Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
I picked up a Cross-Check late last year. Longest ride I've done on it so far is only 80 miles, though. That said:
CC is very comfortable, very solid, very stable. It's excellent for rough surfaces. The crankset is quite versatile -- you can set it up as a compact double or a triple; LBS set it up for me as a a triple at no charge. Tons of room for fenders and wide tires. The components are good, and you can always upgrade them as they wear out. The bike climbs fairly well IMO.
The only issues I've had so far are:
- CC is a little bit slower than a true road bike -- to be specific, it seems like it's harder to go above 17-18mph on the flats, even with 25c slicks. (I don't expect this to be a problem for LD, only for fast group rides.)
- the extra BB height feels a little odd at first.
- sizing is weird: you should probably go for a CC that's 2cm smaller than you normally use. The higher BB throws things off.
- not 100% thrilled with using bar-end shifters and a triple.
I bought a X-Check complete at the beginning of the year and I'll agree with just about everything listed above. Aside from being my distance bike, it's my commuter, so it sees every-day abuse and I can attest to its toughness. (24mi r/t commute, nothing longer than 80mi on it so far, though.)
If you want a bike that's comfortable on rough roads and can take wide tires and fenders, the X-Check is a good choice. I haven't noticed much of a problem maintaining speed on it, but I also ride 28mm tires and I'm not topping much over a 17mph average anyhow. The stock DA-16 rims are heavier, but they're pretty strong for a 32h rim. I'm 235 pounds and ride some very choppy sections of road on a daily basis, and these wheels have held true for me.
I've got a compact double up front, and the bar end shifters don't present any problems to me. My only issue is the stock brakes. The Tektro Oryx canti's are a bit on the weak side (if you're a big guy riding a lot of hills), so I'm replacing them.