I spin out just above 40mph with a 50/12, which is as fast as I care to go. A rider in good form should be able to spin a little faster than that, but if you want to pedal to faster speeds you'll miss the 53. Personally, I would love to have a triple on some of the steeper climbs, but I haven't tried trading my 12-23 out for a 12-25 or 13-26 yet, nor a 34 front ring. I am trying to avoid it, though, because that limits the gear selections in the middle. If you like fine tuning your cadence, you'll miss the triple. If a range of about 10 rpm works for you, no worries.