taekimon

I have an old 2010 Ridley Crossbow runs cantilever brakes.

Is it possible to convert the bike (from the frame aspect) to take disc brakes? Is it just the fork that needs to be replaced or will I need disc tabs to be welded onto the frame itself?

On the other hand, what CX/gravel bike frames on the market right now have the option to take cantis and disc brakes?

wheelsmcgee

• Possible? Maybe. Cost efficient and safe? Maybe not. You’re better off selling the frame and buying one that’s designed with disc mounts. Of course, the fork can be replaced separately with one that has disc tabs, that would give you front disc.
  
• The only one I knew of was the Origin8 CX700...set up for both canti and disc brakes, but is no longer made. It was actually a pretty novel thing; it was reasonably priced and had monster tire clearance.

mstateglfr 

Yeah, get a new fork that can take disc brakes and rock a mullet setup(this term applies to brakes and different wheel sizes, oddly). Disc up front, canti in back.

- dont use your current fork for disc as the clamping force is different and the left fork blade is designed differently than the right on disc brakes in order to account for/combat the different clamping force. This assumes its a steel fork. Its probably carbon so you would need a totally new fork.
- dont weld disc tabs onto your frame as you will then also need a stabilizing bar to be welded to connect the stays close to the dropout for stability and it will just look bad overall.

The overall cost to do this will be high and that doesnt even address the work involved on your end(tearing down the frame, finding a builder to agree to do this work, having the frame painted, building the frame back up). All for an aluminum cross frame?

You have had it for 10 years so Im sure it fits you great and you love it. But maybe keep it as is and buy a new frameset with similar geometry if you want disc brakes. You will then also have current trends like flat mount brakes and thru axles.

...or buy a new fork with disc holes and slap it on.

msu2001la

If you google this topic, you'll find lots of examples of people discussing welding disc tabs onto aluminum frames, and very few examples of it actually being successfully done.

Even assuming you would want to go through the cost and hassle of welding on disc mounting points and have someone who could successfully pull that off with enough precision to get a disc caliper properly aligned, I would have a few concerns about this:
1. Your frame was not designed to withstand disc brake force. Maybe this is not an issue, or maybe it is.
2. Your frame will still have quick-release rear dropouts and would be unable to accept thru-axle, which will complicate wheel options and may be unsafe.
3. The cost of doing this properly (including the cost of disc brakes, new shifters, new wheels, etc) seems prohibitive relative to the value of a 10 year old aluminum CX bike.

You could run a disc in front and a rim brake in the rear, but this also sounds like a wheel selection nightmare and would require different front and rear shifters (assuming hydro is the goal). Cantilevers aren't all that bad. I have a set of Avid Shorty Ultimates on an old Aluminum CX bike and they work pretty good, even on carbon wheels.

msu2001la

If anyone knows of a current new CX/Gravel Bike with rim brakes I'd love to see it. There may still be a few Euro pros running canti's, so they might exist though I'm not aware of any manufacturers currently selling canti CX bikes.
I know Colnago made canti bikes for pros for a few years while only selling disc bikes to the public, for instance.

This might've been the last commercially available rim brake CX bike: https://archive.trekbikes.com/us/en/...imited/details

shoota 

Ritchey's canti Swisscross models are new enough.

taekimon

Well Ridley still does in their X-Ride Cantilever.

What I am currently looking for is a frame that allows option between cantis and disc. Sorta like 2007 Redline Conquest that came stock with cantis but had disc tabs on its frame and fork.

grubetown

Short of something custom, probably not as the frame design elements between the two would be sacrificed to accommodate the other style of brake.

Why do you want to have the option for both?

wheelsmcgee

Just remembered another one: LKLM, you can find their frames on eBay...I don’t know if they have a “gravel” or “cross” frame per se, but their World Traveler touring frame comes with both disc/canto mounts.

taekimon

Having more options is always better .. it means one less bike too! I've always preferred versatility and having options. I reckon that's why many here including myself, ended up with a CX bike that is a do-it-all.

tangerineowl

Few weeks back came across one of the Taiwan brands selling an alu CX frame with post and disc, but can't remember who it was

Edit: I was wrong. They're 26" XC frames from Mosso. A couple or so options. One being ti !

