Originally Posted by humbug
ditto. my point is that the CC frame is so well-thought out that almost any sensible way you set it up will make for a sweet bike (although having said that i agree with 9-speed vs 10). i understand the urge to analyze each and every component and of course with any big purchase you want to be happy with what you get, but seriously, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. try not to overthink it too much. that's more time you could be spending on the bike!
I agree that the Cross Check is a very good design. But permit me to be a bit of a grouch... it is NOT a new design, rather it is a CLASSIC design!! It is a classic touring bike frame.
I have a frame that is very similar, made around 1983 and almost as old as me: lugged steel, long chainstays, horizontal dropouts, canti bosses, rack bosses front and back, three sets of bottle bosses, downtube shifter bosses, and mine also has a really cool spare-spoke-holder on the right chainstay
So, kudos to Surly for resurrecting this fabulous design. In the 80s it would have been called a touring bike frame, these days it's more fashionable to call it a 'cross frame
. Hopefully more manufacturers will pick up on this design, and bring the price down, because $400 for the frame and fork is pretty steep.