MG Tech planetary gear crankset with 1.44 x multiplication. Bollocks or real benefit?

[wingguy]

I would call it utter bollocks if the system clearly wasn't an alternative to regular cranksets.

Compared to other cranksets: It doesn't have any of the benefits it claims. It's heavy. It doesn't have any of the benefits it claims. It's expensive. It doesn't have any of the benefits it claims. It's inefficient. It doesn't have any of the benefits it claims. It's a maintenance nightmare. And finally, it doesn't have any of the benefits it claims. It's an alternative to regular cranksets for people who have been conned by the company or are crazy. It doesn't even do what Q-rings do, because the ratio stays constant throughout the pedal stroke - so what's the point?

How good a friend of yours is the guy that makes these things?

[Sacke]

I would call it utter bollocks if the system clearly wasn't an alternative to regular cranksets.

How good a friend of yours is the guy that makes these things?

There is the "what is that crankset?" question that every second rider on a group ride asks.

I don't know the people making these, nor anyone representing the company. Just curious and interested in trying new stuff, even if the science is against it.

At least I'll be able to say that I tried the system, if the question ever happens to come up, or something similar pops up at a later date with different claims.

I have the bike until Tuesday, so doing another ride 3h tomorrow morning. I am going to enjoy the ride like any other ride. The cranks, while not improving performance, still feel like regular cranks.

Would I recommend it? Nope...

Would I dissuade someone from buying it? Nope. A big reason being a lifetime guarantee in case the system breaks.

So in the end, each to their own...

[wingguy]

Would I dissuade someone from buying it? Nope. A big reason being a lifetime guarantee in case the system breaks.

Oh, great. A lifetime warranty when the massive weak-point (which only exists to make the performance of the crank worse) in the system fails, which wouldn't have happened with any other crank because they don't have that weak point. Except when they say it failed because of poor maintenance. Or when the company doesn't exist anymore a few years from now because their product was stupid and no-one was buying it.

Best case scenario, you'll be without a crank until they replace it for you because of a problem no other product on the market would have had in the first place, because the parts that caused the problem have zero benefit anyway. So explain to me again how that's a selling point?

[mattr]

At least we can now see how L shaped and curved cranks gained so much market share.

Nothing like marketing bollocks and spin to trump actual physics and engineering.