Submitted by
Vallie Atkinson
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ Date Reviewed: June 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Brown Mountain
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Rotor Cranks
Strengths:
Easier to stay on top of a gear. Better power in sand, and rough uphills
Weaknesses:
Slightly pricey, but worth it.
Similar Products Used:
Round rings, and old Biopace
Bike Setup:
Titus Motolite
Bottom Line:
Q-Rings tried on Motolite (review) I decided it was time to refresh the drivetrain so changed the cassettes chains and front sprockets on me and my girlfriends Motolites.
I decided to try the "Rotor Cranks Q-Rings" while at it. These are NOT Biopace!! They reduce the ratio at the top and bottom of the stroke, the exact opposite of Biopace.
Tried them on a couple hour ride in Tucson Mtn. Park. You could feel a difference for sure, and in a positive way. The good thing is that they did not take any adjustment at all. They felt different, but totally natural. I felt that they evened the spin out. I was afraid that they were going to feel "herky jerky" but were just the opposite. I am a high rpm spinner, usually riding a gear or two lower than my companions while at the same speed so was not sure I needed any help with my spin, and was afraid an eliptical ring might hurt my spin, but it did not.
It was not so much at the high rpms that I noticed the difference, but more when I needed to power through things. I dove into a sand wash in a fairly high gear, and it just seemed easier to keep on top of the gear with the sand trying to drag your cadence down. The bike did not get a chance to slow down as much between each power stroke. Same thing on technical uphills. There is a hillclimb we found hidden off the popular riding trails that goes up a rocky steep hill until it reaches wheelie backwards "hike a bike" steepness. I felt that it was easier to keep going in those situations where between each leg stroke the bike almost stops.
We ride lots of nasty stair step sections and have gone to 5-Ten shoes and platforms for the safety of instant release, and ease of restart climbing techy ups. The only downside is the occassional foot coming off the pedal sometimes while attempting really nasty climbs. The rings seemed to reduce that by keeping more even pedal pressure.
They don't climb the hill for you or anything, but just seem to make it easier to stay on top of a gear. I felt like the designers matched the rings well, to the way the body produces differing amounts of torque at different areas of the crank position.
Shifting was totally normal. I only replaced the inner and middle rings. Therefore, I did not have to change derailler height at all. They cost $50 for the inner, $80 for the middle, and $120 for the big, so for most people, I would say don't buy the whole set, just get the 2 inner rings and save money over the whole set, and avoid having to move the front derailler.
My girlfreind liked them as well, and said they reduced her knee pain as well. So all in all, we plan on keeping these on our bikes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcel
a Cross Country Rider
from Barcelona, Spain Date Reviewed: May 11, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Costa Rica!
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$210.00
Purchased At:
Probike Barcelona
Strengths:
Light weight. Excellent quality. Customized look. No apparent stress on knee, even if natural to bicycling. Incredibly smooth stroke. Overwhelming sense of efficiency.
Weaknesses:
Price? But you get more than what you pay for. To me it was a little tricky to set up the front derailleur at the beginning, but great afterwards.
Similar Products Used:
Round rings...
Bike Setup:
Trek 8900 hardtail, full XT, SID Team, Thomson.
Bottom Line:
As Tai puts it below: "The Q-rings make it seem like your pedals just bounce right back up on the pedal up stroke allowing a killer smooth and powerful spin." I´m picking parts for a new bike with Rohloff, and realize that my choice of frames mostly comes down to "Will I be able to use the q-rings with this frame?" I definitely will accept the need for chain tensioner to use with the outer q-ring if that allows me to use it (not possible with sliding dropouts or eccentric bottom bracket). Having tried these, I can´t understand round rings... Q-rings make you feel like you are flying your bike, not just riding it. Try them yourself and be sold! (I don´t work for Rotor!)
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Submitted by
Richard
a Weekend Warrior
from Montgomery, AL. USA Date Reviewed: April 5, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Excel
Strengths:
Improved pedal stroke, additional power,less stress on the knees, high quality
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
9 Speed Compact Shimano
Bottom Line:
Q-rings deliver as advertised. I will not take them off and go back to round rings.
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Submitted by
Gary
a Weekend Warrior
from South Africa Date Reviewed: August 21, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Good quality, good workmanship.
Weaknesses:
No apparent difference in performance. While the science seems to make sense there are no peer-reviewed studies which confirm the manufacturers claims. There are lots of claims and sponsored studies but no peer-reviewed unbiased, published studies.
Bottom Line:
Waste of money for my purpose, but maybe if you have to change your chain ring anyway then why not.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Tunik
a Weekend Warrior
from Israel Date Reviewed: April 9, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Unipro Israel
Strengths:
All strengths that you saw in previous review are right. This product is working as Rotor say.
Weaknesses:
I have RM ETSX small frame and I had some problem with front derailleur adjustment BUT after all problem solved.
