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@arekey
I've been a long time lurker who has spent a lot of time looking at the projects here, but hasn't contributed much myself yet. As I enjoy reading about, and building bikes, as much as I like to ride them, my Surly Cross-Check have gone through a lot of rebuilds the five years I've owned it.
Lately, I've been playing around with the idea of converting it from a drop bar gravel-grinder-ish bike to a flat bar light tourer inspired by t0-ster's fabulous Titanium Adventure Bike. Though, as I also want a drop bar gravel bike, I have been a bit hesitant to actually do the conversion with my only capable bike. At least until I stumbled upon a quite cheap Genesis CdA framset (cheap for my country, at least) in a nice baby blue colour. Since DBAD and steel is real I decided to bring it home:
As I just have graduated from university and haven't got a job yet, I'm close to being broke. The progress will probably be a bit slow until I start to earn some real cash, but the plans are by now: Build up the CdA as a "road plus" bike with 650b wheels and 47 mm WTB Horizons. Probably with drivetrain from the Cross-Check, but if I manage to find something really cheap or get a job quite soon, a new drivetrain with brifters (haven't decided if I want SRAM 1x10 or Shimano 2x10 sub-compact then). If the drivetrain moves over to the CdA, the Cross-Check might get a cost-effective 1x9 drivetrain (but I really like the 11-42 10-speed cassette it have now). It will also get some DIY handlebars emulating Jones, Alpkit, Velo Orange Crazy Bars and so on. Fenders and a dynamo front wheel could also be cool, making it even more functional.