Absenth

It shouldn't be a secret by now I've got a 26 year old Trek 520 that I use to commute to work with I genuinely enjoy riding it to and from the office for the most part.

I want to continue commuting year round, which on my route means I'm likely to have to deal with some snow and ice from time to time. Since nobody makes 27" studded tires, and I'll admit the 520 has a couple of faults. I'm looking at getting another bike to go along side the 520.

Currently I'm looking at the Surly Crosscheck because it's steel, it has more mounting points than my vintage 520 for fenders/racks/bottles. And it's a cyclocross frame that can take 700c / (up to 45) tires. The other bike I'm looking at is the Felt F95X. It will hold a rack and fenders, as well as two bottle cages, takes 700c by (lots of sizes) tires as well.

The two bikes (looking at the complete surly, and not just a frameset) are within about a hundred dollars of each other MSRP. I have an LBS that carries both brands.


I guess the questions I have for the group are. Would you make the jump to a new Cyclocross bike, or would you spend the ~ $1000 doing something crazy like putting a SRAM Apex group on the 520, and modifying it to function with 700c wheels?

Also if you chose to leave the vintage bike vintage, and add a cross bike to the rack. What features would you be looking for in primarily a commuter, on a route with some not terribly steep rolling hills. Who really wants to start doing 3-500 miles a month?

The other option I suppose is to go the completely opposite direction, troll Craigs List for a deal on a light and fast road bike, and use that for training / weekend riding, and use the 520 on whatever days are unlikely to require knobby or studded tires. (meaning very little riding for four months out of the year )

Absenth

I was also meaning to ask anyone who's ridden both a touring bike and a cyclocross bike. How much, if any, faster are the cross bikes?

10 Wheels

None

aley

I'm a fan of the Crosscheck - two coworkers have them, and they're rather nice. I don't know much about the Felt, so I can't say if it's nicer than the Surly, but I will say that for commuting you won't go wrong with a Crosscheck.

I would buy a second bike before dropping that kind of money into upgrades on the 520. Part of that is purely practical - it's nice to have a spare bike, so when you grab one in the morning and discover a flat tire, you can just jump on the other. It also sounds like it'll be better suited for your winter riding conditions, even if you were to upgrade the 520 to 700C wheels. And part of it is visceral - it's fun to have a new bike.

tjspiel

If it were me and I were getting a new bike that I was contemplating riding on salty streets, I would opt for aluminum over steel. I've only used steel bikes for winter commuting and while you can stave off rust quite a bit with proper care and frequent cleaning, eventually the paint is gonna chip on something with an edge like a bb shell and you'll start to have some issues. Mostly it's a cosmetic thing but I like my new bikes to stay looking like new.

All the winter bikes I've used so far have been older steel rigs that I spent little or no money on. I don't want them to rust but it's not the end of the world if they do.

VeloGary

I use a Cannondale Cyclocross 5 to commute twice a week. This bike now has 23c Ultra Gator-skins tires on it but I also have a set of wheels with 32c Kendra 8's on them for fall/ winter. The aluminum frame rides great, no rust and is much lighter than my old Giant Cypress DX. I get to work and home about 10 minutes faster on the Cannondale than the Giant. It is probably just the weight difference. The Cannondale weighs 20 lbs. and the Giant weighs 38 lbs. My daily commute is 37 miles total.

EKW in DC

Re: Questions about jumping from a Touring bike to a Cyclocross bike

Do it very carefully. I hear it's painful if you fall while doing it.

NoSho

How about another incomplete reply to your question?

I ride a cyclocross bike as my main commuter now, a Specialized TriCross Comp. It's aluminum with carbon stays and fork. My other commuter is a hybrid style, not a touring bike, so I can't speak to the comparison. The cross bike is much faster than the hybrid, that's for sure. In my opinion, cross bikes are where it's at for commuting.

When I was shopping for my new bike, I looked at the Felt and I thought it looked really good. LBS said they hadn't sold many yet so couldn't tell me much long term about it. Of course lots of folks like the Surly.

My 2c

NoSho

prathmann

How much trouble would it be to switch the 520 over to 700c? In many cases the brakes have enough adjustment room (or just need a little filing of the pad mounting slot) and in that case all you need are new rims and spokes. Rims wear out eventually anyway - so replacing those might not even be an extra cost. If the conversion to 700c would be pretty easy then I'd do that regardless of buying a second bike.

But I agree that it's good to have a second bike anyway as a backup and you might as well get the extra versatility of having the bikes have different characteristics.

BTW, I used to create my own studded tires by sticking thumbtacks through from the inside and cutting off the points so they just slightly protruded from the tread. The heads of the tacks were pretty smooth and a tire liner provided additional protection for the tube.

ClarkinHawaii

I love ideas like this!

modernjess

I don't know about the Felt, But I honestly don't think you cant go wrong with the crosscheck. I ride mine year round, and love it dearly.

I have 2 very minor gripes about the cross check,
1 - It's flexy in that nice steel frame way which makes for a comfy every day ride, which is how I use it. But it can be frustrating if you really want to put the power down. It makes my road bike feel like a rocket.
2 - It's does everything and I have everything for it. I've got a few different set ups for it , SS, IGH, 9 Spd, different bars, winter and summer set ups etc. I need a new project bike to keep my bike jones happy.

exile

Ride both and see which one you like better. Plus, nothing beats that new bike feeling.

