I have been planning on building a cross bike for a while and it looks like it might finally happen. I have Ultegra on my old tri bike which I will swap over to the cross bike, but I know I’ll need some new parts: handlebars, canti brakes, brake levers/shifters. What else am I missing? The cross bike will be used for commuting and probably some road riding as well. Any advice as to specific brands/parts to use would be great (I am trying to do this on the cheap but not at the expense of decent ride quality). Also, are there any compatibility issues I’m missing?
Thanks for any help.
Really depends on how much you will be pulling from the tri bike and also if it is 9spd or 10spd.
Make sure you match the speeds and you’ll be fine. Are you swapping the wheelset too? Are you building from the frame up? Some CX frames require a top pull FD so watch out for that, as well as if the FD is clamp (check the size) or braze on.
Building from the frame up. Will use everything possible from the old tri build. Undecided on wheelset. These are exactly the things I needed to know (re: FD), thank you.
FYI most cross builds will use smaller gearing (for we mortals) I think i’m running a 46/36 up front with a 12-27 in the back This may also effect if you need to run a standard front cage or a long one.
For the wheels more spokes are usually better, I have a 1x pattern in the front, not necessary, but stay away from 16h radial if you plan on running off road alot.
Some guys will run inline brakes on the tops.
You might need cable hangers front and rear depending on how your frame is configured for the Canti’s.
FWIW I’ve got a bunch of cross stuff I pulled off my CX bike when you start your build.