What is Digg?90 Comments
- dizdaz89, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Direct link for anyone who cares, http://www.rotorbike.com/eng/home.htm
- Dangerman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14If you are using clipless pedals and are spinning properly there is absolutely no need for a contraption like this. When the pedals are perp to the ground the pedals should be in a motion that is moving forward and backward laterally as your calves are pushing forward and pulling back.
Jamming your leg down on the pedal is the best way to suffer cartilaginous injuries as well as suffer constant IT band pain.
The idea is that the pedals are turning the crank, not that you are mashing them down. An experienced cyclist that has any idea of technique will not need a kludge like this.
Use a reputable bike shop that can put you on a bike that fits and ask for some technique advice, you 'll be amazed what you can learn. - wabbiteh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14For those who have no idea what this does...:
http://www.rotorbike.com/eng/simulador_RS4_RD2_53.htm
animated gif, yay! - benzzene, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Just to be pedantic: The statement "the two pedals are never 180 degrees to each other" isn't true. They are, just not when the pedals are at the top and bottom. Nifty idea though.
- steveoa3d, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8It looks like it adds weight to the place that you don't want weight, your spinning parts ! Every ounce of weight on something that spins is equal to 8 ounces of dead weight.
The rule in bike building is the spinning things get lightened up first, thats why titanium spindles and so on are so popular, then if you have money left you lighten that other parts.
This system might be fine for the casual rider with a 50 pound bike that spins a low RPM's, but a racer wouldn't be interested. - schlagzeuger, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10cool - and it costs less than $1000. what a bargain
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7No, because if you do that, when the foot that's up finally comes down, the other foot will be behind the top of the stroke, and not ahead. It doesn't work with a fixed arrangement. This system makes it so that the top foot is always a little bit ahead of the top of the stroke, giving you an edge, especially in tough climbs.
- DigitAl56K, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7"The truth is it makes the circle your feet go in a shorter distance around, making you use more power to go the same speed. Basic geometry people. Now on the the next rip-off."
How does it make "the circle your feet go in a shorter distance around"? Is there some magical new facet of physics involved here? The radius is the same, all that is happening is that the pedal has a different angular rate at different parts of the circle, but the average rate is the same.
If you disagree, maybe you can explain in "basic geometry" how the distance around a circle with a fixed radius gets shorter? - UprightJoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I was trying to look at what it weighed to compare it to other high-end cranks but I don't understand the unit of measure they list on the page. They list the lightest one as weighing 1.230 grs. What's grs? It's obviously not grams - that would be too light.
It could be 1230 grams - in which case it would be about double the weight of a comparably priced fixed crank. Definitely costly in terms of weight but if it makes up for it in power output, it could still be worth it. - Adam_A-F, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Smart. But not simple. What could be simpler than a regular crank?
- arnar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Just to be an arse: "the two pedals are never 180 degrees" - can't be true, unless the intermediate value theorem [1] is wrong. :o)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate_Value_Theorem
Still, dugg for being clever. - marnaq, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Correct. This is all about eliminating the deadly 6 o' clock position.
- Morky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5There is never a dead spot if you are using pedal clips and are cranking correctly.
- toad3k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I once spent $150 on a yoyo. It was a really good yoyo though.
- CingleMolt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Once again.. someone underestimates the power of the dupe. If I haven't read it, it's news to me!
- seanmc303, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I hear you, schlagzeuger. In this modern world where you can by a low end computer for a couple hundred (a significant amount of technology), you can also buy something like this. A piece of metal. Hmmmmm.... Let me think about this. Microprocessor around $100. Slightly twisted piece of Metal $693 or $963. I love biking, but I have never understood why something like this cost more than my first car. Bike "technology" has got to be the slowest progressing form of technology and also the most expensive to own for what you get.
- panicofficer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Finally, someone with some sense. I totally agree. This device looks like a way for someone to cash in on an issue that really is not a problem if you're using the proper technique. No digg.
- tehJR, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Another Digg feature I'm looking forward too:
The ability for users to filter out stories similar to those that they have dugg in the past. Maybe it would get rid of some of the complaining.
And once users can customize their main page to only the categories they want to see, people shouldn't have any reason to post USELESS comments. Somehow I think they will continue. Some people need to feel angry/upset/peeved about everything. - rossburnett, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4And yet, it seems to work for some folks: http://www.rotorcranksusa.com/reviews.htm
But what do they know - much better to just theorize. - kilofox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I agree with all the smooth leggers.... not needed if you have a good spin. Don't have one? Get a fixed gear... you will have no choice but to spin.
Additionally you have a ton of fun if someone wants to ride your fixed gear and tell them its a single speed instead. - netgeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Bingo!. Just another crutch for people who don't have proper spin technique.
Coach Troy would not approve!!.. ;) - Nelson69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I think I'll be sticking with my carbon campy cranks...
- Dgen_X, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7it's not a new idea...and has been posted several times...
and will probably be posted again in the next month or so...
I hate it when new blogs pick up old news...
