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Q RINGS

Hi all,
has anyone got q rings on their tt bikes?
what do you think?
did they take a long time to get used to?
what benefits did you notice?

Comments

  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
  • good article cheers.
    Been out with mine on a couple of times now, says you need 300miles or nearly 5 weeks to get used to them!!!!
    they feel slightly weird when you first get going,
    I really like em at the moment, i usually ride a 53 and then the middle sprocket on the back of a 12-25, just habit lol
    but my cadence is around 80.
    so am getting about 22.8 mph average on a 10 mile tt,
    when i've first been out with the q rings on i feel as though the pedaling is so much easier to get the cadence higher in the same gear so obviously more speed, not gone all out on em yet cos trying to break em in, well break my brain and muscles in

    If anyone else got ay info I would like to hear
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    I've just got rid of mine - moved to a Small PX Stealth frame, and it won't take any rings bigger than 54T so my 53t Q Ring has had to go.

    In all honesty, I didn't notice any difference with it on, but with it gone I find I'm thinking more about my pedalling action. But even if it's onl;y a placebo effect, it's worth having!
  • how long were you riding with it before you got rid of it?
    was it on a tt bike or a road bike?

    anything that helps me run better off the bike is a bonus!!!! lol
    i really feel as tho i'll be able to spin faster in the same gear which should mean more speed, but this might just be from initial use so when i get used to it might just end up going back to normal
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    I had at least six months on them, on my TT bike.
  • I have not tried Q-rings but a long time ago shimano brought out bio-pace which was a solution aimed at solving the top dead centre issue. I tried these for some time as they made perfect sense and simply couldn't get used to them, and know this was a case for many other cyclists. I sold a few chainsets to people at the time and most didn't like them. In comparison I put the chainset on the girfriend's bike and as a novice she found them really useful. This being the case we recomended them on a few bikes we built up for female and junior riders, many of them far from being novices, and their response was generally more positive. My thoughts at the time were that getting over the top of the pedal stroke was a strength issue more related to a weaker bottom phase on the opposite crank.

    At a personal level I found them to be alright at a steady cadence on the flat, my usual cadence range being 90 to 95 rpm but when it came to any power bursts or long steady climbs I was simply too aware of them. My conclusion and that of a few friends at the time was that I didn't need them because I already had a good pedaling action, being brought up as a youngster on restricted gears riding with the big boys, and riding a fixed gear for a lot of my winter training miles, old school training attitudes. As such I put the idea to bed.

    However when I have since seen the likes of Wiggins and Millar using them, top class timetrialists who are not powerhouses in the Cancellara mould, but who could hardly be described as having a lack of strength I have questioned my ideas.

    I have been considering going back to try the likes of q-rings when I get myself a triathlon bike, partly because as a 46 year old strength is not what it used to be. My questions to add to this post would there be any point unless I took the same approach with my regular road bike and mountain bike as I would continue to do high milage on all three? And do you think they do suit riders with less leg strength? Any thoughts welcome.
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Aren't Q-rings different in terms of shape from bio pace?

    I can't remember rightly but I'm sure they are totally different. You might find that Q-Rings are perfect for you.

    Also Wiggo uses O-Symetrics and not Q-Rings. A lot of people had issues with the O-Symetrics with the chain coming off but I believe Hussler who sometimes posts on here has O-S and don't think he's had issues with them

    I'm planning Q-Rings on my TT for next year as I'm tuning more into my pedal action..
  • I know the old shimano ones were really odd shaped. I have always tended to think of them as a simple elipse and that any issue is the potential difference between the largest and smallest radi, which add to initial strange feeling. If the profile was then sorted then this sensation should be diminished.

    At a scientific level I am sure by using an SRM meter or something similar you could prove that the power output in the pedal stroke becomes more balanced. As this relates to almost the cost of a decent bike I am buggered if I am going to experiment to find out if this works for me untill my cycling is near the top of my age group. I suspect there is a coaching facility out there which for a few quid could demonstrate some improvement in a couple of hours, but my logic dictates that you would simply focus more in the session on trying to acieve better power profiles, and the truth in the pudding is only there on two comparable long ride days one with Q-rings and one without when you were equally as knackered. I am left wondering is this a luxery I simply can't afford yet, fact, and one that will not make a significant difference unless I am really competitive, yet to be proven fact. If on the other hand you can afford it give it a go, as e-bay is not awash with them, and they must have sales to be in business I suspect there is a lot of truth in their claims beyond a simple preferance position such as adamo saddles.
  • I have found on the couple of rides I have been on that my cadence has gone up, or at least feels a lot easier to spin up in the same gear I usually ride!!!
    They say in the bumph it takes time to get used to them, if my cadence stays up at this level in the same gear then speed will go up????
    I got mine from an ebay seller in canada, a 53t aero one, just the outter ring, for £41.50 (inc postage) so well over half UK price!!!!
  • I use O-symmetric on my TT bike, I dont have any problems with them, took me about 2 hours of riding to get used to them. But then I am a very efficient pedlar anyway.

    You can have problems with chain drop if not set up correctly, I did when I first fitted them but after a few tweeks they have been perfect.

    I have the TT specific rings at a 54-44, Although I really rate them, I am selling mine as I have the chance to put Di2 on my TT bike so swapping back to Dura Ace.

    Anyone interested in buying mine PM me.....
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