oh! You're right ! I was off... I have my gear charts on a spreadsheet and was looking for my cross setup which used a 2135 circum.= 28mm tire and I must have input the wrong wheel diameter - also noting that the gravel tire is 38mm... not 28mm...
so yes, gear inch range looks better when corrected... 11-40 range of 100 inch down to 27.5 inch, for a 700 x 38 wheel/tire - circum. of 2200 mm. or a bit over 27.5 wheel diameter.
WHy were you using 26.5 wheel ???
The correct range does look very weighted for 'climbing'. or dirt road progress - don;t think I'd like it for any paved road riding... But that's the nature of the stepping in the smaller cog size range...
I guess I want my cake and eat it too (I never quite understood that 'saying' LOL!)
so 'mea culpa' on the earlier gear interpretation....
But I still want a better overall range... so I'm gonna stay with a 2x crank setup.
my original thinking on 'multi-purpose bike, was similiar to what I had with my long gone cross bike - outer ring and cassette (freewheel, LOL) for 'paved' and inner ring for climbing/dirt....
around here in SB area, we don't really have much 'dirt' road, at least not without really steep sections , heavy cross ruts, rock ledging, etc. They are mostly Fire break/'forest roads' .
Much better suited for mtb duty bikes...
I'm trying to not 'drive' distance, just to 'ride'... We do have a bunch of stuff which is way knarly and way over my head... LOL!
I guess I could go ride on the desert... ... ... ... nah ....
Ride On Yuri