Originally Posted by
tomtomtom123
I have a 44/24, gives me about 14.3 gear inch. I used it on a 5-hour climb up 1,400 m while loaded with 20 kg of baggage and water. I had to keep switching between the 34 and 28 cogs from the constantly changing road gradients. Instead of the standard 27 30 34, I took one out and stuck a 16 in between 15 and 17 because I didn't like that jump at the higher end. But wished I had it at the time.
Man that's some climb!
For lower than 34, I'll need a different crank than 110 BCD; Sure hope I can find a 2-piece hollow spindle one, because I love that setup. But I don't want a lower high gear than 50-11-406 so 85 gear inches, I need that as a minimum high. A tourer of renown needed to go down to about same as you, 15 gear inches IIRC, after some loaded tours where he was up around 20 and that wasn't low enough. But 50/30, and going bigger on the low cog from 30T to 34 or 36, should get me there. Others have said that 20T jump is doable. If I get a freehub that will do a 10T high cog, I could probably go down to a 44/24.