Originally Posted by
big john
In the 80s and early 90s most of us had doubles with 52-42 rings. On my 7 speed stuff I put a 28 cog on the back. You could buy individual cogs and put what you wanted. So I climbed everything in 42x28 low and I was 220#. Still can't believe I did that. I was always the slowest climber in my groups and had the lowest gear.
Thinking back to the olden times and the gears we had, it's amazing how we climbed anything at all. But we managed.
I built up a full Campy Record bike in 1974, and I think my lowest gear was 44x23. On climbs, my butt rarely saw the saddle. And cadence? Never heard of it.
This was the form to emulate:
