Well, I don't understand the standard triple these days with the 52/39/30. It seems to me that the 39 and 30 are too close together. I have heard that you can "cheat" and stick on a 28 instead of the 30. That way you can get close to the 1 to 1 gearing on chain ring and rear cog which is 27 chain inches.

The triple gives you a wider range. I think the compact double gives you gears that are almost as low and it will shift a tad better. Plus, many people feel that the triple has a certain air of "fredness". I like a triple for rides where there are long climbs like northern GA or out west in the mountain passes.

Here in Central FL, there isn't any hill in the state that I can't get up in my 39/24 out of the saddle and bonked. I think the steepest grade is 16% but for a very short distance.