Rotor Q Rings on MTB And Gravel Bike

Another way to determine your OCP and with accuracy, is with Rotor’s power meters: Inpower, 2Inpower or the Inspider. Downloading the software for a PC or using the App on a mobile is straight forward. I have been using the Inspider power meter for a few weeks now on a DM Kapic carbon crank as we head into that off season training period, optimistic for a season of events and racing in 2021! No news to power meter convertees, but it has been somewhat of a revelation and, moreover, the quantity of useful, live data that is derived from the Inspider as single sided power meter has been a real plus. A more in depth article and posts about the Inspider and how it works as a modular system across Rotor’s DM cranks to follow.

Adaptation

I remember those first few km well and it did feel awkward, pedaling felt lumpy as each foot came over the top of the pedal stroke. Having read all the marketing material I was naively expecting this sudden performance increase! It just felt odd initially, almost as though more effort was required when riding over familiar terrain and up local climbs for a given speed. I was simply overly expectant of an immediate, positive outcome, I had to remember that years of teaching yourself to ride in a particular way, to pedal in efficient circles overcoming the upper and lower dead spots, had to be unlearnt. Riding oval means learning a new movement pattern, which, like learning any other skill, takes perseverance and time before it feels normal, natural and efficient. This adaptation period will be different for everyone. I had over 15 years of riding round rings in the legs and was of a ‘certain’ age. Younger and relatively new riders may find their adaptation experience is faster. Personally, it took around 15-18 hours of riding before pedaling started to feel smooth again and relaxed, eliminating the deliberate effort of pedaling through the dead spots. The oval rings now felt ‘round’, although, as I came to realise, real adaptation and thus true gains from riding oval became more apparent over the course of months rather than simply from the point where they felt smooth to ride.

Just as an experiment, some time ago I returned to round rings for a couple of weeks, riding the same routes. Adapting back (smooth pedal stroke) was significantly quicker, within a couple of 3-4 hour rides. 15+ years of an ingrained movement pattern will always linger, so it didn’t surprise me, although I did feel that something was missing with each pedal stroke, that added drive during the most powerful section of the pedal stroke, the 12 to 3 o’clock position and I was having to make a deliberate effort to pedal through the dead spots. This definitely confirmed my choice to ride Q rings.

As the legs became adapted, there was a sensation of being to turn through the gear a little quicker and more efficiently, a subtle, but positive difference in how I rode. On long climbs, there has certainly been an enhanced ability to maintain a strong cadence. Where the gradient ramps up and cadence plummets on short, punchy climbs, whether seated or out of the saddle, getting over the top of the gear feels a little easier. Similarly on longer climbs where the surface was rough, being able to maintain a more smooth and constant cadence has been easier with the Q rings.

As alluded to, we all differ biomechanically and how we interact with our bikes. Adaptation and overall outcome will vary from rider to rider. The micro adjusters will normally notice the greatest positive effect with the macro adjusters most likely noticing the least, but it is there. I sit in the former group and although personal research hasn’t been particularly scientific, simply comparing timings on long climbs and out the saddle efforts on shorter ones, there has been a positive effect all round with my riding, including at mtb stage races and bikepacking events.