Wondering what size front chain ring everyone is using?
I currently have 36t round on the trainer bike, thinking about swapping it with either my 32t oval or 30t oval since with a smart trainer a bigger chain ring isn’t usually needed.
On the trainer bike (Canyon Aeroad CF Slx 9 Team), I currently have a compact Etap/Quarq crankset.
I used to use the 50 but currently I run the small ring 34. I do not observe any real difference on my trainer in ERG. Trainer is Tacx Neo.
I used to use a Wahoo Kickr and on that one I preferred the small ring.
I have a 53/39. I usually leave it on the big ring to get it line up best with the either the 19 or 17 gear (middle of my 25/11 10 gear cassette) in the back.
53/39, really, just because that’s what came on the bike I purchased. There’s enough in the back cassette to give me a good range.
53/39 here. I use the 39 most of the time, and move up to the 53 for sprint intervals, or in something like Violator.
I’ve got a normal compact on a Cycleops/Saris Hammer H1. I used to be small ring exclusively but have recently switched over to the big ring because the increased flywheel speed makes for a better road feel - you get that bit of inertia behind it. The downside is that it’s harder to get going and if you’re getting bogged down then you’re much more likely to slip into the death spiral. Especially noticeable if you’re expected to spin up to 110 for a final sprint and you’re barely keeping on top of it at 90!
53/39 with a 12-25 cassette, I’m using virtual power on a Tacx Sirius. I find that the 39-25 bottom gear is a bit tall to maintain a cadence of 90 on some workouts with very low power recovery intervals and that 53-12 is not tall enough for really high power low cadence. With only a 283% range I would expect that, I guess that must be one of the big advantages of a smart trainer where the resistance can be adjusted on the fly.
50/34 to replicate what I ride outdoors.
Sort of helpful.
I used a 52T in the front with a 11/36T cassette at the back but found that my cadence was just way too low so I dropped the front down to a 36 or something
Thanks all, after reading Sir Mac’s article I’ve swapped out to the 32t oval. This should be closer to what I actually ride on my XC bike. Will see how Attacker goes this morning.