[lauraegg]

Okay, I know there has already been a ton of discussion out there on the cross check vs. the long haul trucker, but I have a couple of questions that I haven't seen answered.

So, very briefly, I own a road bike. I don't need another one. I don't need light. I need something I can throw bigger tires on, commute 200 miles a week in the snow and in the summer, take across the country, and generally beat the crap out of.

Many other folks have had this delimma, and it seems the advice they get is always that the cross check can handle of all that and come out smiling. Which is great advice; the cross check is obviously a fabulous do-it-all frame.

My question, however, is why might the LHT be better for what I want? What can the cross check do that the LHT can't? What does the long haul trucker do better? I know the cross check can do all of this well, but would the LHT be better for any reason?

Basically, can I beat the crap out of a LHT the same way you can a CC?

- Laura

 

[radfahrer]

You can beat the crap out of either frame. The geometry is nearly identical for both bikes, but the LHT has longer chainstays, which will give a more stable ride. Also, the LHT has extra features designed for a long distance tourer such as a third bottle cage mount, spoke holder, and mid fork braze ons for a lowrider rack. The cross check is probably more versatile with it's horizontal dropouts which allows you to run singlespeed or fixed gear easily. I personally have a LHT and love it, but I also want a cross check just to cover the full utilitarian spectrum of bicycles. Hope that helps.

 

[surly dan]

Okay, I know there has already been a ton of discussion out there on the cross check vs. the long haul trucker, but I have a couple of questions that I haven't seen answered.

So, very briefly, I own a road bike. I don't need another one. I don't need light. I need something I can throw bigger tires on, commute 200 miles a week in the snow and in the summer, take across the country, and generally beat the crap out of.

Many other folks have had this delimma, and it seems the advice they get is always that the cross check can handle of all that and come out smiling. Which is great advice; the cross check is obviously a fabulous do-it-all frame.

My question, however, is why might the LHT be better for what I want? What can the cross check do that the LHT can't? What does the long haul trucker do better? I know the cross check can do all of this well, but would the LHT be better for any reason?

Basically, can I beat the crap out of a LHT the same way you can a CC?

- Laura

I have a CC and went that way 'cuz of the shorter stays and more road bike feel. I'd bet that either way would work out. Oh, here's one new thought, the new green color is a huge improvement in terms of both color and quality of the finish. I'd wait and see what the new colors of the LHT look like before you make your final decision. Surly is the way to go the frames don't cost an arm and a leg, you can beat the crap out of them and thet come back begging for more. ~surly dan

 

[ashpioletrev]

Lht

Okay, I know there has already been a ton of discussion out there on the cross check vs. the long haul trucker, but I have a couple of questions that I haven't seen answered.

So, very briefly, I own a road bike. I don't need another one. I don't need light. I need something I can throw bigger tires on, commute 200 miles a week in the snow and in the summer, take across the country, and generally beat the crap out of.

Many other folks have had this delimma, and it seems the advice they get is always that the cross check can handle of all that and come out smiling. Which is great advice; the cross check is obviously a fabulous do-it-all frame.

My question, however, is why might the LHT be better for what I want? What can the cross check do that the LHT can't? What does the long haul trucker do better? I know the cross check can do all of this well, but would the LHT be better for any reason?

Basically, can I beat the crap out of a LHT the same way you can a CC?

- Laura

i think the LHT has a few other opptions like a much TALLER head tube, and below a 56cm they came as a 26in wheel size.

 

[clownempire]

why i chose a cross check

I just put in an order today for a cross check (CC) after considering a LHT. Here's why I decided on a CC.

I'm basically taking apart all of the components off of an old Bridgestone RB-2 because I wanted a more versatile bike (fatter tires, primarily).

While the LHT has nice long chainstays and a lower bottom bracket for a more stable road ride, the CC has 132.5mm rear hub spacing that will let me reuse my 130mm hub from the RB2. The LHT is spaced at 135mm.

Also, the CC has semi-horizontal dropouts in case I decide to convert it to a fixie or singlespeed someday.

Another feature of the LHT is the extended head tube, so you can get the bars higher. I usually get the same effect with a taller stem and not cutting the fork too low. There are a few other touring features of the LHT that some other people mentioned. None were that important to me.

It looks to me that the CC is intended to be a little more versatile. The LHT has design features a little more specific to touring, centuries or any type of riding where comfort and stability are primary concerns. For myself, I'm looking for a rough-stuff bike that could grow into a 29er, a fixie, an SS...you get the picture.

Hopefully, Surly has a black 62 CC in stock. I'll find out monday!

 

[ridgid rider]

beat the crap

Well, i don't beat the crap out of my bikes but I recently replaced my CrossCheck with a LHT. If you look at a the measurements the two frames seem very similiar but the difference in how they ride is big. The LHT has a longer wheelbase, longer chainstays and a lower bottom bracket. This all contributes to a very solid feel. I've ridden the CrossCheck frame a lot. In fact i did a 4500 mile cross country tour on it. The LHT frames weren't available until the end of my tour or I might have gotten one instead. I guess I would say the CrossCheck has a more lively or playful feel. The LHT feels great at speed but it feels really nice to just cruise around on. The difference in bottom bracket height is quite noticeable. I would descibe the difference as riding inside the LHT as compared to riding on top of the Crosscheck. Hopefully that makes sense.

I've ridden the CC off road with 44mm and 32mm tires. The larger tires turn the bike into something special. No other cross bike that i know of offers so much clearance and the big tires tend to roll over obstacles like mad. The LHT frame can also run big tires. I'll probably try it with the 44's soon but the low BB could be a problem and the fork is about a 1/2" shorter than the CrossCheck's. So it has less clearance for the front tire.

They're both great frames. The CrossCheck can be built various ways. The dropouts allow you to run singlespeed, fixed or even an internally geared hub. In my opinion vertical dropouts are superior if you're going to run deraillers. The LHT is a touring frame. No, the LHT is a fantastic touring frame. When touring bikes were popular magazines often promoted them as the perfect do-it-all road bike. I'm sure most touring bikes never actually went on tour. If your looking to build a bike with derailleurs, fenders and large tires and ride it primarily on the road I'd say go with the LHT. If you want to add racks and bags I'd say definitely go with the LHT. If you aren't sure what you're looking for, maybe you like to try singlespeed or fixed or ride challenging singletrack the Crosscheck gets the nod . If what you want is a road bike that can run 28-32mm tires and fenders take a look at the Pacer or an older roadie frame.

 

[Cloxxki]

Four consecutive posters, that must be a record! Welcome to the forums folks, and thanks for contributing!

 

[shiggy]

The longer chainstays and lower BB are touring bike features.
The stays give more heel clearance with rear panniers and let the panniers be mounted lower.
The low BB is not so much for riding stability as it to make it easier to get your foot on the ground to hold up a loaded bike when stopped. A low BB does nothing to lower the load carried on the racks.

 

[ridgid rider]

good points

good points. i've heard folks mention heal clearance issues after putting bags on the CrossCheck. I run a large Carradice saddlebag and front panniers. I'm not so sure that touring bikes have lower bottom brackets for the reason you mention as much as it is that racing bikes tend to have higher BBs so that you can pedal thru tight corners. But the lower it is the closer your feet are to the ground. In fact your entire body is closer to the ground so the center of gravity is lowered. Since I'm using the saddlebag the gear i carry in it is also closer to the ground although quite a bit higher than rear panniers.