2001 Ti Airborne Corsair - Infant Joy / Eternal Conflict / Tinkerer Test Bed 🍷🤪
- Thread starter Woz
- Start date
Looking forward to trying them out. Agree - not bad looking when fitted. They are available in matt finish too. The CM3 does not have all the funky braze-ons like the CM5. A shame that there is non-disk cantilever only version. Sign of the times. I'm already wondering to get a pair of CM3 too "just because" and "I will probably change my mind again". Do like all these options with the CM5 and in course more experiments ahead.
Probably some daft ones too
A few notes about cutting the steerer column down ....
Having had experience of making a balls-up of this a couple of times and cutting too short, I tried a few things and took my time.
It's on the cards to fiddle between flat bar, drop-bar, possibly shallow riser bar, and possibly something other like these new wider flared dirt drop bars that have recently hit the market. Did more of maths and measuring exercise than actually riding to find out.
Started first to see exactly what the high and short reach point with the Easton stem could give for a drop-bar. Measured back to the front hub centre and the top of the seat-tube - a kind of reference point.
Then tried a couple of high rise stems and made a judgement call in a few places marking +/- 5mm & +/- 10mm. Then went back to the now retro Easton 120mm 10 degree stem (which is tall stack and I know very well) and compared with the position on an older fork. Came out that I'm going to rise the flat handlebars about 20 / 25mm compared to the previous set-up and I only need to add one odd ball 6.5mm spacer when switching stems. I really don't like leaving a chimney pot at the front; 5mm spacer at the most.
Having had experience of making a balls-up of this a couple of times and cutting too short, I tried a few things and took my time.
It's on the cards to fiddle between flat bar, drop-bar, possibly shallow riser bar, and possibly something other like these new wider flared dirt drop bars that have recently hit the market. Did more of maths and measuring exercise than actually riding to find out.
Started first to see exactly what the high and short reach point with the Easton stem could give for a drop-bar. Measured back to the front hub centre and the top of the seat-tube - a kind of reference point.
Then tried a couple of high rise stems and made a judgement call in a few places marking +/- 5mm & +/- 10mm. Then went back to the now retro Easton 120mm 10 degree stem (which is tall stack and I know very well) and compared with the position on an older fork. Came out that I'm going to rise the flat handlebars about 20 / 25mm compared to the previous set-up and I only need to add one odd ball 6.5mm spacer when switching stems. I really don't like leaving a chimney pot at the front; 5mm spacer at the most.
Gruppo ...... or Gruppos ..... or not.
For a good while over several years I've been gathering a mish-mash of XT stuff. Probably started by getting these, don't really remember for sure.
BL-M740 - I've never understood these and Shimano's thinking for releasing them. A kind of XT "out of series" not marked XT with nothing to match. I like them for the simple look and black contact point. Mated with the silver SL-M750 or SL-M751 they look good on black handle bars.
Just fairly recently completed it all - I'm committed for the moment at least it will be a triple set-up, so decided to try out some ST-M750 dual control, another NOS FD-M751 (normally I'm a cheap-skate and just use something LX) and some BR-M760 that I used a long time ago. Sometimes I get the feeling I must be the only one here who actually likes the Parallel Push concept. Love the RD-M750 or RD-M751 - absolutely un-thrilling solid rear mechs with no shadow stuff shifting, available in both GS or SGS cage versions. The ones pictures are used ones that I need to service; there is NOS in the attic.
Absolutely love the write up here: https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site/shimano_deore_xt_derailleur_m751_sgs.html
Brake cartridges are actually Tektro. In the past I've broke Shimano Ceramic pad inserts trying to fit them (because the inserts are so brittle with no flex - this time did it easy with some vegetable oil to lubricate the path / seating edges.
For a good while over several years I've been gathering a mish-mash of XT stuff. Probably started by getting these, don't really remember for sure.
BL-M740 - I've never understood these and Shimano's thinking for releasing them. A kind of XT "out of series" not marked XT with nothing to match. I like them for the simple look and black contact point. Mated with the silver SL-M750 or SL-M751 they look good on black handle bars.
