Originally Posted by
ArgoMan
I With that lower number of RD cogs, I'm obsessing over whether I need a larger front chainring that has at least 52T. Am I defeating the whole purpose of employing a 12-23 cassette by going with a 50T chainring?
For determining the gearing, I always go back to "Am I spinning out my high gear at any point in the race?" -and- "What gears do I need for the worst climb in the race?"
Depending on the race I may have very different cassette and/or chainrings. I don't think there's one correct answer.