Riding with the Surly Cross-Check

Several weeks ago, I stumbled upon a write up from a bicycle shop in the northwest that was expecting delivery of their first Surly Straggler's any day. At that moment, I wasn't even aware that Surly was preparing to launch a couple of new bikes/frames into their lineup, but I very quickly fell for the metallic violet/purple color of the Straggler. I'm no stranger to Surly, as I've had two rounds with the Pacer, test rode the Long Haul Trucker at length (and Sam owned one for quite awhile), and the LHT was a close second choice when I ultimately purchased the Rivendell Hillborne a few years ago. Did I need another bike? Probably not, but I was finding the desire to do more dirt/trail/gravel riding, and didn't want to beat the crap out of my Riv (well, anymore than I already do), nor did I want to change the set up to be used appropriately for these sorts of rides.

One evening as we were chatting I said, "You know, I'm really thinking about that new Surly. I think I could make good use of it." Sam didn't even begin put up a fight, and so I resumed obsessing over obtaining a Straggler. Not too long afterward, we were wandering around a bike shop when we came across a Surly Cross-Check. It happened to be the right size and Sam suggested I take it out for a spin if I had my sights set on the Straggler, which is supposed to be very similar to the Cross-Check with a few modifications. Not being one to turn down a test ride, I was very quickly off to find some bumpy paths to see how it would handle.

*Image found here - Stock Cross-Check set up

The Cross-Check did amazingly well - really, better than I'd anticipated. I very intentionally set out to ride steep hills, rough roads, and hopefully some dirt. It wasn't hard to find what I was seeking, and the gearing on the stock ride was more than adequate to get me through all of it. I had concerns about the tires, but I'd gone over a goat head that stuck in the tire, and the tires/tube seemed to hold up just fine. At the end of my test ride, we discussed what it is I liked or would want in the Straggler over this Cross-Check, and it seemed like the Cross-Check was a good fit for my needs. We also chatted about picking up a frame and building it up ourselves, but in the end, the whole bike was a decent deal and, impatient child that I am, I could ride it now. Ah, instant gratification.

After riding the bike a bit when I got home, I wasn't loving the handlebars (I will note here that Sam actually really liked the handlebars and ended up taking them for a bike he rides regularly, so perhaps this is more a matter of preference, as I am used to a much smaller handlebar), nor the bar end shifters. The bar ends work extremely well on my Rivendell because of the set up, but with drop bars I was finding them more frustrating than anything. Because the handlebars felt gigantic to me, we did a quick switch out to some smaller drops we had in the pack of random bike parts and switched out the bar ends for STI shifters while we were at it. I was immediately more comfortable and at ease with the set up and enjoyed the bike that much more.

At the time of purchase, I didn't realize just how handy this bike would be in the coming weeks. The storm that flooded our area took out a lot of roads/bridges, and those that were still usable were littered with random garbage, mud and rocks, lost belongings, and so on, so riding any sort of skinny-tired bike seemed like an unnecessary and easily avoidable risk. Sure, I could've stayed indoors, but that's not how I deal with life and the lemons it sometimes chooses to provide. Instead, I got to ride every day through the storm and (unfortunately) see the damage that was taking place as well.

On one of the rides toward the end of the storm, I ran over a piece of glass that punctured the rear tire. Perhaps it was an over reaction, but I decided to pick up a set of tires with more puncture resistance and since then, I've had no trouble (knock on wood) with flats. I opted for Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, and while they are heavier than others, on this sort of bike I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of weight for ease of mind on rougher terrain. Honestly, I haven't noticed a difference in speed, and I think it was well worth the effort for peace of mind when riding.

