I've had a 56/11 ratio since 1993. Knees still fine. Age 49 still doing squats with 585. Just can't maintain 110-120 RPMs even in a low gear for long. I get out of breath.
But I can ride, seated, uphill, in a 48/28 without too much strain. I have leg strength. I don't have the cardio I did in days gone by.
I know what I can and cannot do, and this bike was built for me.
I don't need "bragging rights" -- The things I have done that will be carved onto my gravestone are well known by those who care. I doubt the bike setup qualifies to displace anything.
The purpose of the post was to thank the individual who made it happen, despite all of the nay-sayers and pissants.
I will continue to work on my electronic quad FD project, more for fun than anything else. And when that is completed, I'll post pictures of my
60-56-48-28 x
11-13-15-18-21-24-28 version of the bike.
Again, for no other reason than to show that...
The human will,
That force unseen,
The offspring of a deathless soul,
Can hew away to any goal,
Though walls of granite intervene.