My Surly

Some details of my custom-built Surly Cross-check bicycle

• The Surley Cross-check is a chrome-moly steel frame which is specialized for Cyclo-Cross cross-country racing. The 56cm frame is is durable, relatively light, and smooth as silk on bumps.
• My long legs vs short arms warrant a short, high Axiom stem on a Ritchey Logic headset.
• Flared drop handlebars, with simple bar-end shifters. Reason: All those years of 10 speeds ;-) Actually I can't stand those ubiquitous mountain-bike handles. I feel trapped with them, and get fatigue. Drop bars accomodate my "ADHD" by providing no fewer than five comfortable grips (bar-top, top-curve, brake-horns, drop-curve, bar-end).
• Replaced the stock Cross-check front end with durable forks, Salsa "Delgado Cross" rims, Surley sealed bearings, and Avid "road" disc brakes. The original caliper brakes ate though the front rim after just one year, even with Salmon Kool-stop pads!
• Drive Train: Shimano with 52/42/30 chain ring and a (32-11) 9-speed cartridge. A Deore XT Mountain-bike rear derailleur durably handles the wide cartridge, but a Tiagra front deraileur leaves room for fender.
• A rugged Mavic CrossMax rear rim with a Schwalbe Marathon tire permits (gentle!) curb-jumping with full paniers.
• Accessories (far too many):
  • Delta Airzound air horn. It has saved my life twice now. During the summer, I am less visible (no lights), but plainly audible. It stops cars dead in their tracks, but must never be used for pedestrians.
  • Planet Bike Alias 25-watt lamp (winter only)
  • Mirrycle mirror. The mirrycle is the only satisfactory one I have found. No shaking, easy adjusting and folds away. Mounting this thing was a challenge! The challenge was met by Calhoun Cycle in Minneapolis, which mates the mirrycle with a mount to get the Evo Mirror. It is targeted to recumbent bicycles, but works great on drop bars. Placing it just under the brake handle, the mirror mount is (by mirracle!) just out of the way for my hand, yet high enough for easy viewing. I really ought to put a photograph of it here. It is simply too bad that the Original Mirrycle which had a beautiful mount on those old 10-speed pull-through brake horns can not be similarly mounted on modern brake handles. Is anybody, like Shimano, listening?
  • Front and rear LED blinkers and reflectors
  • Bell
  • Under-saddle tool bag
  • Rear rack/paniers
  • Locks (I'm paranoid)
  • Full fenders (It rains 100 in/year here)
  • Toe clips. I would go clipless if I could find EEE-wide shoes.
  • Bicycle Computer -- just kidding -- Ed would kill me if I tried to squeeze another gadget onto my "Christmas tree".