Is a narrow Q factor better?

Decreasing your Q-factor, or bringing your crank arms closer together, may make you more aerodynamic, but it won't necessarily make you faster. You may lose a significant amount of power, or stop recruiting your glutes in such a narrow position.

Is a wider Q factor better?

“Q-factor can influence Q-angle, but Q-angle can't influence Q-factor," he notes. “Increasing your Q-factor increases your stance width and decreases your Q-angle.” It's your total stance width that you need to pay attention to as this affects how it feels to pedal.

How important is pedal Q factor?

“You really get a sense of the importance of Q Factor if you ride a fat bike,” says Specialized's David Alexander. “In order to get the chain past those fat tyres, the cassette needs to be pushed out further. The bottom bracket therefore has to go über wide, and the bottom bracket is massive on most fat bikes.

What is Chainline Q factor?

The Q-factor is the dimension pedal eye-to-pedal eye on the outside of the cranks with the cranks installed as recommended by the crank manufacturer on a standard bicycle frame.

Are wider pedals better?

Larger Pedals

However, bigger is not better for everybody! As the pedal gets wider, the likelihood of ground clearance concerns increases — you've got a greater chance of striking obstacles or dragging your pedal in the dirt around tight turns.

31 related questions found

How does Q-Factor affect cycling?

Road bikes tend to have a narrower Q-factor (150mm), while mountain bikes tend to have a greater Q-factor (170mm). This is due to increased tyre width, which forces the cranks out further from the midline of the bike to maintain clearance. At the extreme end, many fat bikes have a Q-factor of 200mm or more.

How wide should my pedals be?

Standard road pedal width is 53mm. Stance Width (or pedal stance width) is the distance between the center of one pedal to the center of the other pedal.

What is chainline on a bike?

Basics. There are two related aspects to the term “chainline.” First, chainline can be defined as the position of the cogs or chainrings relative to the center line of the bike. The bike center line is an imaginary plane running front to rear through the middle of the bike.

What is SRAM Q-Factor?

Essentially Q-Factor is the distance between the pedal attachment points on the crank arms, also referred to as Tread. It could also be described as the width of your crankset. This affects your stance, if you've ever been snowboarding think of it as the same thing, essentially the distance between your feet.

What is Super Boost Plus?

What is Super Boost Plus? Super Boost Plus (or SB+ for short), is a “standard” of rear axle spacing for trail and enduro bikes. Introduced by Pivot Cycles in 2016, SB+ builds on the increased rear wheel and frame strength brought about by the change to Boost 148 mm spacing.

What is the Q factor on a spin bike?

The Q factor is one of the most important features to look at on a Spin ® Bike. The Q factor is the distance between the inside of the pedal attachments on the crank arms on either side or, more simply, the width of the gap between the two paths your feet follow.

How many pedal washers can I use?

You can add more than one pedal washer to your pedals to better fit riders with wide hips or use more washers on one side than the other to compensate for body asymmetry.

How is Q of inductor calculated?

The ratio between the resistance components and the frequency-dependent inductance (R/2πf L) is called the loss factor, and its inverse number is the Q value (Q=2πf L/R). Because f is the frequency of the current flowing through the coil, the Q value will differ according to the frequency.

How is Q-Factor cycle calculated?

The Q-factor of your bike is largely determined by your bottom bracket/frame design; unfortunately, you can't easily change this but you can still tinker with the cranks and chainset.

What is boost crank spacing?

Boost hubs are 6mm wider than standard (3mm each side of centre, slightly logically), so Boost cranks locate the chainring/s (yes, there are sensible multi-ring options) 3mm further outboard to maintain alignment with the cassette, without widening the whole stance of the crank (the Q-Factor).

How do you improve chainline?

Chainline may be adjusted at the rear wheel by rearranging spacers on the rear axle, and with a steel frame, also by re-spacing the rear dropouts. Adjustable hubs use conventional threaded axles, so you can increase the OLD spacing by removing the locknuts and adding spacer washers, and replace the axle as needed.

Why is chainline important?

The chainline is very important for several reasons: more efficient transmission; the less you bend the chain, the smaller the power loss; better function and less chance of the chain falling off the rings; less wear due to less friction; better function of the front derailleur; and quieter operation.

Is 52mm chainline boost?

Shimano states 52mm to be boost and 142 dedicated, 55mm apparently boost dedicated giving better chain line. Looks like there isn't a 55mm “better” boost for XTR. I found 55mm to be much better for boost with a 5010 frame.

Do I need longer pedal axles?

Longer pedal spindles might be recommended. This rider's stance width is too wide; the knees are tracking to the inside of the pedals. Shorter pedal spindles might be recommended. Proper stance width keeps knees happy and power transfer efficient, no matter the clipless or platform pedal you're spinning.

Can you put longer pedals on a bike?

Yes! Mountain bike pedal manufactures offer all kinds of “bigger pedal” options. Heck one of the great things about mountain bikes is that the “contact points” are easy to adjust and replace to perfectly suit a rider.

How do I know what size spindle for my pedals?

Check the Cranks on the Bike

Manufacturers made it easy to put the sizing on the crank, knowing that people would look for their pedal size. If your cranks are made up of three separate sections, two separate crank arms, and the spindle that goes through the frame, your pedals will be size 9/16″ x 20 TPI.

What is pedal spindle?

A pedal usually consists of a spindle that threads into the end of the crank, and a body on which the foot rest is attached, that is free to rotate on bearings with respect to the spindle.

What is a pedal spacer?

Designed to move the foot out and away from the crank arm to provide more foot clearance, Pedal Spacers / Pedal Extenders add to stance width for cyclists needing help with knees-out, excessive toes-out, extra wide feet, wide hips, or for those with discomfort on the outside of the knee.

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