Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
That's a really low gear, all right. We can start reliably in a 26-32. Below that is not reliable for us, so we don't do it. I'll look for a driveway or something and shift up as we stop. If there's nowhere to stop, we tough it out. If we had to make an emergency stop, we'd shift up before we started. One can push a much bigger gear for a minute than one can sustain for twenty, so the teeny gear one might stop in will feel really wimpy when starting, unless it's a steep enough hill that the team can hardly turn the cranks, in which case the pedal will come down slowly enough even in the teeny gear.
We're IP, so that might make it a little easier for us. Stoker can pretty much lift me into the saddle if I mess up, while complaining mightily. Did someone say something about not being perfect?
I agree with Carbonfiberboy. Start in high enough gear so you can get a few lower cadence strokes then shift to easier gear to spin as needed. We use the proper method and when starting on a steep pitch I sometimes just go straight to standing pedaling for a few strokes then sit and shift to easier gear. We rarely ride with only one of us standing but for a short distance to get going it works well. It helps to have pedals that are easy to get into like Bebop or Speedplay.