Originally Posted by
CanadaWriter
For the Boardwalk D8, crank is 48T and cassette 11-32T. I'm a newbie at the terminology but this seems to indicate a wide range for touring and decent ability on hills. What do you think? Did I miss some info?
You've got about 29-84 gear-inches there. I cannot advise you with certainty about whether you've got enough low end because i don't know the hills you are seeing and the load you are carrying. However, i personally would try to bring the low end down a bit more. The thing is that for you to install a cogset with a wider range of 11-36T, you are likely to have to go to swap to 9- or 10-speed, meaning you are going to need new shifters, chain, and possibly a new RD too. Arguably too much trouble just to gain just another gear's worth of gear-inches.
I run a 47T crankset with 11-36T cogset for 26-83 gear-inches. In essence you and I have the same top end, but I've got an additional gear at the bottom. Whereas you are done once you shift to the 32T cog, I can go from 32T to 36T. I actually wish for a lower bottom end, but 47T x 11-36T on 406 wheels is probably a good Goldie Locks touring range that avoids the increasing complexity and weight of double chainring drivetrains and of wider-range cogsets that require a longer and heavier RD.