I live in Sydney, riding a SS/fixed Specialized (depending what I feel like that morning, one side of the hub has fixed cog, the other a ss) what would be a pretty suitable gear ratio, currently have a 44-16?
When I used to race road some years back I was always yelled at for having it in the big ring (sounds painfull) on climbs but felt comfortable pushing big.
If you feel like you need a bigger gear, than just go for it. Everyone’s different. There is no one gear that suits everyone. If you’re running 44x16 now, try 46x16.
I’m 195cm and can push a fairly big gear on my commute into the city each day.
When I’m feeling strong I ride 52:18 - which gives me 78in by my calcs.
however
I mostly ride 40:16 (67.5in) as I’m commuting (not racing) and just because you can push big - doesn’t mean that you should I suppose…
I’m conscious that if I destroy my knees, that’s it, they’ll never be the same again. The alternative is to teach your body how to spin more efficiently, become more supple and open up the hips (ask any Yoga chick and enjoy the show when they demonstrate to you what I mean!)