Hey SactoGal,

I live in Folsom and normally I'm able to do that Beals Point climb without resorting to the "granny gear" (I have a triple 21 sp. mtn. bike right now). BUT, this past weekend I didn't fuel/hydrate myself properly and ended up using that "granny" for even the smallest inclines on the trail toward the end of my ride.

One thing I've learned in my test-riding is that you need to speak up and be really specific about what you need. Or, if you don't really know what you need (which is how I was in the beginning), just inundate the lbs employees with information about your riding style, goals, things that feel good or don't feel good about your current bike, etc. In the beginning, I thought I was communicating okay with the lbs guys, but turns out I wasn't because I didn't know what I needed to communicate! The more test-riding I've done the more I know what I want/need now.

Good luck to you!