Topic: Of BIG rings and small rings......

[Big Hooper]

......and cadence and all that other roadie stuff.
Well weekend ride commenced on Sunday and was deciding to follow suit with a more experienced rider. He says he avoids cross chaining so he rides small front and mid cassette in rear. Normally I just hammer away in the BIG ring. So this Sunday I rode primarily in the small ring and upped the cadence. Still rolling along anywhere between 18 to 22mph in that configuration.
Well what say you? Big ring up front only and slow the cadence or spin to win in the small ring?
 
Just want to make sure Im doing the right thing out there. I dont want to get laughed at on the road you know.

[slowfatguy]

My bike came with a compact crank, so I always use the big ring. I try to never go above the 3rd gear in the back though, just easier on parts that way. I'm no roadie though, I just do what feels right.

[Mob Barley]

Bring it, Big ring it Cadence is dictated by terrain, spinning along on the flats I can't imagine anything but the big ring. At San Ann I try to ride only in the Big ring and push as small a cog as possible while staying in the saddle, this is a great power/force builder

[ClintonRH]

Do both. Mix it up. Always good to do some training at a harder gearing to build the muscle but as I understand it the key to long lasting power is spinning not mashing.

[chisel]

i was always a spinner,but now i have trained myself to mash the big ring and i feel my riding has improved.  Everyone is different though.

[Mob Barley]

i was always a spinner,but now i have trained myself to mash the big ring and i feel my riding has improved.  Everyone is different though.

What Chiz said, I will take it one step further and add I don't feel like I am mashing the big ring, I have just trained the legs to spin a larger gear. The mechanical advantage of the Big ring is to great to not take advantage of

[rob_squared]

Cross chaining is inefficient... energy is wasted in binding the chain. How much? I'm not sure, but I have read that in some cases as much as 30% over a straight chain line. Don’t know if that is true or not.

It also wears your components much faster. I avoid cross chaining like herpes! My front chain rings are.... 10+ years old. My rear der is at least 8 years old and I change my cassette about every 4-5 years. Change the chain every 2-3. No joke.

Spinning staves off cramps due to less muscle fatigue too.

All in all, you are going to ride what feels most comfortable to you for your distance and riding style. But if your quiver is full of knowledge and skill you are a better rounded cyclist

[Big Hooper]

seems like this is another of the "to each their own" type answers. I notice from the looks of the rear cassette that I mainly stay in the middle of the spread. So it seems it would be fine for either chainring without much cross chaining. I did notice that when big ringing while following the other riders, I sure was coasting more.

[psychlyst]

cross chaining does wear down components...I was always a small ring/high cadence rider on the road for years 'til a friend badgered me into hitting the big ring and building power...I did and it makes a big difference!..on the hills in San An/Calremont I tend to spin a bit more,staying steady and driving my legs thru the strokes...just find your niche.Big ring grinding up the hills beats these 50 yr. old knees up,so I let the younguns feed their egos with the power moves...