Originally Posted by spingineer
Personally, I don't think riding a triple makes you any less of a cyclist. I like my knees, thank you very much.
+1
The tired old advice that you should struggle with a double so you will improve is bunk. Believe it or not, some of us are as good at climbing as we're ever gonna be. Triple's are a Good Thing. I don't use mine much, but it would be foolish for me not to have one. With it, I can go anywhere I want. Without it, I have to be more choosy about my routes. There was a time when I could mash 42/27 up Palomares, but that time is past. Like spingineer says - "I like my knees, thank you very much".
And about compacts being almost the same as triples - "almost" does not equal "the same", and that difference is why I'll always have a triple, at least around here in the Diablo Valley.
Currently, I ride a triple with a 12/27. I just built a Campy equipped bike that has a triple and a 13/29. I Like It.