Not everyone is a bike mechanic or aspires to be. I thought I asked a fairly simple question about what gear system would make the most sense for the stated riding I mentioned in my initial post. Telling me what you did, in bike mechanic terms, doesn't really tell me if I'd be ahead with a 2,3, or 6 speed riding on paved paths with rather gentle inclines. I note on my 27 speed MB that I rarely use more than 3-4 gears and am almost never out of the middle chain ring. That's what got me to thinking about which gearing really makes the most sense *for me*.