Yeah, it's flat in Sac. I'm a little East of there in Rancho. But I often head over to the hills in El Dorado Hills, up around Auburn, or S of Shingle Springs. It gets steep quick! So with a standard crank, I'd opt for a 12/27 in back. Matter of fact, with a compact crank I did opt for a 12/27 in back. I spend a lot of time in the hills.