Originally Posted by
Mikefule
Sounds like it will be a great adventure — and worth a write up here when you've finished.
Gear down with all that rough ground and extra weight. If your ratio is too low, the worst that can happen is you go slowly. If your ratio is too high, the worst that can happen is you have to walk sections of rough or steep ground.
The smallest chainring I can get for my 130 BCD crank is 39 teeth. So I have 39x19 low gear and 41x17 high. (56 and 65 gear inches). I've been testing it on local rides with ballast in the trailer and panniers to represent the weight of gear I plan to take. So far so good. If I decide I will need lower ratios for the rough unpaved sections, my only choice will be to get a different crank.
There are already lots of jackrabbits in the area, so I'm going to be a tortoise. I plan to enjoy the scenery and solitude, with an understanding that I'll get there eventually... even if it takes all day (times five). But I'm also evaluating my ability to tolerate 5-8 hours a day in the saddle. Even at low exertion, I know I will get fatigued just by sitting on the bike for that long.