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Rotor Bike Q-Rings
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BikeRadar verdict

4 out of 5 stars

"Feels more natural than a Biopace system"

By Paul Vincent

To some riders - most famously Lance Armstrong - pedalling fast is the best path to efficiency on the climbs. But now mere mortals can improve efficiency at more normal cadence speeds using the new Rotor Q-Rings.

If you have ever used the now defunct Shimano BioPace chainring system that was prevalent on bikes in the late 1980s you'll know what to expect here in terms of sensation but the crucial difference is that Rotor have sought to avoid the knee problems associated with the Shimano system. The 'Q-Ring' is based on a simplified theme of the same company's Rotor cranks that seek to minimise the inertia that happens after 20 degrees of crank rotation through what is commonly termed 'the dead spot'. There are up to five 'grades' of effect from the same chainring so you can tune the system to suit your riding style, and the handbook gives some basic advice.

The Q-Rings are available in either 130mm Shimano, 135mm Campagnolo or 110mm BCD (compact) chainring, with a fourth option also available for Microdrive Mtb cranksets using the 104/64mm BCD.

You'll need to raise the front mech to account for the ovalisation and shifts between the small to the large chainring. While there were no problems on a bike fitted with a band-on front mech it may not be possible to raise the mech sufficiently on frames with a braze-on front mech mounting point. In use a couple of riders that I'd lent my cyclocross bike to didn't actually notice anything out of the ordinary though I noticed an improvement in my ability to get up to speed after dismounting to negociate an obstacle on the course. It certainly feels more natural than a Biopace system though the jury's still out on the benefits in terms of efficiency - we'll let you know more in the spring after more extensive testing on the road.

Manufacturers description

<< STEALTH PERFORMANCE WEAPONRY>> Meet cycling's ultimate secret weapon. Q-Rings offer some of the performance advantages of the Rotor System to those with standard cranksets at no weight penalty. The ease of adaptation and performance benefits they offer make them a no-brainer upgrade for the discerning cyclist: Your "sceptical and infinitley wiser" buddies wont believe that your awesome sprints and powerful climbs come from your Q-Rings. Q-Rings increase your power by emulating a Rotor System crankset in the power stroke and by minimizing the intensity of the “dead spot” zones. By extending the time you spend in the power stroke (where 90% of all power is produced) and smoothly accelerating the legs through the critically weak "dead spots", simultaneousley magnifying the feeble pedal imput in these zones, Q's give that extra advantage you need to get ahead. << "I HAVE A PERFECT SPIN: I DON'T NEED HELP" >> Not many people realize that one of the most important reasons to have a "perfect spin" is to compensate for the dead spot's inherent weakness. Having a perfect spin doesn't solve the dead spot problem: no matter how perfect your spin is, certain muscles in your legs will always far outpower others and a vertical crank will never have usefull leverage on the chain. Rotor's Q-Rings are designed with smooth diameter variations, which magnify the benefits of a smooth spin by reducing variations in: power production, rotational inertia a of the cyclist legs, and directional inertia of the cyclists body and bike. We agree that a smooth spin is crucial to efficient cycling. The Q-Rings' design reflects the fact that we decided to go a step further, to look at the relationship between the power curve, total inertia and the spin. The vast majority of a cyclists power is produced in the down stroke of the pedal cycle, irrespective of pedalling technique. By installing Q-Rings, the cyclists power production is smoothed out, making a fluid spin more natural. The thing that makes Q's even better, is that the bio-mechanically inspired diameter variation results in more power output and less lactates - giving a genuinely free increase in endurance and power. << ORIENTATION AND ADJUSTABILITY IS KEY >> Shape and ovalization of Q-Rings isn’t everything: what really sets them apart, is the basic orientation and the possibility to adjust it. The problem with normal ovalized chainrings is that they only work in one set position on a bike. As soon as the cyclist's hip moves, the angle of the crank at the minimum and maximum power points changes, which in turn changes the orientation of the chainring in regards to the cassette. The key was to make Q's compensate for the effects of varying riding positions, leg inertia and bike inertia. The basic orientation of Q-Rings, based on power and inertia studies, is one of the reasons Q-Rings feel so natural. The revolutionary narrow variance OCP (Optimum Chainring Position) system gives the cyclist the possibility to choose from an array of settings within the small, crucial range of useful orientations. Why? Because everyone has a different riding style, a different bike setup and a different pedalling style. The OCP system guarantees you personal optimization of the chainrings to make them work best for you, with your riding style, your bike and the terrain you’re dealing with.

User Reviews

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  • User review of Rotor Bike Q-Rings

    Three weeks ago I picked up a 90' schwinn at a police auction to use as my commuter/junker bike. Much to my surprise, the bike rode really really smoothly. I gave it a good cleaning and swapped out all the old rusty crusty hardware, and as I was doing this I realized the bike had elliptical biopace rings. I'm not old enough to know what was about when they first came out but I've been commuting to work on it for two weeks (30 miles round trip) and I'm in love with this P.O.S. and it's biopace rings. After a few clicks on my computer I've come across rotor bike's Q rings, the NEW version of this. I've placed a call to their toll free number and I'm waiting for a call back to see how much it's gonna set me back to get dialed in with a set of these snazzy little rings for a MTB. SO that's where I'm at, I'll let you know how the whole process goes.

    Aloha!

    0.3
  • User review of Rotor Bike Q-Rings

    OK, just talked to the guys in CO. and they instantly pulled up the names of two bike shops in Anchorage that had placed orders for their product. Chain Reaction was my first pick. After talking to their shop manager over the phone he was stoked to hear I was into them and informed me that the shop's OWNER "rides them religiously". So my step is dropping $300.00 for the MTB set which I now have no reservations about doing.

    0.3

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Specification

Name:
Q-Rings
Built by:
Rotor Bike
Price:
n/a

Weight (g):
123 g
Chainring Size (No of Teeth):
36, 44 t
Number Of Bolts:
5

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