What’s your preferred chainring size?

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What’s your preferred chainring size?
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flag Jonofthejungle
Posted: Dec 27, 2019 at 10:16 Quote
I have been riding with a 32t for a year now and I always found climbing way harder than it appeared for my riding buddies on smaller chainrings but I was concerned that if I dropped to a 30t or 28t I would lose a lot of the top end peddling speed.
So I got a 28t ring, threw it on and it was so much easier on climbs plus i matched my fastest speed on the downhill fire road section.
So if anyone else is pondering the same thing, go for the smaller chainring unless you have legs like a velodrome cyclist.
flag Cstunes
Posted: Dec 27, 2019 at 12:44 Quote
I too am dumping the 32 that came on my Bronson. My previous bike was a 30 with an Eagle and it was pure climbing bliss. I rarely if ever find myself wishing for more top speed than it has on the descents. My Farley is about to get an Eagle with its 28T front ring as well. I’m always reaching for that 12th speed on it so it must be necessary for me. ????. Even with a 28 on that I only wish for a little more on paved trails down hill. Never once on single track has it not been enough speed for me.
flag Jonofthejungle
Posted: Dec 27, 2019 at 14:31 Quote
Always reaching for 12th gear on 11 speed cassette lol
flag undescended
Posted: Dec 27, 2019 at 17:10 Quote
The AB 26t oval pairs nicely with the eThirteen 9-46 11sp especially with RF Cinch crank cause it can be clocked forward...
flag gmoss
Posted: Dec 27, 2019 at 17:55 Quote
Best if both...go oval. I went from a 30 tooth round to a 30 tooth oval. Now, I have a 28-32 variable depending on where I am in the stroke. Much more natural pedal stroke for my legs.
flag Jonofthejungle
Posted: Dec 28, 2019 at 4:44 Quote
gmoss wrote:
Best if both...go oval. I went from a 30 tooth round to a 30 tooth oval. Now, I have a 28-32 variable depending on where I am in the stroke. Much more natural pedal stroke for my legs.

Never thought of that. I might have to try oval next.
flag DonLopez
Posted: Dec 28, 2019 at 5:45 Quote
I prefer a bigger chainring because I live a Sea Level and don’t need granny gears for climbing. Currently running 36t on my 1X10, but for my next bike I will probably go with 38t on XT 1X12. But it may be hard to find a new MTB that will fit a 38t. My problem is running out of gears at speed, not climbing, and 38 driving a 10 cog would be much better than my 36 driving my 11. I doubt the XT 51 cog would get much use even with a 38t ring.

Maybe one day I will try an oval ring.
flag Branmuffin
O+
Posted: Dec 28, 2019 at 6:30 Quote
Many 1x12 bikes are shipping now with a 30t chainring which imo is more appropriate. 32 is a big ring if you are not in fantastic shape and actually have sustained climbing in your rides. I battled with a 32 ring for half a season, dropped to a 26 oval and have now settled on a 30t that seems just about right for my conditioning.

Smaller chainring will also help your fitness progress as you can keep spinning instead of hiking, which is easier on the ego.
flag Publicanus
Posted: Dec 28, 2019 at 6:36 Quote
It's interesting to see that even someone like Sam Hill uses a 30t on his Mega 290C, I'm sure he has a bigger engine than most of us.
flag DonLopez
Posted: Dec 28, 2019 at 18:45 Quote
I don’t understand why any bike with a 10-50/51 cassette should have a 30t or smaller chainring. Makes sense with a cassette having a 42 biggest cog, but 30t climbing with a 51t cog would require lots of RPMs to move at walking speed.
In fact, a 36t/51 would climb better than a 30t/42, and 36t/10 would haul ass downhill while 30t/10 would wind out.
flag gmoss
Posted: Dec 28, 2019 at 19:09 Quote
Because everyone is different with different needs. Easy enough.
flag undescended
Posted: Dec 28, 2019 at 21:06 Quote
DonLopez wrote:
I don’t understand why any bike with a 10-50/51 cassette should have a 30t or smaller chainring. Makes sense with a cassette having a 42 biggest cog, but 30t climbing with a 51t cog would require lots of RPMs to move at walking speed.
In fact, a 36t/51 would climb better than a 30t/42, and 36t/10 would haul ass downhill while 30t/10 would wind out.

Not quite...36t/51 and 30t/42 ratios are both .71... And 30t/9 ratio of 3.33 is more than anyone needs once gravity takes over and is a negligible difference to the 3.60 ratio of 36t/10. But as you said gravity does not apply in your neighborhood. When climbing elevation vs mileage ratio is greater than 100ft per mile, many of us need all the help we can get and lower ratios ARE the answer!!! I use every bit of my .57-2.89 usable ratio range here in the Mid-Atlantic...even so there are plenty of trail segments I still must hike...wheeze, cough, wheeze...
flag joelsman
Posted: Dec 29, 2019 at 6:00 Quote
I recently went from a 32t and 170mm cranks to a 30t and 175mm cranks, same 11-42 cassette. I can now climb easier for sure, not a ton different but noticeable.
flag DonLopez
Posted: Dec 29, 2019 at 8:05 Quote
undescended wrote:
DonLopez wrote:
I don’t understand why any bike with a 10-50/51 cassette should have a 30t or smaller chainring. Makes sense with a cassette having a 42 biggest cog, but 30t climbing with a 51t cog would require lots of RPMs to move at walking speed.
In fact, a 36t/51 would climb better than a 30t/42, and 36t/10 would haul ass downhill while 30t/10 would wind out.

Not quite...36t/51 and 30t/42 ratios are both .71... And 30t/9 ratio of 3.33 is more than anyone needs once gravity takes over and is a negligible difference to the 3.60 ratio of 36t/10. But as you said gravity does not apply in your neighborhood. When climbing elevation vs mileage ratio is greater than 100ft per mile, many of us need all the help we can get and lower ratios ARE the answer!!! I use every bit of my .57-2.89 usable ratio range here in the Mid-Atlantic...even so there are plenty of trail segments I still must hike...wheeze, cough, wheeze...

You are correct that 30t/42 (ratio .714) will climb very similar to 36t/51 (.706), but you get essentially an extra gear and a half on the high speed end. Every 4t change in the chainring shifts the gearing by one gear. My bike came with 32t, 1:1 in 32 cog with 2 lower gears. I switched to 36t, so now 1:1 with in 36 cog with one lower gear. I gained an extra high speed gear but sometimes wish I had one more.

My old RM Element is 3x9 (44/32/22x11-32), and on roads the 44t is perfect. My 3x9 has slightly more range than the 1x12s, but 34t with 51 cog would be geared even lower than my 22t with 32 cog.
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