i'm shopping for a new bike and am stuck between 54cm and 56cm. well, i'm not stuck but the bike shop is trying to convince me i'm not a 56cm rider. i'm about 5'8", 31" inseam. my 12 year old bianchi is a 56cm. i've done 2 cross-country tours and have about 7500 miles on it. fits great, though by most calculations i should probably be riding a 54, correct? what i really love about the bianchi is the leverage i have on hills when out of the saddle and am pulling on the hoods. i'll be doing a lot of riding in the mountains so maintaining the same leverage is of utmost importance to me. i might do some touring on the new bike, but want to enter a few races, too. the local bike shop is adamant about me being a perfect 54 but i test rode a trek 5200 54cm and it just didn't seem to climb with the same efficiency as my old bianchi, though it felt okay -- a little small -- when in the saddle. i attribute the difference in climbing efficiency to the size; the bianchi has a reach about an inch longer than the trek; on the trek, i felt i had to move back to get the same leverage when out of the saddle, which felt unnatural and required more effort. so, go with the bike shop's rec. or defy the experts and go with the size i'm used to and feels right? i realize frame fits are going to vary according to geometry, etc. i also rode a 55cm klein aura x and it felt good when out of the saddle but they tried to tell me i need a 52 in the klein.