Going from .80 to .74

In my recent experience; yes – on the steepest stuff – but if this is a chain ring swap you are contemplating you might find the benefit is throughout the range, (I went from 34 to 32 and find I use the whole range much more effectively now).

if you struggled in the .80 then yes, otherwise probably not.

if you notice a mm here or there in handlebar/saddle adjustments then probably, as you’re more prone to noticing stuff.
If you just get on any bike and ride it, then probably not.

I’m definitely the former.

yes.
You will.

7.5%

Geared: less than half a gear? I doubt it.

Single speed definitely.

Get in units which make sense rather than impenetrable decimals – Sheldon Brown’s calculator will give you km/h at your usual cadence for each of the gears you have in mind. The comparison is a lot easier to make then.

Single speed definitely.

Having a 0.8 singlespeed ratio and contemplating reducing it would imply a rear wheel over 6ft in diameter 🙂

I think the “only if you struggle on the existing ratio” reply is about right. Personally I’d qualify it a bit further by saying you’ll only notice it if you also like to stay seated on climbs or if you’re carrying luggage. If you stand on an unloaded bike, particularly one without rear suspension, then the torque gains from reducing your ratio tend to be offset by an increased tendency for wheelspin.

I think the “only if you struggle a tiny bit on the existing ratio

FTFY…If you are really struggling it won’t make enough of a difference.

True dat

0.8 ratio implies something like 32T front to 40T rear which doesn’t sound right. (I plugged various chainring/cog options in to bikecalc.com for that)

0.8 ratio implies something like 32T front to 40T rear which doesn’t sound right

You can get 40T cassettes.

And to the OP – yes you will notice it. But steep climbs will still be hard. They are always hard, only the speed you do them at varies.

Yes you will notice it, it’s somewhere between the nice 1T gaps in the middle of a tight road cassette and the slightly annoying 2T gaps on a wider range (still road) cassette.

It will help you get up stuff that requires up to 7.5% more torque.

@molgrips – I was thinking singlespeed actually following on from Bez’s comment.

it’s somewhere between the nice 1T gaps in the middle of a tight road cassette and the slightly annoying 2T gaps on a wider range (still road) cassette

And much less than the 4T gaps that you get at the low end of even a pre-1x MTB cassette. We’re talking a shift from a 32T sprocket to the equivalent of a 34.6T one: that’s only a bit over half the final shift at the bottom of an 11-36 cassette. Loose change. If I was dragging panniers through the Alps I’d happily take it; but on an unloaded mountain bike, meh.