Originally Posted by gboy
38/46? hmm...I've got 36/50 and sometimes I envy roadies who have a 53 on flats and downhills, but like Shiznaz says, while carrying a load you'll be thankful for the lower gearing.
Really? I've never really run out of juice on my road bike with a 52, even on downhills. I hit 65km/h and still could have spun a little faster. For the amount of time that I'm at those speeds I'd prefer to have lower gearing and coast the downhills, personally. Especially on a touring bike. I've never wished for HIGHER gearing, but there's been a number of times I've wished for slightly LOWER gearing. I think I'd consider going with a triple if I was building up a touring-specific bike.
ps. I've seen you whizzing by a few times lately.
Each time I haven't had a chance to say hi though (going the opposite way, in my car, etc)