Gunnar Crosshairs Build

[blindwilly]

I recently won a bid on an older Gunnar Crosshairs frame and fork and i am looking for some build advice from the forum. My plan is to build it as an allrounder/wide tire road bike that i can take on long road/gravel rides. This will probably be my only bike aside from my townie. i currently have a CSi that i plan on stripping and selling and my thought was to take cockpit and groupset off the CSi and put it on the gunnar along with some cx70 cantilever brakes. The csi is equipped with an ultegra 6700 groupset with compact 50/34 crankset. My main concern with this plan of action is limiting my climbing potential with the 50/34 11-28 10 speed set up. Also, can anyone speak on the stopping ability of the cx70 brakes or offer a better option? Any thought/advice/insight that could be offered would be greatly appreciated. My main goal here is to build a do it all road bike with offroad capability without breaking the bank.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gunnar-Crosshairs-Steel-Frameset-headset-crankset-54cm-700c-Canti-Brake-/193064315302?ul_noapp=true&nma=true&si=V3AOZMNP1C4arVso8V6%252BvdL5jM0%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[DRZRM]

In terms of brakes, I would suggest either the TRP CX8.4 or the Paul MiniMoto mini V-brakes. They stop so much better than any cantilever brake. You need your tires to be quite true, because they run close to the rim, but they are outstanding.

As for improving your climbing ratio, maybe a road link or a 6800 medium cage RD would allow you to use a wider cassette that the 11-28? Or sell the CSi complete and invest in new Ultegra 11 shifters and derailleurs that will work with the 11-34 11-speed road cassette on your existing hub.

[jemdet]

Neo-retros!

You may be able to run a 30t cassette with your current set-up.

[David in Maine]

I have CX-70 canti brakes on my loaded touring bike. Pretty easy to set up, although it can be a bit tricky to get the toe-in correct. You have to loosen the pad mount bolt quite a bit to toe in the pads and stop the squeal. They have pretty great stopping power in my experience--way better than the old low profile XT brakes they replaced. I really like them.

David

[jtbadge]

My favorite off-road rim brakes for road levers, ranked:
1: Paul MiniMoto
2. TRP CX8.4 (similar feel and power to MiniMoto, but far less "swag")
T3: Paul Touring, Neo-Retro (less power than above mini-Vs but arguably better lever feel)
5: TRP RevoX (similar stopping power than above Paul cantis but much more fiddly to set up)

You can swap out your RD for an 8-9 speed MTB derailleur and clear a much larger cassette, if you find the 34:28 gear too steep for your terrain.

[weaponsgrade]

A 34/28 low gear for gravel wouldn't be low enough for me. Sun Race seems to make some decent quality wide-range 10 spd cassettes.

[blindwilly]

My favorite off-road rim brakes for road levers, ranked:
1: Paul MiniMoto
2. TRP CX8.4 (similar feel and power to MiniMoto, but far less "swag")
T3: Paul Touring, Neo-Retro (less power than above mini-Vs but arguably better lever feel)
5: TRP RevoX (similar stopping power than above Paul cantis but much more fiddly to set up)

You can swap out your RD for an 8-9 speed MTB derailleur and clear a much larger cassette, if you find the 34:28 gear too steep for your terrain.

do you know if a 9 speed shimano mtb derailleur is compatible with 10 speed ultegra shifters?

[GregL]

do you know if a 9 speed shimano mtb derailleur is compatible with 10 speed ultegra shifters?
Yes. I use this combination on our family tandem and it shifts great.

Greg

[kentileguy]

Congrats on the Gunnar, I have one and love it. You should be able to fit a 40mm tire in front and 38 in back. I'm currently using CX-70 brakes and they work fine. Any v-brake, even the super cheap Tektro's work well too. I would consider looking around for a used Ultegra 11 long cage group. 50/34 up front and an 11-34 in back should get you up almost any hill

[bigbill]

I've had my Crosshairs since 2006. It has seen several iterations of drivetrain and brakes. I have TRP mini-V's and 35mm tires. I had cantilever brakes and unless it was summer and dry, they squealed. Mini-V's are so much better.

I did gravel races on it pretty much all of 2016 into summer of 2017. Eight speed DuraAce with a 13-26 cassette and 38/44 rings on a 7410 crankset. The courses I did usually had 4K or so of climbing over rolling hills for 60-70 miles. Nothing long, just short punchy stuff.

