FWIW - I'm in year 5 of my CC and I use it as an all round, year round, city bike, commuter.

I'd suggest buying the frame scraping off the decals and doing your own build. Over the years I've set mine up as a SS, IGH, 1x9, Drop bars, flat bars, and albatross bars (my current fave), fenders, rear rack, slicks, and studded tires for winter, Brooks saddle of course;-). It has performed admirably in every set up.

The CC is the swiss army knife of bikes. Which is great because You can do almost anything with it, but not so good because it won't do anything as well as the proper tool for the job. Yes, the frame is flexy, and sorta heavy, and the head tube is short, and the rear brake hanger is dumb. (the drop outs are fine BTW) The Bottom line: I ride my CC almost constantly, and love it dearly. It's gets 10 times the miles of any of my other bikes.

Surly is great bike brand. The people that design and market these bikes are your neighbors, they believe in what they do, they live it everyday, and it shows in their offering. They are popular because they are a good product and a good value. It's not hype.