Still, I can imagine a fat 26" dropbar gravel conversion

mack_turtle

with the state of the market, almost no-one is going to want a frame that has both canti posts and disc brakes. that was popular some years back because the industry was transitioning between the two options, so it was easier to manufacture one frame that had both and build up two versions of the same frame with each brake style. these days, the only people who want canti brakes are people who really want canti brakes—purists who appreciate the aesthetics, someone who want to build a bike with older parts, touring enthusiasts who might not be able to find spare parts for a disc brake, etc. everyone else will just want disc brakes. there's very little benefit to making a frame that can take both. you're one of a very, very small number of people who would want both. there may be a few such frames on the market still, but they are not flying off the shelves.

you can certainly get something custom made. Gunnar, Waltworks, etc will certainly make you such a bike. or you can get an older steel frame can have a frame builder add disc or canti mounts to it. I specify steel here because dealing with aluminum, carbon, or titanium would be possible but probably not cost-effective for you.

grubetown

I guess I’m still confused. I understand options but why would you choose the option of switching between brake styles on one bike? I speak from experience as I have a Cannondale mountain bike with both canti and disc mounts. Once I switched to disc, it never even crossed my mind to switch between the two.

mack_turtle

I used to get caught in this mindset, that options are better. once you pick something that works for you, you almost never go back. it's silly.

also keep this in mind: most CX bike with canti brakes use a road standard 130m spaced hub, and most (virtually all) disc brake hubs are 135 mm. on a steel frame, you can probably safely squeeze a 135mm frame into a 130mm frame and cold-set it there. I could not advise with with aluminum, though.

mstateglfr 

You do you and all, but I dont track your reasoning either.
Why does it mean 1 less bike if you have a frameset that can handle canti and disc brakes?
If you have a frameset thst can only handle disc brakes, why would that force you to have an entire second bike with canti brakes?

You could set the bike up with 4 brakes- double to stopping power!

Bluntly, what you want isnt in demand so it isnt readily made.

fietsbob

I have 2 bikes I could ride on a gravel road, that have both; posts for V brakes, and mounting points for disc brake calipers .

One has disc brakes, the other, Magura HS 33 hydraulic rim brakes ..

fietsbob

maybe it's N+1 time.. leave it as is, buy a second bike..

Kapusta

Even Surly - arguably the King of Versatility and who used to offer several frames with both rim and disc mounts - now only offers one (The Troll).

taco2ewsday

Someone I ride with who does a fair bit of high speed descents, replaced the Fork and front wheel to support front disc brakes. and then used the TRP HY/RD so he did not have to swap out Brake/Shifter.

grubetown

Good suggestion if the OP is looking for specific component advice and in the scenario I think he is going for a strong recommendation. Some of us are still unclear on what the reasoning for the OP's search except for having more options and I can't even imagine unwrapping handlebars every time the switch from cantilever to disc is going to happen if this route wasn't taken

msu2001la

Disc front/Rim rear seems like it would make wheelset options limited, and custom.

Nomad2

My wife's steel randonneur/touring bike is currently with a frame builder to convert to disc. She got it custom built in 1999 (Bioracer) to do PBP and also cycle touring in europe. When she got it' it had tabs on it for canti's but it was only ever fitted with dual pivots. The tabs were cut off some time ago when she had a repaint (the original coating delaminated a few years after she got it. My road/touring bike has canti's which I find don't perform that well but I'm not talented at adjusting them. Both she and I do a lot of mountain biking and use hydraulic discs. Having experienced them I am struggling to find an advantage for canti's performance wise.

Getting back to my wife's bike conversion, it means a new fork, modifications to the rear chainstays/drop outs plus other lugs for the cables/hoses and a re-paint. Then, all the running gear needs replacing. Basically it's a new bike. We wouldn't have entertained it if wasn't for the fact it was a custom made frame for her and we can keep the geometry AND if there were good off the shelf options she could test ride and be happy with. Still works out more cost effective than a new custom frame, but a bit more expensive than the one off the shelf solution we know of. But hey, at least she can choose the colours...

Remember, this is steel though, not aluminium.

Bob the Mech

142mm spacing is also available, a product of the 'gravel' boom.

taekimon

Well initially it wasnt my idea to switch between styles.
i really love the frame design of the crossbow and didnt intend to get a +1 bike. However, when disc brakes came along, i thought of having them on my bike without changing the frame. Now after all the inputs, it seems too much of a hassle with the mods.

that means I will have to fall in love with a new bike that has disc brakes ... but after using cantis for so long, i find the maintenance and swapping of wheels really easy.. hence that "what if" i didn't like disc brakes because of too much of hassle? (Right now I dont have much experience maintaining disc brakes) also, the cost of having multiple wheel sets for discs is higher than for cantis?

Maybe all these reasons still doesnt make sense but well it was what crossed my mind

fietsbob

No both types are commonplace now.. want specific hubs and rims then you have to get someone to build them .. But

Bike shops can order wheels built at the wholesale level rather than do it in house ..