First up which system is better? Second question is do they really work? Last question would be how bad does the shifting get?

I searched here and didn't get much so if this has been discussed here just point me in the right direction.

_________________
-For my next trick I will set myself on fire!
-This board and the world in general would be a much nicer place if everyone could just take themselves a little less seriously.
-Sticky Fingers John Rockefeller
-First one over the cliff wins!

Better in what aspect? The O.symetric has done wonders for my knees, so in that regard they do work. Shifting doesn't get as bad as you get the impression of from reading around, once the fd is dialed in correctly it shifts just fine.

_________________
2013 S-works Venge Di2 6.73kg

Q rings wins in terms of adjustability as you can set the ocp numbers according to your riding style and fit position.

Osymetric has got more pronounced shape and you can certainly feel its difference. Due to its pronounced shape as well, high cadence pedaling would not be too suitable, IMO. For me, it is easier to maintain 120 rpm on q rings than osymetric.

I own both system and the way i set it up is i use q rings for my climbing bike due to high cadence suitability. And i use osymetric on my flat terrain bike where i would use more power.

At the end of the day, it goes back to where you live and how the terrain is, as well as ur pedaling style.

I was looking more in the area of performance. I definitely live in a pretty flat area and occasionally get to places that may have some long climbs a few times a year.

_________________
-For my next trick I will set myself on fire!
-This board and the world in general would be a much nicer place if everyone could just take themselves a little less seriously.
-Sticky Fingers John Rockefeller
-First one over the cliff wins!

Consider the new Rotor QXL rings. They have 50% more ovalization, compared to the normal Q-rings, and shifts just as well.

I have no experience with Osymetric rings, but I can say I'm a firm believer in Q Rings, having raced and ridden them for two seasons now. I'll never go back to round rings and have sold off my other cranks. I'm running Campy and I find no shifting issues whatsoever when shifting is properly dialed in.

I get that question a lot. They are both very different rings.

The "Q"-Rings have a much less 'aggressive' ovalization than the O-Symetric rings do. Accordingly, they are much easier for any rider to get adjusted to. In the basic 'road' orientation, you may not even notice the difference when you switch from round rings. In addition, it is quite easy to switch back and forth between the "Q"-Rings and the round rings. For several years, I was on the "Q"-Rings on all of my bikes. I believe that there may be an advantage for certain types of efforts. Based upon my review of several season's woth of SRM data over the same Interval courses, as compared to round rings, there might be around 1% difference for 2-minute efforts, but not the reported 4% (for me). Fron the pespective of shifting, the "Q"-Rings are fine on either mechanical or electric. I would be suprised if you would notice a difference. They perform equally well on Shimano and Campagnolo.

O-Symetric rings, on the other hand, take some getting used to. I would recommend starting with them on the off-season. Once on them, you will find switching back and forth more difficult. Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of data on them yet, but from an anecdotal standpoint, a number of pro riders swear by them. Having said that, my rings come to me second-hand (like everything I have) from a pro rider who switched back to round rings after several seasons on O-Symetric. He felt that the O-Symetric rings were affecting his 'snap'. With respect to shifting quality, the O-Symetric rings definitely take more adjusting to get right. Di2 seems to make really short work of any difficulties, though. I have not tried them on a manual bike yet, nor on any Campagnolo bike.

I rode the regular Q-rings for a year and have been on the 130bcd QXLs since Dec. The QXL rings are badass. The small ring is 41t though so it's pretty much a flat setup unless you want to run a wacky mtb/wifli/cake dish cassette. I lve on a flat peninsula so big rings rule.

FYI - front shifting is a non issue. I don't know how you could screw the setup unless you wore a blindfold.