Originally Posted by bigtea

I rode a 53/39 for years before changing over to a compact crank on my new bike last spring. I'm a gray haired clydesdale and it took only a week or so to realize how much better it was for me on some of the tougher climbs I do.

On the high side, of course, I max out on downhills much sooner than I did before, but I'm not seeking pedal resistance at speeds above 38mph anyway. My personal speed limit is now 40mph. As we age, bones become brittle and crashes become catastrophic.