Originally Posted by
ande7977
- Cyclocross frame/bars just in case I do cyclocross next fall...
The main flaw I see in your plan is that you put "just in case" here and said "next" fall. You should get a cyclocross bike and do cyclocross now.
The Cross Check isn't a great bike for CX, but it isn't awful. Among bikes that aren't awful for CX, the Cross Check very well may be the best for the multitude of other uses you describe.
But...
Originally Posted by
jr59
The only thing with a CC is that it does nothing GREAT.
It does everything well to ok.
..this. I started a Cross Check Lovefest thread recently, and the first three pages or so were filled with people saying that they like their Cross Check but don't love it. Personally, I waver on this point too. There are times when I love it. There are times when I don't. I took it on a 75 mile ride that was about 50% chip seal this summer. It was an outstanding bike for that. It's also very good for commuting. Since the topography of my current commute makes a singlespeed impractical and I have another CX bike set up better for foul weather commuting, I'm thinking about selling the Cross Check and getting an actual road bike.
If you are able to keep your mind set on the Cross Check as strictly a utility bike, you may be able to avoid this problem. Get an ugly color -- it helps with that. Look for a used Beef Gravy Brown. I made the mistake of having mine powder-coated a beautiful translucent blue. Now it wants to be a race bike, but it can't do it.