Originally Posted by
Rolla
Funny -- I sold my Cross Check and bought my Black Mountain for this very reason. Surly has said that their long top tube/short head tube design is a purist CX thing, which is ironic considering that NO ONE races a Cross Check.
Here's a Cross Check compared to a Monster Cross:
Yep, the CC can be hard to fit. I started with a 52, flat-bar. I then went through alt bars, drop bars, various stems, etc in a combination of simply experimenting but
mostly trying to get comfortable. "Technically" the 52 fit me, but it wasn't until I swapped my 52 frame for a 50 that I got
much more comfy on it. Now I can run drops or flats and make it work. All that said, my Rove ST with the geo more like the MCD is undeniably a more comfy bike, especially for long days in the saddle.