Quick poll.. 30t or 32t front ring on a 29er...?

[Polisherman]

Just about to push the button on a new Solaris. Oh, the 1st world stress of choice in this world of bike standard uncertainty!! ;-)
So wadda you use up front? 11-42 cassette. I'm going 1x11 (or 12), well probably not 12, cos I'm not rolling in dosh..
The demo Solaris had a 30t front ring, which is what Cotic supply all their bikes with.
Just felt it span out a bit quick on the flat.
I guess I'm pretty quick on a bike, but it's my do everything bike, from bikepacking to big Lakeland loops, to having it's week of hooing in Spain.

Yes I know i'm stressing this and I could always buy a different size later... ;-)

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've got both ... can't really tell any difference when allied with an 11/42 cassette.

[ianfitz]

I have one of each on two bikes.

Would tend to go 30 if planning to ride laden more often than not.

But as Stu says, not much in it

[slarge]

32 on mine, i think it's perfect

[TheBrownDog]

32 x 11-42 on 3in 650B+ and very happy with it. And I'm a fat tourist.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Very much depends what you are riding.

Multi-day off-road I use 32 with 10-50 cassette. Previously used 28 with 10-42. Both maximised the useable range for my legs.

[padonbike]

I've got 32T with 11-40 10 speed and that can be a bit overgeared with bikepacking gear.

Will probably go to 11-42T because I don't want to go lower than the 32 x 11 top, which isn't actually very high.

Goat link ahoy ...

[GregMay]

34.... 10/42 or 11/42 dependant on bike - with bags.

Generally don't go lower than a 32. But I've found it gets tiring after a few days on the trot.

SS is geared as 32 - 20 (21 with bags) for Hebden Riding. 32 - 19 or 18 for other riding.

[jamiep]

Im 32 with 11-40

[Alec]

Have you thought about using a sunrace 11-50 11speed cassette with a 34 ring covers both ends of the spectrum.

[fatbikephil]

28 - makes that bit easier on a long climb at the end of a long day. 30 is OK for most stuff though

[ianfitz]

I've got 32T with 11-40 10 speed and that can be a bit overgeared with bikepacking gear.

Will probably go to 11-42T because I don't want to go lower than the 32 x 11 top, which isn't actually very high.

Goat link ahoy ...

10-42 worthy of consideration? That 10% makes a difference.

[Ben98]

I used 32x11-40 on the HT550 and have since swapped to 34x11-42, gives me the same low gear and a slightly higher top gear.

[lune ranger]

34t with 18t out back and a Rohloff...

[padonbike]

10-42 worthy of consideration? That 10% makes a difference.

Yes but I can't fit a sprocket smaller than 11T,
10T needs a different freehub I think.

[whitestone]

I use an oval 32T with an 11-40T cassette on my Solaris. Seems to fit my strength/fitness range quite well. There was an instance leaving Kinlochewe on the HT550 when I ran out of gears but given that it was at the end of the fourth day it's not something likely to happen regularly. I find it's the long steady draggy climbs that need the low gears - short steeper ones I think are better/easier to do standing out of the saddle in a harder gear.

Sunrace 11-50T? They don't list that on their website, 11-46T looks like the widest range cassette they do.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Should have mentioned that I also use oval rings; just feel a bit better at low cadence, although I don't endorse the claims of better traction - if anything it is worse! Also have to be careful when tensioning the chain (with SS or Rohloff) using an eccentric BB, as it is only a tiny difference between too tight and sloppy. However, once sorted it allows the wheel to come off without requiring tools.

[Alec]

Sunrace do do a 11-50 as we have it on my partners bike, think we ordered it from bikediscount.de in Germany for about the same price as an xt 11-46.
The biggest cog is a 50 then a 42.

Edit: the cassette code is mx80 for the 11-50

[Alpinum]

For UK I feel fine with 11-42 and 30t or 32t.
At home in the Alps 30/42 is tough when you've ton of climbing in your legs and would like to easily spin up another one. So I ride 32t on my geared 29ers with Sram Eagle.

Guess it mostly depends on how fit you are, what riding you do, at what speed you want to use the smallest gear (hiking) and where you're riding.

After all, the front ring is changed easily.