Originally Posted by timcupery
Hopefully you're getting the Strada for pretty cheap - it otherwise might be cheaper to just buy parts for the Cross Check frame. You might also look into the
Cross Check complete bike that Surly sells, already built-up.
All of the parts on the Novara will work on the Cross Check, except for the Novara has an integrated headset. (And if you want to sell the Novara frame anyway, you should just leave the headset in there even if it were compatible with the Cross Check.)
Cross Check has 132.5mm rear spacing and the Novara has 130mm, but 132.5 is designed to take either 130mm-spaced (road) hubs or 135mm-spaced (mtn) hubs, so you're fine there.
Actually, buying a complete bike to swap parts would be more economical then buying the parts individually. Trust me. Once I put my bike together last year, I looked at bikes and found that I could have saved a few hundred dollars going that route.
Trek930: The things that might not fit from one bike to another is the headset ($20 to $100 extra depending on quality), brakes (around $70 for a set), seatpost (as little as $25 to
) and, finally, the fork. This fork is for a road bike which little clearance and doesn't have cantilever mounts. Why use mixed brakes? If you want a cross bike, get a cross bike to swap parts from. You'll have clearance for wider tires and fenders.
You might be further ahead to look at either the complete Cross Check or look at the Novara Element or the Novara Randonee. Both are good bikes for commuting. The Randonee would even be a good donor bike if you already have the Cross Check.