Bike Setup:
2006 ETSX 10; Fox Float 2007 Fork; Fox Float R 2006; Cane Creek Solos Headset; 2007 Shimano XT crankset with Q rings; Magura Comp Hubs; Mavic 819 Ust rims; Thomson Elite post, stem; Schwalbe Fat Albert 2.3 (front) and Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25 (rear); SRAM X-9 shifters; Magura Luise 2007 Bat disc brakes; 2007 SRAM X-9 rear der.; 2006 Shimano XT front der.; Shimano LX cassette; Crank Brothers Mallet M pedals
Bottom Line:
Here I will add my two cents (one more time - all previous reviews are right and I agree with them for 100%). I compare my riding before and after Q-Rings and see that after starting to use Q-Rings use nearly stoped to use small ring. Instead of small-medium ring usage my riding style changed to medium-large and all this on same trails. I realy impressed and looking for Rotor crank upgrade in near future. The best upgrade that I did on my bike!!!
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Submitted by
Tai Blechta
a Cross Country Rider
from Honolulu Date Reviewed: March 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
peacock
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$199.00
Purchased At:
rotorcranks.com
Strengths:
The Q-rings make it seem like your pedals just bounce right back up on the pedal up stroke allowing a killer smooth and powerful spin. Even better, besides the enhanced/easier/more powerful pedal stroke they strangely shift better than any stock rings I've ever used... They look funky and hard to set up but they never seem to miss a shift as the ovalized shape gives you two really really really distinct shift points and they occur twice per revolution (at the smaller diameter sections) for can't miss shifting. Plus the adjustability is nice as I found the initial settting I had I didn't like but after playing with them a bit I found a setting I loved. Hmm, also kinda cool looking!
Weaknesses:
No real weaknesses but you may need to take the time to set them up in a few settings and see which one you like best. Oh, well a bit expensive but you get what you pay for I guess.
Similar Products Used:
Rotorcranks, normal rings
Bike Setup:
Yeti ASR-sl w/full X.O avid Juicy Ultimates and Reba Team, also have Q-rings on my time trial triathlon bike as well
Bottom Line:
Killer product that actually makes it seem to me like they make you go faster.
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Submitted by
Shawn Olin
a Racer
from San Diego, CA, USA Date Reviewed: March 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Capitol Forest, WA
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$199.00
Purchased At:
RotorCranks.com
Strengths:
Added power due to "dead spot" elimintation, knee pain is eliminated, pedal stroke improved... Q-Rings should be ridden by everyone!
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Rotor Cranks
Bike Setup:
Specialized FSR
Bottom Line:
The ONLY chainring setup to use!!! Ridden to multiple World Championship, Q-Rings will reinvigorate and improve your cycling dramatically!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan Levinson
a Racer
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: March 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Xterra Maui
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
RotorCranks.com
Strengths:
PERFORMANCE! Ease of installation. Quality of materials. Easy to adjust. Affordable.
Weaknesses:
They are not yet carried by a lot of bike shops so you have to wait a few days when you order. They sometimes take a few rides to get the correct setting. Once you're used to them it's pretty obvious when the setting is wrong and it's bliss when it's right...
Similar Products Used:
Round chainrings
Bike Setup:
Specialized S-Works Epic. Love it.
Bottom Line:
I first tried these on my road bike and noticed an immediate improvement. They feel smoother and my legs felt less fatigued for a given wattage. I did a number of closed course steady wattage rides under conditions that I am familiar with and I now have no doubt that Q-rings are more efficient than round.
Because of how well they worked for me on the road I put them on my MTB only a few weeks before the Xterra USA Championships. It took a few rides to get them set correctly, then I raced on them to a 1st place finish in my division. A month later I raced on them at the Xterra World Championships and placed 2nd in my division. I felt smoother on the climbs, had less burn at steady hard efforts, and was MUCH fresher going into the run. I am a HUGE believer in Q-Rings.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bozz
a Racer
from Fairfax, Va USA Date Reviewed: December 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$79.00
Purchased At:
fav bike shop
Strengths:
Not much I can add to other reviews. But after riding for 2 hours today (40T road version), I'm hooked. It makes for a very smooth pedal stroke. In fact, when I shifted to my 53T Dura Ace, I thought something was wrong, as my stroke was jerky. The design makes a lot of sense. Wil get the 53T road and MTB rings now that this seems so good.
Weaknesses:
Only used for 2 hours, so don't know yet.
Bottom Line:
Worth it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ruud Rentmeester
a Cross Country Rider
from Goes Date Reviewed: October 26, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
- Better acceleration - Don't have to get used to it - Good quality - Light - Possibility to finetune the chainring position
Weaknesses:
I had to modify the outerring a little bit to make it fit onto my cranckset.
