One of the manufacturers making non-circular chainrings,
I've restocked the metal stickers from Absolute Black.
I usually keep about 2-3 pieces on hand at the shop,
but they sell so often that they disappear before I know it.
Even looking at the manufacturer's website, there's no mention that this is a chainstay protector,
just instructions to stick it somewhere on the top tube, down tube,
or elsewhere on the frame,
but it's too large to be used as an outer cable rub guard next to the head tube,
and since Absolute Black is a non-circular chainring manufacturer,
it's safe to assume this is essentially a chainstay protector.
The main material is tin, so it deforms quite flexibly.
You can bend it all wobbly like this . . .
and then slap it with your palm to flatten it right out.
When actually using it, you attach it with the double-sided tape on the back.
↑Here's an example applied to a LOOK Huez RS
(the shop is covering the frame's serial number).
Within limits, you can attach it so it conforms snugly to the frame's shape.
For lugged frames,
it's flexible enough to follow the step of pretty much any lug.
Looking at the image above, you might think the position should be a bit further back,
but I've actually placed it over where the chain had jammed.
At 200 yen before tax per piece, the price is great, and as I mentioned,
shop inventory tends to disappear without warning, so this time I ordered more than usual.
Just now I checked and for some reason the wholesaler is out of stock,
so if your local shop doesn't have any in stock,
restocking will probably take a while.Heh heh.
Bonus
Absolute Black makes a subcompact chainring
with an inner ring tooth count of less than 34T.
The chainring in the image above is 46/30T, and
they're sold individually, not as a set, but
of the four pins for Shimano R9100, two of them diagonally opposite
require special chainring bolts.
The dedicated chainring bolts come with the outer ring, and
the inner ring only works with those specific bolts,
so in practice you need to buy the outer and inner as a set.
The outer ring comes in 46T and 48T,
the inner ring comes in 30T and 32T,
but 48×30T is best avoided.
It's safest to choose from the other three combinations.
This chainring is compatible with FC-R9100,
but not with FC-R9100P (the power meter version).
First, at the phase where the outer ring's radius becomes smaller,
it interferes with the sensor mounted on the back of the crank.
If it were just this, we could probably install the outer ring
by grinding away the contact point with the sensor, but
on most frames (probably nearly all),
the inner ring interferes with the power meter's magnet.
If you install a spacer between the BB and right crank,
you might just clear it.
If you put a pedal washer of equal thickness on the left pedal,
the Q-factor widens, but installation while maintaining left-right balance
isn't impossible—however, in this case I decided to abandon the installation.
I've restocked the metal stickers from Absolute Black.
I usually keep about 2-3 pieces on hand at the shop,
but they sell so often that they disappear before I know it.
Even looking at the manufacturer's website, there's no mention that this is a chainstay protector,
just instructions to stick it somewhere on the top tube, down tube,
or elsewhere on the frame,
but it's too large to be used as an outer cable rub guard next to the head tube,
and since Absolute Black is a non-circular chainring manufacturer,
it's safe to assume this is essentially a chainstay protector.
The main material is tin, so it deforms quite flexibly.
You can bend it all wobbly like this . . .
and then slap it with your palm to flatten it right out.
When actually using it, you attach it with the double-sided tape on the back.
↑Here's an example applied to a LOOK Huez RS
(the shop is covering the frame's serial number).
Within limits, you can attach it so it conforms snugly to the frame's shape.
For lugged frames,
it's flexible enough to follow the step of pretty much any lug.
Looking at the image above, you might think the position should be a bit further back,
but I've actually placed it over where the chain had jammed.
At 200 yen before tax per piece, the price is great, and as I mentioned,
shop inventory tends to disappear without warning, so this time I ordered more than usual.
Just now I checked and for some reason the wholesaler is out of stock,
so if your local shop doesn't have any in stock,
restocking will probably take a while.
Bonus
Absolute Black makes a subcompact chainring
with an inner ring tooth count of less than 34T.
The chainring in the image above is 46/30T, and
they're sold individually, not as a set, but
of the four pins for Shimano R9100, two of them diagonally opposite
require special chainring bolts.
The dedicated chainring bolts come with the outer ring, and
the inner ring only works with those specific bolts,
so in practice you need to buy the outer and inner as a set.
The outer ring comes in 46T and 48T,
the inner ring comes in 30T and 32T,
but 48×30T is best avoided.
It's safest to choose from the other three combinations.
This chainring is compatible with FC-R9100,
but not with FC-R9100P (the power meter version).
First, at the phase where the outer ring's radius becomes smaller,
it interferes with the sensor mounted on the back of the crank.
If it were just this, we could probably install the outer ring
by grinding away the contact point with the sensor, but
on most frames (probably nearly all),
the inner ring interferes with the power meter's magnet.
If you install a spacer between the BB and right crank,
you might just clear it.
If you put a pedal washer of equal thickness on the left pedal,
the Q-factor widens, but installation while maintaining left-right balance
isn't impossible—however, in this case I decided to abandon the installation.