Originally Posted by
Drew Eckhardt
You're trying to solve a rider problem with equipment which will come at the expense of a lower gear for climbing or tighter spacing in the middle.
Eddy Merckx dominated the pro peloton with a 52x13 big gear, and you're no Eddy.
Learn to pedal faster.
On flat ground 52x14 is a 40 MPH sprinting gear requiring 1200 Watts and 30 MPH cruising gear at 500 Watts. 500W is more than Lance Armstrong could manage for 45 minutes with outlier genetics and the best doping program in cycling.
Down hill you'll be faster tucking.
I've often wondered why bicycles are sold to the general public, and have a 53 teeth chainring and a 11 teeth cog. I think for the average person a 11, a 12, and a 13 teeth cog are too small. Heck even 52 x 14 is to high a gear for a lot of folks.
Cheers