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?