Originally Posted by nlerner
I can't quite see why a low, low gear would "destroy" the hub. I'd think it would be the opposite as too high a gear would apply lots of force, as opposed to all the spinning you'd do in a low gear.
You are thinking backwards.
High gear = high force at the pedals but low force at the hub.
Low gear = low force at the pedals and high force at the hub.
But I agree I would go with as low a gear as you can get. I used a 1:1 granny gear with a AW hub for 20 years (pictures
here), though I did have to occasionally replace a few gears with broken teeth. I mostly got away with it because I have a smooth pedaling style. Also I think the gears that broke were probably newer ones. I believe they made them stronger back in the 40's and 50's (and maybe 60's, I'm not sure when they changed the manufacturing process).