q-factor

[oneisenough]

ok.. so i'm kinda a newbie when it comes down to the spiffy terminology.
is q-factor the amount of flex that cranks have? thats what i
understand from reading other thread but im still not sure. thanks.


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[john_childs]

Q-factor is how wide apart your feet are when on the pedals. Q-factor
is a combination of the width of the hub, the amount that the cranks
flare out, and the length of the pedal spindle, and where your feet are
on the pedals.

Unicycle cranks tend to be straight and not flare out. Some unicycle
cranks have a little bit of flare though. Bike cranks tend to have a
lot of flare so the cranks can clear the chainstays on the bike.

Most people are talking about how much the cranks bend outwards when
they talk about q-factor on unicycles.

More q-factor in the cranks usually means you're going to hit your
ankles less on the cranks.


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[Blegas78]

john_childs wrote:
> Q-factor is how wide apart your feet are when on the pedals. Q-factor
> is a combination of the width of the hub, the amount that the cranks
> flare out, and the length of the pedal spindle, and where your feet are
> on the pedals.
>
> Unicycle cranks tend to be straight and not flare out. Some unicycle
> cranks have a little bit of flare though. Bike cranks tend to have a
> lot of flare so the cranks can clear the chainstays on the bike.
>
> Most people are talking about how much the cranks bend outwards when
> they talk about q-factor on unicycles.
>
> More q-factor in the cranks usually means you're going to hit your
> ankles less on the cranks.



What about q-factor for audio? Do you play around with that much?


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[john_childs]

Blegas78 wrote:
> What about q-factor for audio? Do you play around with that much?


Never. I'm not even aware of the q-factor as it applies to audio.


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[feel the light]

Q factor is the angle of the crank from the axle to pedal. A larger Q
factor makes the uni wider from pedal to pedal then a smaller Q
factor.


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[oneisenough]

so what is it easier to ride with(wide vs. small).


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[john_childs]

oneisenough wrote:
> so what is it easier to ride with(wide vs. small).


Depends on the style of riding. For freestyle riding a small q-factor
in the cranks is better. For muni riding a larger q-factor can have
advantages since you're less likely to hit your ankles. For high speed
riding where you are spinning the pedals at a high rpm a smaller
q-factor is better since it causes less wobble in the wheel.


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[tholub]

feel the light wrote:
> Q factor is the angle of the crank from the axle to pedal. A larger Q
> factor makes the uni wider from pedal to pedal then a smaller Q
> factor.



No, Q-factor is the distance the pedals are apart. The angle of the
cranks contributes to Q-factor, but it's only one of the factors. Even
straight cranks can have different Q-factors due to their width.

By the way, it's short for "quack factor", as in, pedaling with your
feed splayed out like a duck.


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[oneisenough]

john_childs wrote:
> Depends on the style of riding. For freestyle riding a small q-factor
> in the cranks is better. For muni riding a larger q-factor can have
> advantages since you're less likely to hit your ankles. For high speed
> riding where you are spinning the pedals at a high rpm a smaller
> q-factor is better since it causes less wobble in the wheel.


what about trials...kh moments have low q-factor i think... are those
good?


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[Uniman_3]

they have if you ask me a high q factor but thats because im used to my
koxx street cranks wich have a small q-factor..
the KH moments are great cranks though..


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[oneisenough]

Uniman_3 wrote:
> they have if you ask me a high q factor but thats because im used to my
> koxx street cranks wich have a small q-factor..
> the KH moments are great cranks though..


which are easier on your ankles?


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[littleman]

My friend who rides BMX has been telling me to pull my cranks outward,
but someone in this blog said unicycle cranks should just be straight.
Because my cranks are flared way out like a bmx bike so does that make
a big difference?


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[BYZA]

it doesnt matter a **** if they are straight or flared.

saying they are surposed to be a certain q factor is like saying that a
computer is not surposed to contain plastic, weather it does or not is
completeley up to the manufacturer, if your cranks feel fine to you
then who cares about how much q factor they have.

and as for difference, go ride a uni with straight cranks and see if
you notice a big difference....


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[Jerrick]

You do notice, and it it feels a little weird, but not too bad, and not
for too long either.

