Originally Posted by
noglider
Another approach to climbing, rather than equipping the bike with lower gears, is to walk up the hills. Everything involves compromise.
You are right of course but that's not always an option while touring. A few years ago I rode from
a valley in Ascou in the French pyrenees mountains to Pas de La Casa in Andorra. That was 31 km (
~19 miles) of climbing at an average grade of nearly 5%. Some spikes of 15%.
While that distance is barely anything, it was the constant climb at too heavy a gear that I really hated. I would rather have spun up that mountain at slightly above walking speed.
There is no way to just get off the bike and walk that in a reasonable time.
But... I think an 11-36 is going to give me most of what I need anyway, even without resorting to the lowest possible front chainring the cranks might allow for.