OK you have convinced me welding is a rubbish idea. Don't like the idea of the bolt on adapter, seems an engineering compromise to me.
So I am back to rim brakes. My main issue is that the XT V's I have had since 1999 have always squealed on the front. I have tried different wheels and pads, cartridge and non-cartridge but never solved it. It is worst in damp conditions. Any further ideas to resolve the issue?
Or opinions on good rim/V brakes. I was looking at XT M770 for £20.