Which chain ring to train in?

Training
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Hi, newbie here- which chain ring gear to train in? I use erg mode, so I know it adjusts etc. I was told by a friend to just always stay in lowest gear. Won’t I build better leg strength if I use erg in a higher gear? Thanks in advance-

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Welcome!

Aim for a good chain line. Using the small chain ring potentially makes the trainer more responsive since the flywheel isn’t spinning up/down as much. With ERG you “just” spin, the actual gear you are in is essentially immaterial the software will just adjust the resistance based on the target power and how quickly you are pedalling.

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When riding in erg on my 11-speed bike, I am in the big ring and 6th gear on the cassette.

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TrainerRoad recommends to be mid gear in the rear cassette and the inner/smaller chainring on the front. The idea is to keep the “straightest” chain.

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5

I pick the quietest chainline. Quiet is more important to me than any other nuance of gearing in Erg. I run the big ring rather than the small ring.

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6

I heard somewhere that smart turbos are more responsive in the wee ring so wether it’s right or wrong I do most of my work outs in the wee ring. Another thing which might be a consideration the big ring is getting worn out side and the wee ring inside, so hopefully the load is shared and thing last longer.

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7

small rings are cheaper to replace so wear it out to save money

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Yip, I ve just replaced ones and I think the inner was a fifth of the price or less of the outer.

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9

I use the small chainring and whatever cog at the back to keep a straight chain line.

My “natural” cadence with the big ring was too high (~105… closer to 110 some days) so I changed to the small ring a while ago. My cadence now is closer to 90rpm

Pass the initial ride on sand feel, I now prefer it, as it helps me to have a better power distribution during the stroke as result of the trainer being able to better overpower the flywheel.

It doesn’t mean that it will be the same to everyone though. So do some experimenting.

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They wear faster though, so…

I’d say rotate between the two front chainrings and 2-3 cogs in the back to mix things up.

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