The “best” gearing is a highly individual thing. Until recently I always rode a triple. I now have a compact double (50-34) coupled with a 12-32 cassette. I find that this gearing is okay for anything I’ve encountered in the “Hill Country” out here in Austin – and if it works for me (5’5”, 120lbs, mid 60’s, with bad knees), it will work for anybody.

Your suggested low gear of 39/28 will be roughly equivalent to the 30/23 combo (i.e., the next to lowest gear) on your triple. If you really miss your current lowest gearing of 30/25, then a compact double (50-34) and paired with an 11-28 cassette would give you about the same low gear. That seems like a pretty expensive deal just to accommodate the free DuraAce shifters.

Jean