Preferred Chainring size?

I went from 30T to 28T on the yeti to help get up the hills,

dropping 2 teeth at the same time as going absolute black

I'm not really sure if the unround thing was any easier

I had more trouble after ACL surgery

sold the Yeti  for the Bullit with a 34T

but with 85NM it no longer matters whats up front

Posted by: velocipedestrian

I chose 30 because that's the smallest that fits on a 104BCD crank. I'd like to run 28t for the chainline, but not enough to buy new cranks.

Just in case you haven't tried/considered, I use a 28t Absolute Black ring mounted to the 64bcd granny mounts on my 104 cranks. The ring is offset a few mm towards the big ring so that helps to buy a bit of chainring/chainstay clearance as well as improved chainline biased towards the lower gears out back. I also use 2x specific Shimano cranksets to optimize my chainline towards using the 64bcd mount

Posted by: UFO

Posted by: velocipedestrian

I chose 30 because that's the smallest that fits on a 104BCD crank. I'd like to run 28t for the chainline, but not enough to buy new cranks.

Just in case you haven't tried/considered, I use a 28t Absolute Black ring mounted to the 64bcd granny mounts on my 104 cranks. The ring is offset a few mm towards the big ring so that helps to buy a bit of chainring/chainstay clearance as well as improved chainline biased towards the lower gears out back. I also use 2x specific Shimano cranksets to optimize my chainline towards using the 64bcd mount

I hadn't considered. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I think I'm going to order a 28t oval from Oneup. I can't say I have noticed much in the way of performance benefits going to an oval ring (I think any advantage was overshadowed from dropping 2 teeth), but I have not noticed any drawbacks either.

Sorry for not including a 26t option - I have been out of biking for a long time and did not know that was even an option with 1x drivetrains.

Posted by: Ride.DMC

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I think I'm going to order a 28t oval from Oneup. I can't say I have noticed much in the way of performance benefits going to an oval ring (I think any advantage was overshadowed from dropping 2 teeth), but I have not noticed any drawbacks either.

On my geared bikes I haven't noticed any difference between oval and round rings, but as you note no obvious downsides either.

I found a 28 was lower than I needed and 30 was great for a while with a 42 low out back. Went eagle and stayed with a 30 but found I needed a bit more for fast group rides down the pavement. A couple seasons ago I thought the 32 50 was pretty easy so as n experiment to climb faster I went 34. No problems really here in Whistler then old age started to express its opinion upon me. Back to 32 on both bikes.

Posted by: andy-eunson

I found a 28 was lower than I needed

This guy just comes in and flexes on all of us... jeeeeez

Posted by: andy-eunson

I found a 28 was lower than I needed and 30 was great for a while with a 42 low out back. Went eagle and stayed with a 30 but found I needed a bit more for fast group rides down the pavement. A couple seasons ago I thought the 32 50 was pretty easy so as n experiment to climb faster I went 34. No problems really here in Whistler then old age started to express its opinion upon me. Back to 32 on both bikes.

clearly we are not fit to drink your bathwater

Posted by: XXX_er

Posted by: andy-eunson

I found a 28 was lower than I needed and 30 was great for a while with a 42 low out back. Went eagle and stayed with a 30 but found I needed a bit more for fast group rides down the pavement. A couple seasons ago I thought the 32 50 was pretty easy so as n experiment to climb faster I went 34. No problems really here in Whistler then old age started to express its opinion upon me. Back to 32 on both bikes.

clearly we are not fit to drink your bathwater

Towel sweat, no bathwater - just rolls in the snow to get clean.

Posted by: velocipedestrian

Posted by: UFO

Posted by: velocipedestrian

I chose 30 because that's the smallest that fits on a 104BCD crank. I'd like to run 28t for the chainline, but not enough to buy new cranks.

Just in case you haven't tried/considered, I use a 28t Absolute Black ring mounted to the 64bcd granny mounts on my 104 cranks. The ring is offset a few mm towards the big ring so that helps to buy a bit of chainring/chainstay clearance as well as improved chainline biased towards the lower gears out back. I also use 2x specific Shimano cranksets to optimize my chainline towards using the 64bcd mount

I hadn't considered. Thanks for the tip.

If you’re shopping, NSB makes a 64bcd mount ring too. That on an older set of non boost XT cranks worked a treat for me on a couple of boost and 142mm bikes.

Posted by: mrbrett

Posted by: velocipedestrian

Posted by: UFO

Posted by: velocipedestrian

I chose 30 because that's the smallest that fits on a 104BCD crank. I'd like to run 28t for the chainline, but not enough to buy new cranks.

Just in case you haven't tried/considered, I use a 28t Absolute Black ring mounted to the 64bcd granny mounts on my 104 cranks. The ring is offset a few mm towards the big ring so that helps to buy a bit of chainring/chainstay clearance as well as improved chainline biased towards the lower gears out back. I also use 2x specific Shimano cranksets to optimize my chainline towards using the 64bcd mount

I hadn't considered. Thanks for the tip.

If you’re shopping, NSB makes a 64bcd mount ring too. That on an older set of non boost XT cranks worked a treat for me on a couple of boost and 142mm bikes.

Sweet, personal cross-shoppers! Sell me on the features and benefits of each!

Umm,

NSB - made in Whistla’

AB - Made in Poland I think (maybe you’re from there? I don’t know!)

Point: probably NSB

Price? Well they both have one. I think in Canada it’s a smaller one for NSB. 

Point: probably NSB but to be honest I didn’t check 

That’s actually all I could come up with.

I'm using an 11-46 cassette with a 28 chainring, just for the last few weeks. I was on a 30 before because it had come with my cranks and I hadn't bothered to change it, but it left me with no good gearing options for some really steep sections and a lot of time on the 46 cog. The 28 has been a big improvement, giving me an actual bailout gear and keeping me on the steel part of the cassette more.

That's on my 29er. On my old 26" bike I've got a 30 with an 11-46 and no real need to go lower.

Posted by: eriksg

I'm using an 11-46 cassette with a 28 chainring, just for the last few weeks. I was on a 30 before because it had come with my cranks and I hadn't bothered to change it, but it left me with no good gearing options for some really steep sections and a lot of time on the 46 cog. The 28 has been a big improvement, giving me an actual bailout gear and keeping me on the steel part of the cassette more.

That's on my 29er. On my old 26" bike I've got a 30 with an 11-46 and no real need to go lower.

I did the same thing. Been riding 30 x 46 on my bikes for years. I just put a 28 tooth chainring on my 29er HT, mostly so I can run a cog down and get better chain line and not wear out the soft 46 so much. 28 x 46 is a bit too low for a lot of my climbs, but it sure is nice to have the 46 as a bailout when things get properly steep or my legs are fading.