Rotor Q Rings for Road

I’ve been lucky enough to work in the cycling industry for some time, so I’d come across Q Rings before, a few years ago, but it was good to use them again. Having them fitted to a good Italian Sarto frame should do the trick for testing, and during the ride my legs felt great; they turned the cranks over nicely and didn’t feel fatigued at all. Crucially, it was when I got home that I really noticed the difference though. The feeling in my legs after a ride is normally tired but ok, and they recover quite quickly. However, this time I could feel the different muscle groups in my legs had been worked as if I’d been to the gym, and walking up the stairs to grab a shower was quite interesting, feeling like I’d climbed in the Dolomites that day and not the Dales.

This wasn’t because of a very hard ride I might add, but just my legs getting used to the movement of the Q-Rings. That said, the feeling quickly goes the more you use them. They’re very stiff and the motion is comfortable, but you don’t have to go like the clappers while riding up hill, as the Q-Rings make it more efficient to just tap out a steady rhythm and munch the hills away.

On the flat is where they come into their own, as they assist in reducing the negative effect of the “dead spots at 12 and 6” and it really smooths out your pedal stroke if you jerk a little while pedalling. All in all a really nice product to test, but I’m not sure that they would be for the Sunday morning club run. They’re more suited for riders that like to compete at club level or do a triathlon. In this arena, they’re a good investment. They’ll also help you if you suffer from Knee issues the Q-Rings imitate a circular (but smaller) chain ring around the Dead Spots. I look forward to my next ride with these on!

I’ll be continuing the test over the next few months, seeing how it helps to improve my overall rides in the Dales and Moors and across the Vale of York. In the meantime, Q-Rings are available from Fulford Cycles in York, who will happily fit them for you.

Alternatively, take a look at our developing technical section, where we’ll be showing you guys how to do the deed for yourself, along with some other useful skills.