I know how to calculate gear ratios and development-in-meters and all that, but I'm aware that the same development on different bikes feels... different.

So, has anyone ridden the same Brompton with a 50 tooth chainring vs. a 44 tooth one? I live in a hilly area, and my 6-speed Brompton is fine until I hit the really steep hills - the ones I can do on the low gears of my "big" bike, but not on the Brompton.

I've tried to get an intuitive feel of which gear in my "big" bike corresponds to each gear in my Brompton, and things sort of make sense. And I think, well, if I had the 44t chainring it *should* feel like this or that gear on the big bike, but end up doubting whether changing the chainring is worthwhile. I seldom use the highest gear anyway; just to give myself an extra push when I'm already going fast or downhill, but I could just spin faster on the 5th gear.

Any insight is appreciated.