34/27 is between 30/25 and 30/23, typically the two lowest gears of a triple setup. You should take the Specialized since you'll be comfortable.

We sure have some skewed ideas of what a fit recreational rider should be able to do. I consider myself reasonably fit (by no means a fast rider, though) and make liberal use of my lowest gear (a 34/27) on sustained climbs. Sure, I can climb sustained 5% climbs (with some modestly steeper sections thrown in) in a standard double, but on sustained modest grade climbs, I like being able to keep a nice high cadence like riding on flat ground.