Originally Posted by
phx1973
Okay, so I know this topic has been discussed before, probably to the point of exhaustion. But like many others, I have determined that these are excellent options for commuting bicycles. So let's have a little poll. If you were buying something new as a complete build, not a frame build-up, purely for commuting with no touring aspirations, which one would you choose? The LHT or Crosscheck? I am talking 20-30 miles each way with a rear pannier or trunk box, no need for a front rack. I love them both and can't find either to test ride, so if I want to ride it, I have to buy it.
Thanks all for your participation
If I were to go out and buy one bike to serve all my needs I'd go crosscheck. It's just sporty enough to race on (I'm not saying you win any races, but it will get you out in the field.) and can carry a fair amount of cargo for commuting/errand running. Although I have never ridden a LHT. I've read that the ride is comparable to a late 80's early 90's commuterized MTB. I have one of those and the ride gets you from A to B and can carry a ton in the process, but a spirited ride it isn't, it's a pickup truck or a WW2 jeep.
I'm sorely tempted to create an "Ersatz" steel Specialized Sirrus using a Cross Check frame. My one complaint with my '07 Sirrus are the welds are huge and ugly. Not to mention the rear dropouts are one position. Chain wear is taken up by rear derailleur tension and going IGH on it would be difficult. (Not impossible, but who wants to run a chain tension-er with an IGH.. It defeats the purpose)