[CycleBatten]

I finally finished my fixed Surly Cross Check. I'd like to thank all those who advised me as I went about it.

It has a Formula 135mm hub from IRO laced to a Salsa Delgado rim (32 hole). Random triple crank I had. 42 x 18 for now. I took it on a little spin around the 'hood this afternoon after I finished it up and it felt good. It tried to buck me a time or two and, in doing so, exposed my bad habit of sitting up for just a second to coast after standing and sprinting from a stop. I can't wait to take it out tomorrow for a real ride.

Here are pics:

 

[rcnute]

Now THAT's a bike. Nice!

 

[michaeln]

Nice! Now tighten up that chain.

 

[Hjalti]

Looking Good

Looks good. Three out of four fixed fiends prefer the Crosscheck:

 

[CycleBatten]

So, I went for my first real ride today on the fixed. Wow, a lot of fun, a little scary. It was really easy to get into a rhythm and just go on the flats. Hills felt kind of cool, different. There were a few times on the ride when I just wanted to stop pedalling for a second, because for no real reason other than that it seemed like the thing to do, but I knew I couldn't. There was one downhill that worried me and I was right to be worried. It spun the hell out of me and I had to really hit the front brake to keep my spinning in check, but at one point the rear tire skipped a bit (I hit a tiny patch of debris and road sand and probably had a bit much front brake) and I almost needed a new pair of shorts, but I lived.

I liked it a lot; definitely going to keep it up.

 

[StageHand]

You'll soon be wondering why anyone stops pedaling. It's a great way to ride and glad you're enjoying it...in style too. Nice ride.

 

[single1x1]

another bean greeney

So, I went for my first real ride today on the fixed. Wow, a lot of fun, a little scary. It was really easy to get into a rhythm and just go on the flats. Hills felt kind of cool, different. There were a few times on the ride when I just wanted to stop pedalling for a second, because for no real reason other than that it seemed like the thing to do, but I knew I couldn't. There was one downhill that worried me and I was right to be worried. It spun the hell out of me and I had to really hit the front brake to keep my spinning in check, but at one point the rear tire skipped a bit (I hit a tiny patch of debris and road sand and probably had a bit much front brake) and I almost needed a new pair of shorts, but I lived.

I liked it a lot; definitely going to keep it up.

My fixed cross check is a bean grean one also. If you go to your local shop and ask around you might be able to score a decent pair of non sti brake levers, use the front lever then brake off the lever blade on the rear lever so you have a dummy hood, works for me, would also be a bit lighter then the sti levers.
Now you just have to find some 35c tires and take it on some gravel or dirt roads, heck even trails, suuper fun. It's also eiser to figure out skidding off road cause you have less traction just unweight the rear tire some at a slow speed as you try to stop the pedals, be careful though!!

 

[CycleBatten]

Yeah, I'm going to do that sooner or later, but I'm broke. Soon, really. Maybe.
When I got back from riding today I practiced trackstanding a little in front of my house. Tricky, but I don't think I'm way far off.
Next, I jumped onto the grass and tried skidding. I get it, but I'm not all the way there yet. I understand how it works, but I'm not 100% on the mechanics yet. It worked pretty well on the grass except for the one time when I miffed, badly, and if it weren't for the front brake I would have trucked into my shed.
I rode it on some light trails/mud when it was a 1x9 with 32c tires and that was fun; I'd definitely like to try that over the summer.
I have 700x23 on there now, but for commuting I want to beef it up to 25 or 28 to suck up some of the crappy roads around here.

 

[brownfeesh]

how do you like the triple?

What are the advantages of using a triple or double crankset? I'm gathering up the parts for a fixie project and I could do either.

 

[weltyed]

let the pedals do the work

There was one downhill that worried me and I was right to be worried. It spun the hell out of me and I had to really hit the front brake to keep my spinning in check.

one piece of advice i got on here that i use above all else had to do with spinning: dont fight the pedals. the first few hills i was on i spun and rocker really hard, trying to fight the pedals. however, if you just let them go you will find you can stay in control much better and not bouce around or have to use the front brake.

another thing that helped me was changing my gearing. i was runnin a tiny 42/20 when i started. just last week i was finally able to get a 15 on the rear. i was worried it would blow my knees up (epsecially since i crushed one knee into a steel post a week ago. purple, yellow, and bloody. yeah!), but i find the gearing much nicer. take off is a bit harder, but once you get goin you have some wicked, but controllable, speed.

you will get used to the pedaling and the rear wheel will stop lifting. having a stiffer gear will help that, too. the biggest "bucking" issue i have is pedal strike in corners. that is a true soil-yourself moment. but fun as all get out.

and be ready for a weird feeling if you hop on something with a freewheel. you will find yourself having trouble slowing, stopping, and not pedaling. when i bike with my wife she notices i never stop pedaling.

p.s. i want that xcheck. where did you get it and what was the cost? i think the green they offer now is much darker than the pea green. while i like camp stove green, i like my bikes like i like my women: old and ugly.

 

[Chris H]

What are the advantages of using a triple or double crankset? I'm gathering up the parts for a fixie project and I could do either.

He probably just had that crankset laying around and picked the ring off of it that he wanted to use and removed the other two. Since his gearing is a 42x18 I'm guessing it was the middle ring he used.

I did the same thing with my fixie. I pulled off the two rings that I didn't need and moved the 42 ring to the inner side of the crank to help my chainline (mine was a MTB crank and the 42 was the big ring).

Nice bike. I had considered doing that to my Cross Check, but I hope to use it for some touring soon so I opted to leave it alone and gut another bike. I'm in my first week riding fixed as well. It's more fun that I expected it to be.