It's just that there are a lot of different cyclocross bikes and the Crosscheck is not particularly notable nor inexpensive, comes in two non appealing colors (to me). I agree that a cyclocross bike in general is a great choice for a commuter, so much so that I just recently finished building one up out of a Gunnar Crosshairs frame that my LBS got for me (rack/fender mounts etc...). I'll use it for commuting, errands, as well as "adventure" riding with some knobby cyclocross tires on it. It's a nice adjunct to my full up carbon road bike. So, I get the cyclocross bike attraction - it also is attractive to me.

Either way, I looked at the Crosscheck and didn't see anything particularly compelling about it except a big buck flash website. I also called Surly and talked with them about it but still the same issue. Nice bike, but not the category killer that it seems to be around here. Pretty much every bike brand offers a nice cyclocross choice right now so it's not like there are not alternatives out there. I wanted to like it since I live near Mpls where they are made.

So, I'm trying to figure out why the Crosscheck is so interesting and so much a de facto recommendation on BF. I'm not seeing any particular greatness from a Surly (or I'm missing it).

So what is the attraction?

J.