ChamoisDavisJr

When I’m in the BIG RING and dropping the group, I’ll sometimes pretend I’m adjusting the strap on my Birkenstocks…and soft pedal a while to let the slowies catch up.

What gets really annoying with BIG RING riding, alone, is that even after dragging brakes for ten minutes once everyone finally catches up…they’re still out of breath. SMDH.

So yes stay in the BIG RING.

WhyFi

You're privy to the best training advice? Do tell.

Koyote

I’ve only had one cup of coffee so far this morning…But wtf?

GhostRider62

That's when you grab the handle of Vodka

10 Wheels

Big Ring Small Rider.

Chuck M 

LarrySellerz , it would be interesting if you posted a picture of your bike. Your posts often raise questions about your equipment and while the same people that goof on you may goof on your bike, you may get some good advice and constructive criticism from others. By the way, my hat is off to you for continuing to seek a group to ride with despite some of your negative experiences.

Mojo31

Correction: Giant ring, small rider.

HTupolev

But that's in the small ring.

PeteHski

I've seen this pic before around here. Anyone know the story behind it?

seypat

Small rider on a Giant bike!

ClydeClydeson

Change to the little ring if you feel like you would like your legs to be spinning faster. There is no one rule for when and how you use your chainrings.

However, in my experience, there are lots of hills and roads that are much more efficient to ride in a larger gear - there can be a threshold speed, below which the effort to keep moving goes way up, like at faster speeds you float over road irregularities, but slower and your tires fall into and must climb out of or over every tiny dip or bump. With this in mind, it is likely OPs group is giving him advice to raise his performance level. They aren't saying 'small chainrings not allowed' but 'if you want to hang with our group then learn to crank up the hills a bit faster". If OP has legs that can spin like a sewing machine motor, maybe he can keep up while using the small ring. An advantage of bigger gears is that when you stand up to pedal - like when you need to put max torque into the chain for a climb - it's much easier to crank a big gear slowly than to spin a small gear.

Broctoon

I think it's pointless to talk in general terms like "using the big ring only" or "using the small ring sometimes." Is your big ring 53 teeth, 52, or maybe only 48? What's the range of your cassette? 11-27, 12-34, or ?

I could be on my small ring and the middle of my cassette with a higher ratio than someone on his big ring and biggest cog.

I used to ride with a friend who would sometimes set a goal for himself to not leave his big ring through an entire ride. He was a strong climber and had personal ambitions to improve his mashing ability. He might just as well have chosen to stay on cogs 21 teeth or smaller regardless of chainring selection, but it's easier to watch and it's also psychologically more impactful when you just decide to not shift down in the front.

In any case, it's really about your current fitness level vs. your goals. Some guys might want to never let their cadence drop below 90, or power never less than 150W (these can be impractical on mixed terrain; more feasible on flats). Personally, I like developing my overall riding skills. I want to improve my abilities to spin fast, to mash hard, to keep a moderate effort for increasing durations, etc. Mostly, I want to get better/faster at riding in real world scenarios, where a variety of skills are necessary. Sometimes others give me worthwhile advice, but I would disregard anything as general as "don't use your big ring."

ClydeClydeson

Broctoon There is a small advantage to using a larger chainring/cog over a smaller chainring/cog with the same ratio (like 50-25 vs 38-19) - the smaller gears will need higher chain tension for the same power output and speed, and this can increase friction and wear in the chain and drivetrain - admittedly a very small amount - but a difference nonetheless.

Broctoon

I know. There’s also an efficiency advantage with bigger gears, perhaps a Watt or two? My point is that you stay in the big chain ring because you want to meet your personal goal of staying in the big chain ring—for your own reasons. You don’t recommend it to everyone as a universally applicable technique.

Maybe Larry’s friend recommended it based on something specific he knew Larry was trying to achieve. He could also have suggested to stay in an overall ratio 20% higher than usual, not important how this is obtained.

PeteHski

Frictional difference is in the noise compared to the actual gear ratio. Like in your example above riding a 50-25 is going to feel exactly like riding a 38-19 in the real world, even if you lose a tiny bit of efficiency with the latter.

Carbonfiberboy 

I dunno. My leg got pulled so hard on his last thread it fell off.

tFUnK

This is actually what I tell my friends to do sometimes. Use the momentum, stay in the big ring, and power thru for the 30s or so to crest the bump. Obviously doesn't apply if it's too long or too steep, use your intuition.

CAT7RDR

Greg LeMond coached me to HTFU and power up the grade in the big ring to trigger my mitochondrial biogenesis, rinse lactic acid on the descent, then, do another hill in the big chainring.

Climb, rinse, repeat.

jaxgtr

And the problem with this is ???? Kids are too soft these days, but that is my generations fault I guess. My kids had 1 move back, once they moved out the second time, that was it, you are on your own. If you were over 18, living in our house and employed, you paid rent and utilities. We did not pay for their phones, cars, or car insurance. The old saying ... give them a fish or teach them to fish.

I have friends that have kids in the mid 30's still living at home, and they have their own kids, like it is nothing.... Can't do that, you have to go.

sean.hwy

146lbs here and use every single one of my gears. I even installed a 40T for the gravel wheel set. ha-ha
My knees not at happy grinding while sitting down for long duration.

If someone could invent a smooth shifting 1x 40T front and 20 speed on the back 10-80 I would be first in line.

Dean V

The amount of cross chaining in the above two combinations could also have an effect on the already small efficiency difference.