853 Paul Donohue Cyclocross Build

Picked up this cracking looking Reynolds 853 Paul Donohue cross frame with carbon fork, Thomson seatpost, headset and stem for a pretty good price. The paint looks a bit tatty and probably could do with a repaint at some point in the future but at the moment I want to built it up and thrash it around and see how it feels.

Hoping to build it up into a nice cross bike with modern components for exploring and maybe a bit of racing who knows.

Decided that I want to go SRAM 10 speed as i've fancied trying SRAM for ages now.
There's some parts I really need anybody have anything?

Components:

Shifters: SRAM Force 10 speed - Bought
Wheels: Bontrager Race - Have already (advise me if this is a bad idea)
Front derailleur - Probably SRAM Apex or Rival (anybody have?)
Rear Derailler - Probably SRAM Apex or Rival long cage (anyone?)
Chainset and BB - No idea, anybody have anything to sell?
Cassette: 11-32 - something SRAM
Tyres: Thinking Kenda small block 8, any opinions?
Saddle: Have a brown leather Brooks - any body want to trade for a nice more modern style saddle?
Bars: Something compact drop - maybe planet X strada - any suggestions?
Tape: Pro digital Carbon - love this tape
Brakes: thinking TRP CX9 - anybody have any other (hopefully less pricey) suggestions or any experience with these brakes.

Any help or comments appreciated, hoping this will be a nice build.

Awesome. I like Sram stuff. Apex/Rival chainset good quality and can be found for decent money. Cx9s are brilliant, can feel a bit on/off with Sram levers. Can't fault Salsa Cowbell bars, not a huge drop, and the flair makes em real comfy.
Look forward to seeing it built up.

Cheers, Hmm might take a look at the cowbells. Had midge bars before and found the flair was a bit too much and didnt get on with them, but the cowbells look a bit more subtle.
Chainset wise i'm thinking it might be a good idea to buy a compact crankset fairly cheaply on ebay then swap the big ring for a 48 or 46 and keeping the 34 inner ring.

I was watching this - and was sorely tempted!

with sram you want to use the trp cx 8.4 - but tektro also do some much cheaper ones that actaully work pretty well.

Aye, flair not massive, cowbell 3s are about £35. 46/34 should do it, that's what I'm going for.

Plexarice - yeah I just couldn't resist. Woah those cx8.4s are really pricey. What are the tektro ones do you know?

Jontea- I'll defiantly consider those. With 34-32 as my lowest gear I'm reckoning I'll be able to get up anything.

I have a pair of these http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BCTK926MV/tektro-926al-front-and-rear-mini-v-brakes and for £20 they're brilliant, super easy to set up. Maybe just replace the pads as the ones that come with them wear quickly. They haven't got as much mud clearance as cantis but as it's summer coming up there's less mud around to worry about. I run them with sram apex 10s shifters and they work fine

You could run it 1x10 and then not have to worry about mud gathering on the front mech

Aesthetically I'd be tempted by some oem chinese cx forks if the frame is 1 1/8

I find the PX strada bar really nice maybe try the Challenge Griffo tyres.

Worth posing all these questions in the cyclocross thread as well

Bmx Fred: yeah I had a pair of those before on another bike and didn't get one with them. I had to put in an inline cable adjuster just to be able to set them up.

Tenderloin: think I'm going to stick with 2X10 as I have bought the shifters now and I want the range of gears. Think I'll stick with the current forks for the time being. That's good to hear about the strada bars as they're only 9.99 at the moment. The grifos look good. Yeah I will do once I'm starting to get a bit further with the build.

Nice frame. Get wide bars.

Whatever brakes you go for I recommend swissstop blues (for alloy).

Tyres obvs depend on what sort of riding you do, conditions and terrain. I liked small block 8s as summer trail tyres but not very grippy on grass (sometimes a feature of CX races). I'm on Rocket Rons at the moment.

Was thinking 44cm will that be wide enough? Well I guess I could use the kendas for summer as I just want to do long rides on roads and on forest trails then swap to something more grippy in winter?

I use 380mm on a road bike and 440mm on the cross bike which works for me. The two positions are really different too.

The kendas will be alright in the forest.

I reckon 46/34 is a good call btw. That and whatever cassette (bar youth gearing) will be fine.

Ok cool thanks for the advice miro_o. I use 42cm on the road bike so maybe should go wider? or maybe the salsa cowbells as recommended above?
I'm thinking 11-32 on the back, should be fine.

No reason not to go wider so long as maintain whatever reach with a shorter stem. If you using it for trails most people find wider gives better control.

Racing rules at elite levels dictate a max width of bars (and tyres) but for the rest of us bigger is better IMHO.

Ok cool, 44 or 46 sounds like it'll probably be ok then, any wider would likely be harder to track down cheapish.

Thinking maybe these brakes http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BCTKCR720/tektro-cr-720-cantilever-brakes

with this on the front http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b82s101p1809

anybody have any experience?

I have both. I have a spare fork mount hanger (in silver, but missing the barrel adjuster) if that's useful.

Would you recommend? Think I'll be needing the barrel adjuster to be honest.

I definetely wouldn't get those brakes. Had them, they were useless, threw them away.

I would get those tektro mini v's linked above, difference is night and day.

Oh really? Maybe not then. Those mini Vs, do they work well with 2.0 pull levers I.e sram?

yes, they work perfectly. However, as you have to run the pads so close to the tyre, and there's no quick release on the brakes, I have to deflate my tyres to get the wheel out. It's not that annoying as the only time I take the wheel out is when either I have a puncture, or I'm near a track pump.

This could be solved with an in line quick release such as http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/sm-cb90-inline-quick-release-brake-cable-adjusters-ec070017?country=GB&currency=GBP&gclid=CPC76Zn29cQCFa7KtAodv0EA6g&gclsrc=aw.ds or a noodle with a barrell adjuster in it like this, which would be cheaper but a bit more faff

I was thinking maybe these?
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tektro-tektro-91712-v-brake-lead-pipe-with-adjuster-90-deg-prod18060/

Like you suggested above but why do you think more faff? Surely would be able to set up the brakes better with a barrel adjuster.

Oh I see the other ones have a barrel adjuster and quick release built in. Handy

Their is nothing wrong with those 720 canti's. But they are canti's so... lots of light lever travel, clearance, but not the direct power of mini vs. And some people find them hard/impossible to setup.

Whatever you use an adjuster is recommended somewhere to keep braking nice as the pads wear etc.