Originally Posted by CykelFlicka

I'll try to make this short and easy. If you were building a road bike designed for commuting to work/running errands and *possibly* light touring (like 2 panniers' worth), would you run a 3x9 or 2x11 setup?

Caveats:
1) Mostly used parts
2) Shimano (or Microshift equivalent)
3) You are not allowed to answer 1x12. Sorry.

I'm inclined to go for the 3x9 as I think I can cram more teeth on the largest cog if need be (looks like the 2x11 maxes out at 34) but it's a bit harder to find used parts for triples where I live - especially cranksets and brifters. Apparently riding a triple is the equivalent of drinking decaf coffee with soy milk.