Opinions on the Surly Cross Check?

[invisiblehand]

@HillCycle 3662 wrote:

Hello, I’ve decided to upgrade from my current bike, an entry level hybrid to something a little faster. I’d keep the old bike for commuting and use the new bike for longer/faster rides. I’ve been primarily focused on a Trek 1 or 2, Giant Defy Series, etc. but am starting to get interested in the Surly Cross Check.

Can anyone offer any advice?

Thanks!

Are you getting Surly’s build or building one up yourself?

In short, the Surly Crosscheck or Long Haul Trucker are better do-it-all bikes than go fast bikes. There are things in-between such as randonneuring which a “fat tire” or old-fashioned sport-touring road bike would be a better fit than a “go-fast” bike.

[HillCycle]

I was leaning toward building one up myself. I wanted slightly better components then the stock CrossCheck build.

[StopMeansStop]

Anyone know of a local dealer? I’m sick of this hybrid

[JimF22003]

I’ve seen some Surly’s at the Spokes in Vienna. I don’t know if they have them in stock, but I know they can order them.

[eminva]

I believe City Bikes also carries them.

Liz

[CCrew]

@StopMeansStop 3981 wrote:

Anyone know of a local dealer? I’m sick of this hybrid

FYI, almost any bike shop can order a Surly. Surly (and Salsa) are made by QBP, which almost every bike shop in the US deals with for parts.

As JimF22003 said though, I’ve seen built Surly’s in Spokes in Vienna and also the store in Ashburn.

[acc]

Yes, Spokes in Vienna had a Surly in the outside rack last week.

ann

[SteveTheTech]

I have a road bike and want to go for something I can drive on the streets and around town a little more, I’m personally looking at going CX for a more everyday rider.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_cross_pro_rival.htm

This one tends to be a semi controversial brand but the components cannot be beat for the price. Having purchased two bikes this year in the entryish level I would much rather buy blind but educated online.

Happy shopping,

[CCrew]

@SteveTheTech 3994 wrote:

This one tends to be a semi controversial brand but the components cannot be beat for the price. Having purchased two bikes this year in the entryish level I would much rather buy blind but educated online.
,

Yeah.. They have a tendency to bring out the bicycle wars for sure. I will say that I have one of their bikes sitting here, picked off CL for next to nothing, and it is certainly at the low end of the spectrum. I’d be hard pressed to buy one at full price from them..

Let me add that I picked up my Fuji Cross Pro (full Ultegra) from Performance for less than the price of the Fantom you posted, plus got 10% back in points and free service so there’s an incentive if you’re not in a rush to hold for the best price – there’s deals out there if you don’t absolutely positively have to have it today. .

[OneEighth]

@ SteveTheTech – what size frame are you looking for in your cx bike? I have a 54cm Redline Conquest Pro that I built up with parts off my 2005 road bike but no longer ride. Dura Ace STI’s and front and rear derailleurs, FSA crankset, Mavic Kysrium SL wheels, Thomson stem and seat post, FSA carbon handlebar, Ultegra rear cassette.
I’m 6′ and was able to fit, though it was quite snug.
If you are interested, let me know. I’ve got three and a half bikes at the moment and I’ve been given to understand that’s one and a half too many…

[SteveTheTech]

@CCrew 3996 wrote:

Yeah.. They have a tendency to bring out the bicycle wars for sure. I will say that I have one of their bikes sitting here, picked off CL for next to nothing, and it is certainly at the low end of the spectrum. I’d be hard pressed to buy one at full price from them..

Let me add that I picked up my Fuji Cross Pro (full Ultegra) from Performance for less than the price of the Fantom you posted, plus got 10% back in points and free service so there’s an incentive if you’re not in a rush to hold for the best price – there’s deals out there if you don’t absolutely positively have to have it today. .

I kind of feel like opinions like that have given them a negative stigma, although I am guilty of having that. I have an old Specialized MTB outside that partially soured my impression of them but I would consider another in the future. I would be a little hesitant to buy a commuter sight unseen, but I’d take a gamble for a wicked deal. The Fuji Cross Pro retailed for about $600 more than the bikesdirect , although still considered “entry level” by hard core bike folks, I tend to be rough on my bikes and would hate to break something on a really expensive bike and having blown the majority of my budget on a name on a frame. If you can score a wicked deal that might be the way to go but I am not patient enough to wait for a sale of that sort, or decisive enough to make a decision on the fly like that.
I find this discussion very interesting.

