Custom build to do (nearly) everything...

I only had Spyres (in mechanical) and they gave me a lot of trouble and not great performance (even after being looked at by several professional mechanics). Maybe it was a dud pair...

OK, cool, thanks for clarifying

I am a fan of Spyres. With stock pads replaced and compressionless outers they work well. I used them on a 2800 mile GDMBR tour and they were faultless for 70,000 metres of descending. Periodically I strip them down completely and regrease the innards. I know some prefer BB7s.

My Hope hydros do take a bit more maintenance work eg fresh bleed every year, piston setting and lube (all easy to do), back to Hope for a service every 4-5 years or so (£45 per brake, they come back as new - no brainer). However on my trail mountain bikes I wouldnt consider cable brakes as the performance is no where near hydros so the maintenance is worth the additional performance.

I did Torino Nice a couple years ago on Spyres and wished I had hydro brakes. I think if I was putting the money into a custom build I would spend the extra on hydros, simply because the performance is so much better. Its all personal preference though.

Full hydro (shimano) are pretty fucking reliable. Of course some people will have problems but ask a mechanic like @snottyotter what they’d recommend.

Also once you go disc brakes you can consider carbon wheels as they are not being worn out every time you apply the brakes.

Obviously Shimano hydros ftw, whack a post mount mtb caliper on that fork and all good, keep in mind that parts won't be available for half the stuff you want for about 6 months minimum.

My 5 cents are that I would definitely go hydro, at least for the front brake, for the rear I don't know really (the break surface on my rear pads for my commuter has been non-existent for the last 5 months and the front brake alone has been enough for me, this with two kids and bridges on my route).
If you choose to add a rear brake bridge you'll lose some clearance, but maybe you would need a bridge for mudguards anyway.

Going single speed can always be achieved via an Eno hub, ie I maybe wouldn't go sliding dropouts or EBB if I didn't really planned on doing so alot.

My cheap cable discs (on 3 bikes) have been as good as my Rival hydros. I found the maintenance was not much different to rim brake calipers - you adjust them a bit as the pads wear, swap the pads eventually, swap the cable out when it gets a bit crusty, and that's about it.

Get compressionless housing though.

How does every thread on here degenerate into this same old argument

Pie vs crumble?

When I said 'degenerate' I wasn't actually summoning you ;-)

Imagine putting cable disc brakes on anything worth more than £50

You are a charlatan who doesent know about hydraulic disc brakes?!

Hydro or nothing, cable disc only works with external and non bendy cable routing, even so the flat mount spyres have that awful bend at caliper.

Running cable discs is like running lightweight non latex inner tubes, there are almost no performance benefits and you are exposed to worse experience far often.

No1 who has commented here even have iota of buying experience as I do.

No1 who has commented here even have iota of buying experience as I do

Time to summon @Dick then

We discussed and he agrees. I actually used an offcut of his BH90 hose as a front brake hose on my gravel bike ! an offcut !!

@Rik_Van_Looy - Did you say who'd be building this. Sorry if I missed it

cable disc only works with external

That's not true, but still don't bother with cable unless you've got a really good reason to, they're just not as good if you've got the choice.

To connect your shameful Tourney level caliper?

i think people often overlook the main benefit of the cable discs is actually getting a normal sized, ergonomic and good looking hood compared to the hydro equivalent, imo.

as someone with small hands i much prefer them

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/small-hands-shimano-ultegra-has-your-back/

The stroke and bite adjustment on these is amazing, honestly dont bother with cable discs

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I will end this with this image:

Such nice cantis, such misaligned yoke

How does every thread on here degenerate into this same old argument

Apologies for this - I kicked it off by inviting input and then defending my one and only purchase thus far on the project, namely a PM fork!!!

I was mildly offended by this too

Did you say who'd be building this. Sorry if I missed it

As yet undecided - very early days still.
My first thought had been Marino as I'm trying not to let things get out of hand!!