I've been running Rotor Q-rings on my bikes for the past 10 months and like them a lot. However, today was the first time that I really, and I mean really, felt the elliptical nature of the rings. Over the past week I've been riding the Serotta with the aerobars in preparation for the SJBC 2TT Winter Series event.
Most of my riding has been in the big ring for the past week. I haven't, nor not really ever noticed, the elliptical rings, but today was different. On my recovery ride I was trying to keep my cadence pretty high. At one point I was on a very slight rise heading out to Calero reservoir and downshifted into my small ring. Immediately I could sense the non-roundness of the rings. From the 10 to 1 o'clock positions it felt like my stroke had a little turbo boost! I could really feel the crank turning over quicker as my stroke went through.
Just to make sure I wasn't crazy I repeated this a few times on the way back; big ring to small ring. Same feeling every time. Hmm, I wonder how long this will last. It's not a bad thing, just something that feels different.
So any of you Q-ring guys out there, have you experienced this?
Aerobars???? I thought you were going hardcore with the flying brick approach. Hell I would have leant you my R3 with a 140 stem with a 50 degree rise.
ReplyDelete!Yo estoy muy hardcore!
ReplyDeleteMy Zipp 606's w/ the powertap hub are about as hardcore as I'll go. They may even show up at Cantua ;)
what about power? Is it any different using the rings?
ReplyDeleteI remember when I first switched my data was showing about a 3-5% improvement.
ReplyDeletevery cool.
ReplyDeletei've tried a set ... but bailed out too early.
the real issue for me is that i can't be as absolutely sure about the chainring shifting on the non-round rings.
but, i think they do help with power.
so instead of using the non-round rings, i have to do a SHITload of cadence technique training.
i don't mind ... usually.
Yeah, you've got to be careful w/ the shifting. I thought I had them perfectly dialed in until I was doing 10 minute threshold intervals up Mt. Hamilton.
ReplyDeleteOn my 3rd interval I was reaching a flat area and I decided to throw it into the big ring. BAM! Dropped my chain and it did some wierd Cirque de Soleil manuever and got wedged between the frame and inner chainring. I had to get off the bike to fix it...luckily that was at the 9:50 mark of the interval so I didn't mind the recovery.