@OneEighth 3997 wrote:

@ SteveTheTech – what size frame are you looking for in your cx bike? I have a 54cm Redline Conquest Pro that I built up with parts off my 2005 road bike but no longer ride.
If you are interested, let me know….

I’m the same size and my current road frame is 61cm. I tried several between 59-61 and I prefer a slightly longer reach for longer rides but that might just be me. It was a gamble and I find a bit of a reach fairly comfortable on longer rides. I’d probably go a little smaller for a cx maybe 59.

ohhh now I had not thought of actually doing that….until now…..If you wanna part with your parts I’d give them a good home. We need to chat…after I chat with the mrs…won’t make that mistake again lol.

I think we are thinking different things about what’s coming next.
(She wants a comotion tandem)

[CCrew]

@SteveTheTech 3998 wrote:

I kind of feel like opinions like that have given them a negative stigma, although I am guilty of having that.

Err, I dunno. The BD bike I have sitting here pretty much justifies the negative stigma. It’s a “Mirage Sport” and while I only paid $160 for it pretty much new off CL they were retailing it for close to $700 at the time. I’d have been really pissed at myself had I paid that much for it. Paint that falls off if you look at it crooked, lots of one off parts, heavy as all sin. It’s a 48cm bike that I bought as a “starter” for getting my wife road biking. She quickly graduated to a nice Trek and she won’t so much as look at the BD bike now. We just keep it around if my daughter or my sons GF want to ride since they’re both petite enough to fit it.

I think part of what’s given the BD bikes such a rep is that the owner shilled them unmercifully for a long time on places like Bike Forums, and has made some outlandish claims that didn’t stand up. the Fantom for instance he claimed was the same as the Fuji Crosses, but yet didn’t have the same geometry nor the diamond down tube the Fuji’s did. Stuff like that sours a lot of people pretty quickly. What does it for me personally is the totally overinflated MSRP’s. One company owns and sells the line, it’s not like the MSRP’s are secret. But as a result it’s not uncommon to see BD bikes on CL referencing the MSRP yet selling for more than you can buy them from BD. That original sleight of hand just breeds more.

All of that said, when you get to the upper ends of their lines, some of the TI and Carbon bikes are great deals with good groupsets on them, so like anything else it’s a caveat emptor I guess.

One Eighth, that Redline you have doesn’t have disc tabs does it? I know the Conquest Classic does… I’d love to rock a disc brake cyclocross frame. Still kick myself for not having bought a Lemond Poprad Disc when they killed the line. Hoping to see some better ones appear now that UCI dropped the disc restrictions.

[StopMeansStop]

thanks form the spokes tip. 1150 is the price. Does that sound about right? I’m wary of some of the bike shops around here.

[SteveTheTech]

@CCrew 3999 wrote:

Err, I dunno. The BD bike I have sitting here pretty much justifies the negative stigma. It’s a “Mirage Sport” and while I only paid $160 for it pretty much new off CL they were retailing it for close to $700 at the time..

That sounds a little too good to be true for something that was either slightly used or barely used. To play devils advocate for a minute. The components on most of their bikes alone cost more than the total bike. The bike you have sitting there might be just a pile or crap…but hey for such a small fraction of the original price…not a bad gamble by some standards, I’m not a big fan of CL bikes, I tend to be a little too ocd about maintenance and usage to trust it. That is basically how I ended up at BD. If you are not looking to spend more than a grand on a first bike and are handy enough to build and adjust it should be given more of a look, is all I’m saying. I’m not that keen on LBS service or sales so buying online was a pro in my book, I bought it Sunday and was riding it Wednesday. Which is fine by me, I bought a couch this weekend in person and won’t see it for 2 months.

I am a forum moderator at a large car enthusiast forum so I look at company reps using a forum for shameless self promotion a little differently. Since the product has received such a bum wrap from many several reasons, having a company rep to answer most threads either pro or con is a step you see from many online based companies now (it works well with younger generations). Most people take to the internet to complain about things (I see it in the car forums all the time) Frame geometry is critical but it seems that when they compare one of their bikes to a name brand they are talking about components mostly. I’m not saying it’s the best, in my case I think I saved about 50% for my first road bike.

/thread jack
cheers

[CCrew]

@StopMeansStop 4001 wrote:

thanks form the spokes tip. 1150 is the price. Does that sound about right? I’m wary of some of the bike shops around here.

It’s a touch on the high side. Online pricing runs $1000 to $1100 and if you shop right you pay no tax and get free shipping. You just have to be prepared to dial the bike in when you get it or pay a shop to do it which may negate any savings.

Spokes isn’t a bad shop, one in Vienna is especially good in my experience.

[Author]

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