If I were shopping, I'd pick the 7.4. The top gears are nearly the same... 48:11 (117.9 gear inches) with a bigger tire vs. 50:11 (121.3"). That's a really high gear for going downhill and I'm not sure why you'd find one to feel lower than the other. The bottom gears on the triple are a bit lower but you're not likely to go that low too often. The big difference to me is that the triple gives nice 2-step shifts between middle and top rings, and you wouldn't often need it because the middle is a nice size; while the compact double gives a BIG shift, and you'd need to use it pretty often since the big ring is too big and the small ring is too small. I think I'd find that annoying.
I'd also rather have the stouter wheels and bigger tires of the 7.4.
I'd also look at the Giant Escape lineup which is essentially the same and costs less.
Last edited by Darth Lefty; 12-22-13 at 11:26 AM.