Of course, I would never actually cuss at anyone!

But it really does irk me off when someone tells someone they should just train harder in order to use particular gearing. Easier said than done for one. I, for one, benefit from easier gearing because I don't have the opportunity to climb enough to become really strong at it. So, when I do encounter hills, I want to have gears that allow me to complete the ride without a whole lot of walking. Why kill myself? Now, when I have been able to train more specifically to climb, I have been able to get away with harder gears, but it's still nice to have a few easy gears in my back pocket. What I can climb at mile 15 is different than what I can climb at mile 60. Plus, when you're doing multi-day tours, you need to factor fatigue into the equation, too.

But that said, there's certainly nothing wrong with standard doubles either--if they offer what you need. Just don't beat yourself up simply because your friends says all the cool kids are doing it. Some of the strongest cyclists I know who run standard doubles have been cooked during hard climbing rides. Secretly, I bet they wished they had easier gearing. Not that they'd ever admit that mind you.