Quote Originally Posted by Becky View Post
Very good point. I need to go play with a gear calculator. My current set up is a 34-50 and 12-25 in the back. The triple would likely be a 30-39-52. How are your bikes set up?

ETA: It would be a difference of a low gear of 31.7 gear inches (triple) vs. 35.9 gear inches (compact). Not sure that it's worth the $200. I can stop eating crap and work on hill climbing for the next month instead

I have 2 bikes, but intend to use the steel one for this trip. When I rebuilt it a couple years ago, I intentionally spec'ed it with triple shifters, a triple FD, and a compact crankset that uses an external BB. The compact is fine for my local terrain, but I wanted the option to go triple just by swapping the crankset and adjusting the FD.
I have a 34-50, with a 13-26 (I think; it might be a 13-29 but I can't remember). It's a Campy build. With Shimano, I likely would have gone with a 12-27. You might consider just swapping out your 12-25 cassette for something with a wider spread. My triple's small chainring is also a 30, with a 12-25 in the rear.