have a look on the sheldon gear calc.
then get ta(or any other) rings to fit your cadence,terrain,ecc.
33-46 with a 14-25 on my road bike. use 46-16 mostly.so the chainline is nice and straight.plus a bigger cog on the back lasts longer and feels smoother.
spin up just about anything.(got some real mountains here)-means I feel fresher for longer.
plus a straight block cassette means you always have the right gear.
+ only a 13t drop,the same as 52-39.
+ with smaller chainrings the gaps in gearing are smaller.
24-40-42 on the road touring bike.12-27 cassette.
half step evens out the 2t jumps in the cassette.so its a straight block 12-27.handy for faux plats,wind.esp when you're not really pushing hard.
+ a road crank is quite a bit narrower than a mtb one,for me it's more comfortable.
24 is nice to have when traction is a problem.ie dirt roads going up.
maybe should have fitted a 26,but never really use it much.
44-16 on the ss,for commuting.
cadence of about 100,so speed is not a problem.
knees feel much better.I feel less tired and am faster since going to all this trouble.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
see what works for you.standard gearing is much too high.
if you've got a compact,bmx rings can be found quite cheap,to try out.
