Simple question… complicated answer… maybe.
This can be influenced by:
- Trainer flywheel, resistance range and the wattage floor.
- “Feel” that you want (the pedal feel around the circle as a result of the flywheel inertia)
- Goal event for your training (muscular loading in the pedal circle, likely related to “Feel” above)
One rule of thumb:
- Flat and Fast Road Riding = Large Gearing and Faster Flywheel Inertia
- Hilly and Off-Road = Small Gearing and Slower Flywheel Inertia
The above is NOT a perfect solution for all riders and needs.
This whole topic is very debatable and been covered in great depth in this thread.
I recommend playing with each chainring and evaluate your own experience. Overall, there is not “perfect answer”, and any differences between them likely fall well into the “marginal gains/losses” category. So I don’t think either is necessarily better than another in all cases.