The shifting isn't different in terms of how you go up and down, as I have Shimano on both bikes. I axed the thought of getting SRAM really quickly, when I found out the differences in shifting; too many changes for switching between 2 bikes for someone who is mechanically challenged like me. Yes, my Kuota is a triple. It's just that while I actually have more gears (2) with the mountain rd on the double, it's kind of hard to find that "sweet spot." I found that when riding on a flat, I would get to a point where it either felt too easy or too hard. I started using the big ring a lot more by the end of the ride, and once I got that down, I still felt like I couldn't sustain a good pace for awhile on a flat, because I was either spinning or struggling. My average was awful, even figuring in the wind and the big climbs.