Hello,

My name is Lonny and I live in Texas. I'm 56 years old. As a child growing up we would build bikes from pieces here and there, I will say they were all the old 20" single speeds. And they all came out pretty nice.

I joined this forum because I'd like to get/build a single speed bike. I'm going to need some advice from some folks here. My thinking so far is this....

I' leaning strongly toward Surly cross check. I' thinking if I order a single speed cross check complete that some of the components if not all might be on the cheaper end. If I bought just the frame maybe I could get some guidance from some of you on the middle of the road components.

Am I thinking right?

Best,
Lonny

Actually, the components on the Crosscheck SS are all decent quality, and it's always cheaper to buy a complete bike and then change or upgrade any components as desired. Probably the only issue if you ride it on the road is that the stock gearing is very low for offroad riding, and you will probably want to gear up.

Cross-Check SS | Bikes | Surly Bikes

Yeah, going down that item list, most of those items look decent. Even the "no-name" stuff (that you may not have heard of) like Kalloy are good stems/seat posts. They might not be the fanciest/lightest setup but you'll definitely get many years out of them. Usually complete bikes have a lot small items they try to cheap out on....like headsets, bottom brackets, etc.. but that bike actually has good stuff for that price range.

Only thing you may want to immediately upgrade is the seat but that's mainly a personal choice...it may feel comfortable to you, it may not. What feels comfortable to one person can feel like a rock to another.

I would definitely go with the complete. Since you haven't spent a lot of time riding, it will give you a good base to figure out what works for you. Friends of mine have gone into bike buying with the same intentions and ended up keeping 95%+ of the stock components.

Is there an online place to order Surly that you guys trust? My local bike shop is a bit flaky and they seem to only want to push trek and specialized bikes.

What about just going to a different dealer? Any on here that are closer to you? I believe the top section is for the premier dealers.
Texas, America | Dealers | Surly Bikes

This shop in Austin has both the 2014 and 2015 models. Not sure how close you are. It might be worth the trip so they can measure you and make sure you get the correct frame size. Plus you can try on helmets, sit on different saddles, etc.. in case you want to do any upgrades/additional items.

Not sure exactly why the 2014 version is more expensive than the 2015...you'll just have to compare the two.
Surly Cross Check SS - Trinity Bicycles
Surly Cross Check SS - Trinity Bicycles

THAT shop is in Fort Worth, actually

Fort Worth is about 6 hours from me. Thanks for the information. I guess most folks just get them at the bike shop and not online.

I bought mine from JensonUSA.com , though they don't appear to sell Surly anymore. If you don't insist on a test ride beforehand, almost any shop with a QBP account can probably order a Cross Check for you.

Literally any bike shop with a QBP account (which most shops can't exist without having) can order you a Surly.