Good point and... I guess the question is, was gearing ever adequate? if so, going to the shorter crank probably is irrelevant.

While there may be the temptation to think going to a shorter crank will decrease leverage such that additional pound-feet of torque at a given rpm will be required to go the same speed, we know that at the same foot speed the rpms increase when going to a shorter crank and, greater horsepower can result from an increase in rpm, even when torque falls, so... there probably is little if any actual change in horsepower involved such that changing gears would be required due to a loss of torque due to shortening the crank arm.

My experience with shorter cranks go along with what I've read, which I think boils down to foot-speed being a key albeit overlooked factor in maximizing power to the pedal. Within some relevant range there may exist the potential of increased performance coming more from the human factor and doing more of what feels more natural-- i.e., getting more from what power you have (and some research indicates that going even as low as 145mm for crank length could be optimal).