Originally Posted by DrPete

The "tighter ratio" thing is a myth. Just picking a random gear, going from a 50/15 to a 50/17 is a smaller jump ratio-wise than going from a 53-15 to a 53-17. Sure, if you change out cassettes you can get fewer 2T jumps, but it has nothing to do with the cranks and chainrings.

I will agree, though, that a double, compact or otherwise, is more reliable in terms of shifting, at least in my experience.

But if you want the widest range of gears, smaller gaps between gears, and the lowest possible low gear, get a triple.