Invest in a good set of wheels with at least 24mm wide rims that can be tubeless. You don't have to go tubeless but it's nice to have the option. I've got a wheelset with 6800 hubs and Velocity Quill rims.

[slowpoke]

belopsky has one of my fav Crosshairs builds: https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=230101

[Gummee]

I had a Crosshairs from 04 till just a year or so ago...

It went thru many iterations: XTR with road shifters. SRAM Red. 6800.

Went thru many brakes too: MAFACs, XT, Suntour XC Comp, Euro X, RevoX Never did put mini-Vs on there.

Me? I'd say to buy a disc fork and run a disc up front and mini-Vs out back. Any mtn rear derailleur till 9sp will work fine with 10sp road shifters. The geo didn't change on mtn derailleurs till they went 10sp off-road. Even then, you can get adaptors so you can run a clutched derailleur.

HTH

M

[blindwilly]

Good input. I am thinking for now i may keep the 6700 short cage and run a 12-30 cassette. Ive had no issues climbing with an 11-28 but the idea behind the build is to have more versatile bike then the 23c clad CSi. i'm hoping the extra two teeth on the 30 tooth cog will help out on the steeper grades one might find venturing off the pavement. i will also keep an eye out for some mini-v's on the classified. i do like the look of the paul mini motos.

[chrismoustache]

I recently won a bid on an older Gunnar Crosshairs frame and fork


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gunnar-Crosshairs-Steel-Frameset-headset-crankset-54cm-700c-Canti-Brake-/193064315302?ul_noapp=true&nma=true&si=V3AOZMNP1C4arVso8V6%252BvdL5jM0%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I was so close to picking this up. Glad it's going to get some love!

[marsh]

Good input. I am thinking for now i may keep the 6700 short cage and run a 12-30 cassette. Ive had no issues climbing with an 11-28 but the idea behind the build is to have more versatile bike then the 23c clad CSi. i'm hoping the extra two teeth on the 30 tooth cog will help out on the steeper grades one might find venturing off the pavement. i will also keep an eye out for some mini-v's on the classified. i do like the look of the paul mini motos.

I don't think you can do 30t on a short cage rd. On my Poprad I have a 32t 10 spd cassette and an Ultegra long cage rd. TRP 8.4 have been great.

[blindwilly]

I don't think you can do 30t on a short cage rd. On my Poprad I have a 32t 10 spd cassette and an Ultegra long cage rd. TRP 8.4 have been great.

I know Shimano list the max cog size as 28 but from what ive heard, Shimano's published limits tend to be very conservative.

[Gummee]

I know Shimano list the max cog size as 28 but from what ive heard, Shimano's published limits tend to be very conservative.

Depending on the exact setup, you can push that to 32t in the back. Need small rings tho.

M

[nalax]

I have my Crosshairs set up with Campy 11 and Mini-motos. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190905/cb94c67d5c94b8af2efb4a98ecb678d0.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[colker]

how is the handling on these? Similar to road bike Behaviour?

[Gummee]

how is the handling on these? Similar to road bike Behaviour?

Mostly

M

[weiwentg]

Mostly

M

Agreed.

[Whit51]

Nalax, beautiful frame, great build.

[blindwilly]

Thanks for the advice all. I've managed to source all parts and now i'm just waiting on all the brown boxes to arrive at my door step. ill be running a 6800 group with compact crank and 105 shifters. 11-32 cassette. paul minimoto brakes. tb14 rims laced to dura ace 9000 hubs. gravel king 32 tires. thompson / nitto cockpit. ird technoglide headset. brooks pro saddle. hoping for an easy and trouble free build.

[Gummee]

Thanks for the advice all. I've managed to source all parts and now i'm just waiting on all the brown boxes to arrive at my door step. ill be running a 6800 group with compact crank and 105 shifters. 11-32 cassette. paul minimoto brakes. tb14 rims laced to dura ace 9000 hubs. gravel king 32 tires. thompson / nitto cockpit. ird technoglide headset. brooks pro saddle. hoping for an easy and trouble free build.

The only change I'd make is to run tubeless rims. While tubulars are more better, people seem to have a hangup about them

M

[blindwilly]

build coming along. brake levers, cables, chain, and tuning next. i will probably swap out the road pedals in the future

[Epicus07]

Very classy ! Great choices

[semdoug]

Looking good