When racing, the double saves 100 g (approx.) and gear changes are a fraction of a second faster than they are on a triple. For most people, it doesn't matter.

Two drawbacks of a double – even a compact double:

1. You lack many low gears, so climbing is hard or challenging, depending on how you see it.

2. For most people, the ideal touring gear will be somewhere between the two chainrings (large ring, small cog, and small ring large cog), so you will make a lot of double shifts. On the triple your ideal touring gear will be approximately mid range of the middle ring.


That being said, the ultimate decision comes to you, but I would offer these arguments:

- If each time you see a hill you say to yourself "Oh no, not again", then suffer all the way through the hill, then are glad it's finally over, then get a triple. With a triple, you will be able to spin all the way through the hill. It will be slow, but you won't find it any more strenuous than riding on flat terrain.

- If you plan of maybe doing a tour someday with that bicycle, then get a triple. Climbing a hill with 30-40 lb of gear requires lower gears.

- If you see each hill as a challenge, like to stand up and mash your way through, then it doesn't matter. Many of those sporty riders prefer the double because they are afraid they would take it too easy on hills.

As for me? I like super-low gears.