I ride a 52/42/30 road triples with a 7 or 8 speed rear cluster in the 11/12-24/28 range. The 11 and 12 cogs really extend the range of the 42 ring. A shift between rings is about a 3 gear change. The 30 is only on there for bailouts. You can ride 3 and 4 gear loops between the rings and not have to physically shift as many times while still covering the entire gear range. I have one climbing ride a year that I put a 50/36/28 and a bigger cassette on. The 50 is the seldom used ring on that ride. Same idea with the 11/12 cogs, 3-4 gear loops and shifting between the rings. Instead of shifting down/up 3 or 4 gears you shift to a different ring then go from there.
Last edited by seypat; 08-27-19 at 08:20 PM.