Bike Setup:
Merida Carbon Team
Bottom Line:
I've got Q-rings on all my bikes and I never want to go back to normal chainrings again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank Schotman
a Racer
from Steenderen, Holland Date Reviewed: October 26, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Superb acceleration, better climbing. You can feel the difference immediately. you don't have to get used to it, just put on your bike and improve your riding!
Weaknesses:
Little problems with chain in downhills. Sometimes the chain got lose.problem solved with a piece of rubber in my front derailleur.
Bike Setup:
Merida athens gold
Bottom Line:
i won't get back to normal chainrings since i tried the Q-rings!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sebas Haaker
a Cross Country Rider
from Haarlem Date Reviewed: September 27, 2006
Favorite Trail:
route 2 La Roche n Ardenne
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$149.00
Purchased At:
Bikeplanet Haarlem BV
Strengths:
really works: -more easy to find a efficient cadance -legs feel better when you get tired -less slipping by steep climbs -looks awesome
Weaknesses:
-shifting is less then Shimano for example; due to the form
Similar Products Used:
biopace.....sucked
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher frame; genisis, easton 6061 tubed Magura Ronin 80mm fork Sram rocket shifters, XT der./crank, avid arch rival brakes, footwork hubs, mavic X517 rims, Racing Ralph 2.25 tires, Bontrager race lite steerer/seatpost/etc.
Bottom Line:
!!!Brilliant!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erwin Bakker
a Cross Country Rider
from Liessel Date Reviewed: September 25, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Riva del Garda
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$149.00
Purchased At:
L ocal bikestrore
Strengths:
The rings give you better performance (proven) and I can feel better climbing and accelerating performance. You can turn the ring for you best performance for every rider. Don't compare these with biopace they are so much better. They last longer than shimano rings as a nice extra
You just have to try it to believe it, almost every rider who starts with qrings, stays with hem. Marianne vos won yesterday the Womens road World Champion title on Qrings!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wiksa_na_Maxa
a Cross Country Rider
from Poland Date Reviewed: September 23, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$165.00
Purchased At:
bikechip.com
Strengths:
Super strong, better accelerate and better rythmics pedaling, killer custom looks, knee protection
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
None. I tried FSA normal chainrings
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F900SL 2004, Mavic819 UST tires Huthonson, DT240Disc, Magura, Time atack carbon, Easton Monkey lite XC, Thomson, Brooks swift, Gore ride-on, All Titan/Alu bolts
Bottom Line:
The best value for money, amazing works (knee protection, climbing)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
José de Sena
a Cross Country Rider
from Segovia Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
north side Madrid sierra
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Bicimania Madrid
Strengths:
I is using this product since 6 months and I am amazed at how much difference such a upgrade makes. I used to only be capable to climb the sierra from its base (1200meters) once, and now I can do it twice. I just doesn't tire out, I no longer am cramping and I can sprinting at the end of the ride.
Weaknesses:
I need to set up my front derailler very preciseley, to shift as fast as my old rings.
Similar Products Used:
only normal cranks
Bike Setup:
Scott scale carbon.
Bottom Line:
I will never go back to the normal chainrings. That the qring work so well, maes me consider buying a rotor system when the q need replacement. Many people i ride with call me a biopace crazy. Now everytime I wait for them at the tv transmitter at the top of the sierra, they cant speak. I can. Then I call them round ring crazys.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jasper
a Cross Country Rider
from Culemborg Holland Date Reviewed: September 12, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Faster and beter acceleration. Climbing goes more easier and better traction in the mud.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Rotor rs4x crankset, bikedrive, normal crankset with round chainrings
Bike Setup:
Specialized epic s-works, sram X0, fsa megaexo carbon cranks with q-rings, marta sl brakes, ronin fork, no-tubes wheels
Bottom Line:
q-ring are not a fairytale they work for real!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Curro Nieto
a Cross Country Rider
from Madrid Date Reviewed: September 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
po navacerrada - cercedilla
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
bicimania Madrid
Strengths:
you can climb much easier with less pain, acceleration is much faster too. On very long rides your legs have much more energy at the end - you can still stand up and sprint the last climbs!
Weaknesses:
none that I have seen yet
Similar Products Used:
xtr, xt.
Bike Setup:
trek 9.8 w/ full xtr (exept for the old rings!)
Bottom Line:
great. fantastic. Why are you not using them yet?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Timo
a Cross Country Rider
from Haarlem, The Netherlands Date Reviewed: September 11, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Bike planet Haarlem
Strengths:
I was a bit sceptic about the rings, but somebody convinced me to try them. I would like to thank that person! The rings are amazing, especially when climbing and accelerating! If you try them you don’t want to ride round rings anymore.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Normal rings.
