Old 06-11-19, 05:52 PM
  #9  
RubeRad
Keepin it Wheel
 
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: San Diego
Posts: 10,238

Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus

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Welcome to BF -- love the name you chose!

I also commute on a CrossCheck -- but it sounds like I don't have to deal with hills and loads like you sometimes do. As mentioned above, CrossCheck is a blank slate. You can definitely get a triple on there, a mountain triple even, with a 22-tooth granny chainring, combined with a cassette that goes to 32 or 36T, should enable you to climb walls.

If you have stock barend shifters, hopefully the left is friction and would have no trouble shifting between three instead of two. I've seen mountain left/front trigger shifters that have a lockout button that toggles between double- and triple-mode, but I've never heard of that on an indexed drop-bar brifter. All that to say, if you switch to a triple make sure the rest of your front shifting can handle it.

As for disc, the closest to a CC is a Surly Straggler. LHT is a good option as well, especially as for your size, LHT comes in 26".

You might not need a shop to convert to e-assist, there are systems where the motor is the hub of either the front or rear wheel, so conversion is as easy as swapping in the wheel and routing a few wires to a handlebar controller.

Anyways good job on your bike commuting. A largely gravel/trail route sounds fun. I've actually considered changing jobs, looking for a new company by seeing what's accessible from a trail I wish was my daily commute!
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