Originally Posted by
veganbikes
I would say that chain is too long if you went down in chainring sizes by 4 teeth you will need to shorten your chain. That is always the case. Also use your gears, don't be afraid to shift into a smaller cog it is pretty normal to use all of them that is why they made cassettes with those ranges.
Not sure where you mountain bike at it, but it's rare that I use the smallest 4 cogs. Maybe a sprint on a flat surface of the last 100 yards or so of race but that's about it.