There are no dumb questions...only dumb answers What most amateur riders do if using the same bike on alternate routes with considerably different elevation...is opt to change the rear cassette versus change the crankset to hit the sweet spot for gearing. This takes trial and error to find what gearing works best. After a while you find out what gears work for which route. A triple is very accomodating to a wide range of riding conditions...what I prefer because I use the same bike to climb and ride long flat routes. But others like more of a minimalist approach up front with two chain rings. What really matters isn't what you run up front or in back but what you run front and back together to meet your gearing needs on a particular route. Again...trial and error is the best teacher to find out what gearing you will like.
George