gruppo advice for a novice

[sjar76]

hi all. currently trawling ebay (for far longer than i should) for bits to build up my new project - a tangerine Cannondale F900 Headshok.
decided on a core of XT with assorted others where a bit of jazz is required. Not looking for an immaculate showbike, just a solid, good looking XC machine.
So far got front & rear mechs and bidding on XT cassette.

First basic question - how standardised are chainrings, and will any XT 22-32-42 rings marry to my original CODA cranks? Or are there better choices from Middleburn, Pace etc?

Second question - brake choice, related to lever/shifter spec.
Current choices are: XT V brakes with either XT sti combos or XT shifters plus Avid or Pauls levers (top £ for these..)
OR
Magura HS33s, with Mag levers plus XT shifters.
I have no experience of hydraulic rim brakes. Any thoughts on setup, stopping & maintenance?

Third question - struggling to find decent used wheels. Current thinking is a new build with either old XT or Hope hubs and 717 XCs. Will these be nice and light/stiff?

Finally I am currently looking at X lite bars, Crank Bros Candy & lock-on h'bar grips and a Race Face Deus post (needs to be 27.2 x 400). Saddle is a retro CODA unit from the states, looks good.

Just looking for some observations and alternative spec suggestions I guess....

Thanks for reading!

Simon

 

[the_duke]

Welcombe Simon, sounds like you have a nice project! What year is it from?

For me XT is a great choice, as for the brakes I've always thought Maguras look great on Dales. They do a fluorescent orange colour and red that looks sweet!

Crank wise, you need to consider the bolt count and BCD. All mountain bike cranks should be either 94bcd (compact) or 110bcd (standard). If you are looking at new rings be wary that Roadies call 110bcd compact!

The speed the rings are intended for is also a consideration (ie an 8 speed set up will / should work best with an 8 speed ring due to the width of the chain) But 8/9 speed is pretty much the same and shouldn't matter too much.

Oh yeh, if you are running a double or triple set up make sure the rings are ramped or pinned to aid with shifting.

Check out the for sale section and ebay for wheels, Hopes are great but can crack, XT versions should be available for decent money maybe.

 

[hamster]

Go with any chainring (almost) other than Shimano! Middleburn, Stronglight Blackspire and TA all make rings that are better-machined, hardened and last far longer. Most Shimano rings are simply stamped and seem to have pitifully short lives.

 

[drystonepaul]

For your wheels question:

Rims usually wear out long before hubs give out hence why it's much harder to find period correct rims in good condition.
If you're planning on riding the bike a fair bit, and even if you're not, then old hubs built up with modern rims is a pretty common thing to do.

Mavic XC717s are very good rims but XM317s have a near identical profile to the X517s and 217s that they replaced. If you removed the sticker then you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between them.

XC717s will potentially build up into lighter wheels but for a few grammes more and about half the price you can have an equally strong set of wheels with the XM317 rims.

XM317s are still available in silver too whereas it's difficult to find XC717s in anything other than black.

 

[sjar76]

thanks

grand, thanks. Maguras it is. I'm chasing some orange ones which will look AMAZING on my orange frameset; otherwise maybe some Olympias which have gold boosters which match my decals. Which is important.

wheels: OK, 717 or 317. I want black. Probably go for XT hubs.
I'd prefer 32h. Might also get someone to lace them up fancy.

As for the rings - I have a 5 bolt crank. Will check BCD tonight then find some sweet rings by Middleburn, FSA or similar. Thanks.

BTW I am running a 9spd setup with a triple ring.

The bike is a '97 and a bit of wish fulfilment from when I was still young. Cannondale always did it for me, as did Kleins. Next on list will be an Attitude, I think. As a teenager I was always dyadreaming about the West Coast scene, hence my love of US bikes. I had a black 3.0 series C'dale and loved it so much. Never loved a bike like that since.

Amazing what's out there. What with the recent cycling explosion I can see used parts prices going up..

 

[sjar76]

chainrings

it appears the CODA 300 crankset is 94 BCD.

Any thoughts on Race Face Team rings, 94 BCD 24/34/46 set, to work with my 3x9 XT gear..? they look pretty smart, and nice to get a 'match' with my seatpost.

And they are black, so they look mean as hell.


Currently reduced to £75 for the set at J E James, or I trawl fleabay instead for minty fresh.

 

[gtRTSdh]

I'm a devotee of magura hs33's, my 4 mtb's each have a set, they are a pig to setup. & bleeding them takes practice. However they have the most superb lever feel & power modulation. I've got a modern set of eisbar's on one bike and have to say the older levers feel more natural to use.

 

[bm0p700f]

I built a set for my wife with 317's LX hubs and Spaim lasers spokes front and non drive side rear with Spaim race DS. I have set the canti pads running close and there is no brake rubbing issues. So stiff they are. She uses it mostly on the road though.

Another option and cheaper is the rigida Snyper. I have a set of these on my Marin, they are a bit heavier than the X317's but are good stiff rim.

 

[sjar76]

cycleclinic

cheers for that. i see you are in suffolk - me too. i'll cobble some Mavics together plus Shim or Hope hubs and get you to build 'em up if that's OK. will pm you when i have my grubby hands on the gear

 

[wookiee]

I have a set of Mavic 717s on XT hubs and can't rave about them enough! And if your patient you should be able to get some for a good price. I think I payed £120 for a set with brand new XT hubs and good used 717 rims...