A touring triple (like a Sugino XD) is much more flexible and you can customize chainring size as you get more fit. You can also swap cassettes based on the terrain you ride.

I use a touring triple (26-36-48) for the big hills with the Bay Area girls and have an 11-32 cassette for those days. If I'm going to ride a flatter course, I'll swap the cassette to a 12-25. Not as big a range but more selections in a narrow window which is preferable if you aren't riding hills.

Cheaper to swap cassettes than cranksets. Just be sure to get a rear derailleur that can handle a large cassette.