Originally Posted by
PeteHski
Looks exactly like my local terrain. 1x13 would work fine for me. I very nearly went down that route on my new bike, but ended up with a 2x12 which actually has slightly less overall range than the 1x13 I was considering. It does have tighter gaps on the cassette, but there really isn't that much in it. I wouldn't even consider a triple with a modern 11/12-speed drivetrain. Look at it this way - It would be the equivalent of you considering a 4x or even 5x setup on your bike.
Once the computer completely takes over shifting the FD, the industry will probably go this way. Things are getting crowded on the rear of the bike. The rider won't care as long as the ratios are provided. Even if they do, it won't matter. Evolution will happen, regardless.