compact cranks

[Beane]

That would be the biggest cassette your rear derailleur can handle. You can always change the rear derailleur to a longer cage model and put on a cassette with a 34 cog.

Oh duh. Not sure why I didn't think of that...

With a triple I was always having to then get out of my small ring to my middle chain ring and also dropping back down again. AND dropping my chain.

I agree. I've been dropping the chain much less with the compact double than the triple.