rotor q rings

mick m
mick m Posts: 3
edited July 2008 in Workshop
Hello everyone,
Anyone out there tried Q-Rings and how do you rate them?

Comments

  • robbarker
    robbarker Posts: 1,367
    Nope. Tried Biopace first time round. It didn't make any difference then, it won't this time round. It's a gimmick, that's why it didn't catch on, and is why it won't again.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    It may make a tiny percentage difference - but i doubt any of us would be able to spot it. I think bobby j uses them ?
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    cougie wrote:
    It may make a tiny percentage difference - but i doubt any of us would be able to spot it. I think bobby j uses them ?

    Carlos Sastre uses the Rotor Q rings, Bobby Julich uses O.Symetric rings
    I like bikes...

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  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Still got some biopace on my commute bike. I spin pretty well with them but I also spin quite well on my other bikes. I can't feel much (any) difference.

    The oval on the Qs is much more pronounced, though, and it looks like they've just won the tour
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • woody-som
    woody-som Posts: 1,001
    I have a set on the road bike. I did actually notice the difference when I first fitted them. I was using a larger gear than before, but without the extra effort. I'll stick to using them, if only to make it easier on the knees.
  • Ramanujan
    Ramanujan Posts: 352
    Sastre was using them in the TT today,
    If you watch his c.ring, it moved up and down
  • woody-som
    woody-som Posts: 1,001
    Several of the Pro-Triathletes use them. I first saw them at Ironman UK last year, and was convinced after talking to one of the guys who had them.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    I have never tried them but am of the opinion that they are probably no better or worse
    than reqular rings and that the "famous" riders that use them are all paid to do so and
    will, of course, tell anyone who will listen that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.

    Dennis Noward
  • andrew_s
    andrew_s Posts: 2,511
    Q-rings are traditional oval chainrings of the type that have been in occasional use any time this last 70 years or so. They give a higher gear during the power stroke, a lower gear over the dead spot. If there was any significant advantage, they'd have stuck before now.

    Biopace was oval the other way, giving a higher gear during the dead spot. The theory was that that the leg muscles would do more work with a slightly longer resting phase in each crank revolution.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    andrew_s wrote:
    Q-rings are traditional oval chainrings of the type that have been in occasional use any time this last 70 years or so. They give a higher gear during the power stroke, a lower gear over the dead spot. If there was any significant advantage, they'd have stuck before now.

    Biopace was oval the other way, giving a higher gear during the dead spot. The theory was that that the leg muscles would do more work with a slightly longer resting phase in each crank revolution.

    Interesting, I don't think I've ever read much about them. Just sort of figured the were a kind of "fad" thing. Guess if they were anything more "they'd have stuck before now", like you said.

    Dennis Noward
  • robbarker
    robbarker Posts: 1,367
    Bloody hell that's right - Biopace was the other way round, it's all coming back to me. there was another elliptical design that was all the rage in about 1985 that was supposed to make you faster, but I can't remember the trade name for the life of me. ISTR that they pulled them when people started suing for wrecked knees. Nothing new under the sun and all that..
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    I'm not sure if they don't offer any advantage. If they where completely useless Sastre wouldn't bother with them and as CSC isn't sponsored by rotor, the rings have to have FSA plastered all over them.
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • Pirahna
    Pirahna Posts: 1,315
    I popped a pair of Rotor rings onto my wifes bike and sent her out on her usual 20 evening training loop. The result was a 1.5 mph increase in average speed.

    She records every ride she does, distance and average speed. If it's a regular loop she notes which one it was. She has records for the last couple of years and the Rotor rings have shown a significant improvement everywhere since they were fitted a couple of months ago. To ride with she's noticeably quicker on hills and cruises at a faster pace on the flats, so I'm convinced they work.

    It would be nice to see a version for 50/34 Campag compacts, I'd buy a pair. For the Alpe D'Huez stage Sastre used a 110 BCD chainset with a 52/36.

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/to ... L_Titanium

    As has already been pointed out, Rotor rings are nothing like the old Biopace.
  • andrew_s
    andrew_s Posts: 2,511
    Pirahna wrote:
    It would be nice to see a version for 50/34 Campag compacts, I'd buy a pair. For the Alpe D'Huez stage Sastre used a 110 BCD chainset with a 52/36.

    If you want them enough, you can get a custom pair from Eggrings

    They've also got a history page - it seems like oval chainrings were first used 110 years ago, not 70

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