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edscoble-
First tourers I had , circa 1983-5) had 50/32 SR chainsets
Some years later new bikes had moved to 48/36.All with 5 or 6 speed blocks . I think 32 possibly 34 was the biggest cog.
Bike firms, Dawes, British Eagele, or Raleigh who were the main suppliers, then had to catch up with MTBs ; so triples and cantilevers then became standard.
Peter_Carter
As did cycle tourists.
The CTC ( as cycling UK once was) magazine contained many an article or letter on chainset ring combinations and how to achieve ever lower gears. Not all of the correspondence was as interesting as this thread is.
They were mostly about double chainset combinations though as until MTBs appeared, ie mid 80s, triples were exotica from France.