"New model for 2005
Steel splined spindle
Integrated bottom bracket
Chainrings: 39/53"
Wow...new model for 2005! Amazing! - jav1231, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4There have been several attempts at similar devices. Last year at the TdF I think a couple of riders rode eliptical large rings to give an advantage. I think there's another crankset that has a sort of flop-effect where the cranks work independtly, a little more pronounced than this one. Everyone seems to fall back to the good-ole fixed crank, though.
- breakneckridge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3There is no reason for the price to be so high. The price will definitely come down significantly sooner rather than later. But I digg it.
- hiro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Bike's were great, pedalling was fun.......
Then they attached engines - end of story
Go Ducati - ChrisPikula, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3There is no dead spot 'cause proper technique says you always push tangently to the circle. Bad techniques is called push-push for a reason.
- RRRobotHouse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Lance Armstrong would just take it and use it against you anyway.
- IHaveIssues, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3From TFA:
"No more jamming your knees, injuries to tendons due to that dead spot, and better maintenance of traction as wheels do not slow down and do not have that unnatural jumpiness."
As a roadie I have never experienced any of this, but then again I enjoy "ankling". - atbnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It is 1230 grams Some countries, mostly European switch the decimal and comma.
- liquidjill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Dugg. This is innovative and something that I personally am interested in. Now.. to come up with the cash....
- recursive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sheldon on ankling:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_a.html - streetlightpoet, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6cool idea, but my guess is that it will go the same way as biopace chainwheels.
- steveoa3d, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I totally forgot about BioPace Chainwheels. I HATED those things ! Same idea as it made it easier to pedal at the top of the crank rotation...
I think this is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, the dead spot is there but if the ride has a decent RPM they overcome that problem. Spin to win after all... - databasecowboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Like elliptical chainrings, funny saddles and other hoo-ha that comes out in the bike world, these sort of "innovations" come out every ten or twenty years as something new and revolutionary and have been since the late 1800's.
As other folks have pointed out here, you need to learn how to pedal better not buy a $1000 crankset that will just reinforce bad technique. If you want to ride better and faster ride with your legs, not your ass.
The three best ways to learn how to pedal better is to 1-ride a fixed gear bike (one gear with no freewheel so you can't stop pedaling and are forced to pedal circles and work efficiently over hills) 2-ride a lot of miles (4-6 hours / day) and 3- ride rollers which teach you rhythm and balanced pedalling.
Everything else is placebo, except Steroids and EPO but that's got a lot of lethal downsides that learning to pedal don't. As a former racer who didn't dope, it's sort of cool to look back at all the people I beat through good technique who were taking the doping shortcuts. A lot of em aren't even alive today.
Bottom line, if you feel you have to cheat to win, you're already a loser. - jinexile, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3God I hate vague headlines like these, I can't see the description from the live bookmark until I click on it, I was wondering what bicycle cranks had to do with household cleaning appliances.
- beelz, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6smart. simple.
- ricosalomar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Way. Just put my fixie together this week, and had to skip school on Thursday cuz it was so fun.
- recursive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2My commuter's a Raleigh Rush Hour. With fenders.
The freewheel side of the flip flop hub has yet to see any use. Fixed is too fun. - ironbear, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Biopace is a simpler implementation, and it really works well for some kinds of riding. On a mountain bike in actual mountains, for instance.
- jguerry, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2why would they do that? (switch the decimal and comma)
so 100,000,000.000 is really 100.000.000,000 ?
weird. - Dangerman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@brhad56
Uhh, no there isn't. When you are attached to the pedals and properly spinning them the bottom quarter and the top quarter of the cycle are powered by a lateral motion that increases to 100% as the stroke approaches 90 degrees. You are effectively pushing forward and back with your cleats at this point. When I teach spinning, I encourage riders to think of the motion as being akin to treading water.
You are not only mashing the pedals or pulling up with the cleats, you should be TURNING the cranks. It is very much like when you turn a crank handle with your hands, your hand never reaches a dead spot because the spindle is attached to a rotating barrel that is constantly turning in your hand, this is the exact same thing that is occurring when you turn the crack while clipped in. It is less pronounced when using toe clips, unless you are using bat shoes that allow you to pull backward.
Try riding a fixed gear and tell me there is a dead spot. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2wait, was that supposed to be sarcasm?
- Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why not just use a flywheel? (Yes, yes, I know, weight.. but think about it... it would be kind of fun :) )
- Dash-2, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Goodbye kidneys...
I must have this! - zoxed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1> Move over Lance Armstrong!
Well, at least he will not be in the Tour de France this year:
http://harriscyclery.net/page.cfm?pageId=1666&contentType=1 - intangible, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What do you mean, like he would hit you with it?
- kickarse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Very correct... Clipless pedals or even cages are better than just plain pedals as your using the upstroke as well. I would think you'd get more power though at complete opposite 180 as well as symmetrical balance.
- cfazzini, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.rotorbike.com/eng/simulador_RS4_RD2_53.htm
- artanis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You think they're selling a slightly offset fixed rotor for $700? Watch and see how it works:
http://www.rotorbike.com/eng/simulador_RS4_RD2_53.htm -
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