fixedup

I'm thinking of saving up and buying a surly crosscheck as my geared everyday do everything bike to go along with my steamroller fixie. Me and my girlfriend are talking about doing a tour sometime at the beginning of next year and I was wondering how the crosscheck would do as a tourer. I was toying with the notion of maybe buying the long haul trucker but seeing as how i've never toured and dont know how often i would be I dunno if I need a super hardcore tourer like the trucker, unless it's a good everyday/do everything bike like the cross check. Anyways replies are needed and long live surly.

MrCjolsen

I'll let you know after next weekend.

fixedup

Please do, and nice cross check! They seem to be the most versatile bikes out there.

pasopia

I've had both, and I currently using the LHT. Both bikes make great touring bikes and all around bikes. I like the longer wheel base of the LHT and some of the other features it has, like front rack mounts. As far as I can tell I am just as fast on my LHT as I was on my cross check. I definitely didn't feel like I was on a tank when I started riding the LHT over the cross check. Test ride them both if you can, and get the one you like.

MrCjolsen

I've used my CC as a commuter for the last year, sometimes carrying some pretty hefty loads on it. I also rode Foxy's Fall Century last year and am doing it again this year.

This weekend I'm riding up to the campsite where my inlaws are driving to and camping with them. It's about 36 miles from the train station to the site. And about 4000' of climbing. I'm carrying my gear.

The only shortcoming the CC might have as a tourer is the lack of the braze on for a front rack. But front racks generally come with a clamp. Or you could see if Surly would put a LHT fork with the Crosscheck.

markw

The LHT has longer chain stays which give more clearance for panniers. If you're planning on throwing panniers on the bike, go with the LHT. It has all the attachment points for everything mid fork mounts, extra eyelets, spoke holder, and 3rd bottle boss on the bottom of the downtube. If you look at the geometry, you'll see that the LHT has a 7.6cm bb drop vs the 6.6cm drop of the crosscheck so it will be more stable. It also has 46cm chainstays vs the 42.5cm chainstays which gives you 1.3" more heel clearance for panniers. If you're going to tour, get the LHT, people haven't been raving about it, and it hasn't been selling out as a complete bike for no reason.

threeflys

Have you checked out the Bianchi Volpe? I in the same position, I'm torn right now between the CC and the Volpe. I thought I wanted a full on tourer until I rode a Randonee, Trek 520 and Volpe. The Randonee just didn't feel as responsive when I stood up to pedal or accelerate, I realize i'm not buying a race bike but I just liked the feel of the Volpe better right now. Hopefully, I'll get to ride a CC soon.
Chris

centexwoody 

There is some kind of difference between the ability of the LHT to take Fatties or superwide tires below a certain size...the CrossCheck does not have that limitation. Check the Surly website because a local rider who does not suffer height problems went with the Cross Check because he rides a 46 or 48 cm and that size LHT had a limit on tire width in that size.

Not that you are likely to tour on Fatties but just sayin...

martianone

I've done a couple week long trips with a CrossCheck,
mounted a rack and put on the largest Arkel pannier
i could fit, had to tweak it a little to prevent heel strike.
Also have 42-622 tires, probably larger than most run.
Had a handlebar bag on the front. The whole set up
worked pretty well. If I were on tour for weeks at a time,
would want a bike with front racks to help balance the load
and make packing/unpacking each day a little easier.
The CrossCheck was quite satisfactory for my travels.

threeflys

Just curious, as I'm going to buy a Brooks soon. Why would I or wouldn't I buy a Brooks with springs?
Pros/Cons?
Thanks,
Chris

Bekologist

...I just finished building up a Crosscheck today- Sweet ride!

fixedup

Post pics!! Im seriously leaning towards the cross check, although the bianchi velope (?) has caught my attention. And im still wondering about maybe the long haul trucker or a trek 520. But still the cross check is at the top of my list.

threeflys

fixedup,
You sound just like me! Sounds like we're in the exact same situation!

Bekologist

Allright, here's A crosscheck pic- I put flecco sidewall tires on it, and the flare up of the camera flash on the sidewalls kind of washes out the rest of the bike.

I've heard, anecdotally, that the Crosscheck doesn't make as good as a tourer as the LHT. Heard it last week from a couple that was touring from Vancouver Canada to San Fransisco. he was on a Crosscheck, and she was on the LHT.

The already mentioned issues of Heel strike, no front rack mounts, not as low of a bottom bracket, lack of the third waterbottle cage.

However, the Crosscheck is likely better than any bike that was ridden in 1976 for the Bikecentennial. If its' what you get, it will work fine.

the LHT is a very capable around town bike. it just depends on what you build it up with. One advantage of the Crosscheck is it the Gnotrite 132.5mm rear hub spacing that allows either road or mountain hubs.

