vane171

That 'sit and spin' makes people look like a character from comics pages, when their legs go into a blur under them while they gain little ground under them. In such a case, I'd rather dismount and walk it. It is a toss up which is more degrading, though in a different way. You even get better fitness out of walking it once in a while, you exercise different muscles that otherwise atrophy with people who ride their bikes in a serious fashion. And if you see dismounting as demeaning, you can always run with your bike uphill, or switch walking and running in an indian fashion.

As to cassette, does it always need to start @11? I mean, those folks furiously spinning up hills while hardly moving, being on the verge of falling off their bikes, are they actually ever utilizing such a steep gear? Even with today's smaller big chainrings, that's some clip and I just don't see them caring to even go that fast, as they are usually not the daredevil or that fit types, that need to pedal even at high speeds.

I am sure there are some who utilize the range because they have respectful abilities but I just don't see that being typical.

Escarpment - I can't say I know the term but would have thought it means steep but not overly long slope. Actually I doubt it refers to a slope as such at all, probably it means a cliff in normal folks speech? Maybe also promontory in non-folksy way of speaking? Let others google up the definition