Originally Posted by
big john
Around 1987 I had a 42-28 low gear which I used on various bikes for some time. Standard double cranks came with 52/42 rings but I could take the 7 speed cassettes apart and put a 28 in there. I did club rides in the mountains and climbed everything with those gears and I was over 220# then. I still don't know how I did it.
Now I have a 34-29 low gear and sometimes want lower. I'm also 20 pounds lighter and old age is catching up. Every ride here involves climbing.
It’s the inversion principle. I likewise rode 42/28 for a long time.
I’m still riding a 28t. However, its position in the drivetrain has changed.
Some days I think about the gearing I used to ride on the same climbs and it baffles me how much I’ve lost. But then the downhills come and all is well.
John