Just fairly recently completed it all - I'm committed for the moment at least it will be a triple set-up, so decided to try out some ST-M750 dual control, another NOS FD-M751 (normally I'm a cheap-skate and just use something LX) and some BR-M760 that I used a long time ago. Sometimes I get the feeling I must be the only one here who actually likes the Parallel Push concept
. Love the RD-M750 or RD-M751 - absolutely un-thrilling solid rear mechs with no shadow stuff shifting, available in both GS or SGS cage versions. The ones pictures are used ones that I need to service; there is NOS in the attic.Absolutely love the write up here: https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site/shimano_deore_xt_derailleur_m751_sgs.html
Brake cartridges are actually Tektro. In the past I've broke Shimano Ceramic pad inserts trying to fit them (because the inserts are so brittle with no flex - this time did it easy with some vegetable oil to lubricate the path / seating edges.
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Cranks ..... skipping Shimano.
Realistically, IMHO and keep with trusted square taper, the only Shimano option would be the FC-M750. These were available with a removable spider in 4 arm or 5 arm versions, which fair play to Shimano a good thing. Middleburn I think do it the best though - lot's of configurations and much harder wearing chain rings. Front changing smoothness is about the only compromise.
The older RS8 is a great silver colour match. Choice of black or silver spider will work here, along with choice of ring colours.
In the longer-term I really want to go back to the DUO set-up. Right now I have far too many close ratio 9 speed cassettes and the easiest way to get going with low gears is go triple. Granny rings are so cheap it's a no brainer.
I'm way off going with modern dinner plate cassettes and really reluctant to even try when I know all of this will just work and be durable. Sort of odd that it's falling all more-or-less period-ish correct with the frame.
Realistically, IMHO and keep with trusted square taper, the only Shimano option would be the FC-M750. These were available with a removable spider in 4 arm or 5 arm versions, which fair play to Shimano a good thing. Middleburn I think do it the best though - lot's of configurations and much harder wearing chain rings. Front changing smoothness is about the only compromise.
The older RS8 is a great silver colour match. Choice of black or silver spider will work here, along with choice of ring colours.
In the longer-term I really want to go back to the DUO set-up. Right now I have far too many close ratio 9 speed cassettes and the easiest way to get going with low gears is go triple. Granny rings are so cheap it's a no brainer.
I'm way off going with modern dinner plate cassettes and really reluctant to even try when I know all of this will just work and be durable. Sort of odd that it's falling all more-or-less period-ish correct with the frame.
More kit .....
Not entirely sure on this lot at the moment despite being surprisingly and incredibly a good silver match to the rest. I've got all the equivalents in black too. Matching black is damn hard between matt, gloss, shot peened, and blah blah whatever finish and batch.
I intend to have a go at a just a visual mock-up with stuff loosely bolted on an no cabling. Cables will be black ... obviously.
Not entirely sure on this lot at the moment despite being surprisingly and incredibly a good silver match to the rest. I've got all the equivalents in black too. Matching black is damn hard between matt, gloss, shot peened, and blah blah whatever finish and batch.
I intend to have a go at a just a visual mock-up with stuff loosely bolted on an no cabling. Cables will be black ... obviously.
Your attention to detail and need to document it all is what makes your build threads so great brother
Defo middleburn in silver with a black spider.
Thanks buddy!
Really wanted to get this done prior to summer, but that didn't happen. Noticed that there is much much more of this kit in the UK at very reasonable prices. In Europe it's all over the place geographically and price wise. I suspect in part this is because Shimano messed about so much over those years (Shadow Shifting, 104 BCD, Octalink, a weird Parallel Push design in the short-lived BR-M750, dreadful ugly Dual Control). There's probably loads of Trekking bikes in Germany with kit on too still going strong - it's prior to all the Deore and XT Trekking gruppos. 9 speed too I think is excellent in terms of durability and for compatibility with older wheels that are out there.
In all honesty though, the abundance of M739 stuff and the quality level we all know is right up there still and makes a solid case even today and simply stay with 8 speed. Going the other way, perhaps M770 or M780 10 speed gruppos for these older frames - I think these are the very last rim brake XT Triple gruppos.
Another option, easily forgot, is interesting especially if doing light off-road or much more road. Up to 10 speed road Ultegra and Tiagra flat bar stuff wasn't bad stuff. A bit over geared, but could work with some off series cantilevers like the CX50 or CX70.
But you still got a butt ugly none-square taper crank set that looks like the tin foil under a meat and potato pie. 
But you still got a butt ugly none-square taper crank set that looks like the tin foil under a meat and potato pie.
