I think the only logical reason they don't put the low gears on them is that people who test drive low gear bikes without a load (as most bikes are test riden), do not prefer them to high gear bikes. It is about selling bikes, and what works on tour is a distant issue at the time of the sale. The solution is to build your own bike which isn't as impossible as it sounds given the number of parts that are crap, and the number of parts that are not to one's preference.