Yeah, I am limited (or almost completely stuck would be a better description) on the gearing. The front is the standard Raleigh 46T crankset, a change is hard what with their 26TPI bottom bracket cups. The back is already at the max size of 25T.
Nice math approach Speedo. That puts it completely on firm footing wrt what is possible. I hardly ever use the 34GI gear, so I am imagining that gear is "spare".
Good point of "can do it" and "enjoying it." Actually I enjoy pushing hard, but that would not be for the whole day, every day.
And let me reveal another crucial detail: My wife is also coming. Her fitness is sorta far behind mine, but she has been training very hard for this tour. We already know what hills we are going to face thanks to Google E; I have got the number for every day in terms of where the serious climbs for each day start, what the length and gradient of the climbs are. So at least mentally we are prepared, which I am imagining might be 50% of the total package? The other half being fit enough to actually do it.
Her bike (Yeah, rebranded Dahon Helios) has currently a gear range of 26-82GI. The plan is I will carry most of the stuff, she will only be carrying personal clothes, lightweight sleeping bag etc. She has been training with the loaded panniers for 3 weeks already. We started of with a 52T ring, then I got that down to 42 which was stupidly low. Then I put on a 46, which on a 10% slope she handled easily, and she tells me she virtually never gears down to the lowest one. So now I stuck a 48T on there.
I am so uncertain...