Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
Just keep in mind that 34/30 is a pretty low gear.....some folks (uh, like me) simply can't ride a bike that slowly up an incline and stay upright. Not only that, but it will take you forever to get up that hill. Lots of folks do it very successfully, but I know I can't.
Most folks can ride 1:1 gears at around 2-3 mph without issue. I'm 62-yo and no poster-child for bike handling and have no difficulty "staying upright" pedaling a 34/36 on 15% grades or so. They put super-low gears on touring bikes for a reason. Yes, it takes a long time to climb, but it beats walking.
- Mark