Surly Cross Check

Nice one, enjoy the ride!

Straight to anti

sorry

This whole project has been textbook in its style and nippy execution. The cost table is a great idea too.

Bike looks great, but what's with the stargazing brake levers/bars? More comfortable?

Thanks, here's the final count

I'm still just playing with the set up.

DISCLAIMER: DON'T LISTEN TO ME I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M ON ABOUT

I've been following this closely because I'm also looking to build up a Cross Check and I reckon that this is probably the opposite of how I would have done mine. I saw that glib "Straight into anti" post above and thought WAC but then I kind of saw what he meant, even if he could have expressed it a bit better. I don't like the way people dismiss bikes in the anti thread but one of the frequent criticisms of bikes is that they have expensive but mismatched parts.

I wouldn't say they're mismatched particularly but I think the bike needs something to pull it together. Ordinarily I'd not be bothered but you've spent a lot of money and it still looks like a load of parts rather than a coherent machine. I'd get rid of the yellow bar tape, replace it with brown or leather to match the saddle. I'd try and get the stem and bars horizontal so you've not got stargazy brake hoods. I think you've got away with the beaten guards because they reflect the colour of the frame nicely and they don't look too anachronistic given the old-school looking brakes, bar setup and bottles.

I think you owe it to the bike! I don't speak from a position of experience but if I had spent the money I'd want it to look more like bike pr0n rather than bits pr0n.

Don't mean to rain on your parade and obviously these things are subjective, but I have to agree with doppelkorn.

It's just that it's very close to looking really great, and with a few changes I think you could make it look a lot more accomplished, as it's just a bit busy looking at the moment. Replacing the yellow bar tape with brown that matches the saddle, would calm it down I think.

Also I'm not quite sure about the tyres, I think they look great, it's just the combination with everything else I'm not so sure about. There are just so many bright and shiny parts on the bike. Maybe just changing the bartape would be enough. If it isn't, I would look at different tyres next, something a bit less bright.

Obviously this is just my opinion, feel free to ignore it. However, I think that it's more useful for everyone, if people post what they think, rather than just write "nice bike" even if they don't think so :)

I'll jump on the bandwagon here & say that it's nearly there. Just needs a few inexpensive tweaks, as mentioned by doppelkorn & ArthurFrayn.

I also agree that forums are at their best when offering helpful advice.

I like it a lot.

The parts are arguably of a higher caliber than the frameset. But some fgrames are just worth it (insert David Ginola ad here). I like the yellow too. Its a bit of fun.

The bar angle makes me keep looking into to sky to see what the bike is pointing at though.

To echo the comments above: great job, but I think this bike would be pure super functional sexh if you:

a) shed the yellow - all of the yellow - in favor of saddle matching tan
b) fix the wacky bar angle

getting a crosscheck anywhere near pron like you have is no mean feat though. Lovely frames - we have one in the same colour with a similar set-up. Bravo!

Black gumwall tires, less spacers/cut steerer and the bars straightened would have it in porn. As it is, I'd have to agree, it misses the mark which ordinarily wouldn't care about enough to post. But this is so close and that in itself is commendable.

get rid of the yellow bar tape, replace it with brown or leather to match the saddle.

Replacing the yellow bar tape with brown that matches the saddle

shed the yellow - all of the yellow - in favor of saddle matching tan

No, get a yellow saddle.

Thanks guys for all the considered opinions, very nice of you to take the time to do so.

I was riding to work this morning and it did cross my mind "Feck me, these bars are bright" and with all the chrome it might be a bit too much. The whole bike was largely built from my imagination although with a couple of significant influences, so I'm open to the idea I might not have got it right first time.

So there's a three stage plan regarding the bars.

1. Photoshop a mock up of it with brown tape
   
   
2. If it looks good, buy some brown cloth tape.
   
3. If I prefer that then maybe get the Brooks honey tape to match the saddle.
   
   

Based on the above picture, I'm think it's definitely worth moving on to stage two, so I'll get some brown cloth tape in the next few days and see how it is in the flesh.

The cable outers will almost certainly stay yellow though.

Tyres, I like them, I think I'd have to borrow some gumwalls and try them before I'd commit to changing.

Bars, I've rotated them down a bit, no obvious problems with comfort so they can stay there.

Steerer, I must be a really funny shape, I'm 5'9", this is the 50cm frame with an 8cm stem and I still feel like I'm on the limit of how stretched out I like to be. I'm not sure there's a road frame that really fits me without going custom. If I drop the bars it'd be putting looks ahead of comfort, which on a touring bike would be a bit silly.

No, get a yellow saddle.

Now there is an idea with legs!

White Fizik Microtex would look good on there, and match the tyres. Or maybe a midtone grey, think Fizik have that too.

....or yellow!

more here

although I'm assuming you may have seen it already!

Now, that is a very good looking surly...

Leave the yellow, it's fricking textbook. Maybe a play around with gumwalls could be interesting though.

I think the yellow works from your photos, maybe a matching saddle would make it all click together?

^^^^ Don't know if it's the change of bar & saddle angle, lack of yellow bottles, the different background, or the fact that the photo exposure is better.

Maybe all of those factors combined?

But it suddenly looks miles better!

But it suddenly looks miles better!

Interesting mistake, (at least I think it's a mistake.)

The bars on the second bike look like Nitto Noodles, are at the right angle, and have a less dramatic drop. The stem is horizontal, but I can't critise that aspect. The cables are a less 'obvious' colour, which matches the intact frame script, and the tyres are a bit dirtier, which helps. OP, I admire the thought process, the spend, and the effort that has gone into this. I want most of the bits, but the result looks as though there was too much thought. Your first post in the thread did suggest that taste would come into it, and it does. It's so near...

[edit; it's your bike, and you should do what you want. All of mine are fugly, and other people's opinions are just that.]

Interesting mistake, (at least I think it's a mistake.)

Ha! So sorry op :-O

I saw the blue Cross Check, yellow tape, brown Brooks & very similar saddle bag, then somehow filled in the rest by memory, rather than looking properly. Not very observant of me. No offence intended :-)

Not very observant of me.

On the other hand, this does highlight just how much the small differences make to the overall look of the bike.

I really like the yellow bartape and cables with the colour of the frame. Personally I don't much like the tyres and think they're distracting, aesthetically. The tape on the bottles, while functional, is too much yellow in the photos. Wouldn't worry about it too much in real life though.

Real life... where's that? ;-)

Something similar:

http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2012/08/beautiful-bicycle-velo-cult-touring-bike/

Ha! So sorry op :-O

I saw the blue Cross Check, yellow tape, brown Brooks & very similar saddle bag, then somehow filled in the rest by memory, rather than looking properly. Not very observant of me. No offence intended :-)

None taken!

The blue Cross Check gaz posted is the one that inspired me to go for yellow tape and even though there are some very obvious similarities I think the only part that's the same as mine is the stem. That bike has a Gilles Berthoud saddle and Carradice saddle bag, mine has a Brooks saddle and GB saddle bag.

There are a few other blue cross checks about too, bizarrely they all seem to have VO stems...

Gumwalls don't look too bad.