spierce7

https://www.rei.com/product/806824/su...heck-bike-2012

vs

https://www.rei.com/product/825675/ma...bard-bike-2012

I'm about to pull the trigger on one of these. Which would you buy and why? Both have specs on links I just posted. Or if you strongly feel another bike in the same price range, please make it known, and why over these 2 bikes.

when

I had the Lombard before a woman squashed it.

Crosscheck doesn't have a triple chainring, Lombard does.

The Lyra disc brakes are not terrible but require some fiddling. They aren't nearly as nice as Avid BB7s to align and adjust.

Surly fits up to 42mm tires with fenders, Marin max was also 42mm.

Sora brifters vs. barcons is a personal choice.

Marin's Al frame/carbon fork vs. Surly's all steel is a wash.

Surly is liked more by hipsters.

I say get the Marin and put on Avid BB7 brakes.

Another alternative is the Bikesdirect.com Zilla 29er Monstercross for $499 and put BB7s on it.

A cheap alternative to BB7s is to simply use the Lyras but buy a set of Caliper Positioning System bolts from Avid and use them with the Lyras.

Andy_K 

I'd go with the Cannondale CAADX 6: https://www.rei.com/product/827847/ca...dx-6-bike-2012.

I'm inferring from your question that you're looking to use your REI member discount for a CX-ish bike for all-around use, presumably with a focus on commuting.

I like the Cross Check and actually own one. The thing is, the geometry isn't right for the style of riding that most people seem to do on a Cross Check. The top tube is too long and the head tube is too short. If you actually want a bike where you'll be stretched out and low over the handlebars, then get the Cross Check. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a more comfortable setup, I'd suggest you look elsewhere (unless you are entertaining thoughts of building it up as a singlespeed or IGH some day). You can make the Cross Check comfortable, but the geometry is working against you. The geometry wants you to prefer an aggressive setup.

The Lombard is just kind of meh. I like the fact that it has disc brakes, but the particular brakes that it has are not that great. I'd rather have rim brakes than sub-par mechanical disc brakes. The other components are likewise uninspiring. If you test ride it and it feels great, then I guess that it wouldn't be a bad bike, but nothing about it says "buy me."

I've never ridden the CAADX, but it looks very nice. The geometry is very similar to my Kona Jake, which I love. It's got a BB30 bottom bracket, which you could actually use with a Beer Components adapter to go single speed or IGH in the future. The carbon-ish fork should give you a fairly smooth ride. I really like the Tiagra components.

hubcap

The REI member 20% off coupon won't apply to non-Novara bikes. (if that is the discount you were referring to)

Andy_K 

Oh yeah, I forgot about that.

In that case: https://konaworld.com/cx.cfm?content=jake

spierce7

What do you mean by this?

What happened to the Canondale? Could you help me understand why you are saying this bikes over the others? I really don't know much about Bicycle components. I noticed that the Jake is an all aluminum ride? Doesn't that mean it's going to be really rough?

I also don't mind the fact that the Surly Cross-check might have an aggressive position. I might actually like that. I really want a bike with decent components that I can upgrade should I need to. I also like being able to add disk brakes (even though I probably don't need them).

While I'm not all about the REI discount you mentioned, I do like being able to return it easily if I realize that I don't like the bike. I <3 REI, even though I've never really returned anything to them.

Andy_K 

I just really like the Jake. It's really very similar to the Cannondale. I think the wheels on the Jake are better, but the fork on the Cannondale is better. My Jake is an older model and has a steel fork and aluminum frame, but it doesn't ride rough at all. A lot of the supposed harshness of an aluminum bike (if not all) can be alleviated with proper frame design. Wide tires make a much bigger difference than frame material.

If at all possible, try to ride several of these bikes. One of them will probably stand out for you as the clear winner.

Schwinnrider

I would choose the tried and true Cross-Check. It's not a perennial favorite for nothing, you know. It wins on versatility. But if you want discs, I guess you have to go with the Marin. Unless you want to choose the Long Haul Trucker with discs...

eofelis 

This bike is the same frame as the Cross Check
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...fantom_cxx.htm
Very nice spec of Sram Apex for $799 shipped.

