I know alot of people swear by triple chain rings, but you can get all the gearing you need with two rings.

I have two chain rings on my TT race bike (55-39).
Its a 9 speed with 27-13 on the back.
I essentially ride only flat courses with it - but I can climb 12 and 14% gradients on it.

...and I have a compact set on my road race bike (50-34) Its a 10 speed with 27-12 on the back.
With slightly lower gears I can climb hills a tad more easily - but there is not alot in it.

I have a triple on my mountain bike but I only use the small and medium cogs - never the biggest when I am off-road.

Essentially, I have found a compact to be a good "in-between" option. It does everything for me a triple would without the hassle (for me) of a third ring.

I much prefer having only two cogs at the front, because it means less thinking involved...