diff

Hey, does anyone here have a surly cross check that uses it for commuting?

If so, can you tell me how you like it? Did you buy it complete, or build it up?

Looking for a different bike I can really beat on (jumping curbs/potholes, riding on any road no problem, etc) and take it anywhere I want. Surly cross check is looking very nice.

Thanks.

kludgefudge

Doesn't everyone on this forum own a cross check?

Thor29

I used to have one. The first one I bought as a complete bike. The 2nd one I built up from parts. They are great bikes and are very versatile. The only complaint I had was that if I ran road wheels with 130mm rear hub, the quick release couldn't hold the wheel in the frame tight enough and if I pedaled hard enough the wheel would move forward. It's not a problem if you use mountain hubs with 135mm spacing. I prefer to build my own bikes these days because I know what I like. The current complete Crosscheck is okay, but I hate cantilever brakes and I would prefer lower gears. If I bought the complete Crosscheck, I would swap the brakes and levers to V-brakes, and swap the rear derailleur to a Deore XT with 11-32 cassette. All that said, I like the Salsa Vaya better because of the disc brakes (I currently own a Salsa La Cruz which sort of replaced the Crosscheck).

Loose Chain

You can ruin anything, the "beat on" part is kind of scary.

Love my Cross Check, don't care for disc brakes so that makes the CC even better.

CliftonGK1

I have one I use for commuting and randonneuring.

I bought it as a complete and replaced parts over 3 years. Now it's got
- Thomson seatpost
- Profile Aris stem
- Sugino XD700 crank
- Deore rear derailleur
- Sun CR18 wheels on Ultegra rear/SON28 front
- Tektro CR720 brakes
- Velo Orange stainless fenders
- Velo Orange front rando rack with Berthoud GB28
- Bagman rear rack with Carradice Pendle

fixed1313

Have one and love it, used both on and off road. Built it up with close to complete bike specs, only changed out a few items. (4 year old specs, have not looked at the specs recently). Serves me very well. I have pics in the pic thread at the top of the page.

diff

Yeah, I don't mean beat on.

I don't weight much, like 155ish. So I can probably launch off curbs if I wanted to with my secteur. In my mind I think that a bigger tire would take the impact better than a skinny road tire. Along with the steel frame and fork I would have nothing to worry about.

It's a really nice bike. I'll probably get it complete and then make changes as I see fit.

Some nice fenders, probably a rack, nice headlights, SPD pedals with mtb boots for the winter/wet, and then normal shoes for the other days. Then sell my secteur, spd -sl pedals and shoes and try to recover what I can.

Just the thought of being able to throw some huge studded tires on it, and hitting the snow is awesome.

Thanks again.

EKW in DC

I have a Cross Check fork on my hybrid as an upgrade. Does that count?

larrabeee

I have two, both of which I built up myself. I mostly use the black one for commuting. The brown one is set up as a single speed and is mostly used for quick trips to the store and to pick up take-out food. If they can stand up to the potholed Los Angeles streets, they can probably handle just about anything.

HardyWeinberg

built up as FG w/ 135mm rear hub and v-brakes w/ dropbar levers. 45mm fenders in season (9-10 months of year) and tubus fly rack.

ps-> it's actually a traveller's check

stevenmonrad

Rode one at Missing Link in Berkeley, very nice for what you want. Pre-built has only two chain rings in front so no granny gear, but one could be added. They say.
Drop bars and bar end shifters nice, but very wide bar spread. Large diam wheels better for bumping streets and curbs.
Steel frame is nice, fairly light, standard tires just right for town, looks sturdy and also nicely anonymous in black in case you lock outside.
On my list to replace stolen Fuji cross from the '80's.

Andy_K 

This is mostly a function of your wheels. If you have strong wheels, you can jump curbs, etc. If you have weak wheels, you still can, but you'll need to repair your wheels a lot.

That said, the Cross Check is a really nice bike for commuting.

I built mine up from the frame. I started out getting it powder coated because I already had two black bikes and I hate the Beef Gravy Brown. I built it up as a fixed gear, borrowing most of the parts from a '77 Gitane conversion I had. Then I moved to a new house that sits atop a really steep hill, so to keep the Cross Check in regular commuting rotation, I gave it gears.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the parts spec on the Cross Check complete. It's more expensive to build it from parts, but you get a nicer result. I already had some decent wheels a chain and a cassette, and I found good deals on new 105 shifters, an FSA Gossamer CX crankset, an FSA Energy front derailleur and an Ultegra rear derailleur. I think I've got about $900 in it. If I had to buy everything, I could have probably built it for under $1400 or less.

jr59

I have one! I bought it complete. It was my first bike in 15+ years.

