New poster looking for help

I've just been online creating a list of components for a build and quickly realised the problems with brakes / hubs and it also meant more expensive carbon rigid forks for disc mounts. I hate the idea of being under-braked (hence a HOPE M4s & 205mm floating rotors on my xc bike).

A road brake can lock your front wheel up without problem (and throw you into the road) - anything beyond this is pointless, you are just adding weight, cost and losing modulation.

Which powerful road brakes? What about Dura Ace 7700 for £40?

Dura Ace 7700 are very good for £40.

Can you use road canti brakes with mtb type brake levers? If so which levers? I want to use flat bars.

No, MTB levers and road levers have a different pull ratio (I forget which is which - but they are different by a factor of x2).

But lots of other types of lever will work fine:

For the wheelset I was going to have Ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Sport rims and use a SS kit (spacers for 9 speed to 1 speed and a tensioner that bolts into the hanger). Is that the best way and a resonable wheelset for about £90 + £20 for SS kit?

You are essentially buying a rearhub with a freehub body and then spending money to convert it to something else - and then spending more money to remedy an inherent problem in your wheel choice - no way to tension the chain.

I am not sure whether your frame has horizontal drop outs ?

If it has, simply get a rear hub that takes a screw on freewheel.

If it has not you could still get a rear hub that takes a screw on freewheel and run a chain tensioner like you planned to do with the 9 speed hub.

Or you can get a rear hub (that excepts a screw on freewheel) from White Industries that can tension the chain for you so no need for a tensioner even with non-horizontal drop outs.

Are road BBs the same as MTB BBs?

Road and MTB BB shells are the same, you can screw a MTB BB into a road frame and visa versa - although MTB shells tend to be 73mm and road tend to be 68mm.

Here is a list of drive chain set ups that work (by 'work' I mean they give you a straight chainline - so you chain doesn't jump off when you bounce around).

Crankset + BB + rear hub + cog = members name

Sugino 75 + Phil Wood + Phil Wood + Phil Wood = Cornelius Blackfoot
Sugino 75 + campag centaur 111mm + goldtec + eai = dogsballs
Sugino 75 + Miche + Formula = kowalski
Sugino 75 + Miche+ Phil Wood = adoubletap
Sugino 75 + Hatta R9400 + ShimanoHB7600 + EAI superstar cog = Tynan
Sugino 75 + Sugino 75 + Phil Wood + EAI = mr_tom
Sugino 75 + Dura Ace + Condor Goldtec + Condor CNC = Mouse
Sugino 75 + Campag Centaur 111mm + Goldtec + EAI= 31t®um
Sugino 75 + Hatta R9400 + ShimanoHB7600 + Dura-ace= Build
Sugino 75 + Phil (110.5) + Phil + EAI Superstar = Object
Sugino 75 + Miche + Phil Wood + Phil Wood = d.mac ( if it ever comes back from Condor....)

miche+miche+miche+andel+miche=fixedfreak (max)
miche + campag record 111m + goldtec + EAI = MrSmith
Miche Primato Pista + Shimano UN54/110 + Formula + Dura Ace = CHUG_IT
Miche (Condor-branded) + Miche 107mm (cups adjusted 2mm towards drivechain) + Goldtec + EAI 1/8" = eeehhhh (46mm chainline)

Sugino Messenger + Phil wood (103 jis) + phil wood + phil wood= chris crash
Sugino RD + Sugino + ambrosio + miche = asm } both are pretty much spot on
Sugino RD + UN53/107 + Condor Goldtec + EAI= hamster
Sugino RD+Sugino/103+Sys-X+Dura Ace= MA3K

Stronglight+UN53/107+Sys-X+Formula= MA3K
Stronglight + Shimano UN73 110mm + SystemEx + EAI -2mm = mr_tom
Stronglight + Stronglight + SystemEx + Tranzmission = BringMeMyFix
Stronglight + UN72 113mm + Miche + EAI = Richard Cheese (all 3/32 - chainline is not spot on, but the set-up is silent)
Stronglight + Shitmano UN26 110MM + Goldtec + EAI = RPM (3/32 spot on and silent)

Campagnolo Veloce Triple + Campag Veloce + Goldtec + Tranzmission = BringMeMyFix
Campagnolo Pista + Campag Athena + Phils (Hub and cog) = Jonny
Campagnolo Pista + Campag Pista + Campag Pista = Platini
Campagnolo Record + campag record + royce + eai = briankwan
Campagnolo Pista + Campagnolo Pista + Dura Ace + Dura Ace = Skully (can't be straight, I never get anything right)
Campagnolo Pista + Campag + ambrosia + Phil Wood = Sano
Campagnolo + Campag Centaur 111mm + Suzue Promax SB + EAI superstar = oddsock
Campagnolo Pista + Specialities TA + Phil Wood + Phil Wood = VelocityBoy
Campagnolo Pista + Campag Record 111mm (80's) + Phil + Phil = tristoo

Dura-Ace + Sugino 75 + Dura-Ace (7600) + Dura-Ace = hassanr
Dura-Ace + Shimano UN72 (unknown length) + Surly + EAI Superstar = Object
Dura Ace+UN53/107+Dura Ace+Dura Ace= MA3K
Dura-Ace+ UN54/107+ Suzue Promax SB+ Surly= Eyebrows

DOTEK cheapy + Campag Mirage + Formula + Dura-Ace = fc9k
DOTEK cheapy + shimano BBUN26x113mm +OnOne small flange double fixed hub + Miche1/8sprocket = xroads

TA + TA(314) + Campag + Miche = Fruitbat
Truvativ + (??) stock bianchi pista + phil wood + EAI = asm }
Middleburn RS1+ Shimano XT 68 113+ White Bros Eno + Surly/ Miche= tommid
White Industries + Shimano 110mm + Phils + White Industries = big daddy wayne
Paul + Campag Centaur 111mm + paul + phil = flickwg
SR Sakae + Shimano UN54 118mm + SJS (SystemEx et al) + Andel = ChrisNW
Zeus Pista (circa 80's) + Campag Pista 109mm + Formula + Miche = tristoo

where's a good place for a cheap SS chainset and BB? Pref silver

http://www.hubjub.co.uk/sugino/sugino.htm

£49