Originally Posted by
ConGrUenCy
The only time a GC rider (not a sprinter) might need an 11 is on a descent. They descend on closed roads and can take racing lines comfortably, without worrying about on-coming vehicles. We can't do that, and even if you do spin out, how often are you on the 11? Wouldn't you spend a lot more time on a more useful middle cog? If you spin out your 12, just tuck in and coast.
I have 11-32 on one bike and 11-28 on my other. Being fairly flat around here, I usually only use the 11 on a few relatively steep downhills. The 28 and 32 have come in handy when on group rides and the pace gets really slow at some point. While shifting to the smaller chainring is a possibility, I like to stay in the 50 up front so that when the pace does pick up, I can just shift across the cassette.