Cyclocross - How many teeth on your big (or only) chainring?

I've got a 46T on my front now, but I'm considering going to a 50T (probably unnecessarily big for me). My bike is used for nasty-road training, commuting, and easy trail riding.

What big ring do you have on your cyclocross bike? And, if you post a reply besides the survey response, what do you primarily use your bike for?

I like 48, but I need a black chainring...

53/42. I like the 53, but really need a 39 or 40 little ring.

Everyone should post their cassette too. Just the chain ring doesn't really mean much alone. :)

46 but I have a 50 also on another cross bike it's rare that I ever need the 50.

34 t chainring with 11-34 cassette;
going to have a 36 with 11-34 on my new build.
ps- my teenage son does quite well with 44/11-34,
a little too steep for a FOG.

Everyone should post their cassette too. Just the chain ring doesn't really mean much alone. :)

True, but it is impossible to poll for that many variables.

38 up front and 18 out back.

39-18 singlespeed.

I haven't raced it yet though so i don't know what i can handle. :( Ended up getting sick or was busy most of cross season. :(

I have been thinking of keeping sets of chainrings/chains/freewheels together in ziploc bags to swap my gearing depending on conditions.

I'm running the standard 36/42 setup on my bike right now (2005 C'dale with a Truvativ Elita crankset). I race C's in the Mid-Atlantic, and I'm going to run 36 single ring next season. On our courses, by the time you switch to the big ring and work to get it up to speed, you're ready to go back down to the small ring. Just breaks up the rhythm of spinning too much, and too much time and places lost fighting the get the chain onto the big ring then the second or two when you go back to the small ring and then start working that again. I'm also running 12-28 9 speed out back.

Now if I can find a 40 big ring, I might consider using that and staying with a double up front.

I've got 36/46 and 12-25 on my race bike, 38/48 and 12-25 (I think) on the commuter that sees 98% road use. For what it's worth, I'm almost never in the big ring when racing except on long pavement/fire road sections.

I was considering going 1x10 on the racer (42 w/12-27) but watching the added suffering of the single ring guys on the hills in the last race has made me rethink that, at least until I have to replace parts again for some other reason.

46/36/22 at front 12-23 at back. I use the bike for commuting and everything else, but no racing except when I see a bike ahead of me on the commute.

I run 42t with a 12-25 cassette when my crosscheck is set up 1x9. 42-17 when it's SS.

compact double 34-50, 12/25.

46/36 with a 13-26 (its campy and they have weird cassettes). 46 is more than enough and I dont ever think i go into the 13.

I haven't decided on the rigs next year but at least one will be 46/36 13-26 and the other may be the same or run single ring 42 with a 13-29

I'm using a 44t single with one of several cassettes. I like the 12-25 and will soon use a 12-27. I'm less happy with the 11-25 I sometimes use.

I'm a commuter in Chicago, the range I have with my 1 X 10 is good for anything except steeper hills off-road.

Michael

34/40 up front, 12-27 in back. I rarely need to use the 34 in a race but it's there if I need it.

42 single, 11-32 cassette

used, 44t with 11-27... also had a 11-34 i threw on for some races and totally saved me a bit... never used the 34 but it proves that my gearing theory is all wrong. i think im going to get a compact cross crankset next year (36/46)... and mess with it from there (or if i do single up front again im going to run smaller, 39 or 40) with a tighter ranged 10speed cassette.

i have a 48 for my big ring which i use mostly on the road and a 36 for the small ring which i use for offroad/racing.

I used 52/39 double and 12-25 cassette... because I got them for free. Hahaha.
I experimented with 46/36 double before, but because I mainly use my 'cross bike for commuting use, they felt too light on road. Maybe I'll use 46/36 again when I finally got the balls to take my bike to the real singletrack.

42 13-27

Single 42, 12-25.

I think a 38 would be even better for racing. I might try an 11-32 and mountain rear derailleur and a 44t ring just for giggles. Lots of range but the ratios are far apart.

39x18. Fixed.

39x46

I run a 12x25 or 12x26 usually.

Bike is for races primarily.

I have a 53/39 but I'm sharing the crank with my road bike because it has a power meter. Only used the 39 racing/offroad of course.

i run a 40 up front, with a 11-34 in back; i used to run a 48t 11-34, which was great for everything but the steepest dirt hills (no problem on any super steep road hills---it was just very slow turning). but since i started pulling a trailer frequently (weighing about 50#), i switched to a 40t up front. bloody love it. now i can ride up any hill in my area, dirt or road, and still make fine speed on the road (hasn't affected my cruising averages at all).

and if i need to, that 48t is still around for later.

46/36 11-27. I'll go back to 42t 11-34 when I race next year, but it's nice to have a few extra gears when I'm only commuting on the thing.