I'm in the process of putting together my first road bike. I managed to get my hands on a nice Cannondale R900 frame from the mid-nineties, and started from there. I've currently got a set of Shimano WH-R550 wheels on the bike, and a 44cm Ritchey Biomax handlebar on the way. Basically, I'm stuck on what I should get for drivetrain components. I've been looking at mainly Shimano components, but I'm not sure what type of gear ratio I should be riding or if I should be riding a double or triple setup, that sort of thing. I'm a fairly big guy (6'5", 215lbs) so I'm not sure if there are better setups for different sizes. Any help at all would be appreciated. Thanks

I'm an aging has-been who lives in the Sierra and weighs 240 pounds, so I'd always go with a triple. There's no disadvantage to speak of, and you'll have the granny if you need it. Both my road bikes have 46-36-26 rings, and it's made riding more enjoyable for me (one has a 12-26 cassette, the other a 13-28, and I use it all). Several of my friends who've ridden my bike have changed their own gearing--there really aren't that many people who can actually use a 53-39 with an 11-23 or whatever.
Having said that, though, we're all in our 50s or early 60s, and if you're young and strong you might be able to get by with higher gears. It depends on your fitness, strength and how bad you're willing to hurt. Personally, I've reached the point where my answer is, "No more than I absolutely have to."

41 y/o 250 lb#s. Most of my road bikes have been standard doubles with 12-27(?) cassettes, but in Virginia beach we have almost NO elevation changes. I could get away with (and often do) a single speed 75% of the time.

When I go ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway I not only use a triple but I changed the small chain ring to a 24. On steep climbs it still is not enough.

If you are going to climb get a triple. If ALL of your riding is fairly flat and just small hills than get what ever you can find the cheapest. That's the only reason I have more doubles than triples.