Cross-Check: Hot or not?

[dobber]

"This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course, riding racing style bikes! Learn more about this sport here."

I suppose this definition was coined by some pompous cyclo-cross racer. As a pompous former competitive swimmer I would hazard to guess that a 400 yd IM or a 5000 yd marathon is more physically intense. And I didn't have anybody standing round to give me an energy bar.

[Daily Commute]

Velocipedio started a new thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=90353) to cast yet another empty insult on this subject. So far, he's the only one to support his silly argument. The refusal of any other cross racers to back him up speaks very well of the sport.

[velocipedio]

i started the new thread because the discussion was off topic here. i'll respond to your posts there.

[jfmckenna]

I ride with a guy who does cyclocross and road races on his Surly. He loves his bike. Versatile indeed. I picked it up and it felt light to me. In fact lighter than the old touring bike I race cross on. So I guess my vote is for 'Hot'. Some one else mentioned the retro stylings too. I have heard them called the 57 chevy of cyclocross. Very nice looking bikes.

[bsyptak]

The Soma Cross Check can be had for $400 including shipping, no tax:

http://www.trails-edge.com/retail/bikeparts/frames-cyclocross.htm

For about $475, you can get the frame only and buy the Nashbar (Winwood I think) carbon cyclocross fork. Now that's a deal.

While Surly has it's larger than life fan club, I think the Soma is a much better deal. Plus, is probably not going to be on the top 10 list for preferred bikes to steal.

[mgwadz]

Allow me to ask a trivial question here, thanks. What's the deal with the popularity of the Surly Cross-Check. Seems like every other thread in this forum talks about it. They pop up really often in threads in other forums and on other bicycling sites. They're all over eBay.

Why? Are they that good a bike? How come other cross bikes aren't making such a ruckus? Is this the new iPod?

Just curious to see what some opinions are here.

I think the Surley is a decent bike, but I think some of it's "mystique" is it's versatility (as others have mentioned) and it's availability to people with shop connections. It also has a certain cachet among shop employees and certain types of enthusiasts. Part of why I got it was because I knew I could get it quick, and pretty cheap. ( I got the built up version and some of the parts were pretty cheapo- I think you'd get a better spec for the money on a jamis nova or redline, but I didn't look that closely)

I use my cross-check as a commuter, occasiaonal off-road bike and backup bike for races. It's very good at being a do-everything bike (SS/geared/fenders/panniers/triple cranks/double cranks/mtn hubs/road hubs, etc, etc, etc. ). I would say not a hot race bike by any stretch.

I've personally has trouble with the soft rear triangle. I have had to bend it back into place a coupole times when it got over-stretched- putting a mtn hub wheel (135mm) in my frame seems to deform the rear triangle, and I have to rebend it to use it with my 130mm road hubs.

-marc

[DanO220]

Allow me to ask a trivial question here, thanks. What's the deal with the popularity of the Surly Cross-Check. Seems like every other thread in this forum talks about it. They pop up really often in threads in other forums and on other bicycling sites. They're all over eBay.

Why? Are they that good a bike? How come other cross bikes aren't making such a ruckus? Is this the new iPod?

Just curious to see what some opinions are here.

Just two more cents that might enlighten you. I'll admit that when I bought my CrossCheck I actually thought they were welded up by a bunch of nice guys in some shack out in Minnesota - which would make them a screaming deal considering how much it costs to make something in America. Well then I found out they were actually manufactured in Taiwan. For a day it was kind of a let down. But when I thought about it, it is still a pretty good bike for a pretty good price.

I really think that the number of Surly posts is directly proportionate to their number of satisfied customers - plain and simple.

DanO

[lunacycle]

Just two more cents that might enlighten you. I'll admit that when I bought my CrossCheck I actually thought they were welded up by a bunch of nice guys in some shack out in Minnesota - which would make them a screaming deal considering how much it costs to make something in America. Well then I found out they were actually manufactured in Taiwan. For a day it was kind of a let down. But when I thought about it, it is still a pretty good bike for a pretty good price.

I really think that the number of Surly posts is directly proportionate to their number of satisfied customers - plain and simple.

