Review: Surly CrossCheck "Complete"

[KnottedYet]

It's official, Crow Carmelita Cross Check is now a bone fide member of the family: she's got my underwear hanging on her bars to dry.

[pooks]

And she's steel, right?

How do your tires compare to Armadillos?

Maybe I need to test ride some crosses. I know where they sell Surleys, I think!

[KnottedYet]

Yup, she's all steel! (I hang my underwear on the aluminum bars, no fear!)

I don't know how Randonneurs compare to Armadillos. I've never used Armadillos.

If you can test ride a Surly Cross Check, please do! The geometry is just grand (for me) even though I need to get the bars up about 1 1/2 inches for complete happiness. (rode 45 miles with the bars "too low" and it was still grand!)

Surly Long Haul Truckers are supposed to be fab-o, too. I loved the Cross Check so much that I had to have her, didn't even wait for my LBS to get a Long Haul Trucker in for me to test ride. If there's a LHT at your LBS, give that a try, too. Trek420 is thinking of getting a Surly LHT. (that would be her 4th steel bike in her stable... but who's counting?)

[eofelis]

Yup, she's all steel!
Surly Long Haul Truckers are supposed to be fab-o, too. I loved the Cross Check so much that I had to have her, didn't even wait for my LBS to get a Long Haul Trucker in for me to test ride. If there's a LHT at your LBS, give that a try, too. Trek420 is thinking of getting a Surly LHT. (that would be her 4th steel bike in her stable... but who's counting?)

I sure love my LHT, and my Pacer is pretty darn sweet too. I recently did the Little Red Riding Hood 100 ride in Utah on the Pacer and it was a great ride right to the end.

I have 4 steel bikes too and I love 'em!

[KnottedYet]

Into the Belly of the Beast: shopping at Costco with my Surly Cross Check.

Ok, she looks a bit different than she did a year ago. Now with a triple, moustache bars, and Ortliebs. Oh, and "mud flap girlie" mud flaps, and heart spokees. And Crank Bro 50/50 BMX pedals. And probably a couple other things I forgot already.


Costco was fun. They have a wimpy old slot-style bike rack, which you can only use sideways or at the ends. I'll probably ask them if they'd consider another style of rack. There are often bikes locked to signposts and the "smoker's shelter", so a more functional rack really would come in handy.

I loaded my panniers into a cart, and bravely ventured forth! Costco on a weekend is a frightening place. I was grateful for my helmet and my day-glo vest. Scary people being aggressive with scary large carts full of stuff and wielding far too much momentum with their "shoppers' rage." And my glasses mirror was very handy for watching those folks who like to ram you in the butt with their carts. (why are they almost always short women in their 60's?)

Bought my stuff, took the cart out to the bike rack, and loaded the panniers and the bike. I could have bought the 3-pack of Oregon Chai after all, there was still room in one pannier. But I wasn't going *back* in there!

The CC handled the weight surprisingly well. No squirrelly steering or awkwardness at all. Steady as she goes, and spry as always. I've carried stuff in both panniers before (usually I use one) but this is the most stuff I've ever carried.

The moustache bars might have helped with the steadiness, I don't know. I'm just loving those bars, let me tell you! Folks talk about how a good saddle "disappears" and I think the same thing happens with good bars.

[twin]

a Crosscheck in light grey...Surly number two...After reading your review who could refuse a Crosscheck?

[Blueberry]

Twin -

You know you have to post pictures now

Love my cross check too

CA