I don't see what the difficulty is with any cyclist pushing gears like 53:11? I ride in whatever gear I find most comfortable in the situation, and sometimes riding up hills 53:17 feels the best gear, especially if you're climbing out of the saddle, which as you know lowers your cadence.
Until you've ridden with me, I don't think you could judge my ability on a bike. Perhaps you can explain why any normal everday cyclist couldn't use a 53 ring???