cyclocross-frame bike? It's my first time building a bike from scratch and I found some wheels I really like but I was told that they aare 26" rims and not the standard 700c clinchers I think I need. Would it still be compatible with my aluminum cyclocross frame?

The 26" wheels won't work. They're slightly smaller in diameter than a 700c wheel–that's what cyclocross frames are built to take. Back in the late 80's/early 90's you could get clamp-on cantilever brake mounts from Moots, but I don't know that they make those anymore. And regardless, if you were to do that, you'd also be dropping the overall height of your bike. This in turn would mean that your bottom bracket would also be lower to the ground. That's counterproductive in terms of cyclocross applications, where you want a higher bottom bracket than you would on a road bike (for clearence issues).There's some good general information on equipment on Dave Carr's Cross Page (listed below). Good luck!

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