thanks a lot man, i really appreciate it. Although i own a pista, I'm not a scronny hipster lol. I'm a basketball player with pretty strong legs and I mainly use my bike to get from workout to workout. The problem is my knees have been bothering me a bit since i got my bike and I thought a lower gear might help me out, since my knees take enough of a beating.
regardless, thanks a lot for your extensive response, i was expecting more of a dickhead/unhelpful answer, so this was a pleasant surprise haha.