what chainring do you spend the most time in?

john74

being new to road bikes. im curious

stokepa31

big ring for the most part but coventry is not known for its hills

softlad

that's a bit like asking what size shoes do you wear the most.....

the question is not really relevant to you and the answers you get won't mean anything anyway...

john74

the reason i was asking was from a mtb background it was easy middle ring all the way.
but having a 53t chainring would i risk injury to knees etc by pushing the big ring constantly.
and i wear the same size shoes everyday.

softlad

john74 wrote:

the reason i was asking was from a mtb background it was easy middle ring all the way.

that doesn't mean anything either..??

desweller

Voted middle. I run a triple - 53/40/30 - and only really get in the big one above 25mph.

MRadd

Big ring mostly... But thats mainly when not riding where I live!

Forest of dean usually requires me to drop into the mid ring.

phreak

Big ring unless the hill is particularly long/steep or my legs are spent.

danowat

Bit of an odd question I guess, however..........

In "normal" riding, big (50T compact) ring, but it depends on the inclines, the weather (wind plays a big part), my fatigue levels etc etc.

That said, I think its more effecient to pedal the big ring as much as possible, for me anyway.

kingrollo

softlad wrote:

that's a bit like asking what size shoes do you wear the most.....

the question is not really relevant to you and the answers you get won't mean anything anyway...

Everyonetime someone does a poll - softlad posts some smart arsed comment as to why the poll isn't valid.

FFS - its a simple enough question !

softlad

kingrollo wrote:

softlad wrote:

that's a bit like asking what size shoes do you wear the most.....

the question is not really relevant to you and the answers you get won't mean anything anyway...

Everyonetime someone does a poll - softlad posts some smart arsed comment as to why the poll isn't valid.

FFS - its a simple enough question !

so why haven't you answered it then? I challenge you to provide an answer that is actually useful to anyone reading.

kingrollo

softlad wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

softlad wrote:

that's a bit like asking what size shoes do you wear the most.....

the question is not really relevant to you and the answers you get won't mean anything anyway...

Everyonetime someone does a poll - softlad posts some smart arsed comment as to why the poll isn't valid.

FFS - its a simple enough question !

so why haven't you answered it then? I challenge you to provide an answer that is actually useful to anyone reading.

I ride in the middle ring - as an ex runner with dodgy knees - the bigger ring makes my knees pain full.

When I got into cycling - I was always told that you should keep off the big chain ring until you have a bit of strength in your legs.

Radioactiveman

50/34 . Most of the time in the 50 unless its extremely windy, long hill or I am knackered after nights

amaferanga

john74 - if the results of the poll are that most people use the big ring most of the time are you going to start using the big ring most of the time? If not then I don't see the worth in the question.

softlad

kingrollo wrote:

I ride in the middle ring - as an ex runner with dodgy knees - the bigger ring makes my knees pain full.

When I got into cycling - I was always told that you should keep off the big chain ring until you have a bit of strength in your legs.

thanks fella - you've just proved why threads like this have no value whatsoever. What's the point of keeping off the 'big' chainring when 34/13 is the same gear as 50/19..??

It has nothing to do with what chainring you are in - and everything to do with what gear you are pushing.

But don't let that stop you making pointless generalisations.....

rolf_f

If you've got a triple, surely the middle is the normal one - small for climbs, large for descents. If you are in the big ring all the time, on the flat, maybe your big ring isn't big enough!

With doubles, as Softlad says, its down to the overall gearing - I think (not really experienced yet in doubleness!) that I tend to use the smaller chainring more when I expect to need it - ie undulating terrain I'd move to the smaller chainring earlier, flatter terrain stick with the bigger. Overlaps are big so really just want to avoid chainging chainrings on an ascent.

stronginthesun

if you have a compact and are reasonably fit i would say you should be i the big ring most of the time ?

kingrollo

softlad wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

I ride in the middle ring - as an ex runner with dodgy knees - the bigger ring makes my knees pain full.

When I got into cycling - I was always told that you should keep off the big chain ring until you have a bit of strength in your legs.

thanks fella - you've just proved why threads like this have no value whatsoever. What's the point of keeping off the 'big' chainring when 34/13 is the same gear as 50/19..??

It has nothing to do with what chainring you are in - and everything to do with what gear you are pushing.

But don't let that stop you making pointless generalisations.....

OK - I will bow to your superior knowledge. I don't profess to know everything - I pass on my advice\ experience - for the receipents to consider\reject\accept - and I do it, without putting down posters, who may post the odd bit of obscure advice.

