If they’ve switched it up so you can’t use standard stems, dick move. But you still don’t need to buy a full system at least…
If you can switch to full hydros by just replacing with 105 levers, and run 160 discs (JustInTime), then you’re using the same calipers, and the hybrid isn’t the issue, and you could run 160 discs with they hybrid. The reservoir doesn’t know/care what the caliper is grabbing.
Now, mine is postmount, and postmount spacers are a fairly common thing. I know zilch about flatmount, but from an engineering POV, I can’t see any reason why you couldn’t have spacers that put the flatmount caliper in the right place. The caliper doesn’t know / care what size disc it is grabbing within reason, just so long as it sits on the edge of the disc - and it seems like @JustInTime has those calipers on 160s…
Also realise that what companies claim as ‘officially compatible’ is usually very limited and a lot more conservative than will actually work.
I don’t love the aesthetics of the converter. It’s a bit inconvenient with front bags for bikepacking, and I’ve been pondering a bracket to mount it off/under a conventional stem so it isn’t poking out the front, but it is very versatile, and by far the cheapest way of getting (retrofit) hydros on a bike. Maybe I had a bad set, but I borrowed a croix-de-fer with hy-rd and they were pants - more cable than hydro. Cable worked OK (not amazing) when they were adjusted, but rapidly deteriorated in muddy conditions. So far pretty good with the conduct, is on a par with my 9yo MTB shimano hydros.
I’m a ‘fan’ simply for the ability to decouple the shifting from (decent) braking. Far as I can find there aren’t any other comparable solutions still afloat (hope used to do something, but…)
Finally @mcalista, very much so. The ‘cross’ bike is my swiss army knife… The frame was an impulsive ebay buy intended as a spare parts build, now probably one of my favourites. I’m sure I could have achieved the same by throwing money at a modern groupset, but that wasn’t really the plan, ever:
- I had my old roadbike stuff in the spares box from when that got upgraded
- 10s era shimano is cross compatible road 10s road / 9s mtb (pre-shadow) - same cable pull, so if you stick a 9s mtb on a 10s road lever, you get 10s road shifting on a much bigger mech.
- MTB makes some big cassettes available.
- Tried cable brakes, didn’t like it, conduct was the solution.
… so I’m running a 36-11 rear, ‘9s’ long cage mtb mech, 6700 levers, front 50/34 with conduct - makes for a pretty versatile setup.
It works well for bikepacking (bit of a fiddle with front bags thanks to the reservior), proper (light) cycle touring with panniers and a rack - no option for front panniers on the frame, but I’m not going round the world/remote, so rear panniers plus front bag and frame bag is plenty. Fast commuter with/without a single pannier, and decent off road with the right tyres (did splurge on some tubeless rims recently), it will take 40’s. Overall very pleased.