compact vs triple crank

[widgetr]

It seems that they are not making the triple anymore....I need the low gears to get up the mountains......would the 50-34 11-26 be low enough for me

 

[rparedes]

i don't know what "low enough" for you is, but you can get 12/28, 11/28, 12/29, 12/32 10 speed cassettes (SRAM Apex, Shimano, Campy); look at an On-line gear calculator and compare a 30/25 (most triples have this as the lowest gear) to a 34/28.
I run a 50/34 upfront and a 11/30 on rear; the cassette is a SRAM 11/28 with one of the middle cogs removed and added a 30 at the end, next to the 28... lots of hills around here.
You can run a 30T cog on a shimano 10 speed short cage RD; unless your bike has a "short" RD hanger. To run a 32T cog you need a SRAM apex RD; with a longer cage