atlantis

Hi !

Planning to build up a Surly Cross Check.

I was initially planning to go for a road groupset, but costs did not permit me so.

I have finally decided on a shimano mix, of mtb components for a 10 speed. This is going to be a mail order from evans or Crc.
I have shortlisted some of the essentials

1. Shimano Deore M610 triple crankset.
2. Deore M611 triple fd.
3 Shimano SLX M670 shadow Rear derailleur
4. Shimano HG 81 SLX cassette
5. Deore M610 rapid fire shifters.

Please give me your opinion as to the mix of parts, and are there any better shifters or rear derailleurs that I should consider.
I am not too knowledgeable about components .
Looking forward to your replies.

c_m_shooter

Those trigger shifters won't work with drop bars. Go 9 speed with bar end shifters on Nitto Noodle or Rando bars. This combo has worked for awhile and will continue to.

gamby

I'm assuming you want to go flatbar?

I'd sooner do 9-speed, especially with a triple. Even with a double, I've found 9-speed to be more than adequate on my double-equipped cross bike and triple-equipped MTB.

For drop bars, 3500 Sora are excellent for the money. Great ergonomics (the same tooling as 5600 105), very sturdy and solid shift/brake action.

Otherwise, for flatbar, hard to go wrong with Deore stuff, 9 or 10 speed. That stuff is bulletproof at this point in its development.

wvridgerider

SRAM Shfter Adaptor

If you are running Sram check this out or Paul thumbies

c_m_shooter

Another good thing about nine speed is that your local bike shop mechanic may have take offs that he will trade for a six pack.

Triaxtremec

i'm running a 3x8 which as proved great for pretty much all riding conditions I've ran into. Especially when I need that granny gears!

Shimano Altus M311 3x8 Speed Drivetrain Group Set MTB 8 Piece 11 32T Black | eBay

these road shifters work great with 75mm mini v brakes!

Shimano Sora St 3300 33003 3x8 Speed Dual Control Shift Brake Lever Set | eBay

thenomad

If you are ordering new stuff and truly want a multi-purpose bike ( I assume road rides, commuting, light touring, cx race, offroad trails, gravel) then why not just graduate to disc brakes right now? Allows 650B with plump tire option.
A frame like Gunnar Crosshairs, Soma Double Cross (I have one) or something similar?
Cross check is good enough, but cannot offer disc in the future. My Double Cross is set up cantilever brakes now and can do all those things and will go disc in the future.

gamby

That's pretty neat.

fietsbob

the 8 speed bar end shifter got labeled Ultegra , though the quality is no different than the D-A 9.

just the detent spacing is different. left ones are the same .


More speeds is a marketing sucker program .. they cost more wear faster

and you will get there just the same with out so many cogs stacked tighter together on your wheel .

atlantis

@ cm shooter Are these handle bars available on crc or evans ?
@gamby, I would love to go 9 speed , i have a 9 speed road bike, and I am no fan of higher gears, but the pricing of 9 speed componentry is the same as 10 speed, and I realised that the budget was super high, hence I thought of going the mtb way , deore is reliable and reasonable.
@wvridgerider. Sram is great , just helped a friend with a x7 build but the pricing is higher than shimano.
@triaxtremic, Oh i would have loved to make an 8 speed , most of my older bikes are 7 and 8 , and i love them, but unfortunately the new buy would set me aside a similar price line, hence the 10 speed. Are you also running drop bars would love to see a cross check in drop bars with an 8 speed drivetrain.

@ fietsbob So true, the 8 speed bar end shifters are quite competitively priced, and also the chains are far much more stronger.

I just have a choice of a cross check , so other brands are out at the moment.

c_m_shooter

Both of the site you listed gave me a headache. Best roadbar they had was the Ritchey Classic bend. Try shopping at Velo Orange or Rivendelle.

atlantis

c_m_shooter these sites are very nice. Any other reliable sites you could point me to ? Preferably the ones you have shopped from.

atlantis

While working on this build , needed some more input.
if i go for a 9 speed build with the following is it ok that is are they compatible ?

Crankset Shimano Deore M590 / 48-36-26
Dura Ace 9 speed downtube shifters
Sora 3500 double fd
Sora 3500 Rd
Tiagra 11-32

thenomad

Yes, those whould work but make the FD a triple. The double FD doesn't reach down low enough to allow the granny. You can take the granny off and run it as a double if you get a shorter BB spindle and lock out the FD in the right spots (done this way if you happen to have all the parts, but if you're buying then just get triple).

Are the component changes due to budget? Why no bar-ends? Why now Sora as opposed to Deore LX or so? May be able to find some take off/used nicer components. Just want to go new?

You can run a whole 3x9 mountain drivetrain no problem, just get bar ends or stick with DT shifters if you prefer them. Triple front requires lots of trimming of the FD while riding, so I prefer doubles.

c_m_shooter

If you are running that wide of a cassette don't bother with the triple unless you plan on a lot of trailer pulling or loaded touring. A compact double with 34/50 rings is a good setup. I run a 12-26 cassette most of the time, but use an 11-32 when touring with a full load.

thenomad

Yes, what he said. I didn't notice you wanted to go 32t in the rear.
I had a mtn crank on hand and use it as a double with 12-26 in the rear. I got a different large ring so I have 46-32 front. Like it so far, just want to try a narrower BB.

atlantis

HI ! @thenomad , I have been working on this build since some time and landed up with a lot of variations, just bear with me , i will put down the details. In the following there are some standard stuff like wheels and essentials that are pretty much the same, so I have skipped those. The main i have talked about is the groupset and controls.
Option1
10 speed tiagra compact a mix and match of road components. drop bars and dura ace downtube shifters., v brakes/ tektro levers

Option2
10 speed tiagra and all of the above but sti shifters, but then I would have to to canti brakes .

Option 3.
I have a sora 3500 fd and a rear derailleur, hence the choice towards sora.
Sora crankset double 46-34 or Sora compact
downtube shifters. 9 speed dura ace.

option4
is what I was discussing , Mtb components
Complete deore triple crankset,
a mix of slx and xt fd , rd, cassette, shifters.

In conclusion the sti combo was the about 100 dollars above the rest, and all the other options were practically similarly priced.
@c_m shooter I was not too keen for a compact 50-34 crankset , since i ride a road bike with that setup and I hardly use the 50, hence the sora 46-34 appealed to me,and yes my cassette on my road is a 12-26.
My frame size is pretty small , my road bike is a 49 with a 70mm stem and my arms are short , so my reach is not too good. When i straddled my road the drop bars seemed pretty close to my knees hence the bar end shifters did not show up as a choice.

I am planning to put some salsa cowbell 3 bars , i did not find any bars on crc or evans which were comparable.

Yeah thats the build working so far. Did think about a single speed with surly hubs but i don't know........................

thenomad

If all things are close to equal on the component prices then go as far upp market as you can. Nothing "wrong" with Sora but I'll take a lighter 105 or Ultegra or Deore LX or XT any day if I can.

Any build you have listed will work out. Pull the trigger and ride it! Replace any part that dies with a nicer one.