Commuting - crosscheck of LHT

Thinking of getting one of the Surly complete bikes. I would use it for everything. Commuting, recreational riding,centuries when I work up to it. So what do those of you that have either of these bike have to say good and bad before I take the plunge and what made you choose the one over the other. Gee I hope I don't get banned from the C+V forum if I buy an brand new bike.

My 50cm Surly Long Haul Trucker is my only bike, and that's pretty OK with me. There's really nothing I don't like about it. It's a little heavy, but the trade-off is that you feel like you have something really solid under you.

I put a Brooks B17N on it and changed the Tektro levers to Shimano aero levers cos the Tektros were a little too chunky for me. Those are the only changes I made to the stock "Complete" set up. It's got Specialized Fatboy 26 x 1.25 slick tires, a rack, and fenders and it gets ridden every single day.

A friend of mine is currently crossing the country on a Cross Check that he customized with an LHT fork so he could run front and back racks & panniers. He's going LA to NY, and so far it's served him well. I've met about a dozen other Surly riders on various rides around town, and I have yet to meet one who isn't totally satisfied. These are salt of the earth type bikes with just enough classic touches to make them look good if you dress them up with fancy accoutrements.

As you undoubtedly know, there's a Google group for these bikes (with some fun photos as well):

http://groups.google.com/group/SurlyLHT


From you signature, it looks like you've got some pretty solid steel bikes that you could do good things with. What makes you want to add a Surly to the bunch?

IMO, if your riding does not include loaded touring or grocery shopping; a CrossCheck is more versatile and pragmatic than LHT. Have several thousand commuting, light touring, recreational and charity riding km on my CrossCheck- it is a good balance of comfort and handling.

I've got a CrossCheck complete, and I use it for everything: Daily commuter, grocery getter, long distance (I've done a double century on it), it's even my winter bike.

Changes from bone stock:
- Conti UG 28mm tires
- Brooks B-17 Imperial saddle
- 34t inner chainring
- 11-32 SRAM PG-970 cassette

Add-ons:
- SKS P-45 fenders
- Nashbar canti-mount front rack
- Trans-It rear rack
- Generator hub/lights

I really like my CrossCheck, and the only reason I'd switch to the LHT is if I started doing loaded touring. The C-C is a great all-arounder bike, but I would suggest a wider cassette than the stock if you have any hills to ride. It takes some playing around with the B-screw, but the stock Tiagra derailleur will handle a 32t cassette.

From you signature, it looks like you've got some pretty solid steel bikes that you could do good things with. What makes you want to add a Surly to the bunch?[/quote]

I've seen them at my LBS and like the looks and no nonsense approach they use. I'm not sure I agree witht he use of 26" tires on the smaller bikes but I haven't ridden one yet so I don't know if I would like them. I have 26" X1 1/2" Armadillos on my Specialized and it rides pretty well but its a hybrid so I don't expect too much out of it other than it rides. How does the geometry compare on the Crosscheck with a hybrid as far as speed and handling? Guess I'll have to ride one to find out.

For me at a size where 26" is in play, that definitely tilted it toward the LHT for me. If I were bigger and either bike would have 700c I don't know. I'm actually suspicious of the geometry of the 56 and maybe 58 LHTs, wonder if they would be more compact/cramped than a CC. I do carry a lot of cargo, and I'm not sold that twitchier = better handling. I'd rather ride uphill no-hands w/ a big load (cannot however ride no-hands pulling a trail-a-bike ...).

Go test ride them both and I think your choice will be pretty clear. The Crosscheck is a lot sportier and more fun, in my opinion.

The LHT's little spoke holder might interfere with some trailers. You could probably still hook them up. I didn't give it much thought.

I'm not sure I agree witht he use of 26" tires on the smaller bikes but I haven't ridden one yet so I don't know if I would like them.

I love the 26's on my LHT. They totally make sense for my size, and I've never felt a difference in "ride quality" from the smaller wheel. Plus, you've got the added strength that comes from a smaller diameter wheel.

When I look at bikes with 700 x 23's (which is what I used to ride), I wonder why I ever put myself through that. :D

I was looking for a new bike no too long ago, and those were the two bikes I was seriously considering. They are both great bikes, and if you ask around will hear lots of positive things about them. The LHT is designed a bit more to handle heavy (and I mean HEAVY) loads, whereas the crosscheck performs a bit better. I wound up buying neither, and having my LBS build up an IRO Rob Roy with an internally geared hub. I'm *very* pleased with the results. I'd say: keep an open mind and look at a few other things before picking one.

To be more specific: lots of cyclist have really positive impressions of Salsa bicycles, and it sounds like their products also fit what you are looking for (good value for the price, steel frames). You might like the Casseroll Triple.

