Fwiw, I have a compact and 12-27 now and while grades over 10% are a slog, it's not undoable. I'm 195lbs too and in maybe average shape. For my new wheels I got a 11-28 for just that tad more in low range but haven't ridden it yet as I'm waiting on the wheels. My understanding is more than 28 in the back and you need a long cage or mountain bike derailleur. If you already have that, then a new cassette isn't that expensive an experiment.