I rode a triple for the first time ever last summer, (LeMond Victoire/Ultegra) and loved it. The year before I rode a double (53/39, 12-25) and had no problems with any of the hills in the area were I live. The first thing I did with the triple was go to an 11-23 rear. I had absolutely no problems with the larger 42 front chain ring, and really like the flexibility of the 30 front. It allowed me to keep my heart rate down at the start of some rides. (One of the routs I take from my house starts out with a steep grade for approx. ¾ of a mile from my door step, and at the beginning of a ride I like to keep my heart rate low as I warm up).