Surly Bikes
Well, here she is. My Cross-Check that I have been working on over the winter. I started off running cruiser bars with V-brakes and linear-pull levers. Hated it. Couldn't get comfy. My position was too upright and my weight was to far back, making any climbing painful. I should note that all climbing is painful for me, but when the bike fit is all jacked I'd rather walk than ride. I started this project with the goal of building a bike for city riding, cruiser style, but for now I've decided that idea will have to wait for a future project. Things of note on this bike: 1. The drive train is a Dingle. The chain rings are Surly 36t & 33t. The cogs are Surly 20t & 17t. I used a Surly single speed spacer kit and a 9-speed SRAM chain. 2. I used Deore disc hubs cuz they were lying around, and yes, I know the front hub is in the dropout backwards, but I'm not using disc brakes so is there any functional difference? I didn't think so, so SHUT UP! The Salsa Delgado-X rims are tough and cheap, and the Maxxis tires were also lying around and seemed right for the job. 3. The cranks are Truvativ Stylo 180mm. I love 180mm cranks. 4. The bar tape is leather, but not Brooks. This tape was a gift from my Japanese friend. Mori san surprised me with it at Chie Matsuri last month. He does leather shoe repair and on the side makes stuff like this. Very cool. This is the first leather tape I've ever had. 5. Avid Shorty 4 canti brakes. I set up the spring tension too high, but I'll ride them for awhile to see if I like it or not. 6. I found a racing Ralph green Brooks B-17 in my garage and it seemed right for the green color of the frame. Problem is I robbed it off my Bianchi so I'll need to find another saddle for that one later. 7. The front cable straddle is too close to the zero rise stem, but the brake still feels smooth. I was originally planning to use a fork mounted unit from my old Cannondale M700 but I didn't have the right length bolt at my immediate disposal. Maybe I'll swap it out later. 8. The Salsa scandium stem is the right reach (90mm), but I think I'd like about 15 degrees more rise for a better fit. 9. Yes, that's a Chris King headset. Eat your heart out, Sov. It's a fun bike so far. Not sure if I should gear it a bit taller as it will be ridden mainly on road, but it's pretty good in the area I live, which is somewhat hilly. This is the first time for me to build up a Cross-Check, so I'm sure I'll be changing some of the components as I get more used to the fit of this bike. To be continued . -----