2012 Surly Cross Check Frame

[almostflatland]

Hey Guys! I am new to this forum. However, I am an avid cyclist and work for a local shop here in Baltimore, MD. I am hoping to give and receive excellent feedback within this community.

So here's my story and the reason for this thread:
I want to set up a mid weight pseudo touring bike. Something that is nimble enough to handle everyday riding to and from work but also durable enough to handle the long haul. I started out with a cool older 80's Bianchi randonneur frame and gathered parts that include:

Mavic Open Pro + rims laced to Ultegra Hubs
SRAM 11-34 Cassette
Shimano LX front + rear Derailleurs
Rivendell friction bar end Shifters
Shimano drop bar Levers
Shimano Deore mountain cranks 48-26 175mm arms
TRP CX-9 mini V Brakes
Jandd Racks
Civia Flat Fenders

Now keeping in mind I wanted something a little more mid weight I decided to go with 130mm road hubs instead of 135mm MTN hubs that would work with classic touring bikes.

SO... the first problem I encountered when building up my Bianchi frame was that the cantilever studs seemed to be incompatible with my TRP brakes. The spacing was too close together making it impossible to get the pads to touch anything but the tire, not slotted low enough to get to the rim. Then, the way the rear derailleur cable was routed on the frame actually prevented my triple front derailleur from going into the lowest position. I was willing to fidget and work with these problems until I got to the real reason I'm posting this. When I installed my Civia Flat Fenders (32mm wide) there was adequate space in the frame for the fenders, but again there was not enough room for the front derailleur to go into the lowest position, being blocked by the fender.

I want to get the new 2012 Surly Cross Check frame as I think this would suit me well. My question is has anyone set up any Cross Check frame for more touring style? Does it allow fenders and tires of any width to be compatible with a triple front derailleur? Has anyone used mini V-Brakes with the Cross Check? What issues, if any, may I run into? Any feedback on this frame would be helpful!

[Bill]

Hi there,
I really can not tell you what you want to know but the key answer is precise measurements. You want to clear the top of the fender with the wire. Are cantilevers a choice?

[almostflatland]

No, I want the front derailleur to be clear from the rear fender.

[nfmisso]

Have you asked Surly ??

[nfmisso]

(12-01-2011, 01:49 PM)almostflatland Wrote:  ........the first problem I encountered when building up my Bianchi frame was that the cantilever studs seemed to be incompatible with my TRP brakes. The spacing was too close together making it impossible to get the pads to touch anything but the tire, not slotted low enough to get to the rim. .....

What size rims were you trying to install?

[almostflatland]

<br><br>
Hey guys,
it's been a while... would like to update. Check out my post.

http://markkoski.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

[surly]

lol, just signed up and thought i had a welcome thread already...

[Painkiller]

She's a beauty