Originally Posted by 79pmooney

For me, not having a lower gear means I have to push harder, stand more, use more of my upper body and feel any excess weight I am carrying far more. When I can do it, it is something I live for. I'm 70 years old now and I cannot always do this but it is still my love. That low "eggbeater" gear may be more efficient but it doesn't inspire me. To me, it feels like a chore. If I don't actually need it, I'd rather not have it. That said, all my geared bikes have triples. Two have 24 tooth inners, But I've never gone bigger than 28 in back and prefer less if I can. Portland, OR so there are real hills around.

Not having low gears is the single best weight control incentive i have ever known. And this isn't to preach or claim any superiority. Just sharing what makes me tick. If I put bigger gears on my bikes I have to ride more and harder to be able to "get on top" of then. (Old bike racer manual language.)