Originally Posted by KevinF
If the chain is wrapped around the smallest gear up front and the largest gear in back, then that's your lowest gear. There's absolutely nothing wrong mechanically-speaking with using that gear. If you were in the smallest gear up front and smallest gear in back, then you are "cross-chained" and you are prematurely wearing your drivetrain (the chain is at such an extreme angle in those gears that it's simply not "meshing" with the gears very well).
that was what i was doing - i was on the small ring up front and the smallest at the back. It didn't sound right, but it was the lightest gear i could find...
So how else can i make it up a steep hill???? Do i have to keep the small ring up front and a medium ring at the back? That is too hard for me