Rotor Q-ring Safety guide

ROTOR

Q-Ring starter's guide:

Part 1

ADAPTATION PHASES

Transition from Round rings to Q-Rings.

Q-Rings use a your leg muscles at a different rate than round rings. This muscle balance change is why it is important to follow this guide, which will make your transition

smooth. Please do not install the Q-Rings until you have read sections 1- of this document entirely. The time spent in each phase varies from a few days to a week;

depending on the cyclist. Some phases pass faster than others. Adaptation takes a minimum of 500km (road) / 200km (MTB)

Pedalling may feel different, leading to a faster or slower cadence than usual. You may notice an initial jerkiness, which will smooth out

after the first few kilometers (high revs may be choppy for a while). Maintain the same gear combinations as usual. Do not push yourself too

hard. Avoid focusing on a “perfect spin”: this means your legs will try to make Q-Rings round which they are not. Simply focus on pushing the

pedals and allow yourself time to adapt to the Q-Rings healthier, performance enhancing pedal stroke.

Phase 1:

Brain Training

Q-Rings’ improved biomechanic efficiency spreads leg muscle loads more evenly than normal chainrings, reducing knee problems and

Adaptation phase Characteristics of phase

Q-RING ADAPTATION PHASES GUIDE

It is recommended you complete the first 3 adaptation phases before changing your chainring's OCP setting

Road or XC2 bike? Start in position 3

Triathlon or TT bike? Start in position 4

XC3 bike? Start in position 2

Recumbent bike? See recumbent installation guide!

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Phase 2:

Easy riding

Q-Rings’ improved biomechanic efficiency spreads leg muscle loads more evenly than normal chainrings, reducing knee problems and

making your muscles work together at different rates than with round chainrings. You may notice that your weaker inner leg muscles are

being pushed harder to maintain an effort level that feels normal. Do not panic: keep on building baseline Km’s without exerting yourself too much,

developing said muscles without overloading them. (Even if you feel more powerful, try to resist the temptation to go all out).

Phase 3:

Muscle adaptation

You may feel a strange sensation in your stronger leg muscles because they are not being loaded as heavily as usual. This is a normal

continuation of the feeling you had in phase 2: your weaker muscles are equalizing in strength and taking on more work. Continue riding as usual

and this feeling will fade away. If you rode hard last week these developing muscles may be fatigued: masage, stretch and step the effort down a

notch for a few days. Your pedal stroke with be smoother now. If something doesn’t feel “quite right” keep on riding the Q-Rings until your muscle

adaptation has finalized (unless you are experiencing joint pain: see part two and contact us in this case).

Phase 4:

Finalization and

Customization

Your leg muscles will now have achieved a new, healthier balance. Because Q-Rings reduce your weakness and optimize gearing

according to your legs immediate capacity, you will now ride through tough conditions more capably than you could before. If you are in

the right OCP position, your spin will be as smooth as before (or better) and your heart rate may be lower than usual. Your legs and knees will likely

feel fresher at the end of rides. If you are still experiencing problems, you can now adapt the position of your chainring to optimize your Q-

Rings' position for your riding style on your bike. The aim here is to help you find your ideal setting in an analytical manner: In doing so it is

important to let your legs, heart rate and effort level speak, not your preconceptions (which can cause you to set your rings up incorrectly).

Do not adjust OCP positions before finishing phaze 3 / If you are comfortable on one chainring but not the other, this will be solved with OCP settings

ROTOR

Q-Ring starter's guide:

Part 2

OPTIMUM CHAINRING POSITION

Chainring setup guide

Cause Solution Cause

Adjust one position at a time, and test results before re-adjusting

It feels as if you are pedalling in a vacuum

It feels as if there is not enough drivetrain resistance to pedal against

Pedalling power comes too late in downstroke (too low)

Your pedals seem to arrive too low too fast

Your pedals shoot through the power zone and become bogged down below

You are only comfortable when pedalling slower than usual

The only way to pedal comfortably is to ride a smaller cog than usual

You sit further forward on your saddle than usual to pedal comfortably

Reduce OCP

number by

only 1 step

from current

position:

5 -> 4.

4 -> 3.

3 -> 2.

It is not possible to set up Q-Rings to achieve an effect (power, spin, etc): Only to make your bike work for you!

Road or XC2 bike? Start in position 3

Triathlon or TT bike? Start in position 4

XC3 bike? Start in position 2

Recumbent bike? See recumbent installation guide!

Your

brain

and / or

legs are

not yet

used to

riding

with

Q-Rings

Problem situation:

If you dont have pedalling problems you are in the right position!

A successful change in position will give immediate improvement.

Have you ridden 500 Road or 200 MTB KM on Q's?

YES

Solution

Keep riding

until you

have

finished

stages

1 to 3

of the

adaptation

phazes

You are

arriving at

the

maximum

chainring

diameter too

late (OCP

number too

You sit further forward on your saddle than usual to pedal comfortably

It is comfortable to pedal standing but not when sitting

Pain at the back of the leg behind the knee that you haven't had before

Cruising is easy but accelerations and speed pulses are difficult

Early resistance growth prevents you from pedalling smoothly

Too much pedalling resistance early, which disappears too soon

You can't reach your power zone on time

Your pedals seem to resist entering the power zone

You feel stuck too high for too long

You attempt to pedal faster than usual to be comfortable

The only way to pedal comfortably is to ride a larger cog than usual

You sit further back on your saddle than usual to pedal comfortably

It is comfortable to pedal seated but not when standing

Pain at the front of the knee that you haven't had before