Surly Cross Check

i would agree..that axle needs to go back.

The Surly looks lovely. I built one for touring in Wales/ France earlier this year.
I used 9spd bar ends + a mountain bike 11-34 t cassette along with a 34 inner ring. This gives me a bottom gear of 27 inches. I feel that this necessary because the frame can be a bit on the heavy side. However, the bike looks handsome and attracts favourable comments - it's a better ride than harsh aluminium. Happy peddlin'.

Great bike, love what you have done . I do like the brakes. I have a cross check I have built ,with mainly second hand parts but gradually replacing for new . I would post a pic but not sure how to .
One question why remove all the frame stickers ? I know they do go over board with them ,is just a personnel preference?

rather than start another thread. i am picking up a cross check frame today.

it will not be built to look beautiful, just work and be purely functional for the kind of riding i want to do (touring).
Parts are a mix of what i had already, some stuff from work cheap, and a few nicer bits i have bought.
still waiting on some stuff to arrive, living in Canada with its tiny bicycle market can get annoying ordering from the big internet shops in the UK. (lighter colour is ordered, but not arrived).

Lovely bike, great job. I would love to have a go at putting one together, but.... time, money, blah ablah.....

things moving on. switched out the tyre choice for paselas.
headset + bb in. waiting only for thompson bits from chainreaction now.



wheels ate hope pro 3 x pillar x rigida grizzly. built by Tom at alphawheels.co.uk (picked up this summer when back in the UK). Lovely job again, and very good price.

I really enjoyed watching this build, which you started as I was dithering about my own Cross-Check project - finally got properly started today by dropping off a Cross-Check frame for a respray.

I think it is the evident thought you put into it that really makes it stand out! I am inspired to try some bright colours on mine - going with electric blue, to match an existing saddle, against a gloss black frame - so possibly quite similar to UpNorthChris - any photos of that final build?

FWIW I'd vote to keep the yellow bar tape, I thought it was awesome :-)

i would agree..that axle needs to go back.

Unless you have mudguard, which make it easier to take the wheel out without deflating or even loosing the mudguard.

Already posted in the main CP thread, but thought it should go in the Cross Check one too. Took a totally different direction to magnus' blue one.

Surly Cross Check frame & forks - Red, 60cm
Mavic Open Pro Ceramic 32h / Hope Pro III / DT Swiss wheels
SRAM Red crankset - 175mm, 52/38t
SRAM Force front mech
SRAM Force rear mech
SRAM Rival DoubleTap levers/shifters
Zipp Service Course bars - Short/Shallow, 46cm
Fizik Microtex bar tape - White
Thomson X2 stem - Black, 90mm x 10deg
Chris King headset - Pewter + Titanium Crown Race
Hope bottom bracket - Gold
SRAM 1070 cassette - 11-28
KMC X10-L chain - Silver
Time ATAC XS Titan Carbon pedals
Avid Single Digit Ultimate V-brakes + SwissStop Blue pads
Continental Gator Hardshell tyres - 700 x 32c
Continental inner tubes
SDG Bel Air Ti saddle
Thomson seatpost - Silver, 27.2 x 330mm
Salsa Lip-lock seat collar - Pewter 30.0mm
Shimano XTR skewers F&R
SKS Longboard mudguards

Really nice. What's your intended use?

Complete guess, but I'd personally use it for commuting and/or light touring.

I gotta say I love seeing new high end components on traditional geometry steel frames. Modern charm with classic beauty.

Looks good. I reckon it's time to add red coloured framesets to my "things to bug Surly" about list.

• so possibly quite similar to UpNorthChris - any photos of that final build?
  
  
  
  

not yet...i have been taking my time with this...waiting for parts to arrive etc...i just got a stainless steel freehub body for my hope wheels which i am pretty psyched about.

a few pics here: http://vagrantbicyclist.tumblr.com/

love the red cross check here btw. great parts selection!

Really nice. What's your intended use?

Yep, as guessed above, light and fast touring mainly. Wanted something nice with gears for longer trips. Keeping the Pompino for getting around London. Want to cycle to Germany on the Cross Check. Maybe this year, if not then definitely in the spring.

That red cross check is a beauty, really well done.

What have you done with the brakes? I might just be missing it in the pics, but I can't see the travel-agent style things you post in the current project thread - have you fitted them? If not, how are you getting the v's to work properly?

That red cross check is a beauty, really well done.

What have you done with the brakes? I might just be missing it in the pics, but I can't see the travel-agent style things you post in the current project thread - have you fitted them? If not, how are you getting the v's to work properly?

They might be mini-Vs, which work with road levers. I've tried them, and the stopping power is excellent, but they have to be set up very close to the rims.

That red cross check is a beauty, really well done.

What have you done with the brakes? I might just be missing it in the pics, but I can't see the travel-agent style things you post in the current project thread - have you fitted them? If not, how are you getting the v's to work properly?

Thanks.

They're Avid Single Digit Ultimates, normal size.

I thought I would need to use Travel Agents but took it to Cycle Surgery to buy some and the mechanic there seemed to think I didn't need them. Front brake works perfectly, rear requires a little more pull. We'll see how it goes. Might install them later or change the cables for some higher-quality stuff, but it's all working well right now. Levers/shifters are SRAM Rival.

For your tour what baggage are you going to have do you reckon?

As I put the last bits on my Cross-Check I keep checking out these photos to see how everyone else has done it! Are my cables the right length? Are my v-brakes on a funny angle?? Handy :-)

I really like the contrast between Magnus's CC and ChrisMGS's CC. Nicely proves the idea you should be able to do pretty much anything with this frame.

UpNorthChris, nice blog, looks like you have some very big spaces to cycle off into!

bike finished...

Tanwall/black crosschecks unite

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50a175ij41qkaq0ko1_1280.jpg

Now now Andy, what did your mum said about telling porkies?

Has anybody in London got one of the 26"-wheeled crosschecks? Thinking of investing for my beloved. Want to try it out if possible. Ta.

Tanwall/black crosschecks unite

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50a175ij41qkaq0ko1_1280.jpg

Dat seatpost!

Tanwall/black crosschecks unite

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50a175ij41qkaq0ko1_1280.jpg

mine will soon look even more like yours...mudguards to be fitted, and a pair of tubus racks for touring.

pretty happy with this bike - rides really well. a suitable replacement for my long haul trucker.