I heard it on GeekSpeak; they apparently got it from this Slashdot article. The Z-Torque crank promises:
This patented and tested crank technology provides riders many advantages, inluding
- Smoother pedaling
- More power to climb hills
- Less perceived effort to pedal
- Faster acceleration
- Less affected by headwinds
- Ability to turn higher gearing
Z-Torque has been scientifically tested and proven to provide more available power than a typical pedal assembly. Get more out of your bike. Get Z-Torque.
(The spelling error is on their site as I write this.)
The argument is that, as you make the crank longer, the leverage improves and the effort needed to turn the crank drops. This company says you get all those benefits as a result of the extra-long crank. Now, if you look at that crank, you'll agree it's long... but it's bent. And even a liberal-arts can't-barely-translate-his-own-Latin-diploma idiot like me knows that, if you bend the crank, the effective length of the crank is only the distance between the fulcrum - the center, in this case - and the place where you push. All that bendiness is just extra material (read: extra weight), frippery, and snake oil.
The manufacturer has sought crowd funding, to which I'm not going to link. If you think this ridiculousness is a good idea, go find it yourself.
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