I'm a low gear spinner in my late forties. I like the 48 tooth big ring on my touring bike and the 42 on my do-all winter machine. I live in a hilly area, with poor road surfaces, plenty of mud and ice, amongst other hazards. My knees prefer the suppleness lower gears promote.

I still race long TT's and have ridden a lot of randonnees and etapes over the years. I have a race bike with a 53 ring on it but I do most training and commuting rides in gears between 65 and 80 inches. It works best for me to pedal a bit faster, whenever I think about changing up;-) It's not uncommon for me to ride all day in three or four gears, only.

I guess having ridden fixed in bad weather for 35 years has helped my spin?

Is any of this helping? Obviously, I think smaller rings are great for many riders in certain circumstances.............