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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > Q rings as a training aid

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Q rings as a training aid
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TriByran
May 30, 16 14:40
Post #1 of 10 (1205 views)
I've used Q rings on and off for a few years, I have always felt I preferred round on the road, due to the feeling that the Q rings accelerated through the dead spot too fast for me (I have always preferred low inertia environments, MTBing, hills etc.)
So have been riding round on road, but Q rings on the turbo (lemond)

I always felt they allowed me to do more quality bike work indoors around run training, it felt like I could separate running and biking more in terms of muscle usage.
I also noticed this in running off the bike on the turbo.

Recently I switched back to round on the turbo and I'm finding not only the power being significantly down (this is also taking into consideration the inflation from the q rings) I am also finding I cannot ride for as long.

I'm considering going back to Q rings on the turbo, does anyone else use them for this purpose or seen the above,

Would there be any downside from using them on the turbo all the time, or conversely an upside from using round on the turbo?

I don't have any power readings for round on the road, from recent history as I don't use it outside, but I feel as if on the road the round feel really good.
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [TriByran] [ In reply to ]
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mauricemaher
May 30, 16 15:34
Post #2 of 10 (1178 views)
TriByran wrote:
I've used Q rings on and off for a few years, I have always felt I preferred round on the road, due to the feeling that the Q rings accelerated through the dead spot too fast for me (I have always preferred low inertia environments, MTBing, hills etc.)
So have been riding round on road, but Q rings on the turbo (lemond)

I always felt they allowed me to do more quality bike work indoors around run training, it felt like I could separate running and biking more in terms of muscle usage.
I also noticed this in running off the bike on the turbo.

Recently I switched back to round on the turbo and I'm finding not only the power being significantly down (this is also taking into consideration the inflation from the q rings) I am also finding I cannot ride for as long.

I'm considering going back to Q rings on the turbo, does anyone else use them for this purpose or seen the above,

Would there be any downside from using them on the turbo all the time, or conversely an upside from using round on the turbo?

I don't have any power readings for round on the road, from recent history as I don't use it outside, but I feel as if on the road the round feel really good.

IIRC the new study by Jim Martins (bio mcgeek on here) "apprentice" says that the pedal stroke doesn't change velocity but individual joint angle velocities change, which makes sense based on variable loading

This may be good or bad, I raced/trained Q-rings for a few years….mainly because the rings are expensive but didn't appear to have a negative impact, I am now on 1X10 50 (round) front and 11-30.

After several years I am just back to normal with really no change in FTP…outside of lazy training.

On a side note Kudos to Jim Martin for not only doing great research but "apprenticing" other researchers as well.

Any ways back to round with no real discernible change or "feelings"

Cheers,
Maurice
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [mauricemaher] [ In reply to ]
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TriByran
May 30, 16 23:12
Post #3 of 10 (1108 views)
Thanks Maurice.
It's interesting, the power numbers from the session yesterday Weren't too bad, it was more the feeling in my legs that I working much harder.

Interesting when I got in aero position on the turbo it felt easier with the round rings, I always felt like the Q rings were too 'heavy' in that power phase of the stroke.
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [TriByran] [ In reply to ]
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sciguy
May 31, 16 2:24
Post #4 of 10 (1053 views)
Byran,

Here's an interesting read regarding research done by one of Jim Martin's associates
http://trstriathlon.com/...e-you-wont-let-them/

Hugh
Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [sciguy] [ In reply to ]
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TriByran
May 31, 16 13:44
Post #5 of 10 (974 views)
Thanks. Really interesting.

I wonder if anything changes if you have really stiff ankles!

When I drop my saddle or raise it my ankle angle doesn't change, just my knee.
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [TriByran] [ In reply to ]
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TriByran
Jun 3, 16 10:51
Post #6 of 10 (879 views)
Ok,
So I thought I'd bring this back up again.
As I have been experimenting for the last couple of weeks with the switch back to round rings on inside and outside riding.

I know I feel better on round rings, the feeling of being out on round has not changed since I stopped using the Q ring inside.

Riding indoors on the lemond WITHOUT the q rings on has been really hard, power down by 20-30w, well outside of the possible inflation. Speed down too, which I measure to get an idea of the inflation.

Today my legs felt great on the road, but were awful on the turbo.
Whilst on the turbo I switched the q ring back on.
Wow, power massively back up, it felt like my legs felt on round on the road.

I have come to the conclusion the q rings could be useful training aid to get the feeling of greater inertia that you get from outside, a feeling if nothing else. Also, I feel they enable you to combine lower inertia training indoors with running, I have really struggled to bike after running in the morning, which is my usual routine, this used to be fine with the Q rings.

N=1 but these are my experiences!
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [TriByran] [ In reply to ]
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snaaijert
Jun 3, 16 12:15
Post #7 of 10 (852 views)
I have Q rings on my standard crankset on my road bike. In the last couple of weeks I have used that Q crankset, a compact crankset (with round rings) on my road bike, and the standard (round ring) chainset on my TT bike interchangeably. I do not feel one iota of difference in pedaling between any of them, nor in speed or power, although I haven't looked very closely at the latter (as in, trying to replicate identical tests, comparing data, and all that noise). Perhaps I am pedaling squares but I'm happy I was able to borrow these out from a friend because I would not pay the premium for them myself.
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [snaaijert] [ In reply to ]
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TriByran
Jun 3, 16 12:21
Post #8 of 10 (847 views)
Road or turbo?
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [TriByran] [ In reply to ]
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snaaijert
Jun 3, 16 12:25
Post #9 of 10 (846 views)
TriByran wrote:
Road or turbo?

Sorry I should have specified. Outside riding. I should add that the only time I really felt a difference between the q rings and non q rings is the first time I tried the q rings, and that might have been a placebo effect because I knew I was riding with different rings. Changing back to round felt same ol same ol.
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Re: Q rings as a training aid [snaaijert] [ In reply to ]
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TriByran
Jun 3, 16 12:26
Post #10 of 10 (844 views)
See I don't feel any difference between them outside but do on the turbo
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