Electronic Shifting: Pros & Cons

[MRC01]

... that's what the secondary market is for. You can still get a Superbe Pro derailleur if you need one, and Suntour hasn't made components for decades...

Yep, I even found a listing for a Huret Jubilee, the derailleur on my racing bike from the 80s. Seeing it again brings back so many memories.

 

[MRC01]

How steep can you climb seated with a 1:1 gear ratio? 20% sustained is getting me into some low low gears, like 22f 28R(my old 3x7 mtb is my gravel bike) to spin up that seated but I'm not a young road racer either. Standing up I can go 1:1 up some pretty steep stuff but prefer not to for minutes at a time.

My short local ride has a 20% section that is short and paved; it rises 300 feet in 1500 feet (1/4 to 1/3 mile). On my single (non-tandem) road bike, the lowest gear is 39-28 which is undoable (for me) seated; I'm standing on the pedals in 2nd gear (39-24). On my MTB, I climb it seated in a 1:1 ratio 32-32, though it's more comfortable 1 gear down in 32-36. The road bike is lighter and has slightly longer cranks (175 vs. 172.5) so I expect the 34-34 that my new bike will have, should be sufficient for climbing it seated.
...

My new road bike arrived earlier this week and I did a short local shake-down ride today. Its lowest gear is 34-34 with 700c wheels, and I discovered this is not low enough for me to ride that 20% grade seated. That 20% grade is easier than before, but I'm still standing on the pedals. It feels like I could climb 25% with this super low gear. However, I can now ride a 16% grade seated in the 34-34, which I couldn't do before, and is great. Surprising how much steeper 20% feels compared to 16%.

 

[IndyIan]

My new road bike arrived earlier this week and I did a short local shake-down ride today. Its lowest gear is 34-34 with 700c wheels, and I discovered this is not low enough for me to ride that 20% grade seated. That 20% grade is easier than before, but I'm still standing on the pedals. It feels like I could climb 25% with this super low gear. However, I can now ride a 16% grade seated in the 34-34, which I couldn't do before, and is great. Surprising how much steeper 20% feels compared to 16%.

16% seated is pretty good imo with a 1:1 ratio and those wheels, enjoy the new bike!