Originally Posted by
rifraf
Everyones different.
I couldn't tour on your gear range as having done it in my youth, I've worn out my knees.
Suggest you "consider" ditching the front chain-rings and cassette unless the land is perfectly flat where you ride.
I've always found low gears are much more important on a touring bike but YMMV.
Even with a cassette with 32 or 34T I'd be wanting a front granny of around 22 or 24T and a middle in the mid to low 30's.
But thats just me as I hate pushing my bike up hills and theres plenty of them where I ride.
I just checked that link to Sheldons site and after typing my 29er Surly Ogres statistics, I came up with 16.4 to 86.1 gear inches.
I never use the top gears and spend plenty of time in the lowest of my IGH hub.
Likely because I simply coast down hills taking in the view whilst trying to ignore the noisy clicking of my IHG.
I spin around the mid 90's rpm in most gears except really steep hills.