Written by: Spencer Canon

My first bike was a black Centurion Ironman with Shimano 105 and “Biopace” chainrings. I guess Shimano was so certain their egg-shaped chainrings would be successful that they went ahead and made them standard issue that year. It was a brave attempt that went the way of other bad ideas like Softride.

Fast forward almost 20 years and there’s still some non-round designs out there. Though the flawed Biopace shape has fallen, one design has perfected the concept. In fact, Rotor Q-Rings have grown in popularity at an exponential rate. More and more racers are using them and loving them. One friend described his rings as “free power,” and another said he hoped they wouldn’t get popular so he could keep the advantage to himself.

I had to try this new weapon, and Kervin at Rotor USA was kind enough to hook Bicycle.net up with a pair.

The science is common sense really: round rings force you to pedal at the same speed through the entire stroke, so you spend just as much time in the dead zone (at 12 and 6 o’clock) as you do putting on the power (between 2 o’clock and 5 o’clock). Rotor Q-Rings are shaped so the chain ring is effectively smaller as you enter that dead zone. It smoothly accelerates your feet through the dead zone and gets you back on the power sooner. You might think that this would result in a choppy sensation, but the reality is quite the opposite: suddenly your pedal stroke feels smother and rounder. You will be able to spin faster before your butt starts bouncing, and you’ll feel a more constant flow of power when you’re cranking in the big ring.

Installing a pair of Rotor Q-Rings isn’t difficult, but you can’t just slap them on and ride either: The rings themselves feature no fewer than 35 holes placed along the circumference of the bolt pattern, and they can be moved on the crank arms allowing the effective power spot to be tuned to your riding position. You’ll have to spend some time fine-tuning your front derailleur and perhaps your chain length. And to take full advantage of the ring’s shape, I actually moved my saddle forward and up a few mm. Rotor suggests you start on the #3 setting and ride it that way for a month, from there you can play around with where each ring is placed, depending on your riding style. I also found that my chainring shifting actually improved from my original FSA setup, though now I occasionally drop the chain off my big ring.

I thought they might take a bit of getting used to, but my Q-Rings felt natural immediately. They’re basically designed around the biomechanics of your body instead of forcing your body to adapt the way round rings do. I had only ridden a few miles before I decided I never wanted to go back to round.

The rings are available in 110, 130 and 135bcd, so they’re compatible with most cranks. And a standard Road Set will set you back no less than $265. But look at it this way, the next time you’re deciding between a $700 and $1000 racing wheelset, just go for the cheaper one and you’ve paid for your rings right there.

Bicycle.net rates the Rotor Q-Rings

5 out of 5 Q-Rings