developed in cooperation with FES, the Institute for Research and Development of Sports Equipment. It was developed especially for the demanding requirements of professional track cyclists and their frames. Meanwhile, top athletes are using up to 60T chainrings on their hunt for the best times. With chainrings of this size, it is extremely important to guarantee the rigidity of the chainring when subjected to high loads. Thanks to special struts on the interior, it has been possible to achieve the necessary stiffness while simultaneously reducing weight. Only high-quality 7075/T6 aluminium is used as the raw material.

Olympic Technology

The basic idea was to reduce the power losses and wear to a minimum. A special coating is applied to the raw material to ensure that the chain glides optimally through the gaps in the toothing. The hard-anodising treatment and the additional PTFE coating are particularly resistant on the one hand and reduce friction on the other. The Elite Chainring is manufactured exclusively using the “Round-Teeth-Design” and ProLine toothing and is therefore only compatible with 11-speed chains.

The chainring was used for the first time in 2016 at the Olympic Games in Rio. All the nominated track bike athletes were equipped with this aluminium masterpiece. Many of the German track professionals are using this unique chainring, more specifically the Kappstein ProLine drivetrain.

This chainring is the counterpart to the Sprocket ProLine. So, for anyone looking to benefit from the advantages of an 11-speed chain, the Ruphus ProLine is the right gear for your crankset. Compared to the standard version of the Ruphus, the ProLine features an additional coating. Thanks to the hard-anodising treatment, the surface of the chainring is up to three times harder than that of conventional aluminium chainrings. As a result, the degree of hardness therefore roughly corresponds to that of a Kappstein stainless steel pinion.

The Ruphus design

The Ruphus was designed by Raphael Krome, a young Munich-based product designer and artist, who had already been involved in projects for a well-known car manufacturer from Bavaria. He is also a member of the notorious Hardbrakers Gang from Hamburg and therefore a real bike enthusiast. This chainring is also produced almost completely in-house at Kappstein. Only the coating is carried out by specialised companies from the region.

With the Ruphus chainring, not only do we offer the Sprocket, but also, a solution for the crank. This stylish and also very light chainring is CNC milled from a 5mm thick 7075/T6 aluminium plate. Despite the low weight of only 111g (49T), the Ruphus offers excellent rigidity and is therefore an obvious choice for anyone who values both design and performance. This setup is a great way for the fixed gear enthusiasts among us to get more out of their bikes.

With 32 teeth and the 4 x 104 bolt circle, this chainring was specially developed for use with our Doppio bottom bracket gearing system. Thanks to special milling on the rear, it adapts perfectly to the Doppio's spider, ensuring an elegant look. Like all other chainrings, the 32mm Doppio chainring is CNC milled and measured at our in-house production facility in Gotha.