Surely if you’re trying to save weight then the Mustang wheels will need to go too?

I thought that was a bit strange too. I’m not a weight weenie but the bike will feel a lot better if you upgrade the stock wheels and get something ~500g lighter vs if you lose 50 grams on a cassette or something… Which you will never ever feel.

That’s easy.
Get a new wheelset too, save some more grams!

The OP was probably looking at the 11spd XTR M9100…

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-xtr-cs-m9110-11-speed-cassette-740335

No, weight is important to me on this bike, not interested being told not to care about it.

However, I may care about weight, and I may be prepared to buy long lasting XTR components, but $260 for a consumable is a **** piss-take.

Looks like XT 10sp is only 11-36T anyway, which isn’t worth the change.  An 11sp M8000 cassette seems to be 430g or so, about 130g more than 9sp.

I edited the comment. :D There are 11-42 10spd cassettes and stuff like extender cogs but the jumps are pretty darn big.

That’s why I wanted you to check out XD.

XT M8000 11-42: 447g, 69,26 € right now at bike-discount.de, the aluminium 42T cog will wear out the fastest.

SRAM XG-1150 10-42 XD cassette: 394g, 85,32 €, ALL STEEL!

Top end components are not expensive because they’re long lasting, sometimes quite the opposite. Some will compromise durability for weight savings.

Ignore the weight.

Go with 1×11, upgrade kits are cheap. Less gaps between gears and/or bigger overall range. If budget allows go for an XD driver.

Edit: if you have the unfortunate weight weenie mental problem then especially check out SRAM XD cassettes.

Yup, 3mm is boost, 6mm is non boost. (Pretty logical)

Good shops usually list this info.

https://www.bike-components.de/en/SRAM/X-Sync-2-Direct-Mount-Boost-Chainring-for-X01-Eagle-XX1-Eagle-p49611/

I think U brakes require levers with more pull like canti and road stuff. If there is a V-brake lever on right now that’s why it’s hard the pull. Check if it’s V or canti.

If the thingy where the cable attaches is farther from the pivot point it’s for a V-brake, if it’s pretty close it’s a canti lever.

Sort of like this:

Tektro makes small levers for kids for both V and canti brakes.

Get any pedal and shoe, ride them, fall over once, keep riding them and you probably won’t fall over again.

Don’t overthink it. If you keep thinking “OMG I hope i’m not going to fall over” then you are definitely  going to fall over. Just ride the thing and clipping out will turn into a reflex. No big deal, tons of people ride clipless.

Hmm, no idea then. :(

The chain couldn’t be any shorter even with the smaller B gap?

Chain length?

And the usual hanger alignment, new cables etc.

You see!?

Yes I see:

I have Shimano brakes that are 8 years old and never been “serviced”. There’s simply no need to change the mineral oil. The dark colour is picked up from the seals and is not a result of external contamination.

I also see the OP saying he has been running the brakes for 2 years and they’re perfect.

I don’t understand why you’re trying to defend cable brakes to death. You can’t see the advantages, only the disadvantages, and because you don’t need something you think no one else does either.

Google ANY bike part and you will find forum threads about people having problems with them. This is especially true for BB brakes, and Spyres/Spykes.

This is getting a bit boring. Yes BB7s are perfect, hydraulic brakes are the devil. Go install some cable discs on your car and be happy. Geez! :D

If you want more stopping power, increase your disk size – it’s cheaper than new brakes.

Sadly that’s not always physically possible on gravel/road bikes because of fork/frame design. Especially on road where some come with 140 rotors.

If I would go with a 180 instead of 160 on my gravel bike the discs would foul the forks.

IMO doesn’t matter. You can run into even a cracked steel frame too, at least i’ve seen a few.

Thanks everyone for your inputs!

Despite all the positive reviews about the Nukeproof I think I gonna go with the Crankbrothers. :D Probably the DH over the Enduro because why not.

I just like the idea of those traction pads too much. On my current XTs the soles could touch the pedal a tiny bit, but they don’t because the soles are about a mm too high. I just don’t want to run into the same issue with the Nukeproofs.

If you want more range than a 10-42 go with 12spd IMO. A GX Eagle upgrade kit is not too much money.

And thats really why I’m asking the question – compared to road rim brakes, will the TRP’s be a direct replacement or better negating a £250 extra spend to hydros for the above type of riding?

For that kind of riding the Spyres are fine. If you’re fine with your road bike with rim brakes, then you’ll be fine with the Spyres too. Make sure to get better pads tho because the stock ones evaporate when they meet with water. I recommend SwissStop. Also make sure to strip them down every few months, and right when you get them give the pad adjustment screws a Loctite bath or they will go out of adjustment regularly.

They’re as good or better than the best road rim brakes IMO, but again other than being more powerful hydros are set and forget and there are no bearings to seize or pad adjustment screws to go out of adjustment.

The best would be of course to test a bike with Spyres and hydros if you can.

But hydros are no stoppier than (decent) cable discs, and the limit of stoppyness will always be determined by tyre grip anyway.

