ROTOR RINGS - Comments Please

[Titanium Rocket]

1. Any first hand comments about the elliptical Rotor rings? Is there a genuine mechanical advantage, or is it just more marketing bullsh*t?
   
2. The whole crankset is about the same price as an XTR - which would you go for?
   

[FrancoisO]

I love my rotor rings. Just get your setup correct.

[bebop]

1. Any first hand comments about the elliptical Rotor rings? Is there a genuine mechanical advantage, or is it just more marketing bullsh*t?
    
   
2. The whole crankset is about the same price as an XTR - which would you go for?
   

 

 

I Have a set of Q-rings on my mtb, (Not sure about the mechanical advantage) but it took me awhile to get use to them as it feels like you always pushing or pulling and your legs dont rest.

 

I do love them now as I feel my pedal stoke has improve and will definitely put a set on my road bike when I have some extra cash to blow.

 

My 2 cents not sure if it helps.

[Bassman]

Love them!

[Titanium Rocket]

Thanks guys, appreciate your comments.

 

Call me a cynic, but I am a scientist from a world of empirically proven facts rather than sensory appealing marketing claims. If elliptical rings have a proven biomechanical advantage, why aren't all rings made like that? I know I'm over-analysing this thing, but until proven as such, it remains a subjective and expensive choice.

[Mr X]

Back in the day elliptical chainrings was common. I remember my cheap road bike with Shimano 105 having elliptical chainrings and only the new top-end stuff started putting round rings on, and then we all thought we must get round chainrings it must be better.

 

Nowdays the pro teams have started using it again and they will definitely have some science to back up their use.

[Thomo]

Back in the day elliptical chainrings was common. I remember my cheap road bike with Shimano 105 having elliptical chainrings ...

 

Those Biopace rings were very different from what is on offer now.

[Clinton H]

I've been riding mine for years , and love them . You will have a different opinion once you have ridden them .

[Hennie VR]

Loved mine and miss them since I converted to 1 x 9.

 

They are awesome for when you have to give short bursts of power in tight single track and on climbs. You really feel them working.

 

I think a lot of people don't use them because you don't have that dead spot at the top of the pedal stroke and therefore your legs work harder and you get tired a bit quicker (or that is what I heard). For me though they had more advantage than disadvantages.

 

If I had the money I would not think twice about getting myself a rotor crank that can fit a single narrow wide chainring.

[Jakkals.]

Here's my take,

 

On my mtb they were great, I was running them at the recommended OCP which were 2. I had a very aggressive setup on my mtb and the powerstroke were in the sweet spot.

 

On my road bike, same setup, recommended OCP 3, however always felt that the powerstroke were to soon, however I had great acceleration from sitting in the saddle and powered my way across any gap. However climbing and sprinting suffered as I always felt that I was to far forward and that the sweet spot was already over, because now I needed to have power but the chainring were going down to 50 and my pedaling felt "empty"

 

I tried OCP 4 on the road bike and I just couldnt get used to it, on climbs I had to stand a lot to get some power and on flat roads, my knees were coming pass my ears to get some power.

 

 

I've had my fair share of knee problems over the years, hence my move to qrings and it did what it was suppose to do, take pressure of my knees.

 

I've gone back to round rings because that one day when I'm head to head sprinting for the line, I dont want to think that I need to place my weight over the saddle and not to far forward, because then I wouldnt have that big gear.

[rudi-h]

Hi-Jack on

 

So about 20% of the conversations on the hub are about some form of "performance" comparison about which is fastest. Whether it is:

 

elipitical vs circular rotors

26" vs 29" wheels

clinchers vs tubby's

deep section vs disc wheels

Hard tail vs full sus

100mm travel vs 140mm travel vs 160mm travel

road bike with tri-bars vs tri-bikes

different tyre makes and models

etc.

 

My question is that in an age where we have stuff like power meters, wind tunnels etc. why are none of this measured, tested, compared and published on a scientific basis?

 

Surely it should be possible to setup a series of scientific power based experiments in a controlled environment to quantify these benefits accurately and take the guessing and opinions out of it?

 

So why isn't anybody doing it?

 

Hi-Jack off

[EVOBIKES ONLINE STORE]

Loved mine and miss them since I converted to 1 x 9.

 

They are awesome for when you have to give short bursts of power in tight single track and on climbs. You really feel them working.

 

I think a lot of people don't use them because you don't have that dead spot at the top of the pedal stroke and therefore your legs work harder and you get tired a bit quicker (or that is what I heard). For me though they had more advantage than disadvantages.

 

If I had the money I would not think twice about getting myself a rotor crank that can fit a single narrow wide chainring.

They are available as NW chainrings - called the ROTOR QX1 - cost R1295 each. Also you only need to change the spider depending on which crank you have. Specialized and Sram spiders are available - cost R995 each

[Pure Savage]

Hi-Jack on

 

So about 20% of the conversations on the hub are about some form of "performance" comparison about which is fastest. Whether it is:

 

elipitical vs circular rotors

26" vs 29" wheels

clinchers vs tubby's

deep section vs disc wheels

Hard tail vs full sus

100mm travel vs 140mm travel vs 160mm travel

road bike with tri-bars vs tri-bikes

different tyre makes and models

etc.

 

My question is that in an age where we have stuff like power meters, wind tunnels etc. why are none of this measured, tested, compared and published on a scientific basis?

 

Surely it should be possible to setup a series of scientific power based experiments in a controlled environment to quantify these benefits accurately and take the guessing and opinions out of it?

 

So why isn't anybody doing it?

 

Hi-Jack off

 

Too many variables and everyone has a different situation. There is no one golden rule. Different horses for different courses. Hence people asking about what house for their course.

 

Also done horses cost more than some, so some times it's bang for buck

[Spoke101]

Have had them on my MTB for over a year now at OCP4 and after getting used to them I could feel a big different in seated climbing especially on the longer climbs. They also help with maintaining momentum up a climb as you don't have that dead spot and can thus keep your cadence consent for longer(IMO) but now I'm so used to them that my legs think it normal.

 

Front derailleur setup is extremely important in order to keep the chain on over high speed rough terrain and a clutch derailleur help a lot.

 

Edit:

I did read some where that the advantage over standard rings was about 2% (not sure you can prove this).

 

I also find they help me knees as I have pretty much no cartilage in the one joint after an injury as a kid and playing way to much hockey on an astro.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Spoke101

[Hardi]

I've done a 1 x 10 convertion with a 34T q-ring upfront. (42T at the back)

Climbing is a lot faster due to the ratio, but somehow the effort is the same

 

love it

[Hennie VR]

They are available as NW chainrings - called the ROTOR QX1 - cost R1295 each. Also you only need to change the spider depending on which crank you have. Specialized and Sram spiders are available - cost R995 each

 

Hi Naas.

 

Yes I know they are available but they don' fit on my crank. I spoke to Janos about it already. I have the XTR M970 crank. Those Wolftooth chainrings you guys sold me work brilliantly though. Not one issue thus far

 

Bonus month can' come soon enough!!!