I might be cheating because i run a 50t big ring but i still go triple with a 39 and a 28 with it, and i use microshift brifters and have used them successfully with several derailleurs. But in my opinion the old Falcon i used on my drop bar M-50 worked the best, and now on both my drop bar MTB's im running Suntour XCM fronts, granted on my new build i got bar end shifters.