Originally Posted by
Boutilier68
Unfortunately, 38T is as small as i can go on Apex 1 110/4 BCD
Have you considered looking for a different crank? Also, you could look for a cassette that has a larger low cog than 46, but it may require a new free hub.
I'm going to be honest though, and this is going to get a few people here all upset, again...if you cannot pedal bike at 23 gear inches up a hill (which is really low, even loaded), you either need to work on your fitness or you need to do better route planning that doesn't put you on grades that exceed your capability.