What is the difference between the two? Is there any difference?
George
How Rotor Cranks work - and the benefits:
Rotor Cranks work by increasing the force required on the drive side crankarm which propels the non-drive crank are past the 12 o’clock point … also known as the dead spot. This happens 180 times a minute in a 90RPM ride. Or 10,000 times an hour. The cyclist is now “permanently pushing” the cranks as there is no gap between when the legs take over push/recover duties, otherwise known as the dead spot. This elimination of the dead spot allows for lowered lactate production, lower heart rates compared to traditional crank usage.
How Powercranks work - and the benefits:
PowerCranks teach your neurologic system to unconsciously “pedal in circles.” By pedaling in circles, more of the energy you are now expending actually gets to the wheel. For the same overall effort, the more efficiently you pedal, the faster you go. So the cyclist gets more efficient use of the muscles he/she has already trained and, as noted above, the ability to incorporate new muscle mass into the now unused portions of the pedal stroke. Powercranks are based on “pulling” up on the pedal stroke using the weaker hip flexor muscles. Unlike normal cranks, each crank arm spins independently of one another.
Difference between Rotor Cranks and Powercranks:
Rotor Cranks eliminate the dead spot, allowing for “permanent push” to the pedals, making legs efficient at what they do best: pushing. They are scientifically proven to reduce lactate levels, reduce cardiac effort, and improve the health of a cyclists knees by eliminating the dead spot.
Powercranks gives you an immediate feedback system as to when you start to pedal improperly so you can retrain your neurological system to fire your muscles in a different coordination changing the pedaling dynamic to improve pedaling efficiency. They are great for developing a smooth and efficient spin and are a much better alternative than one-leg pedaling drills. They improve the strength of hip flexor muscles which benefit running and “lifting the leg”.
oh boy…they are not even remotely similar other than they are ‘non-normal’ cranks.
first…i suggest going to the respective websites:
power cranks are crank arms that are completely independent of one another. this means you have to pedal the entire pedal stroke with each leg. there is no “free up”
rotor cranks increase the percentage of the time you are in the power phase of your pedalstroke. when one crank is in the 6 oclock position, the other is at somewhere like 1:30 (i think this is user customizable). basically the cranks will not be opposite of one another, and it is said to eliminate or reduce the “dead-spot.”
the head guys for each company are regulars on this forum, so you will probably get some feedback from them.
btw, i have pc’s and i really like them a lot. i think rotors will be on my agenda somewhere down the road. i have spent way way way too much money on other things in the last year.
A thorough and quite unbiased presentation, Gary. That is nice to see. Not likely that you’d find that in any other industry where two products “compete.” Not that your products are at all the same, but they cannot, for all practical purposes, coexist on the same bike. Kudos to you for being a man of integrity.
Gary,
I agree with Rapstar. It’s nice to see a vendor give an unbiased comparison of their product to another. Refeshing to see in a world full of marketing propaganda.
The best comparison of the products I have ever read.
Thanks
Sounds like a good prize for a yet-to-be-determined contest. If Frank is game, I’m sure Dan can come up with a good contest for you two…
You know that if you “Appear Offline” you’ll end up in hell? 
I actually was. I got cut and forgot to reconnect…
What is the difference between the two? Is there any difference?
George
Big differences.
PowerCranks force the use of all of the muscles of the lower extremities while balancing them and training improved cycling and running form. In other words, PowerCranks improve the engine of the bicycle or runner beyond what can be achieved training on any other device, including regular cranks or RotorCranks.
RotorCranks change the way the cyclist interfaces with the bicycle trying to get more out of the engine he or she has whether they have trained on regular cranks, RotorCranks, or PowerCranks.
The two products do different things and are not incompatible with each other, at least as regards cycling.
Thanks for all the replies. I had read both websites and I could see that mechanically they were different, but what I didn’t understand was training and physiological effects of each.
Loosely, the physiology is this:
Power Cranks work your hip flexors and hamstrings (pull-up muscles)
Rotor Cranks work your quads and calves (push-down muscles)
That is an oversimplification, but basically accurate.
So does anyone train on power cranks and race on Rotor cranks? Sounds like the winning combination?
It’s been suggested, but that is a pretty costly investment. There is also some adaption time needed for Rotors. You can’t just jump on Rotors and expect to take full benefit.
In addition, they are not EZ-In/EZ-out. Especially Rotor Cranks. They must be loctited into your frame. Because the cranks are not fixed to each other, there is a camming mechanism. Gary can explain it better. But basically, it is a complex install.
The rotor-ring/power-crank combo looks like the best potential “training set-up,” if you wanted to try to take advantage of both.
I hope you mean using rotors rings on separate cranks from the powercranks. There is no way you could get the rotor rings to sync if mounted on powercranks.
Installation is not too complicated, takes about 45 minutes for a mechanic. It is more difficult to install than traditional cranks, but the system comes with good instructions.
As Joe stated, not every crank system is for every person, I personally dont try to push Rotor Cranks on everyone as each person has to make the decision as whether they work to suit their particular riding style. I realize that they dont work for everyone, however they do work for most riders who try them. We only get 5% of the systems returned after the 30 day trial period. This is encouraging.
This is why I give a 30 day money back perfornace guarantee, basically you can test them for a month and send them back if they dont work for you.
Not sure if the Q Rings will work on PC’s, but I am interested to see how that turns out.
Q Rings have a few of the advantages of Rotor Cranks, however I cannot quantify the advavntage, as they are so new.
Gary - www.rotorcranks.com
Power Cranks - allows you to do what you can do anyway for free - one legs drills. For a bit more cash you can set yourself an old bike as a fixed wheel. For running just rum more and train smart. Paying money for a gadget to improve your running… Only in America.
Rotor Cranks - Go to the GYM and do some squats, you will push better. Look at lance - he does not push he spins the whole cycle, why investing in expensive technology that alter the way bikes should be used? You might as well get an electric bike to assist you with the pushing.
My vote goes for Power Cranks if I had to choose. But I rather train smart, put my cute little back side on my SLR saddle and ride. My money can be left in the bank.
Coming accross unbiased and objective is a well known salesman technique. Does not show any integrity whatsoever. He just want to be percieved as a realaible source of information, so that you listen when he sells the concept. I am not helping him to buy a Hummer, BMW Z4, or a Honda Element.
I have been repeating that post (differences between systems) since I wrote it in 2004
I dont think time in the gym can help eliminate the dead spot
For riders like Joe, the system makes sense, and really benefits their riding style
Everyone has an opinion, I give riders an option to try it for themselves, risk free
… oh … and I bought the Element
(however if anyone still wants to buy me a Z4, email me, thx - Gary)
Gary, I am getting a velotron with PC’s. So what would it take to Q rings on this setup? I would love to consider trying both.
Cant take your money with ya, might as well use it.
Dave