Anyone any good at working out gear ratios?

[Old man Jimbo]

Long story short.

I'm a fatman who bought a second hand MTB over a few months of faffing about to get a half comfertable ride and some degree of fitness. I was toying with buying this... http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?...

But me and some other members of "team midlife crisis" go on monthly rides out for a bit of publunch and a giggle which needless to say has decended into some pretty harsh rides. The last one has really made me question buying the above bike, basically on the last ride out I had the front on a 24 chain ring and on the rear 32 ring with 26"x1.5" tyre I made it round the 32miles of hell.

So I was thinking perhaps this bike may have a better set up for the really nasty hills... http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?...

I don't know how good the lowest gears would be? Any help on how to work it out would be great. My MTB has 26" wheels but what size is 700x25c compared to 26"x1.5"? Sorry if these are "idiot" questions... But hey if I'm splashing out on a new bike it would be nice to know I've an outside chance of getting my lard ass up some of Dumbria's highest hills..

[Old man Jimbo]

Many thanks for the informative replies. I'm leaning towards buying the specialized at the mo. I'll keep the old freak machine and use that for wet and winter trips to work and back and dig it out when the rides get silly steep..

Cheers again!