Most common gearing on a road bike

[Dogtrousers]

When I started cycling "properly", as a teenager in the late 80's, my bike had 52/42 chainrings and a 13-23 freewheel. I later swapped to a 13-21 because it looked cooler and I thought made me better...

Those are basically 50 inch lowest gears! I rode the same hills then that I do now, struggling with a 36/32 30 inch low gear. I honestly don't know how I did it. Fitter, sure, and a bit lighter, but I guess you just manage with what you've got!

I might try limiting myself to the 19 sprocket next time I go out (51 inches), and see how far I get 😂🫠

I do remember putting a 28T freewheel on my bike and thinking "great, this will be the solution to all my uphill worries".

It wasn't.

I don't know why I never tried fitting a triple. Maybe I didn't know they existed. Maybe I thought you needed a special frame to fit one. Maybe it was the expense. I don't remember.