In anycase my answer is correct - I do (rightly or wrongly) ride mostly on the middle ring.

john74

ffs while all the hostility all i did was ask a question.
even if the question was irrevelevant or you thought it was stupid WHY post anything. :roll:

softlad

john74 wrote:

ffs while all the hostility all i did was ask a question.
even if the question was irrevelevant or you thought it was stupid WHY post anything. :roll:

because this is the 'beginners' forum - and genuine beginners might actually believe some of this sh1t....

kingrollo

john74 wrote:

ffs while all the hostility all i did was ask a question.
even if the question was irrevelevant or you thought it was stupid WHY post anything. :roll:

Exactly - However for some the forum is an opportunity to promote there superior knowledge - and ridicule those that fall short of this.

Pross

I've traditionally done most of my training on a 42t (small) chainring but with my new bike having 9 speed cassette I tend to use the 53t ring much more as I can now use the 19 or 21 with it on the back. However, still use the 39t a lot when it's a bit lumpy.

softlad

kingrollo wrote:

Exactly - However for some the forum is an opportunity to promote there superior knowledge - and ridicule those that fall short of this.

would you be happier labouring under the misconception that big-ring riding is for awesome mile monsters, while small-ring riding is for newbie weaklings...??

get a grip fella - I was just pointing out (along with a few others) that questions like this are flawed - and the answers are usually even more flawed. You're kind of proving my point.

Lillywhite

On my old bike with a triple 52/42/32 I usually spend most time in the 42.

However, on my new carbon bike with a compact 50/34 and 11 speed I seem to be using the 50 more and only the 34 when I get to a very steep hill.

kingrollo

softlad wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

Exactly - However for some the forum is an opportunity to promote there superior knowledge - and ridicule those that fall short of this.

would you be happier labouring under the misconception that big-ring riding is for awesome mile monsters, while small-ring riding is for newbie weaklings...??

get a grip fella - I was just pointing out (along with a few others) that questions like this are flawed - and the answers are usually even more flawed. You're kind of proving my point.

You point is pefectly valid.
I do however have an issue with how you express your opinions, rather than what those opinions are.

john74

ok thanks for the feedback guys.
sorry for opening a can of worms maybe i should think twice before posting on here again.
i didnt realise it would upset people posting a question from an obvious newbie in the begginers section :roll:

MODS can we now lock this thread as it seems to upset some folk.

Pross

Don't worry about it, some people get easily upset! There's far worse questions asked on here or the same one asked in numerous threads when an identical question is still on the front page. Now if you really want people getting upset get the Mods to lock a thread

CiB

Why has no-one said cadence yet then? Cadence is what it's about, and ifyou want to keep spinning at a decent rate - let's say 85-100 rpm just to generate more disagreement - you have a wide range of options. I can't be bothered to work it out exactly but if 53/20 is the same as 39/16 say, or 52/15 = 39/12 and your cadence is in the zone, you'll be doing whatever speed that cadence equates to in the current ratio. What a crap explanation.

Sometimes I go up a couple of cogs and drop to the smaller ring to get a very similar gear that's just that bit closer to the cadence I want. Or I drop down 2 or 3 on the back and up onto the bigger front ring for the same reason. Unless there's a headwind, or it's Thursday and uphill, or whatever.

Anyway. It's a ridiculous question, to which my answer is usually the big ring unless I'm not, in which case it's usually the small ring. It's whichever combination gives me a cadence around 90 - 100 for whatever road speed I can maintain. Remember - 10 cogs & 2 rings doesn't equal 20 ratios. It's closer to 14 or 15, with some duplicates.

vdu7x

On my MTB, I use all three rings regularly. On my Dura-ace tripled Trek Madone 5.9, 95% of the time i'm in the middle ring. Cruising at 33Kph - middle ring, climbing most hills in the UK, middle ring. I only use the big ring going downhill, and I only fitted the triple to get the small ring for a trip to Ventoux.

Yes this info is irrelevant to anybody else BUT this kind of experience can be of benefit to anybody looking to buy or radically change their setup. Having spent a small fortune changing the whole drivetrain from Dura-ace double to triple (everything had to be changed - derailleurs, cranks, chain, casette etc), I was surprised to find I generally still only need the middle gear for most situations.

PS - Don't flame us newbies please. Go pick on someone your own size (or experience)

fizz

Depends...

39/52 on the front then I think its split pretty evenly, with 50/34 on the front I play the chainring shuffle all the time. I try to ride so that I am pushing a gear that feels comfortable for the conditions and the road and how I feel that also doesnt result in a crossed chain line i.e I stay away from big ring on the front with big ring on the rear. I try to stay within my comfortable cadence range to so anywhere between 75 - 85 is what I am looking to stay around.

As a general rule of thumb most of the time unless I am climbing I like to try and keep the chain roughly in the centre of the middle of the block on the rear cassette.

dg74

Depends on terrain. Long flat sections I tend to hit the big ring and pedal like no tomorrow but come hills it's quickly shifted to the middle or lower ring (riding a triple), depending on severity of the hill I might add.

Canny pointless bollocking the lad for his question though.