[NicDiesel]

I’ve abused the hell out of my Cross Check for over two years and the only two things that haven’t survived the abuse of a 380lbs cyclist being on it for over 4,000 miles are chains and saddles, everything else is going strong.

[NicDiesel]

@Harry Meatmotor 86762 wrote:

however, convincing the someone who is purchasing their first commuter bike to build it from scratch is a little difficult, and imho, kinda stupid. folks should be riding their bikes, not fussing over what parts to hang on a frame. lol.

Slow down there hoss. I was suggesting if you were looking to make that level of purchase instead of, say, a $500 hybrid, you might talk with your LBS and get their feedback on what you might want on a first commuter bike and proceed accordingly. The LBS would be the one building it up or swapping out components, not John Q New Commuter. I had two super large riders reach out to me for bike recommendations and I gave them the build sheet of my bike and said “talk to your LBS, they’ll make it happen.” One followed my advice (specifically on wheels) and hasn’t had any issues outside of finding a proper saddle, the other went with a stock build and has had nothing but problems (tacoing wheels, wrist pain). YMMV.

[NicDiesel]

@Harry Meatmotor 86749 wrote:

I think it helps to keep in mind Surly’s target demographic when considering parts spec and pricing.

Outside of replacing the chain, swapping out the cassette, and replacing the bar end shifters with Soras my Cross Check has the same drivetrain it had the day I bought it. I’ve probably put 3,500 miles on that drivetrain and haven’t had any issues and probably won’t as long as I keep it clean in the winter. For what they are they’re great bikes, but you have to go in to purchasing one knowing what is and what it is not that you’re buying. The framesets, to me, are a really great value and are one of the reasons I stayed with a Cross Check when I replaced my frame last year instead of going with a Mr. Pink or a Spacehorse.

[NicDiesel]

@bluerider 86743 wrote:

Yep, I agree. I will only do hand built wheels from now on. The extra money is worth it in the long run. If I were building a Ruben I would just get the frameset too. Lots of money left over for a nice build.

I had a Phil Wood 48h-Velocity Chukkar wheelset built up two years ago that have yet to go out of true. The initial cost was substantial (~$1,200) but it taught me a very valuable lesson – buy it right the first time. Obviously 48h wheelsets are probably overkill for anyone under 350lbs, but after riding on those for the past two years I’ll never own a non-hand built wheelset again.

[NicDiesel]

@dkel 86575 wrote:

What did you think of the Straggler? You’re the only person I know who’s ridden one!

Living down the street from QBP I’ve test rode every version of this years line of Surly, All City, and Salsa bikes for pavement. The Straggler (58cm) I tested out with my Brooks saddle felt very similar to my 58cm Cross Check and seemed like a decent frame for the price. I only did about 20 miles on it and didn’t really make too many adjustments to it but it felt very similar to my Cross Check.

@bluerider 86725 wrote:

My personal opinion is the Straggler is not very good value. You pay a lot of a bike with a fairly low end drivetrain and component group.

When it comes to pavement Surlys the rule of thumb, at least for me, is never, ever buy a complete. Buy the frame and build it up with the components you want, the stock components on the Surly pavement lines are a terrible value and the stock wheels are just awful. On some of the other lines (read: OmniTerra) buying a complete is a decent value if you buy the OPS versions, the stock Pugsley are just as bad of a value as a stock Cross Check.

[NicDiesel]

@dkel 86017 wrote:

Hadn’t looked at the Pacer.

The Pacer kind of sucks. Of all the Surly asphalt bikes it’s by far the worst feel and fit.

[NicDiesel]

@dasgeh 85946 wrote:

That’s basically the plan, but like Chris, I’ll believe it when I see it.

The separated bike and pedestrian paths have been a total game changer for cycling in our house. Just widening the MVT another 3-4 feet would seriously improve that MUT.

[NicDiesel]

@sethpo 85935 wrote:

Yeah, I left out all the junk food I end up eating in the evenings. Cookies. Ice cream. Candy. Lots of crap basically.

I know I need to cut that out but I’m always so damn hungry in the evenings (plus I like my junk food and am not trying to lose weight ATM). I guess I just need to suck it up and think more about what I pack and/or go out and eat for lunch. More + healthier.

