Originally Posted by Hermes

The 53/39 is a great setup for elite 1/2 racers. They need the 53/11 for the slight downhills and have enough power to climb in a 39/23. 50/34 is perfect for the rest of us especially if the local terrain is hilly. However, this is somewhat personal preference and to an extent the coaches' preference. My Russian coaches wanted all except the elite p/1/2s in compact doubles. They wanted more spin.