Oval Q-rings - do they really increase watts?

[Deleted User]

Anyone with any experience with the oval Roto Q-rings? The company has a 30day return special going on.  I'm looking for any way to buy more power. I'm 60, have a FTP of 150 that I'm trying to increase to be competitive. Anyone with any recommendations or experience? Thanks for any help!

 

Gene

 Randomly on a bike ride in SoCal I meet and rode with a guy from Canada. He is a shop owner and more importantly works on and with Peter Reid for all of his bikes. The shop owner had the oval chain rings on so we discussed it.  He is in love with them for road cycling. Using a spin scan he fits a lot of customers to them and it really does improve their cycling power by minimizing the weak spots of the stroke. But, and there's always a but. He said Peter Reid experimented with them a lot and found that he did not like them for triathlon. Peter could not exactly explain why but he had trouble running off the bike with the oval rings. The thought was that with the dead spots eliminated, and the lack of micro-recovery, it worked his legs too hard. I have never tried them myself, but the human body is amazing and I'm sure you can adapt to anything. 

Eric Blakie

I've used them for 4 years and from my point of view they definately add about 5% to my power output--I have them on my road bike and TT race bike and always use them in races--I'm disappointed if anybody passes me on the bike !!! But like anything you need tot rain on them and give them and your legs time to acclimatise.I have them on position 2 inner ring and 3 outer ring on TT bike and on road bike both on 3.

[Deleted User]

I think non-circular chainrings are designed to modify the distribution of power in your pedal stroke. That is, they'll change up your pedaling technique by using different muscle groups (compared to a circular chainring) for each part of the stroke. That might affect the watts you put out, for better or for worse, by eliminating any dead-spots in your pedaling and using different muscles. However, watts are watts, and there's no "free" power here. You might see a power increase because the chainrings utilize muscle groups that you didn't use previously, but ultimately your power output is determined by what you can put out from your legs.

harrast

Has anybody put them on a Quarq? I've been tempted to try the Q-rings, but I understand that the Quarq unit would have to be sent in for recalibration if new rings are installed. Does anyone have experience with this?

[Deleted User]

this is helpful Eric. How much time did it take you adapt? How do you find the best position?

tim cronk

I have em. I like em. But . Here is the but. I think its all subjective and like a sugar pill. Granted I did not have power before I got my Q-rings (Rotor3d 165mm crankset with compact gearing Qrings and Quarq) so I cant really compare. But to me its like changing your diet and saying you feel better (I cant notice that either) felt good before and felt good after. I will say I took my old bike for a ride the other day and it has longer cranks, standard gearing, round rings, and no PM and I was just as fast on a local ride as I am with my new bike and all the bells and whistles. It really is about the motor.

It cant hurt to try them and again I do like mine.

The cheapest way to buy more FTP is to follow your EN plan IMO!

Al Truscott

 Here's a prediction: Bradley Wiggins will win the Tour de France (and maybe the Olympic TT Gold medal) this year with asymmetric cranks.

Peter Greagg

I have had them for a couple of years on my TT bike (compact). My roadie has standard 53/39 rings. I have to say that I can't tell if they make much difference.
FWIW my FTP on both bikes is within a few watts — but that might just be my brain limiting me to what I think I can do.
As Al T's signature block suggests your brain can limit you in what you believe can achieve and therefore putting a barrier to further improvement..

Peter Greagg

PS I have a Computrainer and could fine tune the phase of the "bulge" relative to the cranks in Spinscan mode but haven't got around to it.
That probably says someting.
Also I don't think I would get them again.

[Deleted User]

It looks like the bottom line is, try them, get them well adjusted and see what happens. There's a 30-day full $ return right now. Would 30 days be enough time to really trial them to make a decision? Thanks everyone, these comments have really helped.

I also had someone tell me that if you have hip flexor issues, that they really help with helping to get up and over the top of the peddal stroke.