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Author Topic: rotocrank  (Read 4103 times)

  • Offline bear

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rotocrank
on: April 14, 2006, 22:18:31 PM
Has anyone here tried it ?
http://www.cyclefit.co.uk/roto_crank.htm
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rotocrank
Reply #1 on: April 14, 2006, 22:35:10 PM


Might work for some folk, but most knee pain is caused by pushing too big of a gear and improper saddle height and fore/aft position.

A "solution" to the "dead spot" comes every few years, remember the Shimano Biopace rings from the 80s?



They werent bad for grinding in low gears, but they were horrid, imho, for spinning--they encouraged the behavior which hurt the knee in the first place.

Some folks still like to used them on fixed gear bikes that are geared tall. ;)
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  • Offline bear

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rotocrank
Reply #2 on: April 15, 2006, 00:01:02 AM
It is different from biopace though, which changed the gear ratio, this has the same cranck lenghth and a regular sprocket so I do not think the ratio changes so it will be  less "jumpy" I think.
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rotocrank
Reply #3 on: April 15, 2006, 00:46:40 AM
yeah same ration etc... easiest way to think, is the 2 pedals go at different sopeeds some of the time...

looks like a good idea ;)
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rotocrank
Reply #4 on: April 15, 2006, 00:54:57 AM
Spanish team used them in 2002 according to the racing archives. They did pretty good that year. Then again, an independent study showed that such cranks promoted even more muscle soreness.

Youre effectively speeding up and slowing down with each stroke, wasting energy--in that sense its no different than biopace--its inefficient.

Save money and ride round: Ride 15 minutes, stretch knee gently for five minutes, then keep rpm 60 or above. Dont mash, spin. Tada! Reduced knee pain.
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rotocrank
Reply #5 on: April 15, 2006, 01:47:47 AM
i wouldent think the speed is so important once you get used to it, and constant pressure is more important ?
it must be a pretty smooth movement.

the article says it stop sknee pain because it eliminates the point at which one pedal is right up and one is right down which is the point in which neither leg can give any real power up/down so causes pain?
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rotocrank
Reply #6 on: April 15, 2006, 02:56:56 AM
The "there is no power with the cranks vertical" meme is just another canard. While I dont pedal perfect circles all the time, the worst I get is the ole "Lemond stroke" where youre mashing and pulling back like scraping mud off a boot.
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Re:rotocrank
Reply #7 on: April 15, 2006, 09:14:40 AM
er... arent pedals rotateable?! in that case why on earth does there come a point where your legs cant apply power? My ankle bends to allow power to be applied through out the stroke. I dont stamp vertically down on a pedal.
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rotocrank
Reply #8 on: April 15, 2006, 13:20:12 PM
^^^ thats what the article says causes the knee pain its trying to prevent tho, pushing up and down = no pain, pushing at an angel = knee pain
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rotocrank
Reply #9 on: April 15, 2006, 17:03:42 PM
Bleh, its about technique.

This isnt about running shoes and inserts that prevent pronation and supination, its about something thats habit and not physiological.

Estupido!
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