Hi folks, im looking at getting a Surly Crosscheck to replace my current commuter (an on-one pomp) as id like to have the option of gearing it for touring, plus im not to happy with the handling of the pomp when heavilly loaded (its not really designed for that anyway).

Has anyone got one? what are your thoughts about the following…

Size – i hear they come up quite long, im used to road/cross sizing so think this might just be confused mtb'ers.

Dropouts/singlespeed – Forward facing dropouts ok? no slip? do the brakes need adjusted if you adjust the chain length?

Tyre/mud clearance – Im prob going to get rid of my MTB rigid singlespeed as ive not got room so hoping the cross check might take some bigger tyres for playing on the local singletrack (nothing overly technical), so has anyone monstercross'd their check?.

Touring – whats it like loaded up? i want to do some longer tours, a few big days and long weekends so hoping it will be nice to ride with a range of loads.

Commuting – Final one, what are they like as day2day bikes? any quirks to get used to? i hear the paint is better than my on-one (which to be fair is ok apart from rubbing points)

Cheers folks,
Rich.

There was a thread a week or so ago by someone who put 1.8 Bontrager 29er tyres on his Crosscheck, looked pretty cool.

OTOH, have you considered the Singular Peregrine? It's an EEB, disc-only, lugged steel tourer-cum-monster crosser. They'll take a chunky tyre not probs, SS or geared (or hub gears). You can go full-on touring style, or insane SS monster cross, or anything in between.

Singular are here

I've got a crosscheck and found that the TT is quite long for a given size. Mind you, I'm mostly legs so that's probably part of it. Check the geo against your pomp and you'll be sure on sizing. I think it's a good all round bike – been using it as a commuter (fixed) for a year and a half and it's comfy, solid and good with stuff on the racks. Haven't had a touring load on it though. The paint job is tough as old boots. I've also had it set up with 1.8" bonty XRs, which only have a few mmm of clearance at each end but are fine in dryish conditions. Makes the bike a bit of a monster truck which is great fun. They are really versatile as well – I've had mine set up fixed, SS and 1×9. It's currently in SS CX mode for a cross race tomorrow.

Having said all that, if the Singular Peregrine was available in my size then I'd get that. Discs are so much better for general use (I've got a disc fork on my cross check) and the ability to take bigger tyres and have more mud clearace would make it a much better UK monster crosser. Plus it looks lovely!

Thanks Joe, ill look for that thread.

Ive considered the singular, infact more than that, i lusted after one for ages! but they were promised for June/July delivery and now they are not coming till November (?) so ive sort of lost interest. Ive also come to realise that a singular would be way more expensive as id need to buy the frame, disc singlespeed wheels and BB7 calipers, the surly will take all the kit from the pomp as is. The final nail was the fact ive moved more into the city centre so im leaving the bike outside shops/pubs a lot more and the surly will be a lot less nickable compared to the singular.

{edit; thanks momentum, i was thinking that if the canti's werent good enough then i could use a singular peregrine fork on the surly and a spare 29er disc wheel i have, but then thats half way to just getting a singualr! choices choices?!?!}

hi mate ive got a surly cx and its a great bike. i did want the peregrine especially after having a swift. but funds didnt allow and like you all my gear went straight on the surly or id have needed new wheels and disc brakes.

the tt is a bit long for the size but not too much my 54cm ones feels about the same tt as my roadbike and im used to a bit shorter tt for the cx the result tho is its much more stable underload and going down off road riding than my previous cx so not a problem but a bit shorter stem could be put on if it bothers you at all. tbh its not much at all anyway the difference maybe 10mm or so. to me if anything it makes it better for mixed purpose riding than a regular cx sizing

the cantis are fine for me and id personally not want a disc on the front due to the difference id have between the two brakes i think id end up over the bars lol the dropouts are solid my wheel hasnt moved and when i swapped wheels to the ss i didnt need to alter my brakes at all. tho i now prefer to run it with a compact chainset as its more useable for me in the use i give it

paint job is tough as a tough thing. much better than my previous on-ones. carrying loads its very stable and easy to do. it rides well on the roads i use mine in winter on clubruns with roadtyres and guards on.

for off road and road normal duties im running it with 35mm landcrusiers and guards with a rear rack and its spot on

but at the min im running it with bonty 1.8 29er tyres not the square jones ones but these http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/107788.html they give the most clearance of the ones ive tried and it rides great off road ive been using it on my regular mtb loop ;-)top bike

owt else i will try to answer

monster cross mode

pic in tour/commute mode

I've got one and I love it.
Its the do it all bike. I have mine set up as SS/fixed and I just swap the tyres for road or cx. Just about to get a set of racks for it so that I can start some longer touring on it. So its a CX, Fixed gear, Road and touring bike all in one.

Yes the TT is a little long. I have a 58 with a 90mm Salsa 10 dgree rise stem and and a set of Bell laps. Lovely and comfy for most riding.

Only complaint would be that the frame is heavy, but I am fat so if anything needs to lose weight its me…

Cheers mick, that does look nice. Thanks Tom.

Ive just had a brainwave that if i sell the rigid singlespeed as a 26er (its currently converted to a 69er) then ill have a spare 29er disc wheelset so the peregrine wont be much more expensive in the short term (the 29er wheels were just cheap stand-ins as i wanted to try out the 69er concept).

Is the peregrine to nice to leave locked outside? this is all starting to get quite expensive for a commuter, its main purpose. Hmmmm.