Originally Posted by
cat0020
How steep is the climb that you need a 36 or 42T rear cog on a 20" rear wheel?
I find that 11-46T with a 52T chainring works for me, giving me a range of 21”-88”. That’s enough to crank out a reasonable pace while also dragging the shopping home or going out cycle camping with 2x 24l panniers without needing to get off and push uphill. Standard touring range with a gravel bike-orientated setup, only difference being the size of my wheels…
As for the hills around here - I live on a city built on a collection of volcanic cones, mostly extinct these days. The main roads follow the lava flow ridgelines, so to reach them from the valleys or the coast you have a steep slog.