CCrew

I disagree.

My cross bike is better behaved and much more precise. The CrossCheck while a nice steel ride, is a bit noodley for my tastes. I ride a Fuji Cross Pro, and have a new generation 520. The Fuji is much faster - and if I pull the 32mm Ritchey SpeedMax tires off of it and put 23's on it it's nearly as fast as my road bikes. The 520 I'd compare to a hybrid for speed. It's about the bike.

Now heavy loaded? The 520 wins hands down.

There seems to be a "if it isn't Surly it doesn't make the radar" bent around here and they're not the only bikes out there. Go ride something like a Ridley Crossbow and tell me there's no difference to a touring bike.

10 Wheels

They would both be slow with me riding them.

CCrew

LOL. Sounds like a statement I'd make. I've actually toyed with the idea of selling my full carbon road bike simply because I can't do it justice.

Especially when my 18yo son gets on it and cranks 27mph average on a group ride

waynesworld

While I like Felt bikes, I don't particularly care for that color on the 95. It also seems a bit much to pay for sora brifters, when a Kona Jake has Tiagra brifters and front der., and is ~$100 cheaper. That is, if you have a Kona dealer nearby. (I might be a little partial though. I want a Jake myself.)

Also, doesn't the Surly have bar end shifters? Everyone says they are wonderful, versatile bikes, and I'm sure that's true, but they do seem expensive for a bike that doesn't even have brifters. At least to me.

I'm also not certain how big a tire, with fender, you can run on any of these. Though I do read that the Surly can fit crazy big meats.

gerv 

I can't see buying a Cross Check for winter commuting. It seems a shame to submit such a lovely machine to snow and salt. I'd get an old hard tail MTB for my winter machine.... something that might be a little more disposable after a few winters.

uberfarben

I commute on a Kona Jake the Snake. I put 23c tires on it and it's fast. It is very responsive making dodging potholes fun and easy. The Mavic Aksium wheels are very sturdy and the Shimano 105 set is smooth. Before the Kona I was riding a Raleigh steel hybrid. The hybrid was ok but definitely slower and less responsive.

Absenth

I had to leave work earlier than normal today to stay around 40 hours. And I had liquidated a bunch of things I didn't need with the intent of buying a new ride.
Went to the LBS, and spent a solid two hours there. Looked at the Jamis Aurora, Jamis Coda Comp, Surly Crosscheck, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Felt Z85, Giant Defy 3, and a Giant React?

After really looking at how I plan on using the bike, I narrowed it down to the Aurora, Crosscheck, and LHT. Road all three of those, and left with the bike I thought I was least likely to purchase. The Long Haul Trucker.

It feels like my 26 year old 520, with each of my gripes fixed. The Aurora was a neat bicycle, that feelt flimsy after riding the LHT. In any case I don't think I'll be winning any races on it. But it sure is a nice riding machine. I can always buy the Felt Z85 next summer

10 Wheels

You did good.

jeffpoulin

Nice choice. I use a touring bike as a commuter too (an aluminum Cannondale), and while it's not carbon road bike fast, it's not mountain bike slow either. For me, the ideal commuting bike is a mix of "fast enough", "stands up to abuse", "versatile", "comfortable", and "doesn't look too ugly". If you found the right combination for you, then congrats!

aley

Congratulations on your new bike! As an Aurora owner, I can say that the Aurora is not at all flimsy, although I do agree that it's got more flex than the LHT, which as far as I can tell is designed more for the very heavy loads of all-up touring than the Aurora. Either is a fine bike, and if you bought the one you prefer, then you did well.

I'm curious about your perceptions of the Crosscheck versus the LHT. What did you like about each? What did you dislike? What made you decide on the LHT over the CC?

Absenth

It's going to seem silly, but my least expensive piece of commuting gear made the decision for me. My Panniers are big. They may not be full, self supported tour big, but they easily held a 15" MacBook Pro, 11.6" Netbook, pants, shirt, shoes, socks, the other side (second pannier). My tools, lock, etc.....

The shorter chainstays on the Crosscheck were what scared me. Giant(ish) bag with shorter stays I figured I'd be into my bags while riding. I actually really liked the feel of the crosscheck, and will likely end up purchasing one down the road as well. Since both the CC and LHT are equipped with mountain bike parts, and were within ~ $25 of eachother I actually think the LHT is a better deal as the parts it's equipped with are a little higher grade.

All in all, I can't wait for Monday to get here. I'm off work, wife and daughter will both be gone. I'm going on a long ride

exile

Buying a new bike is about compromises sometimes. That's why some of us have more than one (n+1). If you feel you made the right decision than cheers to you. My decision making process took many months (and test rides on different bikes) before I decided on the LHT.

dcrowell

Congrats! The LHT is a great bike. If the garish lettering starts to bother you, just go to a car wash. The high pressure sprayed mine right off.

As an aside, I'm still over 200 lbs, and people at work know that I bicycle for weight loss. The "Fatties Fit Fine" on the chainstays provided hours of amusement for some of them.