Gearing on your bicycle

[freiston]

The top chart is my folding Tern C7 (52T chainwheel, 14-28T 7 speed cassette) and the bottom is my touring/everyday bike (26/36/48 & 11-34T 9 speed). The mph is for a cadence of 90 rpm. I tend to pack on the "heavy" side and do low mileage. My last campsite overnighter (this month), I packed heavy on purpose (a little experiment) and my luggage weighed in at 31kg (everything including tools, food and water but not the bike). I'm not a strong cyclist but I managed the Warwickshire hills without a struggle (but it was still hard work for me).

 

[Rusty Nails]

Horses for courses.

For fully laden touring with a trailer your gearing sounds about right. You are not in a race and you probably need to put in some long rides.

 

[deaninkl]

My first "real bike" was a Giant TCR3, I was 50 years old 20kg overweight lived in a hilly area.. the 53-39 crankset and 11-26 cassette were silly high for me, but I didnt know enough, so just pushed up hills and still had fun on the flats and down hills.... then I started learning about group sets and gear inches and what was appropriate for what use... needless to say mt TCR3 was not the best choise for my size and location being surounded by hills. So i changed to a 50-34 on the front and an 11-30 at the back, way better but not ideal... but i persivered, still pushed up some hills but also was able to get up hills I couldnt have a few years before. I have recently bought a "gravel" bike with a 48-36 at the front and an 11-34 at the back, its a transformations I'm very glad I did. I dont really go off road, maybe some tracks, but the fatter tires, lower gearing just make the gravel bike so much more fun for me. Now at 62 I'm way fitter than before and can get up hills I really staruggled with 6 or 7 years ago, I havent pushe in a while, now I stop rest and get back on!!!