I have the LHT, and I'm very happy with it; it rides like it's on rails even with a bunch of groceries and beer, and once you get your momentum up, it's quite a bit faster than you'd think. As already mentioned, it's a really good, solid, non-pretentious basic bike. However, "lively" is not a word I'd use in the same sentence as "LHT". It's a bit like a 1960's Buick: big, heavy, comfy, great for cross country drives. If you want something that's a bit lighter but still more versatile than a racing-type bike, I'd go for either the Cross Check or the Bianchi Volpe. I test rode those when I was looking for a bike a few months ago, and I thought both of them were good bikes, for about the same price as the LHT.

I went with a Cross Check largely because it was a long wait to get an LHT. I love the CC, have used it as my commuter and utility bike (carried 45 lbs of groceries on the rear rack in panniers with no problem). Also have done longer rides up to 70 miles, planning on my first century in a couple of weeks, then riding it on Cycle Oregon. I agree with what someone above said about extending the gear range; I put a 12-34 cassette on, with a long cage derailleur. This gives me enought low end for pretty big hills without having triple chainrings. Other than that, all I've done is put 28mm slicks on, and added the rear rack and fenders. One other thing I might change would be to put some better cantis on, I'm not real satisfied with the brakes. Overall, I love the CC; it's a very comfortable, versatile bike.

I considered both of these bikes before going with the LHT. I prefer the vertical dropouts (it will never be a single speed), the longer chainstays (pannier clearance for size 14 feet), and the wide range of gears on the stock setup (i did swap in a 24t chainring). The pump peg and 3rd water bottle mount are also great features. I also prefer the lower bottom bracket for handling. I also wanted the 36h spoked wheels with wider rims vs the 32h wheels of the CC. I'm also considering touring, so this bike was clearly the best choice for me.

Even with a Tubus Cargo rack and full fenders, the bike is no less enjoyable to ride than my road bike. In fact, I've been using the LHT for training rides over my roadie. Sure, it's slower up the hills, but the LHT makes riding over the rough pavement here in extreme Northern CA much more enjoyable. On the flats, once you get your momentum going, the bike is plenty fast. And going downhill....I have never ridden a bike that's such a blast to descend on. It's stable, yet it corners quite well and flies gracefully over the rough pavement.

A big consideration for the CC was the flexibility of the 132.5 rear dropouts. That way I could swap in wheels I use on my roadie. The higher bottom bracket would be better for off-road use, but this bike will never be used for anything more hairy than dirt roads and the occasional light trail.

I love the 26's on my LHT. They totally make sense for my size, and I've never felt a difference in "ride quality" from the smaller wheel. Plus, you've got the added strength that comes from a smaller diameter wheel.

When I look at bikes with 700 x 23's (which is what I used to ride), I wonder why I ever put myself through that. :D

I wish my 62cm LHT had 26 inch wheels. Oh well...almost perfect.

You'll be happy with both. Sit on them, and choose the one you like. I've commuted on a Cross Check for two years and, like every other CC owner, love it.

They're both great bikes. I went with the LHT because it was setup closer to how I want it and it rides nicely in a straight line. It's really fun going down steep hills. The CC rides a little bit sportier and has the cool dirt drop bars on them. I rode a Volpe and it was nice too and it's built up to be a good all purpose bike too. If you have an REI near you check out the Novara Randonee, I liked it a lot to but ultimately I found the TT too long and the 55 seemed to cramped and the 57 seems way to stretched out.

I love my CC, and I'm currently using it for both fun rides and for utility purposes.

It's great stuff!

The CC would feel a bit sportier, but for most purposes, both bike frames would come to the same. I do prefer a longer wheelbase (advantage LHT), and since I'm not a fast climber and prefers to spin while climbing, I definitely want very low gears. Therefore, as far as I'm concerned, the CC would drop off the radar simply because it doesn't come with a triple.

I was looking at the same situation, and went with the Cross-Check (getting the last gray 54 bike out of the QBP warehouse, it seems... s'posed to be here tomorrow and we hope to be riding it by Sunday...).

I liked the 700C wheels and the compact double chainring set. And riding both the CC and the LHT, the CC felt a whole lot more like my road bikes. I wanted something that I could use as a touring bike for club rides and LAB teaching where I could still haul my rack trunk and panniers around, and still serve as a fast commuter with cross-country capability. I test-rode the 56 cm and the 52, and it was kind of like Goldilocks... the 54 cm should be just right. The bike's name will be "Traveller," like General Lee's war horse... since it's best described as a Confederate gray ;-)

The bike's name will be "Traveller," like General Lee's war horse... since it's best described as a Confederate gray ;-)

Unnecessary.

My Cross Check's name is My Bike.