Originally Posted by
genejockey
With that small chainring and the huge cog, I imagine butterflies pass you on steep hills.
Mine came with a 32 on the front and a 46 big cog. It wasn't low enough so I put a 28 on the front which helped a lot. Newer drivetrains have a 50, 51, or 52 in the back.
If I had a lightweight XC bike like pictured above I could probably use a slightly higher low gear.