i ride pittsburgh brakeless and ive been using 44/17 an its been good. i have never ridden in seattle and its been years since i was last there, but the 'burgh is super hilly and my gearing works just fine. i live atop a 2/3 mi long steep hill and i go up and down every day and 44/17 is easy to use going down and going up isnt too bad. also, what brakes are you using? / maybe try the harry havnoonian method and put them on backwards