LollyPop:
Perhaps I left out a little very important info, which I repeat from some of my other posts. I am 54 and have had 6 knee surgeries, including a ACL-reconstruction when I was age 48. With my low gearing, what knee pain I have is not caused by climbing in a low gear. It's caused by football in my youth, softball accidents, hopping out of a pickup bed, old age, loose joints, twisted and torn cartilage, osteoarthritis...yada yada.