Not a lot of hills here but there is a lot of wind which I treat as hill climbing. I ride nothing but C&V for my road bikes with 5 to 7 spds in the rear. They range from 12 or 13 to 24 to 28 in the back. The sweet spot seems to be the 26t ring for a low gear. I don't have triples and most of the chain rings are 52/38 or 39. A couple do have the old standby 52/42. I've always been a spinner thanks to knee trouble so I am usually in whatever gear will give me 90-110 cadence. I have found my favorite combo now is 52-38 and 13-26.
I used to push really hard but have lost fitness the past few years thanks to injuries and kid activities. The old gears sometimes make me wishing for more as i work on the fitness but not enough to buy a modern drivetrain.