Originally Posted by
caloso
I am perfectly satisfied with my old-school 53-39. It's flat here, and I don't carry much, but I can't see ever needing anything lower than 39x27.
When I'm riding in Florida on my road bike, 53-39, 12-21 is perfect. I do that about one week a year. The rest of the time, I prefer a wider gear range due to the hillier terrain.