Originally Posted by
chasm54
Yeah, but that really doesn't affect the choice of standard or compact cranks. A 50-16 is pretty much the same as a 53-17
You're right, with the same cassette it works out to be about one rear gear. That's fine when you're in the middle. If you're battling a head wind, however, that can put you into the situation where frequent front shifts are necessary.
I'm not a particularly strong rider so switching to a 50/34 compact for me traded a couple of fast gears that I never used for a couple of hill climb gears that I really needed. That's the benefit that I was expecting. The unexpected bonus for me was that it allowed me to do all of my flat road riding in the big chainring. Overall I think that switching my road bike to a compact was the best equipment change that I've ever made.