Q Rings
Here's another product I like
and suggest to the athletes I coach. Let me tell you why.
There are two times in every pedal stroke when moving
the cranks in a circular pattern falters and pauses – at the top and bottom. At
the top the foot and leg must transition from moving back and up to forward and
down. Just the opposite is necessary at the bottom of the stroke. Because of
this, tension on the chain goes through big swings and power output is jerky and
uneven. So riders who are not very efficient at these two critical points -
which is most riders - waste a lot of energy and are often referred to as
“mashers.” They drive oversized gears pushing down hard from the 2 o’clock to 4
o’clock positions. On the other hand, “spinners” transition at the top and
bottom of the stroke more smoothly and ride with a higher cadence and a more
graceful pedal stroke. This makes for a much more economical use of
energy.
Learning to smoothly
pedal through the top and bottom transition areas can take months of focused
training and drills. But I find using Q-Rings made by Rotor Cranks USA
accomplishes much smoother top-bottom transitions almost immediately after
installation. I recommend these for all of the athletes I coach who are mashers.
I’ve seen great improvement in their efficiency right after making the
switch.
Q-Rings are oval-shaped chain rings which replace the standard
chain rings on your bike. Here’s how they work. When your pedal is at the top
and bottom of the stroke the Q-Ring is in the smallest-radius position which
means your foot can more easily make the transition. When in the power position
at 3 o’clock the radius is at its greatest length which gives you more leverage
and therefore more power. For example, a 53-tooth Q-Ring is the equivalent of
pedaling a 51 tooth at the top and bottom (fast transitions) and a 56 tooth at 3
o’clock (high power output). If the picture above was rotated 90 degrees you'd
get a better idea of what is going on. This would put the shortest radius in the
vertical position and the longest in the horizontal position. They are also
adjustable so you can change this short-long radius position slightly for time
trialing, climbing or riding on flats.
Q-Rings retail for about $200 to
$240. www.rotorcranksusa.com
8 Comments:
Joe, I've been using q-rings on my TT bike for some three weeks now on OCP 4. It feels great, but I've been wondering if I should try OCP 5 position. What position would you recommend for time-trialing? Have you seen anyone use OCP 5 and benefit from it as opposed to OCP 4?
Linman-None of my clients have tried that. The company recommends OCP4 for TT. If you do try it let me know what you think.
Joe, I'm a 62 year old cyclist who had a total knee replacement last November. Before Q-Rings I had developed a persistant pain just above my knee but below my quads. After installing Q-Rings the pain is mostly gone and I can train with more intensity evidenced by my 748 watt max and 400+ watt average sixty second effort during my last workout. I now have Q-Rings on my new P3C, two road bikes and a mountain bike!
Bill-One of my older friends reports a similar experience with knees less achy on rides using Q Rings. Makes sense as stress is reduced on the knee when the foot is in the 12 o'clock position. That's when the stress is maximal due to the flex with patella being pressed hard against the femur.
Interesting to see this concept again. I've got a ~20 year old road bike (Nishiki Sport) that I've held onto and it has Q rings. When I took it in to be serviced a couple years ago, the shop owner said Q-rings were tried for about a year but didn't catch on. Any thoughts as to why?
Hi Rob--I expect you are referring to Shimano Biopace chain rings. You can read more about the differences here - http://www.rotorcranksusa.com/i1-q-rings.shtml
Hi joe,
Do you recommend OCP4 for Ironman Distance? I know riders that are at both setting 3 and 4. Thots? Thanks!
Blake--I believe this would have to do with the way the bike is set up--aggressive vs comfortable. The more comfie it is, I believe, the more likely you are to be in OCP3. But I'm still learning about Q Rings too so can't be more specific on this.
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