Looking back, I should have built it up.
It's OK out of the box, but the wheels, brakes and crank set are not as good as the rest of the bike.

All in all I like it alot. It's a big tank like bike that will take you almost anywhere you want it to go.

CliftonGK1

I found that the better option for wider gearing was to open it up in the back. A triple means needing to replace the bottom bracket and front derailleur, and if you're not replacing the stock cassette then you're not getting much of a low end with that 25t large cog.

I replaced the 36t stock inner ring with a 34t and dropped an 11 - 32 cassette on the back with the stock Tiagra mid-cage rd. You need to fiddle with the B-screw, but it fits.

Loose Chain

I don't think I would want a triple on the CC. It just is not in character, I don't see many cross bikes with triples, if you want a triple then take a look at the LHT.

Wide, swept, drop bars are typical on a cross bike much as wide flat bars are typical on a mtb, you need the leverage, the bars are actually comfortable and I have always like bar end shifters, in fact, still prefer them and these work just dandy.

If I built one from scratch I would go with Shimano crank and perhaps MA40 Mavic wheels as the wheel set that comes with it is sorta tank like but then they seem severely rugged too.

martianone

My crosscheck is set up as a 1x9 with 12-36 cassette and 44 t chainring.
A versatile & adaptive ride.
ps - in the 5 years I've had the crosscheck it has worn different 1x9 gearing
combinations, an albatross and drop handlebars and various sizes and types
of tires.

bluenote157

I have two. The first one I bought complete. It is my short commute/sunday ride/grocery getter/trail rambler. I replaced the following parts.

VO porteur bars
suntour sprint shifters on shimano bar end pods
VO fenders
Shiny silver Tektro CR720


The second one was the frame and bars. This one is my CX beater.

Removed the braze-cable guides, brazed on some triple guides up top and ran the rear derailleur cable down seat stay.
Left Cane creek lever
Right Campy Ergo
Black Tektro Oryx (rear)
Black Tektro CR720 (front)
Ultegra compact running single (haven't decided on 39 or 42??)
11-30 cassette
tiagra derailleur

I know you didn't ask. I'm just obsessed with my rides so I thought I'd list them..

HardyWeinberg

I shuffle tires a lot, 32-40-35

Andy_K 

I've got a triple on mine right now. I used it in a CX race this weekend and enjoyed riding up a hill past other riders who were taking it on foot due to their lack of a granny gear. Of course, I never touched the big ring, so I could set it up as a 39-30 double.

Having a triple on a CX bike makes it nice for centuries too.

MNRon

My wife is currently riding a CC (and actually likes the Beef Gravy Brown) for her 15 mile round-trip daily ride. We got it as the pre-built option as it was close enough and she has her Synapse for other rides. Full fenders, a rack and lights will get her well into the cold season.

biggaloot

I commute on a beef gravy brown CC, stock except for specialized armadillo tires, 14 miles r/t every day. To me it is sturdy awesomeness, and I can't imagine commuting on anything else.

aley

Are the factory braze-ons actually brazed on, so that you can heat them up and move them where you need them? Or are the TIG welded in place, so that you need to grind and file them off and replace them if you want them located differently?

FKMTB07

Recently built up a Doodoo brown C-Check. Mavic A719 36h rims, 105 front, LX rear hubs, Panaracer Pasela Touguard 700x32c tires, SKS P45 fenders, Sugino RD2 cranks, 45:17 single speed ratio, MKS touring pedals, Velo Orange Porteur bars, Axiom journey rear rack.

Great for commuting, running errands, pub crawls, bike picnics with the girlfriend, etc.

nelson249

I have a deep green 06 CC and use it for everything except commuting: I use my old Mongoose for that. However, I have now have an extended commute twice a week where I can bring the bike into my office and am seriously considering putting a rack on the CC. Mine was purchased as a complete bike and since I am a little on the heavy side I am thinking of upgunning the wheelset to something wider with a 36 spoke count before having the sucker loaded down.

Andy_K 

Aley's question reminded me, I forgot to post my favorite modifcation...



...a solid rear brake hanger.