Originally Posted by grwoolf

I'd go with the 34 if you want a better climbing gear.

A related question, has anyone tried running a 52/34? I know the jump would be extreme, but is shift performance reasonable?

I have a bike with a 53/39 (usually with a 12/27 cassette) and one a 50/34 (usually with an 11/28). The bike with the 50/34 is a Roubaix that I use for heavy climbing or recovery days where I want to keep the power low on the hills. I'd like to put a 52 tooth big ring on my Roubaix, keep the 34 as a bail-out/climbing gear, and standardize on a 12/27 cassette (to get the 16). My only concern is that the shifting performance might really suck. Anybody try it?