Looking for some advice on any downside to the Osymetric chain rings.
Been doing some research and it all seems to be but cant help thinking there must be some negatives.
I don’t know of any pro triathletes riding these and given there are a lot of technical savvy pros out there was wondering if there are some drawbacks when it comes to running off the bike compared to just cycling.
I have spoken to a well respected bike fitter/physio and he doesn’t think there would be but has limited knowledge on these rings.
I figure if they even give me a 1% gain then over an IM bike that is 3min so time worth saving.
It’s a different pedal feel due to the osymetric shape, obviously. The front der. Is a bit tricky to set up. You also have to let off the power a bit when You shift between rings. But they do have great performance benefits.
Wiggins runs them too (in his TTs). I’ve had my eye on them for quite a while, but the published studies (not by the company) that I’ve read seem to have significantly differing opinions. They’re not that expensive, so I will probably jump on a pair soon and just try to determine for myself. However, I’ve never personally spoken w/ anyone that runs them, so I’m interested to see if anyone speaks up here.
I’ve been riding them since early October on my TT bike. The biggest downside is they shift poorly. I like them enough that I’d get some for my road bike, but the shifting is too risky for road racing where shifts can’t always be planned and a missed shift can easily end your day.
As for whether thay have measurable benefits, I haven’t done any structured studies. I can tell you they have not increased my FTP by 5% or anything (nor was I expecting that). I do feel they allow me to make more power and get less fatiqued in “high load” situations. Going into the wind and climbing just seem to be more efficient with the osy rings. I’m a strong believer that pedaling inertia plays a role in how efficiently I make power. With normal rings, I put out much better power for extended periods on the flats or even a slight downhill or tail wind. I have done some test on that and see at least 5% better power when I’m in “high inertia” situations (easy test on my rollers with different resistance set). Some people are opposit and put out more power climbing or into the wind. The Osy rings make my pedal stroke feel more like riding in the flats when I’m riding under load.
Based on my experience with other non-circular rings: when they are setup properly for your position they can “feel” really good but as soon as you change positions a bit. Particularly evident if you stand up, the “power phase” shifts a lot in my experience under such conditions.
Downsides? Well, besides making front derailleur setup über critical, you’ll also end up limiting the size of your small chainring to a 42t (on 130 bcd) which is actually an effective chainring in the downstroke area a couple of teeth larger than that. That can be an issue if you have any climbing sections on your courses.
As far as any physiological gains go, there are a lot of independent studies (not theoretical, actual measurements) that suggest there is nothing there.
