I'm currently running a 53/39 crank and a 12-25 cassette. I don't know whether it's because I'm new to road biking (it's only been 2 months already) or because I'm a super duper weenie, but I almost EXCLUSIVELY use the smaller chainring. Seems like my legs are still weak to push the larger chainring.

So would switching to compact cranks help? I like the idea of being able to use the larger chainring for flats and then the smaller one for hills. But it's like I'm limited to only one of them now.

2 months is still rather green.
Try a 12-27 cassette for starters.

Are you having trouble with your small ring not being "easy" enough? If that is not the case, then don't worry about it. A compact won't change things much and it doesn't really matter whether or not you are using both rings.

When I started I went complete wuss and got a triple. 52/42/30 and I never used the big ring except downhills. I went compct on the next bike and use the 50 most of the time.

And just setting up a bike for the mountains and got a triple 50/39/30 and only use granny when the slope gets above 12%.

Some of us just can't pull that 52 ring. I'm not bothered by it as I know my limitations and don't exceed them.

I'm comfortable with the smaller 39t chainring. But on occasion I do max out when I'm on the 13t on the cassette, and not wanting to crosschain, I move to the 53 and then frantically gear down to the 19t on the cassette to try and maintain cadence. This is something I would like to avoid as I would much rather focus on pedaling than on the shifters. Or is maniacal shifting just part and parcel of road cycling?

+2 If your lowest (39-25) gets you up the worst hills you have, then stick with what you've got.

No, with practice you'll anticipate the correct gear sooner. Shift to the big ring when you're in the 15 instead of going to the 14

If 39-25 gets you up the steepest hill you ride, then you may not need a compact as such. You can switch out just your 53 ring for a 50 without changing the cranks. Much cheaper. You get a lot of overlap between the 50 and 39, but you can avoid a lot of front changing. Works best in flat areas.

Crosschaining is fine, don't worry about doing it. One thing that is helpful is to up shift to the big ring earlier before you run out of gears on the small ring.

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.

Two months is just barely getting started; don't fret over it too much. When I got my first bike in 2005, I couldn't climb wheelchair ramps. Things have gotten better through much practice. At this point, don't worry about maintaining cadence at all gears; just ride.

As brian416 said, before you get to the 39-13, shift to the 53 chainring. You can tap the left hand to shift to the big ring while tap-tapping the right hand to get to 16-17 in the rear.

On rolling terrain, I see a lot of experienced riders in the small ring, even running 39-12 with no cross-chain noise.

My main road bike has a compact and you basically stay in the big ring except when climbing or on steep hills you can power over. Depending upon you and your terrain, a compact may work but as scirocco said, it's cheaper to just swap the 53 out. You can always put it back later. But it's only been two months so I wouldn't change a thing, just keep riding.

If you go to a component website like FSA, you'll see what chainring options are available in 130bcd(traditional) and 110bcd(compact). LOTS of combinations to consider.

I couldn't turn over the big ring on my first road bike for more than a few minutes when I first got it, and for a few months afterward. That bike got me really tired! After enough miles, I got stronger and faster and the big ring is a lot more useful. That said, if you're finding yourself in the 39/13, you can use the big ring, too. You just need to anticipate and shift sooner.

This would be even worse with a compact crank as the tooth difference is greater. Is Singapore hilly? If not then keep what you have.

Some would say that HTFU is the solution

but I wouldn't know..there aren't that many hills around where I ride

Not necessarily. A compact crank is often a 36 rather than a 34. 53-39 = 14. 50-36 = 14.

Check out sheldon browns gear calculator and figure out which gears are duplicated. Then you can know when you can be in the big ring and push the same gear as you would in the small ring.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/

Keep with it. Keep riding and you will git stronger.

I switched from the 50/38 on the Paramount to a 48/34 (Stronglight tapered crank setup)
I'm 'over 50' so the change was becomming mandated.
Made a world of difference.
Got the 34/50 compact on the CF Motobecane IF and-combined with the tight ratio 12-25 and stiff BB
it's become a favorite.

Changing to compact would be a solution, yes. I would replace the normal 50 tooth large chainring with a 46 at least temporarily. As you get stronger, you can push bigger gears, but, assuming you are a woman (just looking at your username - if I am wrong, please disregard with my apologies), you might never get to the point where you can push on a 53 tooth large gear comfortably. Most women I've met use a compact.

When I started out road biking I had a triple. I rode almost exclusively in the middle 42 tooth chainring for several years. I made the decision to get strong enough to ride in the 52 on the flats and almost screwed up my knees because the fit was bad.

If you're comfortable hanging out in the smaller ring don't worry about it. Personally, I don't find riding a compact, compared to a standard, any less maniacal.

Yep. On the one bike I have that has a compact, it has a 36 tooth small chainring.

You just need to learn how and when to shift. As already noted, don't wait until you're in the 39/13 to figure out that you need to shift to the big ring. Learn the proper transition speed range and shift to the big ring a little earlier.

What you describe as "maniacal" shifting is normal, but when you shift to the big ring it should require only 2-3 cogs larger to reach the next larger gear ratio or 3-4 shifts to get approximately the same ratio that you were in. If you do wait until the 39/13 becomes too easy, then you would shift to the 53/16, not the 53/19, as the next bigger gear. With most modern shift levers, one full sweep of the lever will give you that 3-cog shift. Shifters are made with that ability with a good reason. Once you learn to do this instinctively, you're starting to learn the normal shift pattern. A 50/34 compact actually makes this situation worse, since it requires one more shift after switching between the chainrings.

The more annoying shift occurs in the opposite direction. If you shift back to the little ring, then you have to tap, tap, tap several cogs smaller. With Campy shifters, it takes one push of the thumb button to get as many shifts as you need.

+1 Unless you feel that you NEED an easier gear to get up some hills, a compact won't matter to you. Just keep using your small ring and you will get stronger. My first months on a road bike were also mainly in the small ring.

You can put a 50 big ring on a 130 bcd double, no?

Yes, but I see little point in that since your small ring can't be smaller than a 38. I guess if you really wanted close gear choices. Also, 50t rings in 130 bcd aren't terribly common, but yes they exist.

Unless you can't make it over hills on the 53/39, then I would keep your current set up. In time you will get stronger and turning the pedals will get easier. This has been my experience.

When I first starting riding about 2.5 years ago, I couldn't get over the local hills around me with my 53/39. I changed to a triple 53/42/30 and now I never use the small chain ring. I can climb any hill near me in the 42. If they weren't so expensive, I would change out my triple for a Campy compact. The reason that I like a compact better than a standard crank, is that a 23 cog on a a compact is lower than a 25 cog on a standard and an 11 cog on a compact is higher than a 12 cog on a standard crankset.

You can get a cassette with an 11 to compensate for the smaller big ring