Thanks! Yeah, I'm genuinely surprised how tastefully and gorgeously painted the Trek is. Such a fun bike to ride.

And the rack on the Surly is a Bontrager Back Rack (http://bontrager.com/model/08243). The nice thing about this rack is that it comes in sizes for large and small bikes. Since my Cross Check is a 52cm, the guy at the LBS suggested the small-bike version because even on a compact-ish frame like the Cross Check in a small-ish size like my 52, there's very little chance of heel-strike except with exceptionally large panniers. My panniers are coming in the mail soon, so I can't attest to that, but I have tied stuffed grocery bags over the rack, pannier-style, and have never touched them with my heel, even with them loosely swaying. It's a really nice rack, and the LBS has it for about $40, and offered to install it for free. It's got much beefier seat-stay supports than a lot of other racks I've seen, so it feels almost sturdy enough for another person to stand on. It's also got a nice spot for a tail-light attachment that's well shielded by the rear edges of the rack.