That's interesting. I have a 50x36 Stronglight awaiting installation on a 1988 Schwinn Prologue for my girlfriend. At least with the Prologue I don't have a fixed braze on attachment point with limited adjustment. I'm replacing a 52-42 up front and a corn cob out back with something more rideable, a 13-26 8 speed cassette.

BG, you don't loose as much top end as you'd think. With a 50 tooth up front you'll still be over 100 gear inches even with a 13 tooth cog out back. Once I spin out a hundred or so gear inches going downhill, I've found it's best just to crawl under the paint on the toptube and enjoy the ride.

I have a 50x34 with a 12-30 cassette on my gravel/trail/all rounder bike. For what it's used for it is great but I do find myself missing the 16 and 18 tooth cogs of a narrow range cassette. My biggest gripe with compacts (50x34) is that unless you run a very wide range cassette, like a 12-30 or so, you end up doing some serious cross chaining on a narrower range cassette. Forget running a 12-23.