crdean1

Good feedback on the Brooks. I currently ride a Fizik Aliante and may go for another one of those, but I would at least like to try a Brooks.

Question, if I decide to go with disc brakes (still waiting on cost to add disc tabs to frame), I noticed that the 2011 Cross Check rear dropout "Gnot-rite" spacing is 132.5mm, and allows for either road or mtb hubs. I'd like a 700c disc compatible wheelset, in black of course. Thoughts on this?

Edit: Disc or no disc, the plan is to eventually have two wheelsets for this bike, one with 'skinny tires' for commuting, and one with Fat Franks for tooling around, etc. I'm guessing I would go cheaper on the 'fat' wheelset.

hauk

Just to reiterate what I was saying about the Brooks B17, not being waterproof is really an aside, the main problem I have had with mine is that I have not found it that great for bikes with aggressive geometries. If you are mainly sitting forward when riding it can feel kind of big. If you plan on getting upright handlebars and a longer stem it will probably be super comfortable, but if you plan on going with drops and riding forward in the saddle I think there may be better (and cheaper) options.

HardyWeinberg

I've heard that QR 130mm hubs can slip in the semi-horiz dropout, maybe that's just w/ less sound QR skewers. You can build or have built any combo of 130mm or 135mm hub (disc or no) into whatever rim you can get (mine happens to have bolt-on 135mm hubs but I didn't have wheel slippage in mind when I went that route).

hopperja

I have an 05 Crosscheck and when I first got it (fall of 07 on clearance for $730 complete) I put an Avid v-brake on the front using a Travel Agent. Initially, I had problems with the resistance in the TA, but I solved that by changing the spring tension on each brake arm. It has worked very well for 6,000+ miles.

zephyr

Hmm, if disc brakes were something wanted on a new all around type of bike, not sure why the cross check was bought. I would not think even about having disc brake tabs brazed onto a new frame that was not originally designed for discs. Disc brakes put a lot of stress on the left side seat stay, and the CC frame may not be "beefy" enough at that location. The Karate Monkey would have made it easy to set up an "all around" type of bike with factory installed disc brake tabs on the fork and frame.

VeloBusDriver

I've got a B17 on a Cross-Check - You make a good argument. My saddle has about 1000 miles and is pretty comfortable. That said, my sitz bones still get a little tender. I've chalked it up to a lot of short rides so maybe the saddle isn't fully broken in. Then again, I rode my Trek Hybrid with a crappy stock saddle on it for 8 miles and realized just how much more comfortable the Brooks is. If he stays seated and has fenders, the saddle doesn't get wet. I have a cover for the seat if the bike spends any time in the rain without me shielding it, which is rare.

I've got Schwalbe Marathon Supremes on my Cross-Check and love them. That said, I've heard the Panaracer T-Servs have slightly less flat protection but deliver a much better ride. I prefer most Schwalbe tires since they almost all have the reflective strip making me more visible.

crdean1

Zephyr, you bring up a great point. I guess this is why I am looking for good advice/feedback. I've been told by at least one bike shop owner this same thing, and I've started some in depth research on this and will talk with a few frame builders in this area. Part of me wants to buy a Karate Monkey to complete this build, and part of me wants to go V Brakes with limited tire width options. I'm starting to think the latter. I really like the Cross Check geometry for commuting and otherwise.

Some good tire recommendations here, I will be looking for those as well. I guess I need to get the disc thing figured out before making a wheelset selection. I saw that if I did go with discs, that I could use really any (disc specific) wheel build because the spacing would fit either. Luckily my LBS service guy is well versed in this sort of thing. He actually has a cross check fixie that he built up with disc brakes, but he sent it to a shop up North and paid some serious money to have the tabs added. Whether he added some stiffness to the stays, I am not sure, but I will ask him about it.

VeloBusDriver

Do you bike up any substantial hills? Do you miss the 2nd Chainring up front? I toyed with building my CC up like this but chickened out. I may think about a conversion down the road - especially if I bust up my rear wheel

hauk

No doubt the B17 is super comfortable saddle. I rode it for a whole year on my vintage Trek and loved it. However, when I switched it the my Lemond Poprad I found it not to be that comfortable no matter how much I adjusted it. I switched back to the standard saddle that came with the bike and found it to be far better for the Lemond's more aggressive geometry.

I rode T-Serv's for a year and got no punctures. To compare I rode Panaracer Pasela's (the non T-serve type) and got 2 punctures in a month on the same route. I've no experience with Schwalbe's but I've heard they are heavy yet even more puncture resistant.

pallen

I would definitely get a different fork if you want to run disks. The CC fork is not designed to take the different forces disk brakes will exert on the fork.

Mr IGH

Very hard to add disc tabs to that frame and fork, you should have bought the Salsa Vaya. You can buy a Dimension disc fork for ~$60 and leave the rear rim brake:
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=4158

WMcCready

I'm doing a K M build this winter, a black (2011) It will have Brooks Flyer ( on B/O). 700 w, IGH, and disc. Now on bike stand, all I've done to it so far is to spray insides with Fr. saver, and put on CC, headset.

crdean1

So I've decided to go with the discs. There is someone else who I visited with that has done this, with no regrets. He built up a fixie and loves the discs. They will reinforce the stays by welding on a piece between the seat and chain stay toward the back, and add the disc tab. I will also go with a disc specific fork for the front. Any ideas? This particular person went with a Dimension fork, as was recommended in earlier in this thread. He said that after looking at several options, the curve kept the look more classic, and it was more affordable. Any other thoughts?

