>>1082376Because it's "new"! That's all you need to know and the "pros" use it.
I use a triple on my bike
The biggest chainring is for paved roads: level, downhill, and small inclines.
The medium chainring is for moderate-steep paved inclines.
The small chainring is for off-road (usually grassy or less than ideal surface) climbs up steep hills.
I try to avoid crossing the chain too much in all three gears. My old Pacific aluminum bike had a super granny rear cog and was a great climber. Never forget that mountain bikes (especially XC) are designed to climb. That is their greatest ability that sets them apart from other bikes.
Are there some advantages to a 1x setup? Absolutely. Even my 6 speed folding bike does pretty well in most circumstances. With twice as many gears it would probably be a decent off road bike. For your standard all-purpose XC hardtail mountain bike, the tried and true triple is great.
