I'm pretty much with Warren. I have a 24-36-46 triple up front. Here, in Vermont, a lot of hills just lead to their opposite, no plateau so I'll be riding up in a very low gear, followed by a five gear shift to go down; or vice versa. With a seven speed freewheel it is really three separate ranges of 3, 4, and 3 speeds. Truthfully, the big ring and the three little cogs don't get a lot of exercise