Originally Posted by Kerlenbach

Gearing is only a part of the equation, but you know that. The motor is what matters, both in the amount of power it generates and the total weight it has to move. And gearing is complicated - I have years of data relating to speed and cadence, which could be turned into precise gearing info with the right spreadsheet. Moving from a triple to a compact double was one of the smartest things I've ever done. I have no hills to climb ("Our offroad hills are only about 1 to 1 1/2 miles long and vary from 10 to 15% with the occasional steep bit." Holy smokes - reading that gives me heart palpitations) so I'm almost never in the small cog. But I'm thinking of changing the 50 for a 48 or even a 46 to give me more flexibility in the use of the cassette. I've never come close to spinning out on the high end, and there are times when I could use a lower gear on the low end without shifting to the small ring.