Rotor Q-Rings help to minimize the time spent in the dead spot while pedaling. While oval chainrings have historically been controversial, we believe that allowing a rider to fine tune the chainring position offers opportunities to minimize the dead spot never before realized with conventional chainrings. Initial in-house testing shows significant improvements in efficiency. Formal testing at a European university is underway. These chainrings were used by David Canada in the 2005 Tour de France.
Q-Rings offer some of the benefits of Rotor Cranks while enabling cyclists to use their current cranks. Q-Rings also offer a somewhat comparable solution to the inefficiency of the dead-spot, at a lower cost and reduced weight, over the Rotor System Cranks.
Q-Rings are unlike the asymmetric Bio-Pace and O.SYMETRIC chainrings in as much as Q's are symmetrical.
Q-Rings are conceived and designed incorporating all the bio-mechanical knowledge and experience achieved by ROTOR CRANKS during recent years. The concept behind Q-Rings enables you to push an effective bigger gear while in the power down stroke when your leg muscles are able to apply more power and an effective smaller gear while in the dead-spots; while producing a smooth pedaling motion. Riders report that "it is like dancing up the hill."
The ROTOR patented OCP System (Optimum Chainring Position) enables you to customize the position of the Q-Rings where they best suit your personal needs and desires.
Q-chainrings can be installed on most conventional cranks. They are available for most Road (130 & 135 BCD), MTB (104/64 BCD) and Compact (110 BCD) cranks.
How does Q work?
Q-Rings reduce dead-spot negative effects due to its effective variable gear oval concept. The effective gear is lower at the dead-spot zone, so it is easier, faster and more comfortable (smoother) to pass through it. Once the pedal is over the dead-spot and enters the down stroke, the Q-Rings progressively increase the effective tooth size as more muscle strength is available.
As shown in this illustration, a 53T Q-Ring at the dead-spots is equivalent to a 51T, so it is easier to move through the dead-spot. But as the pedal goes down and more strength is available you can see how the gear (effective tooth size) gets bigger: reaching the equivalent chainring tooth size of 56T during the power phase.
What's different between Q-rings and previous non circular chainrings?
The most often asked question about Q-Rings is "how are these different from the Shimano Bio-Pace and other brands of non-circular chainrings?" The short and simple but not so obvious answers are:
- The Q-Rings are elliptical; the Bio-pace and O.SYMETRIC chainrings are asymmetrical. The specific elliptical shape of the Q's provide a very smooth uniform pedaling stroke; there is no sudden acceleration movement.
- The Bio-Pace chainrings are designed so the maximum equivalent tooth size is at the dead-spots. The Q's have the minimum equivalent tooth size at the dead-spots. This enables you to pass through the dead-spots quicker with less stress to your knees.
- The Q-Rings take into consideration the forces from your legs in static conditions and the inertias of the cyclist and the bicycle. This maximizes the efficiency and comfort of conventional cranks.
- The ROTOR patented OCP system enables you to customize the position of the Q-Rings to suit your individual riding habits, body geometry, strength and position on the bike.
What's different between Q-rings and Rotor Cranks?
Many people have asked us what the real difference in performance and functionality is between Rotor cranks and Q-Rings since launching Q's. Here's the lowdown:
Q-Rings were designed to emulate the biomechanics of Rotor cranks, without the independent crank arm movement. This way you receive some of the benefits of the Rotor Cranks for a lower price tag, and the weight weenies can still sleep well at night knowing that Q-Rings wont make their bike heavier. Both systems orient the maximum effective gear ratio in approximately the same position, a few degrees past the horizontal, in order to benefit from both muscle strength and leg inertia. Both Q-Rings and Rotor cranks can be adjusted for different riding styles (standing sprinting or seated spinning, for example), bike geometry and terrain requirements. Q-Rings cannot not apply the same degree of variance in effective chainring diameter as Rotor cranks do, as this variance applied to two legs simultaneously would effect the cyclists spin negatively.
The advantages of Q-Rings, in general:
- Makes pedalling more efficient, and climbing much easier.
- Reduce lactic acid level production and reduces heart rate demands.
- Low weight.
- Simplicity.
- No extra pivots and bearing races, so maintenance is zero.
- Less intense dead point than standard chainrings.
The disadvantages compared to Rotor Cranks:
