I finally finished my Surly CrossCheck build! I bought the frame last fall, immediately built it up by borrowing all the components (except brakes) off a road bike, and now finally this bike has all its own parts (and the other bike is back together again).

This post provides complete details of all the parts involved, listing the part that comes on the full bike offered by Surly, vs what I used, and how much it cost me. I originally thought that by shopping carefully and buying used, I could do better than the stock price. You'll see that in the end I didn't, but I maybe could have if I had bought comparable wheels, instead I decided to spend more for handbuilt, which is I think what put me over "budget". I post all this here partly as a record to myself, partly as a utility to others that might want to build up a commuter bike, or are trying to decide between a stock bike vs a custom build, and partly to stimulate discussion -- what do you think? Did I end up with a "better" bike than if I had just gone to REI and gotten one off the floor? (Or LBS, assuming they would price comparably?)

For me, the question takes the form of, did I get $161.69 worth of entertainment from all the shopping and assembling myself? And the answer is Yes.

UPDATE: Checking back, I just realized, I had accidentally added in $189+8 for Retroshifts twice! So for the new totals, my equivalent bike came in $5.32 cheaper than stock from REI! I'm even happier now!

Here are the numbers, you'll have to read (or at least scroll) through them to get to the pictures!

[TABLE="width: 800"]
[TR]
[TD]Part[/TD]
[TD]Stock[/TD]
[TD]Build[/TD]
[TD]Condition[/TD]
[TD]Source[/TD]
[TD]Cost[/TD]
[TD]Ship/Tax[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Frame/fork[/TD]
[TD]Surly Cross-Check[/TD]
[TD]SAME[/TD]
[TD]New; 60cm; Dark Dirty Blue[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$410.00[/TD]
[TD]$10.40[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Crankset[/TD]
[TD]Andel RSC6 48/36[/TD]
[TD]600 52/39[/TD]
[TD]Used[/TD]
[TD]had[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]FD[/TD]
[TD]Sora 5500[/TD]
[TD]105[/TD]
[TD]Used; good[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$3.26[/TD]
[TD]$2.99[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RD[/TD]
[TD]Deore M591[/TD]
[TD]Deore M510[/TD]
[TD]Used; scratched[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$19.00[/TD]
[TD]$6.20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cassette[/TD]
[TD]Tiagra HG50; 11-32[/TD]
[TD]Tiagra HG50; 11-34[/TD]
[TD]Used; as new[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$8.50[/TD]
[TD]$7.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Chain[/TD]
[TD]SRAM PC-971[/TD]
[TD]KMC X9.93[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$13.55[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Headset[/TD]
[TD]Cane Creek 40[/TD]
[TD]Aheadset slimstak[/TD]
[TD]Used[/TD]
[TD]donor[/TD]
[TD]$8.00[/TD]
[TD]$10.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]BB[/TD]
[TD]UN54[/TD]
[TD]Sugino[/TD]
[TD]Used[/TD]
[TD]had[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Brakes[/TD]
[TD]Tektro CR720[/TD]
[TD]SAME[/TD]
[TD]New (takeoffs)[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$20.50[/TD]
[TD]$4.99[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Levers[/TD]
[TD]Tektro RL341[/TD]
[TD]Retroshift CX-2[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]Retroshift[/TD]
[TD]$189.00[/TD]
[TD]$8.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Shifters[/TD]
[TD]Microshift BarCons[/TD]
[TD]Retroshift CX-2[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]Retroshift[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Stem[/TD]
[TD]Kalloy AS-008[/TD]
[TD]FSA OS-190[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]Nashbar[/TD]
[TD]$14.99[/TD]
[TD]$10.49[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Bars[/TD]
[TD]Salsa Bell Lap[/TD]
[TD]FSA Omega Compact[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]Nashbar[/TD]
[TD]$19.99[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Saddle[/TD]
[TD]Velo VL1353[/TD]
[TD]Selle Gel Flite Ti[/TD]
[TD]Used[/TD]
[TD]had[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Seatpost[/TD]
[TD]Kalloy SP-342[/TD]
[TD]Bontrager Carbon[/TD]
[TD]Used[/TD]
[TD]had[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Hubs[/TD]
[TD]Deore M590[/TD]
[TD]105[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]LBS[/TD]
[TD]$400.00[/TD]
[TD]$30.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rims[/TD]
[TD]Alex DA-16 32H[/TD]
[TD]Velocity Dyad 32H[/TD]
[TD]New; Reflective Black[/TD]
[TD]LBS[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Spokes[/TD]
[TD]DT Swiss 14g[/TD]
[TD]DT Swiss[/TD]
[TD]New; 14/15; 3cross; handbuilt[/TD]
[TD]LBS
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Skewers[/TD]
[TD]Something[/TD]
[TD]Shimano[/TD]
[TD]New; black[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Tire[/TD]
[TD]Ritch Spdmx Cmp 32mm[/TD]
[TD]Continental[/TD]
[TD]Used; CountryRide; 37mm[/TD]
[TD]LUVBS[/TD]
[TD]$10.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]FD clamp[/TD]
[TD]Shimano[/TD]
[TD]Origin8[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]LUVBS[/TD]
[TD]$8.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Boss Adpt.[/TD]
[TD]Shimano[/TD]
[TD]SAME[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$15.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Total: My Build[/TD]
[TD]$1229.86[/TD]
[TD]$1139.79[/TD]
[TD]$90.07
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Total: REI[/TD]
[TD]$1235.18[/TD]
[TD]$1149.00[/TD]
[TD]$86.18[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Delta[/TD]
[TD]-$5.32[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Extras[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Pedals[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Shimano SPD[/TD]
[TD]Used[/TD]
[TD]LUVBS[/TD]
[TD]$15.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cages[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Plastic; Green (2)[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$2.76[/TD]
[TD]$2.13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Pump[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Silca Impero[/TD]
[TD]Used; Campy Head[/TD]
[TD]LUVBS[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Front light[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]CREE XM-L T6[/TD]
[TD]Flashlight/batt/charger[/TD]
[TD]eBay[/TD]
[TD]$22.99
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Light mount[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]hose clamps[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]auto parts[/TD]
[TD]$5.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rear light (not shown)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Cateye[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]Performance[/TD]
[TD]$10.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Computer[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Cateye MITY 3[/TD]
[TD]NOS[/TD]
[TD]CL[/TD]
[TD]$5.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rack (not shown)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Voager Multi-Rack[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]Nashbar[/TD]
[TD]$19.99[/TD]
[TD]$5.00
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Panniers (not shown)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Daytripper[/TD]
[TD]New[/TD]
[TD]Nashbar[/TD]
[TD]$24.99[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Extras Total[/TD]
[TD]$105.73[/TD]
[TD]$7.13
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Grand Total:[/TD]
[TD]$1342.72
[/TD]
[TD]$1245.52[/TD]
[TD]$97.20[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]