The amount of load / stress on smaller chain rings and cogs is much higher than it would be if larger chain rings and cogs were used and engaging as many teeth as possible for a given drive ratio is optimal.

My road bike runs a 52:18 for nearly 75 gear inches and the drive is as smooth as butter on glass and the drive train life has been exceptional vs the drive train life one sees when they run a 14 in the rear with a smaller front ring (I think a 44 corresponds here).

A smoother drive train is also a more efficient drive train and once you drop below 14 teeth in the rear you begin to lose efficiency due to the low number of teeth that are engaged.

Besides that... having a 48 or 52 tooth ring up front will really impress your peeps...

My Phillip's 20 rocks a 52 and a 14/16 combo in the rear which gives me a 65/70 gear inch range and I find the 16 to be far far smoother... one is limited a little with these smaller wheels as you have to run some pretty extreme ratios to get useable gearing with a ss/fixed gear.

If this was a 700c bike that 52:14 would be 100 gear inches !