As I said, I have TRP Spyres on my bike, with compressionless housing, SwissStop pads, and XT rotors. What’s not decent about this setup, can you upgrade a cable disc any further? I don’t think so.

I run out of grip at the back, at the front I simply run out of braking power.

I know people some say Spyres are better than BB7s, and some people say BB7s are better than Spyres, don’t want to get into that. Both of them are one of the best cable discs you can get right now, and neither of them are as powerful as a decent hydro.

Anyways, this argument is only going on in the gravel/road world really, everyone has been on hydros in the MTB world because they’re simply better. You might be fine with cable discs, but that doesn’t mean they’re as powerful as any decent hydro.

You can get a pair of Shimano MT200s for €40, these suck for sure tho. I’ve tried the older version and I think they were worse than my Spyres.

For road and ‘gravel’, like he’s talking about using them for, I don’t think hydros are worth the extra outlay,

Yeah I guess it depends on your definition of gravel. To me these are do it all bikes, and sometimes to get to the gravel part I have to climb a hill first then bomb down on singletrack. There I would really appreciate hydros, especially because on 43mm tyres a sudden rock garden after a blind corner can mean death.

Hmmm.

Any issue of changing them later?  is it as simple as changing/cable the levers and re taping the bars?    I’m thinking I might run the Spyres this winter then upgrade next summer.

Changing is easy but not cheap. I can’t find too much R7000 stuff yet but it’s gonna cost more than 250 quid.

https://r2-bike.com/SHIMANO-105-R7000-Disc-Brake-Set-Shift-Brakelever-ST-R7020-Br-R7070-Flat-Mount-Brake-Caliper-with-Brakehose-and-Shift-Cable-black

I have BB7 calipers on my roady commuter/tourer

There’s no way I could believe that 105 hydros could be £250’s worth of ‘better’.

The key word here is roady. They can be £500 worth of better, if you go offroad. Which you can do on a gravel bike. :) So depends what you use your bike for.

Go hydro, I have Spyre C on my CX bike, once they get silt internally they’re nigh on impossible to service bar squirting some WD40 in. The extra cash will be worth it.

I vote for hydro too but Spyres are super easy to strip down. But then I know you shouldn’t need to strip them down in the first place.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-trp-spyre-rebuild-guide/

For that kind of riding they’re fine.

I have them on my gravel bike with compressionless housing, SwissStop pads, and XT rotors. When I try to bomb down on singletrack, where really I should be on an MTB, I wish I  had more stopping power. But everywhere else they’re fine.

If you ride in harsh conditions you might also need to strip and clean them every few months. These things have bearings, they’re not as simple and sealed as a hydro.

At the end of the day, you can buy them straight from Taiwan on eBay for 65 quid including discs, so don’t expect huge things from them. But they’re not bad either. They’re like an awesome rim brake that work better in wet conditions than rim brakes. But just because they’re discs doesn’t mean they’re as good as a hydro. Unless you compare them to let’s say the cheapest Shimano brake you can buy.

Hydros will be better in every regard. It’s your 250 quid, I usually do the math how many hours do I need to work for a certain part vs how much it will improve my riding experience.

Is there a formula for this, or should i just take a 640b mtb wheel and see how much space there is?

Pretty much. There are some measurements floating around about the overall diameter of a 650×47 tyre. You can do some measurements using this, but take into account that most of these tyres have a lightbulb shape and they’re the widest around the middle.

Also try to research the model of the bike you have, maybe someone else done the conversion.

In most cases there is clearance at the front but not at the back. Before investing in a wheelset I would buy the tyre you want to run, and a super cheap second hand 27.5 rear wheel. I bought one for 15 quid to check the clearance.

I’ll probably rule out the Saints then. I have zero experience, but in my mind I want this:

it would hit my crank

I have the same issue with regular XTs now that I switched to bulkier shoes. If the crank is in the right position (pedal at around 9 o’clock) the shoe will hit the crank when trying to unclip. Haven’t fallen over just yet, usually a stronger heel click solves the issue.

When clipped in the back pins don’t touch the shoe but then they shouldn’t need to.

I think I have the wrong idea about these pedals then. I thought the pins should touch the soles of your shoe, so it feels like you’re standing on a cage like with flat pedals, not just this tiny thing like with regular SPD. It also looks like there is much more surface area for your soles to touch right next to the clips so even if the pins don’t touch the sole that probably helps.

I’ve also seen some reviews of Crankbros pedals that if you adjust them like that the pins can grab the shoe too much and it’s hard to clip out.

This Q factor measurement is a bit strange. So the Mallet E has a 52mm Q factor, and the Mallet E long spindle and DH has a 57mm Q factor.

Crankbros say that “the Q factor is measured by the point of attachment of the pedal where the flange meets the crank arm, to the middle of the pedal”

I measured my XTs, 55mm. So the long spindle version or the DH is actually closer to a “normal” SPD pedal by a mm. :)

More range. If you think that 10T doesn’t make a difference, grab a gear calculator.

