Originally Posted by
beatifik
i don't know the dif between the xd and the rd, but a smaller chainring is better if this is your first bike. it'll be easier to stop. of course if one crankset is more appealing to you than the other, 2 teeth aren't gonna make a ton of difference. you could always get a 17t cog to lower your gear.
i think i'm going to go with the rd as it seems to be more of a true track crankset as opposed to the xd which i read is suitable for both road and mtb. i'm gonna start with a 16t cog as i got one free from a buddy and see how it feels. thanks guys.