Anyway, here's a Long Haul Trucker, a Trek 520, and the Crosscheck. I think they are ALL great bikes.

Crosscheck build- DA 10 speed barend shifters, Ultegra external BB triple crankset, Tiagra triple front derailluer, LX rear, 11-32 SRAM cassette, Sun Rhyno Lites, 700x35 marathon slicks, Brooks saddle, Shimano brake levers with BR-R500 cantilever brakes. I had some parts laying around, so decided to build er up!

I took it out this afternoon, rough riding over curbs and thru the dirt and grass and hills of a local park on the way home, and it is one sweet ride.

bokes

When i see XCheck vs. LHT threads, where people want 1 bike for everything including touring, I wonder why the Jamis Aurora isn't more popular. The geometry is right in the middle of the two. I don't own one, but it looks like the handling with a load would be a bit more steady than the XCheck (+ more heel clearance), and the handling a bit more zippier than the LHT.
I just built up a Gunnar Rock Tour, which has about the same compromise geometry as the Aurora, but with 26" wheels.

HardyWeinberg

In my case it was the stock gearing (high) and restriction to skinny tires that knocked the aurora out of the running.

I am unclear on how the small end of the LHT frame sizes could introduce a max wheel width issue like centexwoody mentioned. Could the geometry be tight enough that the rear wheel rubs the seat tube??? The angles change a lot as you move from the small end to the large end of their frames, and the changes are nonlinear since they switch from 26" wheels to 700c along the way. I have no problem with 26x2.0s and big fenders but I have the 54cm frame, which I think has the most clearance all around of all the LHT frames.

bokes

I didn't notice the high gearing on the Aurora. To me that would be an annoyance, but not a deal breaker. If your LBS really wants to sell you a bike, maybe you could arrange to have smaller chainrings installed without charge.
But I do think the Aurora has clearance for wide tires. Maybe some of you Aurora owners can chime in here..

hopperja

I've not done any touring on my Crosscheck, but I have had two full REI commuter panniers for a 35 mile RT commute and did not have any handling or heel-strike problems. I'm not worried about the front fork; if I want to add a front rack I'll use the Jandd Extreme Front Rack, which comes with clamps.

fat_bike_nut

Dang. Well, people have toured on their Cross-Checks before. There's tour journals at crazyguyonabike.com, for example:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p...ck&context=all
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p..._id=47126&v=38
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p...ck&context=all

There's more, because I remember seeing them before, but I can't seem to find 'em with the search function right now.

By the way, I did a test ride of a CC COMPLETE, and it was a very sweet ride

The only problem I had was that the handlebars on the complete were IMO set way too low for street riding. I felt nervous rolling on the street because the riding position was low enough to obscure my vision to the cars around me. Bah, that's why I'm getting a custom built Cross-Check

rustycool7

I've had a CC since '01 and have used it for everything.....40 mile round trip urban/rural commute, a 600K Brevet, and yes touring. I took it on an 8 day tour across VA/WV last summer. It performed briliantly and our tour included steep gravel chimbing/decents.

You can veiw pictures and read the entire story here: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...c_id=1706&v=2B

fixedup

Ok so I'm pretty much set now on the surly CC. I've looked at lots of options and taken all the advice given on these forums. This bike will be my everyday/do everything ride when im not riding my other surly ( steamroller fixed ). It just seems like the best compromise since i'd like to start doing some cyclocross style riding, do a little road, and now im planning a tour. Thanks for all the help.

KrisPistofferson

Just my 2 cents-I see a lot of these threads where the LHT gets counted out of being a do-all bike because it's intended as a dedicated tourer. Well, I have not had a problem with the LHT as a tourer, overnight bike camper, commuter, road bike and even mountain bike, depending on how much I mess with racks, fenders and tyres.

The Cross Check is a great bike, but don't sell the LHT short on versatility, especially if you're short enough for the 26" wheels-Mountain stuff is still very nicely priced in comparison to road/cyclocross stuff, and the question of durability isn't as pronounced.

Good Luck!

fixedup

Well I haven't FULLY counted out the LHT. I am in fact "short enough" for the 26" wheel version ( 54cm is small enough i think ). I mean I still have time to think about it as I have to save some cash before the purchase, I just like the horizontal drops over the vertical, but the LHT is still right behind the CC.

rustycool7

These people abviously beleive that the CC is worthy of a tour:

https://surlyville.net/

markw

The LHT has a spoke holder and eyelets for a 3rd bottle cage on the bottom of the downtube. Plus, Sage Green looks *****in' with a honey brooks. Oh wait, they got rid of that color. Check my sig for pics of an LHT.