The frame came in early and will be delivered to the frame builder today for the disc retrofit. Should have it back in about two weeks, then to the paint shop.

Frame pics:

Mr IGH

Are the rear dropouts getting replaced too? So you spent $400 on a frame/fork, ~$60 for a different fork plus whatever the builder is charging to add disc taps to the rear...What's the point? There are disc frames already on the market, the Soma Double Cross cost ~400 for frame only, Salsa Vaya is $540 for frame/fork.

crdean1

Perhaps you are right Mr. IGH, but this is the way I decided to go. Always wanted a Cross Check. I've ridden a few friends CC's and loved them. As far as the 'point', I guess there isn't one, other than I'm building a bike and having fun along the way. Adding the rear tabs and the new fork were both actually cheaper than I thought.

bluenote157

I have one in black and one in red(with rebrazed triple guides):

My Black CC Sunday bike
VO porteur bars
inline levers
Suntour Sprint Shifters (will eventually move them to bar end pods)
Tektro CR720 cantilevers
Tiagra Drivetrain/9 speed cassette
Standard CC wheelset
...and yes.. a honey brooks b17



Red Beater 1X9 CX/City ****ty
Ultegra Compact Crank (soon to be 39T)
Salsa MotoAce Bar/Stem
12-26 9sp
old tiagra rear derailleur
left cane creek black lever
right Campy Mirage Ergo (9speed.. no jtek needed..works like a charm)
blue Hudz
Tektro CR720 upfront w/koolstop salmon
Tektro Oryx inback w/koolstop salmon
note the triple brazed guides on the top tube.. i have too much time on my hands.

zoltani

You forgot to add the cost of repainting it black

Similarly I could have bought a Kilo TT or steamroller (or many others) for less than I built up my ssfg cross check, but it was a lot of fun and I am super happy with it. It's got exactly what I want in a bike and the parts that I picked out.

Anyway, if you call yourself a retro grouch surely you can at least appreciate the classic styling of the CX as opposed to those ghastly sloping top tubes. Plus it has vertical drops which the other two don't.

VeloBusDriver

A man with fine tastes. The Honey Brooks looks awesome with the black Cross-Check - Should be standard although it would bump the price quite a bit. Fine looking mustache bars too. Truly the "Swiss Army Knife" of bikes that Surly CC is...

Did you switch to the CR720s up front because of noise issues or some other reason? I replaced the Tektro Oryx Cantis on my CC since they were squeaky as hell. A set of Paul Touring Cantis were far more solid and quiet as a mouse (even w/koolstop Salmon pads). Spendy but made in USA. The CR720s are a solid middle ground I understand.

mconlonx

New build on a new Cross Check. Parts off a IRO ss cx bike that I'd built up and used as a commuter for 5k+ mi. Built this up with expanded gearing and now have to find a way to pay for frame building class in March... so uber commuter will probably go before I have a chance to use it in its current guise.

zoltani

I liked the blue when I ordered the brown, but I figured it would stand out more than the brown. Who knows? In the end I like the look of the brown, thank god it looks better in person.

Thanks for posting the pics of the blue, they're the first I've seen besides the surly site.

BTW, what bars are those?

crdean1

Love the Robin's Egg Blue. Tried to order, but they are completely out until Feb or so. Nice bike.

mconlonx

Wasn't too sure when I orderd, but end up loving the robin's egg blue.

Unknown on the bars. They are Nitto aluminum bars, one of the following: Albatross, North Road, or All Arounder. Pretty sure they are the all arounder bars. Needed a mtn clamp diameter bar when I first built this up -- pre Jtek bar end shifter so I used an Alfine rapidfire. Flipped over and about 2" cut off both sides.

Metricoclock

The Robbin's Egg Blue really looks better in person than any picture i've seen of it.

crdean1

The bike should be disc ready, with the retrofit and the new disc specific fork, in a week. I'm thinking about a few things on which I would appreciate an educated opinion.

1. I don't know of many disc specific 700c wheelsets for commuting and light off roading (part of commute), do you? I've thought about Mavic Speedcity's or Velocity Elvs rims, anyone used these? Any other recs for a wheelset.

2. I'm stuck between Sram Rival or the new black Shimano 105 5700 for a group. Also, I think I'll go compact with a 50/34 up front. Any reason not to?

3. Several people that have had matte black bikes have personally told me that they are very hard to keep clean (even for fingerprints.) I've started to think about a rich cream color (gloss) with black decals, or possibly army green? I know this is personal preference, but I thought you might want to throw your two cents in. Any thoughts?

4. Between a rock and a hard place on the Brooks B17. I have an opportunity to buy a new one for $60-$80 on Craigslist, but I am used to the Fizik Aliante. The bike will be set up with drop bars and a road group, mainly for a 40 mile commute a couple of times per week, with some weekend training use as well. Brooks or no Brooks?

irclean

No help on the wheelset, gruppo, or saddle... but +1 on the matte black. Even if it's tough to keep clean it looks awesome on a bike (IMHO):