View Poll Results: Which chainring do you ride the most?
Voters: 92. You may not vote on this poll
Which ring do you ride most?
01-26-16, 07:02 AM
#51
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50-18 seems to be my sweetspot.
I'm a big fan of 50-tooth big rings. I just got my first compact crankset, but all of my other bikes have 50-39's.
Kinda nice to leave it in the "big" ring at a stoplight and not have to grind or cross-chain to get rolling again. A 50-12 is almost the same in gear-inches as a 53-13, and it's not like any of us are sprinting against McEwan for our livelihood.
I'm a big fan of 50-tooth big rings. I just got my first compact crankset, but all of my other bikes have 50-39's.
Kinda nice to leave it in the "big" ring at a stoplight and not have to grind or cross-chain to get rolling again. A 50-12 is almost the same in gear-inches as a 53-13, and it's not like any of us are sprinting against McEwan for our livelihood.
01-26-16, 08:02 AM
#52
Get off my lawn!
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Wait wait wait! A few responders checked the Don't care, ride a fixed gear box. I say foul, the polling results are tainted.
Since no self respecting fixed gear rider would ride a bike unfettled, we've all selected a Chain Ring, the bigger one or the smaller one, sure we swap cogs to get the perfect Chain Length, but we all bought a Chain Ring....
Since no self respecting fixed gear rider would ride a bike unfettled, we've all selected a Chain Ring, the bigger one or the smaller one, sure we swap cogs to get the perfect Chain Length, but we all bought a Chain Ring....
01-26-16, 03:31 PM
#53
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True, but I live in that gear, so even if it cost me 2 chainring sets per summer, and maybe a chain a year, I'd be okay with that. (I did have to install 2mm spacers to push my large chainring away a bit, so I could get a straight chainline.
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01-26-16, 05:09 PM
#54
Senior Member
Whichever one is most appropriate at the moment: uphill, the small ring; downhill, the big ring; flat, it depends.
SP
OC, OR
SP
OC, OR
01-26-16, 10:31 PM
#55
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Does my new 70T count?
Flat, hills, towing a trailer, it is all the same. I haven't bothered to install a front derailleur and may not need it
Flat, hills, towing a trailer, it is all the same. I haven't bothered to install a front derailleur and may not need it
01-27-16, 09:50 PM
#56
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There's a 'small' ring? 
Seriously, no idea. Tend to the inside (42) on the inner portion of the freewheel, and outer (52) when on the outer portion of the freewheel.
Oh, wait, when on 'old farts rides' (you know, CCRT, Boxing Day Ride) I never get past the middle of the freewheel, so at least then it would be inner.
Seriously, no idea. Tend to the inside (42) on the inner portion of the freewheel, and outer (52) when on the outer portion of the freewheel.
Oh, wait, when on 'old farts rides' (you know, CCRT, Boxing Day Ride) I never get past the middle of the freewheel, so at least then it would be inner.
01-31-16, 06:14 AM
#57
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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What I've learned from this poll
This poll is still open but here is what I've learned so far.
At least 95% (76 out of 80) of you respondents use at least one chainring. The other 5% may or may not. Perhaps you ride a high-wheeler, a velocipede, or a draisine. You know who you are. Why not 'fess up? This is C&V, after all.
Most of you run the big chainring most of the time. (And perhaps like less than half the other chainrings less than half as much as they deserve.) That is in accordance with my own preference on every bike except the Masi's 1/2-step crossover.
So why did I ask, you ask? I have known and still know riders who run the small ring with smaller sprockets. I've been told that the pros run small rings and shift to the big ring only for running down mountains. (I wouldn't know because I normally don't pay attention to things like that.)
Most of my bikes have compact doubles so the big ring provides useful ratios for most situations except climbing. Of course the difference between a 48 and a 52 is the same as between a 28 and a 26 on the rear, so any big ring will do as long as the drivetrain can still give me the necessary low. It really depends on the terrain. If I lived on a pancake my gear setups would certainly be different.
My Masi has a 1/2-step crossover and I run the small ring for a reason. The RD has a Rally-style cage which makes the guide pulley move vertically as chain is taken up or released. The small ring lets the RD take up more chain, which moves the pulley closer to the FW. Hence it shifts with a bit more precision.
This poll suggests I am not very far from the norm. I've been told I'm not far from a fool either but that's wasn't one of the poll options, now, was it?
At least 95% (76 out of 80) of you respondents use at least one chainring. The other 5% may or may not. Perhaps you ride a high-wheeler, a velocipede, or a draisine. You know who you are. Why not 'fess up? This is C&V, after all.
Most of you run the big chainring most of the time. (And perhaps like less than half the other chainrings less than half as much as they deserve.) That is in accordance with my own preference on every bike except the Masi's 1/2-step crossover.
So why did I ask, you ask? I have known and still know riders who run the small ring with smaller sprockets. I've been told that the pros run small rings and shift to the big ring only for running down mountains. (I wouldn't know because I normally don't pay attention to things like that.)
Most of my bikes have compact doubles so the big ring provides useful ratios for most situations except climbing. Of course the difference between a 48 and a 52 is the same as between a 28 and a 26 on the rear, so any big ring will do as long as the drivetrain can still give me the necessary low. It really depends on the terrain. If I lived on a pancake my gear setups would certainly be different.
My Masi has a 1/2-step crossover and I run the small ring for a reason. The RD has a Rally-style cage which makes the guide pulley move vertically as chain is taken up or released. The small ring lets the RD take up more chain, which moves the pulley closer to the FW. Hence it shifts with a bit more precision.
This poll suggests I am not very far from the norm. I've been told I'm not far from a fool either but that's wasn't one of the poll options, now, was it?
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01-31-16, 10:19 AM
#58
aka Tom Reingold
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If the majority of respondents generally use their big rings, I feel inadequate. I must be slow.
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01-31-16, 10:36 AM
#60
aka Tom Reingold
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Cue @nlerner: _________
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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01-31-16, 10:59 AM
#61
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Middle ring. All my bikes have triple cranksets.
01-31-16, 04:17 PM
#62
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As phrased, I'm not quite sure how to answer the poll. I've found that what I really like is a chainring somewhere in the 40s. I can use the 42T inner ring on my go-fast bike when climbing or starting out or cruising on level ground, and the shift up into the 48T big is easy and gives as much top end as I currently need. The 48T big ring on my rando bike is good for most level ground riding, only shifting to the 34T inner ring when I need to climb.
And my fixed-gear wears a 45T or 42T ring depending on the season.
And my fixed-gear wears a 45T or 42T ring depending on the season.
