I really, really like close-ratio cassettes. So in order to have any range, I need a triple on the front.
Bike 1, 8-speed: 52/42/30 and 13-23
Bike 2, 10-speed:
3-season wheelset with road tires: 52/39/30 and 12-23
Winter wheelset with studded snow tires: 52/39/30 and 16-27
However, it's pretty flat around here. A big hill is 200 feet of elevation, and there aren't many of those. So when I have to ride someplace with real hills, I fall back on standard cassettes, 12-28 on the 8-speed and 12-27 on the 10-speed.