Quote Originally Posted by tangentgirl View Post
Are they puttin' me on so they can sell the bike in stock? Are they being snoody cause they don't need a granny gear? Are they being perfectly honest and am I looking at outdated technology?
Actually no, in my opinion they are pretty much telling you the truth.
Granted, this comes from someone who rides standard double and 11-21, so take my words with a grain of salt, I've been a masher for 30+ years and I always confess to it upfront...

Either way, unless you do loaded touring or plan Alpine passes, the difference between compact double and triple is not that much. If you are concerned that some hills/mountains may be too difficult, you could use the compact with a cassette that goes up to 28 or so, and that would still give you plenty of room to shift.
And - the compact is both lighter and easier to tune up, so it has a few advantages.

That said, there is no substitute for trying it out and deciding for yourself what feels best. I'd say test ride a few compacts and if possible include a couple of good hills in your test ride. Then go back home and ride your bike with the triple on the same roads. See how you feel with both, and then decide which one you like best.