bud16415,

Salsa Vaya and Fargo (2 popular touring bikes) do come with a SRAM mountain double as stock. They are equipped like that and being sold in shops, so it's not a matter of the shop recommending to new bikes, but it's a matter of the shop being able to keep those bikes in stock. Last time I was at Universal Cycles in Portland, Salsa bikes go out like hotcakes. That's also where I met both Russ Roca and Laura.

Secondly, 16" to 20" GI are only needed for extreme loads and steep climbs or off-road climbs, which is why I have it as my "bail out" gear. Like nun said, I am quite contend with a 30" gear. I've even climbed a 22% hill loaded with 2 panniers weighed total 25lbs with some effort. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either. That was with my carbon bike with 30" GI as the lowest. I toured early last summer with my Masi before the conversion and the lowest then was 33" GI, so as long as you keep the load light or somewhat medium, then you're fine with a 30". Plus I'm not a particularly strong rider either.

So yes, your observation is correct and that is, I ride a ten speed bike with a 18" bail out gear on the road, which makes it like an Alfine 11 setup. People ride Rohloff which has 14 speeds. If I do off-road which I did and loved on the steel bike, I have a tendency to shift with a small reverse H pattern from 24T to 42T when needed. Beauty of Tiagra shifters with an indicator. You can do more with less.