Sheldon Brown wrote:

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/gear-theory.html#progression

Hmmm. Within that same page, I disagree with much of the stuff you've
written in this topic:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gear-theory.html#cadence, but particularly with
this:

"For the cyclist who wants to maximize efficiency, there is a particular
combination of cadence and resistance that will produce the most power
with the least stress on the body. [...] The idea of gears is to select
the gear in which this combination of cadence and resistance is met.
Depending on the wind, grade and surface conditions, your speed may be
faster or slower, but theoretically your legs should always be pushing
against the same resistance, and spinning the cranks at the same cadence."


--
Still a proud member of the reality-based community.