Cyclocross - Surly Cross Check

Is Surly Cross Check a good bike to build? I want to build an uprigh road bike with flat bars. Comfort bike.

Any pro's and Cons? AM I looking in the right area/in the ballpark?

Thank you

I don't know about an upright bike but it has an almost cult like following. People on forum love it. I'd say give it a try.

People love it because it's versatile, sensible, and inexpensive. Jack of all trades, master of none.

It'd be a great frameset to work from. Slap some Nitto Albatross bars on there and Bob's your uncle.

love em.. bought two of them.
One is my nice and shiny upright city tourer..
The other is my.. change frequently..Singlespeed to geared, to drops, to barcons, to ergo, to porteur, to racks, etc...bike. It is currently in CX 1x9 mode.

It is not an upright bike, you would want the LHT and not a CC. Or look for a similar model with a compact/sloped TT. The CC has a level top tube in most sizes and this with the high BB produces a bike that is fairly aggressive, not as s much so as a typical roadie bike but you are not talking hybrid upright here either. I don't like or want an upright bike, I prefer to lean over as is proper and is far more comfortable and efficient.

I left the stem so I could mount a light bar and other Fredly type stuff. Normally the handle bars are actually down two spacers lower than in this pic, I was just playing around to see how high I could raise the bars to get that good ghetto look going on.

One other thing, IMO, with the CC, their sizing is odd, what they call a 54cm frame is what I call a 56cm etc. I am sure that applies across the CC geometry.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/JRWJR/bikes/P6030305.jpg

The head tube is pretty sort on the Cross Check to make an upright bike. Try the one of the Rawland or VO frames.

What everyone else said...

I use a cross check as my year round commuter, and it's great for that (for me). But it's not upright. Mine ends up fitting me with the saddle and handlebars level -- upright enough for comfort in jeans but not really upright.

I'm don't know how the bike is for cross. The fork flexes like crazy. It certainly has a lot of clearance everywhere: In the winter I run standard fenders (pretty big ones) with 35c studded tires and there's lots of extra room. The bike feels pretty nimble on the road.

http://www.pakebikes.com/product/F8EF09/C%27Mute+Frame

Cheaper than the CC or the LHT. Slightly sloping top tube and an extra long head tube. I almost bought one instead of my CC.

I love my CC.