To all of you who were so helpful in recommendations about alternative gearing, I wanted to let you know that I picked up a used 12 x 27 cassette on Monday. Blaine is going to help me install it and I will try it out on the road on Saturday morning, God willing.

I'll let you know how it goes. I got it for pretty cheap, so if I decide I want to go bigger, I'm only out $20.