Thank you, Crankin! I was really hoping to get a response like this. I would be happy with another Trek. I didn't realize there were compact doubles that handled that low a gear. My old Aegis Swift, which I had built up from the frameset in 2004, had a compact double, but the largest cog in the rear was 29. Still, much better than my current 25-tooth cog (especially when coupled with the Aegis' 650 wheels, making the effective gearing even lower). But I could certainly handle steeper climbs on that bike than on my Trek, and I was a lot younger then as well.

I will take a look at the Silque (and the Ruby) and dream...thank you!