Cycling UK Forum

I've just bought a cross check frame set from a friend and I'm planning how best to build it up

I have some spare components, but I'll need to buy some too.

Id rather have STI levers on the bars, but want the bike to be geared suitably for loaded touring. I have a deore xl rear mech and cassette in the shed, so was thinking of combining that with a tiagra crankset, front mech and levers I've seen on eBay.

Would that combination present any issues? I should mention the deore stuff is 9spd, so I'll be going for a tiagra triple 9spd also.

The alternative is the go with bar end shifters similar to my dawes, but if I can avoid that i want to.

Chris

No problem at the rear, 9 speed shimano road and MTB are interchangeable.
At the front you need to stick to the road set, though even here there are some options. If you need even lower gears, it's possible to fit smaller rings, though it's not something I know anything about, other than seeing that others have done it.

No compatibility issues with what you propose, but with the Tiagra chainset, the gears will tend to be on the high side for loaded touring. I use a Stronglight Impact 46/34/24 CS with an Ultegra 9 speed FD and Tiagra 9 speed STI's, which works well and the spread of gears with a 11/32 cassette is more useable IMO.

Thanks for the replies. Glad I can use some of what I already have.

I do worry about the crankset if using Tiagra, in terms of if it will give me enough gears.

Spa sell a decently priced chainset with small gears: http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 0s109p2657
You'd need to check with forum regular 531colin or the staff at Spa but I'm sure Colin has said in the past that with the appropriate BB they will work with a road front derailleur and STIs.

PH wrote:No problem at the rear, 9 speed shimano road and MTB are interchangeable.
At the front you need to stick to the road set, though even here there are some options. If you need even lower gears, it's possible to fit smaller rings, though it's not something I know anything about, other than seeing that others have done it.

Not tiagra but sora (plus alivio on the tourer) on my road bike I've got 24 39 50 paired with 11 to 25 and on my tourer I've got 24 38 48 with 11-32. Both work well despite being quite a long way out of spec. Adjusting the front mech can be a bit of a pig.

I run tiagra shifters, 9 speed tripple chain set and front mech with a deore rear mech and cassette on my crosscheck. Runs no issues. Set of these on the downtube bosses and you're off http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-sti-pai ... ble-stops/

On the crosscheck, what brakes are you using with the levers?

How do the STI's work with canti's?

My Cross Check came as a double (and with bar-end shifters) which I changed to Tiagra triple and STIs. 9-speed rear.

I kept most things the same, so the rear cassette and the (now) mid and outer chainrings are as before.

Now I have 26-36-48T on the front, 12-25T on the back. I think I could have gone with 24T on the front, but don't quote me on that.

Even with the 26T inner ring, a jump stop / dog fang has been very handy to prevent chain jumping off and jamming.

I haven't done any significant touring since the change, so the smaller chainring has been a bonus rather than a necessity for me. With a Cross Check you're probably not going to load it up massively (vs a Long Haul Trucker or other proper tourer with front rack) so you may not need an ultra-low bottom gear.

chris3vic wrote:On the crosscheck, what brakes are you using with the levers?

Tektro 720 wide-profile cantilevers on mine. They're ok.

mark a. wrote:

chris3vic wrote:On the crosscheck, what brakes are you using with the levers?

Tektro 720 wide-profile cantilevers on mine. They're ok.

Same here. Took careful adjustment to eliminate a horendus low speed huge judder on the fork when braking. Kool stop pads with auto toe in really helped.

Tektro 720s are a bit weedy I have found. On my tourer I run Oryx but with the straddle wire from the 720. These work well and Oryx are cheap.

Thanks for all the replies

I've just thrown a spanner in the works by going out to the shed and not being able to find the Deore stuff I thought id kept after stripping back the Dawes last year. I guess it got lost moving house a few months ago.

That raises a bit of a conundrum with what to do with the Surly now I'll have to buy new parts for the rear anyway.

I have a spare wheel set with a 9spd Deore Hub which I can use, so I think I need to stay 9spd at the back, however looking at the new tiagra stuff online it seems they're moving more towards the 10spd so that's out. Unless I drop down to Sora?

I suppose I got my answer further up about compatibility so it's all the same really.

Chris

The Cross Check is such a flexible little thing, so the world's your oyster, funds permitting. Road bike / offroad / monstercross, flat / drop bars, singlespeed / derailleur / hub gears.

"All" you need to do is decide what particular variation strikes your fancy.

Is it true if I use 10 speed shifters (105 triple for example) I'll need to run a 10 speed cassette?

I've heard 10speed road shifters aren't compatible with 10 speed MTB mechs, so will a 10sp Shifter (105 triple), 10sp MTB cassette and 9 speed MTB rear mech actually work?