DanO

That's a myth perpetuated by Surly. Don't let the "4130 cromoly" and "Made in Taiwan" stickers fool you. The Cross Check IS made in Minnesota by a clan of Norwegian Bachelor Farmers. The reason the frame is so heavy is because of the secret frame material. It's not cromoly, you fools, it's actually a very advanced Minnesota-Norwegian composite material made up of cross-laminated strips of lefse with a binding agent of congealed lutefisk and lime jell-o. This is what the company doen't want you to know. A big advantage of the Surly Cross-Check is that it is 100% edible! Reason enough for a "HOT" vote!

[Wil]

If the Surly isn't such a hot RACE bike, then what is? What 'cross bikes do you encounter the most at races, or on the street?

I've only seen TWO 'cross bikes on the road here in Toronto, though both were Jake the Snakes...

[velocipedio]

the hot bikes i see at races: kona jakes the snakes and major jakes, ridleys and fujis. the nicest one i've seen was a commencal with full record.

[prevail24]

I think the crossxcheck is hot. I have been using mine for almost five years now. I have changed it quite a bit, but I still really like it. check it out www.surlyrider.com/mysurlybig.htm

[MrEWorm]

I think the crossxcheck is hot. I have been using mine for almost five years now. I have changed it quite a bit, but I still really like it. check it out www.surlyrider.com/mysurlybig.htm

Good looking bike. Did they used to make it in white or is that your paint job? How do you like the disc brakes?

[prevail24]

That is my powdercoating. I love the disk brakes. I use them on my Mtn Bike as well.

[tcb]

I keep hearing that the Cross-Check is on the heavy side. Does anyone know how heavy? Surly claims the frame is 4.88 lbs. What could I expect for their complete set-up? (Claims, guesses, precise weight, or even bathrooms scale weight would all be appreciated)

[veghead]

QBP lists the weight of a 54CM bike with Tiagra at 23.9 lbs, The fork alone is 2.19 lbs. I have a CrossCheck and love it! It is a great do it all bike. I also like the Redline Conquest. It felt more like a "race" bike when I rode/ran a course with it, but I have yet to race on one. Overall I vote HOT.

[velocipedio]

i weighed one last year at the shop: all 105 bits, no racks or fenders,and it came in a just over 25 lbs. i think it was a 54, actually. [in contrast, my kona major jake weighs 19.3 lbs.]

[mrbenji]

I've been thinking about building up a steel road bike, but more recently thought giving off road single-speeding a shot. So, I'm wondering if I can do this with one frame without excessive labor each time I switch. The Cross Check is the bike I'm thinking about. I'd buy it as a frame and spec it out from there. How realistic is setting up a third rear wheel to be swapped off quickly and easily? I guess I'd have to dismantle the rear derailer each time.

[climbo]

I've been thinking about building up a steel road bike, but more recently thought giving off road single-speeding a shot. So, I'm wondering if I can do this with one frame without excessive labor each time I switch. The Cross Check is the bike I'm thinking about. I'd buy it as a frame and spec it out from there. How realistic is setting up a third rear wheel to be swapped off quickly and easily? I guess I'd have to dismantle the rear derailer each time.

what about the chainrings and all that stuff, would you leave that on? If you can get the right chainline you could leave it there and just ride in the small ring for SS. You'd have the issue of gear cables etc. to deal with also, you can just take of the der., you need to remove the gear cables and housing also which can be a pain to do all the time.

[mrbenji]

admittedly, it's a pretty recent idea that I haven't spent much time flushing out either the logistical details or the value in the project. That being said, maybe I could figure out a front chainring option that would allow me to run just one up front. With a 9 speed setup in back, I think I should be ok, no? And then for singlespeed off roading, maybe there is a way to secure the gear cables in place on the frame with the derailer removed. When I think about a frame with a lot of setup options like the Cross Check, my mind tries to crunch them all into one bike. Maybe it's more fun in my head than it would be on a trail, but maybe not.

[climbo]

you could probably leave it all on and just run the SS chain through your small front ring and the SS wheel. You could bypass the deraillers and leave them there but they'll bang around a bit. The beauty of the SS is that there is nothing additional on the bike, the simplicity of it all.

It can be done though, I have switched back and forth a bit on my CX and MTN bikes but not very often. Maybe once or twice a year.