I always rode a corncob, nearly straight cog - you know, each gear 1 tooth from the last, the largest two maybe an extra tooth apartb. They were a joy to ride, looked right on my racing bikes, and never kept me from ascending the steepest climbs. However, lately, I found I was really dragging behind on hills, behind cycle mates pushing much lower gears. Well, as the old saying goes, I ain't proud! Mind you, I was proud, but at this point, I'm proud to still ride, still hauling Columbus steel and Campy alloy, and if I want the numerical advantage of lower gears, well, I can't hide it, so go ahead and smirk at my new 11-28 cluster. See you at the top!