Bottom Line:
You will go faster with Q-rings! The climbs I used to struggle with are alot easier now. My knees are very happy as wel.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phill Lucas
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands Date Reviewed: June 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Anything round Frejus, France
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
These things are the closest thing to a rotor crank you can get, and the 2nd best drivetrain upgrade you could ever make. (I have rotors on my FS bike). I use them on the MTB and i have used the on the road. You accelerate faster, you can sprint out of the saddle longer before tiring, you can even overtake without needing to shift and giving away your acceleration plan (great in racing).
Weaknesses:
If you dont have your derailleur set up properly your front shifting may suffer.
Similar Products Used:
Rotor Cranks, normal round chainrings
Bike Setup:
Alu hardtail custom frame, white bros front fork, crossmax, xt/xtr drivetrain.
Bottom Line:
Great value for money. You get some of the rotor crank benefits for a lower weight (for a weight weenie bike). Strongly reccomended if you dont want to or cant spash out on the real deal.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lennert Bosman
a Weekend Warrior
from Delft, The Netherlands Date Reviewed: June 6, 2006
Favorite Trail:
wielingen, germany
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$170.00
Strengths:
-extraordinary improvement in performance considering I drive a 19 kg bike. I can go uphill with these blades. The finish and material are extremely durable, which reduces the wear considerably. Adjustable to any bikers needs!
Weaknesses:
still not as strong as my old saint blades
Similar Products Used:
As an oldie in the mountain bike business I have to admit using shimano biopace around one century ago. (ofcource no comparison), race face, shimano saint, vuelta.
Bike Setup:
canyon big mountain frame, DT hugi freeride/mavic wheels, magura louise FR 210/180 brakes, manitou suspension, XT drivetrain w/ XTR chain.
Bottom Line:
They cost the same as other chainrings, but in the end you with be saving money since they do not wear, save you energy, and feel nicer to pedal with.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Salinas, CA USA Date Reviewed: May 17, 2006
NONE, but I did have to replace all my round rings on my other bikes as they were starting to collect dust.
Similar Products Used:
NONE, there's nothing out there like it.
Bike Setup:
Yeti ASR-SL, 5th Element rear shock, Manitou Min. 2 fork, full XTR components, TruVativ cranks, Kenda Tomac Nevegal UST tires.
Bottom Line:
It was time to replace my rings so I figured what the heck. Very impressed with the Q-Rings and the actual improvements in climbing and overall comfort. Awesome to hammer on and only wish they made a larger ring size as I'm sure I can push it. It's a must try if you like to go fast, even uphill.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Espen Fossheim
a Racer
from Oslo, Norway Date Reviewed: May 13, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$210.00
Purchased At:
Probike Norway
Strengths:
Increased power and optimized pedaling. Exceptional climbing abillities and increased top speed at (51T-56T)53T-11T. 5 presets that covers most peoples pedaling preferances. Lightweigth replacement at a reasonable price with excellent quality and hopefully a durabillity that surpasses the original/other replacements.
Weaknesses:
Not as efficient as the Rotor crank - just limits the impact of the dead spot.
Try this repacement and see if it suits your biking habbits. I can say no more that it made me a much better climber and eased the stress on my knees. It also gave me much better durabillity and I can now keep the pace without getting into serious fatigue leaving more headroom for a good sprint at the end.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fedde
a Cross Country Rider
from Amsterdam, The Netherlands Date Reviewed: May 13, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Bikeplanet Haarlem
Strengths:
I was curious if it actually works. But it does!! The first few rounds it's a bit of strange feeling. But when you get used to it, after a couple of rides, it really feels natural. Normally I always drove with 44-32-22 the Q-rings are 44-34-24. Funny thing is that you don't notice the difference! That really shows that it works, especially on longer climbs or long lanes. I really can advice everyone to try these rings. My bike is a little bit heavy (16kg) and these rings made my Freeride bike into a AllMountain bike!
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Regular chainrings, and 10 years ago Shimano Biopace on my citybike (the total opposite of Q-rings!)
You do have to mount your front derailleur higher. Might be a problem on some fullsuspension bikes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Evan
a Racer
from Dallas, Oregon Date Reviewed: May 9, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Waldo Lake
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$218.00
Purchased At:
Rotor USA
Strengths:
Allow you to utilize the highest leverage parts of pedal stroke most effectively. Shift very well. Don't need a chain tensioner on the singlespeed due to perfect symmetry! Pricing is very fair for three quality rings like these.
Installed them and raced a 3 day road stage race. Took 3rd on the final stage and 5th overall. Put a 34T on my singlespeed the next day and took 45 seconds off my PR for a 25 minute climb the week before. Placed 2nd in the state champs the next week then hit my first two NMBS podiums at Southridge for marathon and singlespeed.
Now when I ride round rings I can feel the lack of power that these give. Rotor Q-Rings have got me off to one of my best seasons ever!
$
Overall Rating:
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