Why NOT a Surly Cross Check?
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Cambridge MA
Posts: 289
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I've never had trouble with axle slippage on my CC. Nor, for that matter, on my other steel frame, with which I run QR skewers. Since they play well with all my hubs -- flip-flop, IGH, and cassette -- I love my semi-horizontals!
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Zang's Spur, CO
Posts: 9,086
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3392 Post(s)
Liked 5,571 Times
in
2,890 Posts
Might need to pick one up for the GF's bike.
She had a slippage incident just the other day.
#29
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
That's a good point-I was planning on taking the logos off to make it harder to identify. And though it may not make sense to people who live outside of the Twin Cities area, I'm in St. Paul, where I don't feel the populace is as bike savvy as our big brother to the west ;-)
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Zang's Spur, CO
Posts: 9,086
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3392 Post(s)
Liked 5,571 Times
in
2,890 Posts
#33
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The main flaw I see in your plan is that you put "just in case" here and said "next" fall. You should get a cyclocross bike and do cyclocross now.
If you are able to keep your mind set on the Cross Check as strictly a utility bike, you may be able to avoid this problem. Get an ugly color -- it helps with that. Look for a used Beef Gravy Brown. I made the mistake of having mine powder-coated a beautiful translucent blue. Now it wants to be a race bike, but it can't do it.
If you are able to keep your mind set on the Cross Check as strictly a utility bike, you may be able to avoid this problem. Get an ugly color -- it helps with that. Look for a used Beef Gravy Brown. I made the mistake of having mine powder-coated a beautiful translucent blue. Now it wants to be a race bike, but it can't do it.
IRT use as a utility bike-thankfully, I have another road bike to keep me from wanting the CC (or whatever bike I get) to do more than it wants to or is capable of. A comfortable bike for commutes, or that can handle rides in sloppy weather/crappy roads and not have me worry about the higher end parts is what I'm hoping for.
#34
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Removing Surly decals: https://www.surlybikes.com/blog/spew/...d_drivetrains/
#35
Descends like a rock
Removing Surly decals: https://www.surlybikes.com/blog/spew/...d_drivetrains/
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,251
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
not that it's for you, but i'm pretty happy with my CC. Just did a 2000 mile tour with it and use it daily as a commuter. Changed the saddle to a Brooks Flyer and the brakes for Shimano BR-R550's. Worked out pretty nicely.
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 51
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Then there's the issue of No Lugs. Which would make me lean towards a Singular Peregrine:
https://www.singularcycles.com/peregrine.html
(This is all aesthetics, of course. But it's a very pretty bike.)
https://www.singularcycles.com/peregrine.html
(This is all aesthetics, of course. But it's a very pretty bike.)
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 4,599
Bikes: Vassago Moosknuckle Ti 29+ XTR, 90's Merckx Corsa-01 9sp Record, PROJECT: 1954 Frejus SuperCorsa
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 174 Post(s)
Liked 157 Times
in
75 Posts
If you want disc brakes you're out of luck on the Cross Check. I saw a blog post from Surly about why they don't put disc tabs on the CC and it mostly came down to fork design. Discs require a tougher fork and they thought that would have a negative impact on the ride quality.
Other options could be the Salsa Vaya or even Fargo.
Other options could be the Salsa Vaya or even Fargo.
#39
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#40
Retro-nerd
Funny how no one mentions the Bianchi Volpe anymore.
__________________
Would you like a dream with that?
Would you like a dream with that?
#41
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I test rode it-a great bike-but was a rougher ride than expected. Granted-I was forced to test ride a bike that was smaller than my ideal (I believe it was a 57cm) but they were getting a 61 in that would prove a better test. Don't worry, it's also on my short list. Any thoughts on how it serves as a commuter?
#42
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 5,202
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 138 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 81 Times
in
64 Posts
Ande, $.02 to throw in the hopper, I've been commuting with a CC for a couple years with racks in the front or rear and pannier loads in the front OR rear. What I've found is that the CC handles a lot better with panniers in the front than back. When out of the saddle and sprinting when there's panniers on the rear the whole bike kind of whips about a bit, with the panniers in the front it feels like the whole bike is a lot more solid and ones line is a lot straighter and turns more predictable.
