Rotor Q-ring question

[addictR1]

a couple buddies of mine in our riding group recently switched over to using the rotor Q-ring.. some with the PM feature.
one thing they've been telling me about is the way it rides and how well it helped them to climb.

anyone here have the same experience?

i'm running SRAM RED 50/34 right now and thinking to change to a mid-compact.. so was debating if it's worthwhile to just get the chainrings?

1) will they be lighter then my current setup
2) do i need any special spacer or anything like that to mount it on my GXP crank?

thanks.

[nefariousintent]

I found that they were great for climbing. Still ended up back on round rings.

[addictR1]

That's good to hear as I'm planning on using it for my addict which is a dedicated climbing bike.

[nga]

Remember that Q-Rings will surely cause shifting problems for you. This won't be a showstopper but from time to time it's very annoying that the shifting especially from smaller to larger chainring is a bit crappy.

Yes, you'll have to set up the front derailleur exactly right. Even if you achieve this don't expect same level of shifting accuracy. I rode 3 years with Q-Rings and switched back to round ones (currently Praxis Works) because of the shifting performance. No problems climbing hills now or then. I'm using both Campagnolo's mechanical and Shimano's Di2 drivetrains. Friends with same problems are using SRAM.

Also if there was a benefit in my power output when using Q-Rings it was such benefit that I was unable to pinpoint it from my power data.

[muntos]

I'm also considering choosing Rotor Q-Rings + Rotor 3D24 with Shimano Ultegra DI2 but I haven't heard before of shifting problems with oval chainrings...
Is there anyone else who ride such setups and had/have shifting problems ?

[Raineman]

I ride osymmetrics which have an even worse reputation for shifting and only experience 1-2% bad shifts which is often only the chain taking a second attempt to get up the shift ramp or a lack of cable tension. They will never shift as great as shimano or praxis but once you have the FD set up well they aren't an issue. The key point is that oval rings are more sensitive to bad FD set-up than anything else.

I use them with Di2 as well and have never had an issue with that due to the sheer power of the FD.

[tinozee]

I use QXL, on third set now (on Red 22). They rule. And they don't cause shifting problems when setup right. I also had regular Q rings (on compact Red) and had no shift issues. You just have to follow the setup instructions. It would be hard to do a comparison. Ideally I would do a year like the last year I had on QXL rings. 12,000 miles, over 20 races, 24 centuries and highest ftp I have had for a long period. Maybe the same result with round rings? It's so hard to say. Too many variables. But I love the way it feels to pedal on these rings. And i tend to believe the studies that show oval rings work.

From conclusion segment of recent study-
"The slight tendency towards improvement in power output when using the oval Q-rings (increase of 2.5–6.5 % relative to circular chainrings) suggests that Q-rings could result in slight improvement during on-road cycling performance."

Also check out - http://pelotonmagazine.com/pages/from-inside-peloton-slo-motion/

And I would agree with that study that the most noticeable difference is in sprint. That may change depending on OCP though. When I get over the front on a sprint I feel like I am hammering a 60t ring (but it spins up like a 50) and it feels damn good.

[srshaw]

I use q rings and da 9000. Shifting might not be as slick as a shimano chainring but it certainly isn't bad.

It's certainly better than my other bike using previous generation 105.

[addictR1]

i've read some about shifting issue as well. any special tips and pointers to watch out for when setting it up?

[Grill]

Round, Q-Rings, and O'Sys all feel the same to me. It's worth noting that that non-round rings don't give you a real increase in FTP, most PM's simply over-estimate power. https://twitter.com/xavierdisley/status/428989052180647936

[dmoneysworks]

I had q rings w/ da7900 and went back to round for a while as shift quality broke me but have since gone osymetric w/ da9000 - '14 model w/ shift ramp/pins on big dog - and to my surprise (thinking they'd be worse) I've found the shift quality a non-issue! ...neither setup has/had any special FD spacers etc

Also I've seen no measurable increase in FTP during testing, but racing I seem to climb heaps better so I'm sticking with em'. I really like sprinting with em' too as I'm all about leg speed.

[grouk]

QXL 52/36 and zero shifting problems you only need good adjustment and chain catcher, and i didnt use the spacer that rotor recommend

[Stueys]

I switched to q rings last summer on my nice bike. Run di2 on that and don't have any shifting issues, the front shift is not quite as slick as round rings but that's the only difference if it's set up well.

For me the oval rings work, I prefer the pedalling motion that they give you. Subjectively I think I ride better on them but it's very hard to get empirical data points to prove that. A fair number of the people,I ride with tried them last year, none of them have gone back.

[nefariousintent]

This has me tempted to try them again....

[addictR1]

QXL 52/36 and zero shifting problems you only need good adjustment and chain catcher, and i didnt use the spacer that rotor recommend

Are you using a RED 110BCD crank?


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