deepinahartatx

Hi All,

I am trying to decide between a Surly Cross-Check and a Raleigh Roper for commuting. I need to decide quickly if I want to take advantage of REI's Memorial day sale.

I am about 6'/ 215, commuting 20 miles R/T mostly on streets. When not commuting, I will use it for recreational rides around the neighborhood, towing toddlers etc…

Here are the pro's of each bike as I see them:

Cross-Check Pros:
Entry to the Surly cult/resale is probably better
Prefer Taiwanese products vs Chinese products
Less expensive purchase price (slightly < $1k if I buy now)
Lighter ?

Roper-Pros
Better hardware (Shimano 105 (mostly), brake levers on the flat bars, disk brakes)
includes pedals, narrowing price difference.
perhaps less likely to be stolen ?

Let me know other pros/cons as you see them.

If I am overlooking a similar steel based bike available via REI, lemme know!

Thanks in advance