Last edited by LeeG; 09-10-11 at 04:20 PM.
#43
CRIKEY!!!!!!!
Join Date: May 2005
Location: all the way down under
Posts: 4,276
Bikes: several
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1590 Post(s)
Liked 689 Times
in
366 Posts
Ande, $.02 to throw in the hopper, I've been commuting with a CC for a couple years with racks in the front or rear and pannier loads in the front and rear. What I've found is that the CC handles a lot better with panniers in the front than back. When out of the saddle and sprinting when there's panniers on the rear the whole bike kind of whips about a bit, with the panniers in the front it feels like the whole bike is a lot more solid and ones line is a lot straighter and turns more predictable.
__________________
"Surely one can love his own country without becoming hopelessly lost in an all-consuming flame of narrow-minded nationalism" - Fred Birchmore
"Surely one can love his own country without becoming hopelessly lost in an all-consuming flame of narrow-minded nationalism" - Fred Birchmore
#44
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 5,202
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 138 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 81 Times
in
64 Posts
er,,sprinting with ONLY front OR rear panniers. When commuting along at 12-15mph and you want to get to the turn or in line with other vehicles going 20-25mph one sprints from a cruising velocity, there's no sprinting from a standing start. Out of the saddle,pulling on the bars, whether going slowly up a hill or quickly on the flats torques the frame differently than sitting and pedaling hard. The OP criteria seem to be commuting and fast riding. The CC handles much better with load on the front with out of saddle efforts.
#45
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Chicago
Posts: 179
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Surly does a great job of marketing, which is one reason why they've become oh so popular. But to me, it's really getting to be a turn off. For example, on the CC (and other frames of theirs), they space the rear dropouts to 132.5. Good idea--it can take mountain or road standard hubs. But, a number of other manufacturers are doing this; it's nothing too special. Surly feels obligated to name this spacing, as if it's proprietary: "Gnot-rite." They can't even resist the temptation to turn that into something absurd.
They make great products. Really. You'd be happy with it. But all that marketing has a price tag which you're paying directly. And, I would just feel dirty allowing myself to be seduced by their obnoxious branding. Please do consider other frames as well with similar qualities to the CC. Look into Soma frames or something by Civia as well. They're probably comparable quality, cheaper, with less theft risk.
They make great products. Really. You'd be happy with it. But all that marketing has a price tag which you're paying directly. And, I would just feel dirty allowing myself to be seduced by their obnoxious branding. Please do consider other frames as well with similar qualities to the CC. Look into Soma frames or something by Civia as well. They're probably comparable quality, cheaper, with less theft risk.
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Davis CA
Posts: 3,959
Bikes: Surly Cross-Check, '85 Giant road bike (unrecogizable fixed-gear conversion
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
I probably have about 20,000 commuting miles on my Crosscheck. I bought it used in 2006, replaced every single part over the next four years then crashed it and replaced the frame. I think the only part left on it from when I got it is the rear brake.
The frame has two drawbacks. First, it has a short head tube. In order to have my bars up where I like them, I need lots of spacers on my very long steer tube. No problems, but it does make the bike look a little funny.
The other is the horizontal drops. Sure, you can run it as a single speed. But if you are not actually going to do that, then they are a pain.
The frame has two drawbacks. First, it has a short head tube. In order to have my bars up where I like them, I need lots of spacers on my very long steer tube. No problems, but it does make the bike look a little funny.
The other is the horizontal drops. Sure, you can run it as a single speed. But if you are not actually going to do that, then they are a pain.
#47
Senior Member
Why not get a Cross-Check? Hmmmmm....I got nothin'
Marc
Marc
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 757
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I didn't like the 132.5mm spacing combined with semi-horizontal dropouts. It makes it tougher to get a mountain bike hub in there and requires too much QR force to hold a road hub.
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Zang's Spur, CO
Posts: 9,086
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3392 Post(s)
Liked 5,571 Times
in
2,890 Posts
It takes two hands to spread the dropouts, then with your third hand you push in the wheel.
#50
The Left Coast, USA
Assuming it was a serious question: Weight, geometry, canti brakes, robin's egg color, non-aero, etc.