But enough lamenting, I just ordered a new 58cm Long Haul Trucker... Huzzah! It should be here next week. I am pumped to have a bike as tough, versatile, and pimpin' as the LHT. I ordered the ugly green color because it was less ugly than the ugly Truckaccino cream color. At least it's not Beef Gravy Brown. Ok, I am down with the muted earth tones, but shit colored? Really? WTF Surly? It was not an easy choice between the Cross Check and the LHT but now that it's made I feel as light and free as a little girl. tee hee!
Now go forth and give this weekend a good kick to the solar plexus
You will be happy with the LHT. Both are good bikes.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't mind me asking, how tall are you? I am looking at the Cross Check to tame the wild gravel roads of west central MN. I have heard the CC frames are a bit larger than the listed measurements, but I would hate to get a frame that is too small (although it appears that it is a marketable bike). I am 6'2" and don't feel comfortable ordering a frame less than 60cm, but would also hate to push more steel than necessary uphill. I already have a Karate Monkey for that purpose.
Good luck with your LHT. I really enjoy your blog.
D, I'm 6ft and the 58 seems like it will work for me. The 56cm made me feel like I needed to put my seat back and it was already on a set back post. I may need to switch out the stems on the 58 but I should be able to make it work. I have heard that you want a small cyclocross frame so you can maneuver and throw it around a during a cyclocross race. I am probably not going to be doing that very much so it's another reason why I had to ditch the 56cm. I was lucky enough to have a LBS with a good supply of Surlys to test ride. Good luck and thanks for the props.
ReplyDeleteBTW, you should put some sweet jumps in your garage.
CJ, thanks for the update and the info. A new LBS opened recently in my humble little burg and they just put a 58cm LHT and a 56cm CC on the display floor today. This shop is the first to carry Surly in-house so I got my first look at both bikes. The 56cm CC is very compact. I won't be cross racing, just cruising the gravel roads (which we have plenty of out here) and maybe commuting. If the 58cm CC fits similar to the 58cm LHT (which seemed just right to me), then that will be the right size. I just need to sell my road bike to fund the purchase.
ReplyDeleteAfter getting my hands on both bikes today, I can appreciate why your decision was so tough.
I do need some jumps in my garage. Good idea. If I do that maybe it will motivate me to update my neglected blog.
Thanks again.