Originally Posted by
AlmostTrick
In my experience triples are nicer than doubles because the center ring (usually 42 tooth on road bikes) is perfect for covering almost all situations. Only when riding extreme uphill/downhill sections did I find I needed to shift down/up in the front.
With a double I find my most used ratios put me near the bottom of the cassette when in the small ring, and near the top when in the large ring, so lots of unnecessary front shifts. This effect is amplified for me, since I prefer cassettes with tight gaps. If you run a wide cassette, the need to shift the front is lessened, but then you're stuck with wide gaps between many of the shifts! I hate that.
This is why I now favor ONE front chainring, and zero front shifters/cables/derailleurs.
But mostly, gearing choice is personal. Experiment and you'll find what works best for you.
+1 If you ride real hills. triples. once set up, are a real blessing. I love running fronts like 53-42-28 and the narrowest cassette I can get away wit because the choices are so good on both the flats and climbing with very few front shifts because a hill leveled out for a stretch or I went up a slight rise. I only run 9-speed but adding a cog or two just makes it better. Bike manufacturers and marketers don't like triples. Profit margins are better with doubles. (Manufacturers.) Plus racers use doubles so the bike like those the racers use must also. (Marketers.)
Ben