Originally Posted by
alan s
Didn't mention I have hydraulic road disc brakes, so going with a triple up front is not an option,
AFAIK. Also, road triples are not highly regarded.
True, road triples are not highly regarded, but it is for reasons other than how well they work, they work well.
A triple would be the best solution. An MTB triple would give you the lowest gears and you could have nice, tight spacing in the rear.