Originally Posted by
hokiefyd
I really like triples for how I ride (with an upright commuter/touring riding position). I use the chain rings for gross changes in speed range and then think of the cassette as a way to trim or tailor my cadence.
Yeah, that's how I conceptualise it, with three "ranges" on the front derailleur, and "fine tuning" on the rear derailleur.
But, compared to how you describe your tuning and riding style, I tend to be more conscious of moving the chain in or out on both the front and rear derailleurs as I shift. This may be especially important with a wide-range (11-42) cassette paired with a wider range crankset; small-small could be too much slack, and large-large could be not enough chain.
If you're considering doing a 3x configuration, I'd do it. I think the operation ends up being very flexible and intuitive and parts are pretty easy to find. You don't mention what type of shifting you intend to use...indexed or friction, drop bar style or flat bar, bar ends, etc. That may play into your decision to some degree. You have a lot of flat bar options. I'm not as familiar with drop bar options for this setup, but others may be able to help if you're truly interested in this as a potential course of action.
Yeah, 3x is kind of easy to find now, but 3x seems to be going out of fashion, and 3x10 was never in fashion. So doing it today might be feasible, but maintaining it over time…? Long-term maintenance is a concern.
For me, it's indexed shifting, flat bars.