I think having a larger q-factor gives your a little bit more control
on your uni. Im not saying any uni with straight cranks and small
q-factor has less control, cause I rode a DX for a long time, and had
plenty of control. lol

Put it this way. Stand feet together, get pushed to the side, you fall
pretty easily, stand feet apart, get pushed to the side, you have more
control. Its kinda like that for the unis, but not as drastic.


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[oneisenough]

BYZA wrote:
> it doesnt matter a **** if they are straight or flared.
>
> saying they are surposed to be a certain q factor is like saying that a
> computer is not surposed to contain plastic, weather it does or not is
> completeley up to the manufacturer, if your cranks feel fine to you
> then who cares about how much q factor they have.
>
> and as for difference, go ride a uni with straight cranks and see if
> you notice a big difference....


i'm just trying to get more opinions for when i get new cranks, i'm not
saying one brand or another is better... i just want to see if anyone
preffered anything specific and why.


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[johnfoss]

As a general rule, based on comments made over the years by many top
riders in their various areas, I'd offer this:

Narrow Q for speed, wide Q for stability.

George Peck liked a wide stance on his mountain ultimate wheels, for
example, when the conventional wisdom for those was that narrower was
better. Of course hardly anyone else was taking their ultimate wheels
on rocky trails...

For racing, the wider your stance, the more wobble you get in your
line. In other words, your unicycle doesn't trace as straight a line on
the ground as it would with a narrower setup. Some people naturally
wobble more than others, but narrowing the pedals helps.

Most people want to ride somewhere in between; fast sometimes and
technical other times. Then you have to decide which is more important
to you, along with the factors of ankle-banging and other things. If
you naturally walk toe-out, for instance, you're more likely to
appreciate cranks with some Q.


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[onelesscar]

johnfoss wrote:
> If you naturally walk toe-out, for instance, you're more likely to
> appreciate cranks with some Q.


This is interesting...do you think it works the other way as well?

I tend to walk with my toes in a little...and I prefer less Q.


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[oneisenough]

onelesscar wrote:
> This is interesting...do you think it works the other way as well?
>
> I tend to walk with my toes in a little...and I prefer less Q.


i walk with my toes in quite a bit... what cranks do you have?


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[onelesscar]

I have the 'Qu-Ax alloy'
(http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=793) cranks on my
29er. Zero Q and I love em.

I have the KH/Onza cranks on my trials, and they feel so wide...


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[oneisenough]

are KH moment considered wide or narrow with 10mm q-factor. i don't
really know anything to compare them to.


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[johnfoss]

onelesscar wrote:
> This is interesting...do you think it works the other way as well?
>
> I tend to walk with my toes in a little...and I prefer less Q.

I also toe-in, and I like less Q. However I don't know if that would
still apply if I were a hardcore technical terrain rider. My skills are
such that I don't think a difference in Q would matter much to me. My
main MUni (Wilder/Profile) cranks flare out and I like it just fine.

The reason people who toe-out would like wide cranks better is because
they tend to whack their ankles more. For the people who've had this
problem, you know what I mean.

I think the KH Moments are kind of in the middle. Is that really 10mm?
Total, or on each side?


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[oneisenough]

johnfoss wrote:
> I think the KH Moments are kind of in the middle. Is that really 10mm?
> Total, or on each side?


hmmmm:confused: good question...anybody know?


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[onelesscar]

Dunno....UDC just says "10mm Q-Factor".

I'm not even sure where exactly they're measuring...


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[feel the light]

johnfoss wrote:
> I also toe-in, and I like less Q. However I don't know if that would
> still apply if I were a hardcore technical terrain rider. My skills are
> such that I don't think a difference in Q would matter much to me. My
> main MUni (Wilder/Profile) cranks flare out and I like it just fine.
>
> The reason people who toe-out would like wide cranks better is because
> they tend to whack their ankles more. For the people who've had this
> problem, you know what I mean.
>
> I think the KH Moments are kind of in the middle. Is that really 10mm?
> Total, or on each side?


Having nothing better to do, I just used a straight edge across the
tire of my 07 KH20 to make a baseline. I measured a Q of 10 mm on one
side.


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[oneisenough]

feel the light wrote:
> Having nothing better to do, I just used a straight edge across the tire
> of my 07 KH20 to make a baseline. I measured a Q of 10 mm on one side.


thanks. is this considered high or low q-factor?


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