I agree--- if you live in an area with a lot of hills, you might find it better running a higher ratio than lower. It sounds counter-intuitive, but I prefer to struggle a bit more going up than easily spin out going down.
Originally Posted by
sp00ki
incidentally, lower ratios suck going downhill. i ride 47x16; a few months ago, i rode my gf's 42x15 (she now rides 44x15) down a hill in manayunk-- it was terrible. i was bouncing and had almost no control over the bicycle; i normally descend those hills with no problem, perfectly controlled.