I ride 32/22 and have tried most other things too. 32/20 is ideal for most off roading. I find that with 32/22 you don’t need to pick your ride so much and can get up even the nasty climbs with a bit of effort. When things get really soggy and wet you can still plough on and unless you’re on the flat all of the time I don’t think that you lose out elsewhere. When going downhill you soon outrun your gearing anyway and on other bits you find yourself sat spinning more than having to stand and push. I ride with four other guys on the same rides one runs 32/18, one 32/23 and the other two 32/20. Everyones cadence is different and us with lower gearing never have to push. What we all have suites us as individuals, some like to spin and others like to push big gears, it’s the same when we are on our geared bikes, we all select different gears. How do you like to ride is the question, what’s right for you may be different for someone else.
