anyother bikes like the surly crosscheck?

So like most of you ladies, i'm on the short side at 5'0/5'1. I've been trying to find a bike that i could still ride decently fast on, not feel like i'm about to hit my chin on the concrete like on my current ride, but still be great for communting.

i'm really into the cross check's versatility [ the horizonal drop outs, the wide chainstays, fender/rack mounts ] however, i'm not into the weight or the color choices and i'm not sure i want to spend an extra 200 on powdercoating. not to mention i'll probably be using this as my main transportation so i'm trying stay away from anything toooo expensive [ incase something happens. ]

i came across the pake c'mute, but it doesn't come small enough. :( nor does the salsa cassaroll.

anyone know of any other options?

for those of you with crosschecks, is the weight really that bad?

The Cross-Check's geometry doesn't work for me, so I'm now considering a Soma Double-Cross. Don't know if that will work for you, though, if weight's an issue. It probably weighs about the same a the Cross-Check.

The Specialized TriCross is also a great do-anything bike. My current ride is a 2006 TriCross and they now make much smaller frame sizes than when I bought mine.

What kind of terrain/distance are you looking at for your commute?

It might be worth your while to check out some of the folding bike threads. I'm about the same height as you and when I had a commute I was on my folder. The low stepover of the design was great not only because of my short inseam but also because I had been working through a back/hip injury that made getting on my regular bike a bit awkward.

Bonus: I could stash the bike under my desk, as my office did not provide a secure place for bicycles during the work day.

I've never noticed my Cross Check to be heavy. It's certainly not appreciably heavier than my Waterford X-12 or my Giant RS940.

(it is quite a bit lighter than my Kona Smoke, but that's comparing apples and oranges)

My Cross Check is my commuter. My commute is 42 miles, and while I've wished for many things on that commute, a lighter bike isn't one of them!

If the Cross Check doesn't feel right, try the Soma Double Cross and the Jamis Aurora. Lots of people on here like the Aurora, and I came close to buying one myself.

Bianchi Volpe goes down to 44 cm.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/10-bicycle.../10-volpe.html

It's a steel bike, kind of a tourer (they used to market it in the CX line, but it really wasn't, and they seem to be marketing it more as a tourer/all purpose bike now). It's not especially light, but there are a few peeps on TE who have Volpes and like them.

I am building a Soma Doublecross now, and it looks like a great bike! The welds are done very well, and you can build with it whatever budget you may have. Check on the their website and see if the specs are close to what you need, and if you should need help again, check here with your questions.

Have fun in your quest!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ridebikeme

I am building a Soma Doublecross now, and it looks like a great bike!

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I'm gonna want to see pictures of that, please :D Did you get the regular frame, or the one spec'd for disc brakes? I love the color of the latter.

The model that my supplier carries is not set up for disc brakes, although perhaps there is one out there?

The frame color is black, so again, I know there are different colors. I am building this as a touring bike, so will be adding fenders and racks from Old Man Mountain. I am building wheels for it and right now can't decide on what hubs I want to use... so that's why it isn't finished.:p At any rate, I will post pics once I'm finished.

Sounds like you got their "traditional" frame. This is the other one: http://www.somafab.com/doublecrossdcpix.html

I'd be happy with either one, but that silvery plum is very cool.

I've seen the midnight silver, and it is beautiful in person. My DH is building one up too - but the traditional frame, so black. Hopefully the frame will be here this week.

ETA - DRAT!! They can't order it - the distributor is out (there's a color change coming...)

I have a Cross Check and am always surprised at how light it is, but this is compared to my vintage Motobecane which weighs quite a bit. I love my CC though, its my dream bike and makes me excited to go to class every day. However, I'm really tall so I'm not sure the weight or size of mine would relate. I am really happy with my purchase though and tell my partner every day how much in love with my bike I am. He just shakes his head.

so looks like im going with the crosscheck because its the one that seems to fit my needs best!

and i just asked a friend who works for a small super high end bike company about used parts, and hes selling me some campy centaur from demo bikes that are barely used, in the budget of what a complete crosscheck costs. i'm stoooked. :) [ i wanted at least 105 on my bike. ] and i'm okay with barely used parts. :)

ill post about this build up! i'm excited.

oh and a big reason i wasnt into the Soma although i like soma bikes, is because i wanted horizontal dropouts!

I just took a look at the Pake C'mute and it looks pretty cool. Anyone here familiar with their products?