I'm looking at these two bikes for the following riding:

A) Longish commuting (20+ miles each way) on a route of hardpack gravel and some semi-crappy roads

B) Light touring...2-3 days, light loads

I don't plan any full off-road riding. And although the Surly is a cross-bike, I won't be using it for cross-racing, I just thought it looked like it might be a good choice, then I found out about the Vaya.

Which of these are more likely to meet my needs. I definitely want drop bars. otherwise I'm pretty open regarding set-up. And if people think I really need to post this in "touring" to get additional input, let me know. I really can't afford two different bikes, so I need to find the best dual-purpose option.

THANKS!

I'd go with the Vaya. Its a good all-arounder with disk brakes. Its exactly the bike I was looking for last year when I ended up getting the Schwinn Super Sport DBX. You can do anything you want with it.

I'm not sure about the trend of using cross bikes as tourers. There are lots of pro's but the major con is the gearing. They are usually geared fairly high and not suitable for loaded touring. If you're terrain is flat and you know you can handle it that's one thing, but otherwise I'd go with more of a touring rig, which works well for commuting too (like the Surly Long Haul Trucker).

EDIT: I take it back, the Vaya is geared pretty low, almost a 1:1 ratio at the bottom end. That's probably good enough for light touring.

Gearing depends on the build. Since Surlys are frequently sold as framesets, you will find all sorts of different setups.

My CrossCheck came from a racer, so it came with a full-size road crank (52/42/30). This is a bit to tall from commuting and way to tall for loaded touring. On the other hand, most "stock" CrossChecks come with 48/39 chain rings, which is more like what you want for commuting/touring service.

Don't over generalize: look at each bike and see what sort of gear ratios it has available.

I don't like disc brakes, traditionalist and they are illegal in cross and road. I just don't get the disc thing really but that is off subject.

I just got a new Cross Check and love it. I got a prebuilt and like the component selections but I will upgrade the crank eventually to a Shimano compact with a 170mm length. The prebuilt comes with a 175mm crank. I already have three project bikes, needed something to ride now and it is a very nice build.

The Cross Check is a cyclocross bike but realizing it may not be competitive beyond beginner or intermediate levels due to it's 23 to 25.5 pound weight. Nonetheless it is a very nimble machine and sits more aggressive than some might think. What I mean is that it has a high bottom bracket, long top tube and low head tube. This naturally puts the bars down well below the saddle height more to a "racer" position than a "tourer" position. I notice that the Vaya clearly has a very high head tube which will produce a much more upright seating position without having to add spacers or different stems etc.

The Cross Check comes with the fork steering tube uncut and I left mine very long so that I can raise the bar way high or way low or between. My Cross Check has the saddle about four inches higher than the bar tops with the bars at my middle position. There is no way I could have the bars even with or higher than my saddle even if I wanted to and I don't. The riding position, is, however, much more upright than my classic Italian racers.

BTW, I ride a 56 Pinarello racer and I got a 54 Cross Check, the top tubes are the same length and the bikes fit and feel much the same, of course, as I said, the Cross Check is not as "racer-ish" and sits me a little more upright.

If you want a vertical or upright riding position get either a Surly Long Haul Trucker or the Vaya.

You might also want to consider the Salsa Casserroll, given the length of your commute. I think it's a little lighter; comes with reasonably high quality components. Still suitable for light touring, can take 32c tires w/fenders.

Cross Check without a doubt is my choice.

For me, it would come down to disc brakes. I use Avid BB7 on my Brodie Ocho and the stopping power is amazing. I get good -- but not great -- stopping power from by IRD Cafam cantilevers on my LHT. Discs are heavier and fussier to maintain but have better stopping power. I would also consider what happens if you have a disc brake problem -- could you get to an LBS or get a ride?

Do you ride in wet weather? Lots of hills? That would lead me to consider discs.

20+ miles each way is a long commute. If you do not need to stopping power of discs, I would look for the lightest bike that carried what I need. I would even consider something like the Jamis Xenith Endura, with a carbon frame, long reach brakes and mounts for fenders and a rack. Most hardcore commuters end up riding road bikes of some kind to keep the commute as quick as they can.

I lost 30 pounds since Christmas, my CC weighs 25 pounds, when I am done with it it will weigh maybe 22 pounds give or take. The CC is just a wonderful bike, it inspires confidence, it goes anywhere, it runs fast on the road and eats up gravel roads and trails and never feels twitchy nor sluggish. It just goes. Is it the right bike for the OP, beats me, I commute in a Jeep Wrangler and ride for fitness and fun. I live down a dirt road that required either a lift to the pavement with my racers or my Stumpie MTB, the CC laughs at my gravel drive, tears down the dirt road and runs fast enough on pavement to be fun.

FWIW I bought my cross check as Frame,Fork, Headset, Crank and Brakes for $250. I built it up exactly how i wanted it for a little under $500.

Hard to beat that price for an awesome bike

The frame is wicked comfortable, can fit HUGE knobby tires, has a bit of bottom bracket lift for better clearance and cantilevers work great.

Sheldon Brown prefers canti's for touring due to their ability to adjust mechanical advantage to compensate for increased weight.
they work just fine in wet conditions.
I know a guy who has been touring around the country for a year on his LHT and he is not a big fan of disc brakes due to the fact that once the disc gets bent you really don't have any options in terms of road-side repairs to get it home.

I did LOVE the Salsa Casseroll.