Friend , British, back before the 11 and 12 tooth top gears were offered
We toured California coast, SF to the Mexican Border, he on a TA Cyclo-tourist crank,
now a classic..
the main gear a 50t, the granny bailout gear, a 28t..

Now I have a double crank on my Brompton,
but it is a planetary reduction gear, so the one chain ring is big
as the wheel is small.
so the same 50t, in low range , the reduction gear
acts like it was a 20t.. the crank-arms turn faster than
the chainring..