The reason I ask is because I am very tempted to sell my Karate Monkey and use the Cross-check as my mountain bike. Please inform me is my logic is flawed.
I ride 95% of the time on the road, using my fixed gear or my cross-check with road tires. I live in Long Beach, where anyone who knows the geography of southern California can say is the worst place in the area for a mountain biker too live. Its pretty much the farthest place from any trails. Hence the 5% off-road figure. So I spend only a little time in the dirt and figure I can throw on the 1.9s and when I get that urge.
But, what about drops and technical riding you ask? I do very little of this type of riding because I ride with my wife and she is not down, plus I am getting older and scared. So the bikes I have been riding the last 5 or so years have been rigid singlespeeds. So in my mind, not that much different then the Cross-check for the fireroad, singletrack riding I do.
I figure I can sell the Monkey and buy a nice wheelset and drivetrain for my cross-check, and free up some space in the house as well. Obviously I am having a hard time with this decision and that's why I am asking you, the internets, for help. Please share your thoughts.
Adagio Corse
05-24-07, 11:13 AM
Yep, sounds right. The Crosscheck is a great commuter bike for city riding, and if 95% of your riding is in the city, perfect. Better yet, the XC is also beloved for its cyclocross durability, so yep, you can take this thing on local firetrails with no problems as long as your rims/tires can handle it.
The only thing it can't do is club racing, fast group rides (too heavy, slack geometry), and loaded touring (LHT for that).
TimJ
05-24-07, 12:07 PM
The Karate Monkey does sound redundant in your case.
Kyle in Maine
05-24-07, 01:00 PM
Do you have 26" or 700c? Either way you could totally throw on some fatter tires, a bigger cog and bomb around fixed off-road. And that, sir, is awesome in my book.
Sell the Karate Monkey.
My 2¢.
- Kyle
Burrito Eater
05-24-07, 03:16 PM
Do you have 26" or 700c? Either way you could totally throw on some fatter tires, a bigger cog and bomb around fixed off-road. And that, sir, is awesome in my book.
Sell the Karate Monkey.
My 2¢.
- Kyle
700c. I am considering putting a fixed wheel in it also, fixed offroad would be pretty fun.
You guys are pointing be in the direction I was leaning. If anyone else has input I would like to hear it. :D
MrCjolsen
05-24-07, 09:21 PM
Here's what I use my Crosscheck for:
Daily commuter (28 miles rt)
Grocery/fast food getter
Weekend rides
Did a century on it.
Had a blast on fire roads around Angel Island.
It will probably end up a fixed gear some day.
I had fun with may Cross Check on the mountain bike trails around here. Going down steep downhills in the drops was scary, but I made it. I had a really hard time trying to get it to jump level though.
MrCjolsen, What kind of mirror is that? I have only seen the bar end mirrors around here.
MrCjolsen
05-25-07, 12:41 PM
I forget the brand. Not third eye. The other one. I want to say Avenir.
It's supposed to go on your brake hoods. I don't like it there, so I put it on the drop.
KrisPistofferson
05-25-07, 01:02 PM
Your Cross Check can't be my Long Haul Trucker. ;) I understand your dilemma. Since I got the Trucker, I've found there's not much it can't do, and the rest of my bikes have seen little or no attention as a result. My Breezer is good for occasional comfy runs to the grocery store, but the rest of my stable has been shunned. Life is good when we have problems like this.
Tmax1
05-25-07, 01:19 PM
Life is good when we have problems like this.
Yeah...nice problem.
hamr22
06-05-07, 07:22 PM
Don't sell anything. You mentioned "wife" and that means that whatever is sold will never be recovered. I experienced this with my motorcycle.
thatguy
06-05-07, 11:40 PM
You might want to try out some Bell Lap bars or Midge off-road drop bars. They will be a little wider and help on the trails. Then again, unless you need to clean downhill rock gardens, even that might not be neccessary. Also, a quick-release seatpost clamp might come in handy for quick changes on the trails.
socalrider
06-09-07, 03:51 AM
I have used my crosscheck on local trails and it works great.. The main difference is that you have to look to avoid things much better with a cross bike since you no longer have a shock on the front..
You get used to letting the shock soak up many of the hits when on an MTB.. I loved riding the trails so much I added a triple crank and went with a 48/38/24 chainring combo with an 11-32 on the rear and you can literally ride up anything your mtb can..