When I worked at a Peugeot/Nishiki dealership in the early 1970s, the Peugeot PA-10s,
PR-10s, and PX-10s came geared 52-45/14-21, and almost every customer wanted to replace the freewheel with a 14-26. I usually recommended something like 52-42/14-26, which gave a nice 1.5-step progression from 44 to 100 gear-inches. The classic "alpine" 1.5-step of 52-40/14-28 could also be made to work, if one was careful with chain length and rear wheel positioning.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069