No no no... I don't need any gearing advice.
I've been on the bike forums and mail lists long enough to experience all the life or death equipement choices many times over. Skid lids or not, trailers or panniers, Arkels or Ortleibs, clippless or not, brifters or not, lugs or no lugs, guns or no guns, wave or not to wave...and on and on.
Nancy and I love climbing mountain roads on bicycles. That had a lot to do with our choice of Switzerland and Austria for our first bike trip to Europe.
The great thing about cycling is that it's low impact. I hope to still be riding in new places 50 years after I originally started riding seriously. With cycling, that's not such a stretch.
Tastes Great!...Less Filling!!
Ron
South Ogden, UT
http://miles2go.crazyguyonabike.com
http://www.pbase.com/canyonlands/
Originally Posted by acantor
If you want to start a tempest in a teapot on the BikeForums, ask for opinions on the "best" gearing set-up for touring in mountainous regions.
In the past, these threads tend to run their course after a few days, and the consensus reached is something like this:
* Gearing is very personal subject, and people have strong opinions. Typical response: "If it works for you, go for it!"
* It is better to err on the side of lower gears. Typical response: "Ask yourself if, during your climbs, you wished for a lower gear. If you answer YES, go for it!"
If you have managed to struggle up 20% grades, all I can say is "wow." You are probably stronger, younger, and fitter than me! (When you get to be my age, almost everyone is!) The grades in Switzerland tend to be on the gentle side. I don't remember encountering anything greater than 10% or 12% (although no doubt steeper hills exist). But these gentle climbs can be miles and miles long. I travelled uphill six or seven hours one day, and that nearly did me in!