Surly 'The Gravy Train' Cross Check

So after snapping 2x Canyon Ultimate CFs (and by the way my experience of their customer service is excellent so whatever) I am investing in a winter/touring/cross rig alongside my soon-to-be-replaced racing roadie.

Unfortunately I need said whip on short notice as I've entered the Battle on The Beach and am without steed in this key training period ahead of local a road race league. As such the current stock options with my LBS have lead to my acquisition of a 'Cuba Libre/Auburn' colourway. That's right, it's brown.

I'm willing to accept that a bike is more than its colour and that a measure of a cyclist is in his or her position in the pack rather than the machine upon which they administer pain, but I am at a loss as to how best to dress this beast for maximum visual impact.

For the moment she'll be gladly accepting my current spare road parts: a compact 6700 group, Ritchey cockpit, Fizik Finishing kit (in white), H-Plus Archetypes to DT-350s, and a blacked out Canyon VCLS post. The only omission to heritage and purpose will be a set of CR720 Cantis and appropriate hangers.

I'm looking for ideas for a evolving build. Examples or fretful biases are welcome also. In the meantime anyone who can provide a replacement sticker in matched lettering reading 'Gravy Train' please DM me.

It seems like you're embracing the brown, which is fair enough, but bear in mind the stock colour is powder-coat and a similar quality job will cost you <£40. I didn't like the idea of leaving my cross-check black so got it done in orange
Sounds like a nicely specced up build though, looking forward to seeing it finished!

Mini vees

...erm, did you know that 'Tangerine' is a standard colour now? Looks great IMO

+1 on the mini v's.
I do! Bought it second hand and then got it done. Left the fork black though.
^That's a lot nicer than mine though

I should spend some money on mine... It could look just like that...^^

To expand on my concise post earlier, I recommend mini vees instead of cantis. Reason: they actually work.

I would recommend you build it like mine, because that's what I would do/did...

Only don't use those levers, they suck.

Looks great, I'm def going for gum walls but probably something a little racier than Paselas, maybe Challenge Stradas.

Are those PDW mudguards with 28s rolling under them okay?

I'll be whacking my 6700 brifters on it but I won't be able to do DT shifter on a winter chaingang!

Those look like SKS Bluemels, not PDW's.

I have bluemels (53?) With 38mm paselas under

You and Ru both riding Crosschecks in the chaingang?

... Not if the Burtons are out. Come on up some time dude. We miss you!

Found this:

looks great, must have gum walls.

Okay so getting there, still need to pull the trigger on /very expensive/ tyre but here it is in CX setup which I ran at Battle on the Beach a few weeks ago:

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I see you've ditched the petulant pedals

Haha nah I still have them, this was before I switched em over. I'll be getting them back on for off road but I'll be rolling on Challenge Strada Biancha's on a road setup until that point.

Update on road setup (pics to come)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wsehql28r0taqz3/img_2512.jpg?dl=0

nearly there now, PDW mudguards and new 30mm Challenge Stradas which are rolling like I'm on glass. I've switched the pedals back to crank bros and got used to them (they're just a little tight when you first buy them). I've swapped out the seatpost for the VCLS2.0 post from Canyon which they accidentally gave me a few months back. Saddle will be getting swapped from a C13 carbon and the bars will be going ergo soon. I've swapped out the canti's for a set of CX9s which have all the stopping power.

Final changes to be made are going to be swithcing the Ritchey classic bars for my other Ritchy Logic II WCS bars, a 9sp Deore rear derailleur with a 12-32 cassette in the back (or a 1x Rival Group if I fix up my other Canyon), a Soma deluxe portuer front rack to accept my ILE rackbag and the aforementioned Brooks, carbon saddle.