Wanted to give an update on the situation. Just to recap: Have MTB shifters, deraillerus and installed a road bike size tripple crank. Finally after about a solid hour of riding with my tool pouch and stopping and adjusting every hundred yards or so, everything is working really great. Except for when in low front gear the derailleur still rubs the chain a bit when in the high gears out back. Otherwise I am very happy that second and third front chainrings run very silent and shift perfectly. Persistence pays off.