I’ve put weight back on this past winter due to injury so I’m back up to 380lbs and am slowly ramping back up to 100 miles a week. I go through what you’re going through every time I bike more than 12 miles at a time without drinking plenty of water and taking in at least 400 calories during the ride. I like apple cinnamon gels and try to eat one (~90 calories, all sugar) for every five miles I ride. When I get home from a really long ride I usually try to have another gel before I start cooking dinner so I’m not below empty when dinner is done and binge out on dinner and ice cream and chips and other crap.

One thing that I’ve found to be really helpful is that if I increase the amount of protein I take in at least three hours prior to riding (I work from home and ride at night) and have a solid dinner (complex carbs, high protein) after my ride I usually don’t binge out. Keeping your body fueled with protein and fiber, at least in my experience, keeps the late night binges under control.

[NicDiesel]

@chris_s 85905 wrote:

Conflicts at Gravelly Point (I’ll believe they’re fixing it when I see it) [safety]

I’m not sure why they don’t just create a second path near the parking lot to let the wheeled traffic bypass the chemical toilets/airport enthusiasts. I’m surprised there aren’t serious accidents that happen there due to the clueless masses congregating near the portajohns.

[NicDiesel]

@dkel 85916 wrote:

The Straggler is still pretty new, so there’s not as much info on it as on the CC and LHT.

The Straggler, at least in my experience with the 58cm frame, is the same geometry as the Cross Check. From looking at the Surly site the Straggler is a little longer on the top tube but not significantly so. There should be a Cross Check somewhere for you to test ride to a feel for it.

[NicDiesel]

@KLizotte 85778 wrote:

So how is life in the mid-West? I presume the snow is finally gone? I hope your health is well.

It’s going great, haven’t been this happy ever. Snow was gone in early April and the lakes “iced out” in mid-April so now it’s time to get back to 100 miles a week.

[NicDiesel]

@Phatboing 85732 wrote:

http://salsacycles.com/culture/prototype_talk_purple_reign

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy

I saw someone on one of those the other day on the Greenway and wondered what the hell it was. If you could get one of those without the silly Salsa logos I’d be all over it. As it is I’m leaning towards this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5653[/ATTACH]

Or this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5654[/ATTACH]

I hate not being able to ride asphalt year round but thanks to fat bikes I can keep #Mission3K alive and well.

[NicDiesel]

@dkel 84715 wrote:

but looking up the geometry on Steve’s Disc Trucker on the Surly website causes me to wonder how to interpret the sizing info. If I’m considering ordering a bike without having a chance to ride one just like it, how will I know what size to get? I think I might be in the 54-56cm range, but can that vary from one frame geometry to the next? How much can I go by other bikes I’ve ridden with differing geometries?

The LHT has a MUCH different geometry than the Straggler/Cross Check. In a LHT I ride a 60cm but in the Straggler/Cross Check I have a 58cm that fits pretty well. Surly frames, at least the asphalt frames, have strange geometries so what I would do, if you have a chance, is go to Spokes or any of the other LBS and have them give you a quick “size fit”. Basically they’ll have this measuring stick that will measure your true inseam and they have a calculator that will give you a “ballpark” on frame size. The LHT, to me at least, runs a little small since you sit much more upright than on the Straggler/Cross Check. Definitely test ride the 54cm if you can and see if it’s too small for you. If it is go for the 56cm.

[NicDiesel]

To the dude on the Kestrel riding my rear wheel down Minnehaha Creek – thanks for the fist bump once I made it up the hill by Nicollet. Had my front derailer cooperative I would have kept pulling you but an extra 140lbs and no lower gears made for a painful climb.

[NicDiesel]

@cyclingfool 84011 wrote:

I’m jealous, both for the ride, but mostly for the panniers. And orange, too. When my Axioms die, I plan on getting some Ortliebs. I’m torn between orange and red. Nice choice.

The ride up to Duluth is tentatively scheduled for mid-October, assuming I don’t blow out my legs or heart training for it. I haven’t ridden with panniers before so I’m going to start testing these out doing grocery shopping each week, hopefully they’ll hold up.

[Author]

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