Originally Posted by
Lascauxcaveman
My Peugeot Vagabond was factory set up as half-step-plus-granny. I absolutely hated it for climbing.
But, there's climbing, and then there's climbing. For instance, I gain over 1000 feet in my 4-mile commute home. For this, it seems a big ring, middle ring and a small ring work best for me; not big, "biggish" and granny.
The 52-45-28 is now a 52-39-28 and it feels better for the kind of hills I'm doing.
Of course 52-45 wasn't either half-step or alpine gearing, but something half way in between - and without the advantages of either.