Bike World News

Rotor came to Interbike with a number of new and updated road products including their 3D road crank, new Q-Rings and the SP1 Seatpost.

For those not familiar with the company, Rotor Bike Components is a Spanish cycling component manufacturer dedicated to intelligent and truly innovative design with unmatched, in-house, precision manufacturing. Rotor produces finely engineered bicycle components that make cycling faster, more efficient and more comfortable simultaneously.

Their new 3D road crank saw its debut at the 2009 Giro d’Italia on the bikes of some riders for the Cervelo Test Team and underwent some minor changes before the Tour de France. You don’t see many riders out there on cranks that are part of their gruppo (i.e. Dura-Ace, SRAM Red, Campagnolo), so for Rotor’s cranks to be accepted in the peloton, they have to offer something truly different. Rotor designed the crank based on the input and exacting standards of the Cervelo team, and Rotor says that the new road crank was designed for sprinter Thor Hushovd, who found other cranks too flexible.

The 3D crank utilizes a special manufacturing process, named the “Trinity Drilling System” in which an extruded aluminum bar is CNC machined with three holes drilled along the length of the crank arm. The process is said to result in a unique hollow crank arm that is light while still very structurally strong. The left crank arm attaches using Rotor’s DTT (dual thread) technology that claims to increase clamping capacity while reducing stress risers and making installation easier.

The 3D road crank is available with either a steel or titanium spindle. Weights are 530g for a 170mm/130BCD steel spindle model and 496g for titanium. MSRP is $400 for steel and $650 for titanium. A BB30 model is in the works.

Rotor’s Q Rings are becoming more popular as well and were ridden to victory in the 2008 Tour de France by Carlos Sastre. Q Rings increase the rider’s power by minimizing dead zones in the pedal stroke. By extending the time that the rider is producing power and accelerating the legs through the dead zone, the rider is more efficient.

For 2010, there are new sizes of Q-Rings available (i.e. a 55 tooth ring) as well as new versions that are compatible with SRAM’s new XX MTB crank and the Zipp Vumaquad road crank.

Also new is the SP1 Seatpost. The SP1 uses a simple geometric principle called the “capable arch” that minimizes the need for a classic parallelogram clamping system. Tightening forces are said to be optimally distributed between the clamp and the saddle rails, improving clamping security. The top clamp has been specifically designed to be compatible with both carbon and non-carbon saddle rails, irrespective of size. The zero setback post will be available in three diameters (27.2, 30.9 and 31.6mm) and two lengths (350 and 400mm) and will retail for $120.

For further information visit: www.rotorbike.com.

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