Well, I'll be getting at least the rear derailleur and maybe cassette to finally move my cross bike to 10 speed, assuming the reviews aren't negative. I don't need close rations on a bike that spends as much time on dirt roads and trails as it does pavement. I split time between a close ratio double (39 x 48) and single 42 or 44t chainring. I don't know if I will be using rival or apex shifters. Depends, again on the reviews. IMO road shifter prices are outrageous. I can easily afford SRAM X.9 on my mountain bike (which is either Rival or Force equivalent depending on whether you count X.X as equal to or better than red) but a force shifters are way out of my budget range.

I've also been spending more time riding ss and fixed lately, so the close ratios matter less to me for that reason as well.

Also if anyone cares, SRAM is going to 10 speed soon for X.0 and maybe lower in its mountain groups, and shimano XT and XTR will soon be 10 speed according to "leaked" pics and charts. What does this mean? Light, wide range 10 speed cassettes. The lack of interchangeability between road and mountain stuff is what kept me from upgrading the stock Tiagra on my cross bike for so long.

Triples certainly have their place. But I would never want to use one with an integrated shift lever when it's much easier to just get the crank, derailleur, and a separate friction bar con and brake lever. How often do you have to shift the front anyways?