Mine got me nicely to and from work today.

fuzz2050

The Crosscheck does have a triple, it just has two chain-rings. All it takes is an inner chain-ring and a set of bolts and you have a triple.

They are all good choices, and at that point where subjective preferences overwhelm objective ones. The Crosscheck has nicer wheels. They are often the first component (or set of components) to go, and one of the more expensive ones to replace, so a nice wheelset is a good thing in my book.

modernjess

I have a cross check. That's my answer.

beebe

There's no right pick, it's pretty subjective between those two. I did pick the Cross Check when I was buying, but I also got a nice set of wheels and a Sram drivetrain in the deal, too. If I was choosing stock...who knows?

spierce7

The big thing I don't like about the Surly is the gear shifters at the handlebar. I actually really like the shifter that I see on the https://konaworld.com/cx.cfm?content=jake . How hard would it be to buy a shifter and swap it on? I also don't like that you can't put disc brakes on it. I might deal with that though.

Schwinnrider

You would be surprised how quickly you get used to bar end shifters. Plus, I find the aero brake levers more comfortable, because they're slightly thinner.

boffenbec

go steel.

4st7lbs

I just bought a Cross Check last week and after a couple of days of riding I got used to the end bar shifters. It's a big change from the thumb shifters I had on my old mountain bike, but you get used to it pretty quick. I tried out a Bianchi Volpe that had the brake lever shift and didn't care for them at all. One thing I've noticed is that I typically skip a gear when I'm shifting but that's mostly because I'm commuting in heavy DC traffic for some of my ride.

puckett129

+1

I have a Cross Check which I built up with SRAM Apex, which makes it the same as this bike... minus the stickers, which you could get for $15 if you need the street cred. I haven't read a bad thing about this bike anywhere. My build was still over $1,000 which means by buying this you'd be at least $200 ahead. I love my CC, but if I had to do it over...

4st7lbs

Definitely. The only reason I pulled the trigger on the Cross Check is because I got it on sale for less than a $1,000.

peterw_diy

Only significant difference I've noticed in the pics is the Motobecane routes the rear brake cable under the top tube -- worse if you ever shoulder the bike (as you would if racing cyclocross), but better for general commuting (no worries about having to decide between lubing the cable and keeping your pants clean).

I wish Surly offered the Disc Trucker when I bought my CC last year -- my commute has lots of starting & stopping, so I'd prefer to have disc brakes. With the DT's lower BB, I could go up a size and reduce toe clip overlap. With the longer stays, less trouble with heel strike.

As for frame & fork materials, think about where you'll lock the bike. Scratches on a steel frame are no big deal, but a nasty scratch on a carbon fork can lead to catastrophic failure.

cyccommute 

The biggest problem I see with the Lombard is the lack of rack mounts on the rear. The Cannondale and the Crosscheck have mounts for racks and fenders if that's important to you.

ryanwood

The stock UN53 bb is not wide enough to run a third chain ring. If you want to convert the stock double to a triple, it will mean replacing the bottom bracket.

when

Oh no! Mine had the mounts, why on earth would they get rid of them?

In that case I recommend the Zilla from Bikesdirect with either BB7s or replacement bolts for the Lyras.

ThermionicScott 

Just out of curiosity, how tight of a squeeze would it be if you just swapped on a triple crank?

I ask because triples usually space things outboard by a couple mm, and you could mess up the chainline for the outer two gears if you moved to too wide of a BB.

- Scott

Andy_K 

It's not technically difficult to switch out the brake levers, but it's expensive. The STI's like you see on the Jake run about $300. You can get Microshift brand levers for under $200, I think.

I put a disc brake on the front of my Jake by switching out the fork, but that's also expensive. Even if you get a frame and fork that support discs, it isn't cheap to convert from rim brakes because you need new wheels.

In both cases it's probably best to get a bike that has what you want out of the box.

Have you seen the Redline Metro Classic?
https://www.redlinebicycles.com/bikes...-metro-classic

zoltani

I'd be tempted to get a novara randonnee from REI with the 20% coupon, but I guess it depends on what you want to do with the bike.

https://www.rei.com/product/816068/no...onee-bike-2012