Cost? I just checked bike-discount.de

The XT 11-42 is 69,26 €, the XG1150 is 85,32 €. The XG1150 is fully steel, the aluminium 42T on the XT will wear out first. Also, the XG1150 is fully steel AND lighter but you shouldn’t care about that. :)

Also, you can go 12spd 10-50 for not too much money with GX Eagle, same can’t be said for Shimano…

The cost of the XD driver itself should be nothing, it’s pretty standard now.

The DHs look great too, don’t really care about the extra weight.

Saints don’t really feel any different to XT trails to me. I’d get XT if I was buying again.

That’s interesting, what kind of shoes did you use?

I’m guessing this bit

Yup. Those M530s look like they might have a tiny bit more surface area next to the cleat compared to my XTs, but the cage won’t touch the shoe. My XTs work too, I can clip in, pedal, and move forward, but i’m looking for a different feel. First world problems. :D

I presume my real issue is trying to get the front mech to work and clearances?

The front mech won’t work right, or won’t work at all, that’s the main problem. If it’s braze on not clamp on it might also not be able to go low enough. Sadly MTB front derailleurs have a different pull ratio so you can’t use them either.

Clearances, not an issue. You’re putting on smaller chainrings AND possibly BB spacers, the clearance will be better.

I would get an 11-42 with a Wolftooth, and a 46/30 crankset.

But if you have the crankset already just get a BB and slap them on and you’ll see if it works or not. Not a big expense.

26 x 2.35 tyres, 90rpm 38×11: 24.7mph

29 x 2.35 tyres, 90rpm 35×11: 24.7mph

26 x 2.35 tyres, 90rpm 28×40: 5.0mph

29 x 2.35 tyres, 90rpm 26×40: 5.1mph

Not sure what the difference is compared to the mens, the website only specifices that they come in narrower sizes.

Specialized Expert Alloy Shallow Bend Handlebars

I love mine. Short reach, small drop, oval top, and so much phatness.

There is as yet no one bike which brings together adequately; acceptable speed, position, and lightness of a road bike; the strength, stability and adaptability of a tourer; or the right handling and full tyre clearance of an mtb.

I think thats the case with most things, e.g. you don’t go offroading with an F1 car. :)

I would still like to try a Cutthroat with a carbon MTB wheelset, the lightest 100mm suspension fork available, an Eagle drop bar groupset, fast XC tyres, flared drop bars, and a dropper post. :D

Don’t mistake the Fargo for the Cutthroat, the Fargo has steel forks and accepts 27.5 as well as 29er wheels. The Cutthroat has a carbon fork and is not recommended to run 27.5.

I’m not mistaking it. :) Depends which version you’re talking about. I know the older ones came with steel forks and the cheaper model still comes with it.

Unless talking about old stock I haven’t seen a steel fork frame available seperately, but maybe my google-ing skills are not up to date.

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Salsa/Fargo-27-5-29-Rahmenkit-Modell-2018-p60668/

And there is of course the Ti…

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Salsa/Fargo-27-5-29-29-Titanium-Frameset-2017-Model-p57941/

Really, more so than the OP’s Kona Lavadome? Most ‘monster cross’ frames are suspension corrected, and can easily run a short travel fork if you wish.

Yes.

You can descend pretty good while holding the drops, but it’s a bit awkward position, and jumps suck. Even a narrow straight bar offers more control. I really love drop bars, I regularly ride my gravel bike down rocky singletrack. But I can still see that other than comfort straight bars simply beat drop bars.

I know that some of these frames are suspension corrected. I think the Vagabond isn’t, the fork is not that long, and the headtube is not that short. Out of the 650b “gravel” frames I suggested non of them are suspension corrected.

Fargo, yup you can run a suspension fork. But again, budget. You’re throwing away the carbon fork from an already not cheap frameset, and adding a suspension fork which again is not cheap.

I’m starting to realise I’ve strayed into moon on a stick territory.  I want a proper mountain bike frame for tyre clearance and off road capability but I want to run drops and most MTB frames have a longer reach than I’d like.

The problem is the budget, but really the bigger problem is that framesets are too expensive…

A Salsa Fargo would do everything you want but the frameset with a carbon fork is €900-1000. The cheap option would be the Vagabond.

And then there are things like the All City Gorilla Monsoon, Bombtrack Hook Ext, or Fairlight Secan. Which are 27.5 gravel/adventure/whatever geometry bikes that can clear 2.1-2.2 tyres, and in the case of the Gorilla Monsoon even 2.4.
In this category there is also the Kona Sutra LTD but I think it’s not easy to get a frame outside the US.

Proper MTB geometry is nice, but really with these types of bikes if you want to get really rowdy the things holding you back are the drop bar and the lack of suspension.

I would go with the Jones and also put bar tape on it. Other than things like sweep, width the key for long distance comfort is multiple hand positons (like on a drop bar).

in which case just do what you want

No, I won’t allow it.

DON’T run drop bars on a frame that was designed for flat bars.

Come on SRAM, release DUB and 1×12 for road stuff already.