Despite being a heavier ride (it's no lightweight, but it's not the heaviest bike I own either), it moves easily and smoothly. It doesn't pedal as sprightly as a lighter road bike, but that isn't its purpose, and it performs well on many surfaces. It feels solid and is comfortable for many hours of riding and I could see this bike easily transforming into a commuter, single-speed city rider, or a trail bike. After several days of riding a lighter road bike (which I do love, but it has its place), I was able to get back on the Cross-Check and was quickly reminded why it's such a joy. It really is smooth, and rolls nicely even over the dreaded chip-seal.

In many ways, I'm surprised by how long it's taken me to purchase the Cross-Check because it's just so functional and easy to use. It doesn't get the long stares from strangers like some other bikes receive, but it's definitely special in its own right. Once in awhile, I even get a "Hey, Surly... Cool!" out of a random passer-by. I think if a person were going to have only one bike, I could see this as an ideal option because of its ease of use on so many different types of roads and in a variety of situations. While I'm not ready to give up other options in the mix, I am grateful to have such a solid bike along for the sometimes hairy, but always fun ride.

Cycling in Boulder County Flooding

The last several days I have bemoaned all of the rain we're currently experiencing on the front range of Colorado. There are lots of areas in this country that receive huge amounts of rainfall on a regular basis. This part of Colorado is not one of them. For the most part, I think of this area as a desert - a really high, tree-lined, pretty-in-the-Spring desert. If it does rain, it's for a total of about 10-15 minutes during the summer months. It's usually on the hottest of days and we all look toward the sky, thanking the heavens for a little bit of relief from the heat. The current happenings have well-surpassed these more typical, quick, summer rain sessions. Our city is cut in half at the moment because of flooding. Those on the upper side of town (literally, as it is at a higher spot) seem to be okay, but those on the lower half (again, physically - I'm not making any socio-economic points here, I promise) are without power and are flooding.

One of our kickboxing instructors took this photo early this morning. The situation has become worse since this time.

The ground is saturated, and we still have a projected three more days of rain. Main Street is collapsing, as the river has risen so high that the asphalt on the bridge is now crumbling. When Sam left for work this morning, I was concerned because although I was fairly certain he'd make it into work, I wasn't convinced that getting home would be as easy to do. After a couple of hours at work, they decided to shut down business for the day and sent everyone home, but, as I had predicted, the roads north and south were now completely closed off to traffic. After spending an hour and a half attempting to get the 9 miles home, Sam decided to park the car and walk.

Post by Longmont Times-Call.

The local paper has posted the video above and others like it showing just how much flooding is actually taking place. It's absolute madness for a place that is used to feet of snow in the winter, but not this amount of rain in the summer. It's easy to get caught up in all of the craziness, and as I've expressed, even for the inhabitants of our small home, it has been a bit insane... but, it's not all chaos and flooding.

Yesterday, the ground was just starting to become saturated - though that has changed significantly in the last 24 hours.

Yesterday, I left the house just as the rainfall was increasing. I just couldn't stand the idea of not riding anymore and since the weather-jockey's are anticipating several more days of this, I figured I might as well get out and attempt to ride in the mess of things. The ride yesterday was short, but pleasant. At just under 20 miles, it was long enough to feel that I wasn't missing out (at least not much).

Most of what I traveled was dirt/gravel roads. Perhaps not my brightest move because the ground was quickly becoming over-saturated, but I managed to make it back to paved roads without issue. I thought it would be enough to get me through to the end of this seemingly never-ending storm, but when I woke up this morning, I saw no reason not to venture out again.

I put out a photo and message to friends... "If I'm not back in two hours, you'll know I died doing something I enjoy! :O)" While I don't want to make light of a situation that is actually quite serious and even a bit scary, I don't want to live in fear, nor do I want to miss out on potential training rides with a big ride headed my way in just a couple of weeks. I decided to head out and if things got too bad, I'd simply turn around and come home.

The roads were wet, it rained and hailed on me as I rode, but I managed to pick areas that weren't experiencing the level of flooding that is taking place through much of the county and region. In the photo above, it looks as though I'm just out on a rainy day for a little ride.

One of the things that stood out to me during the last two days of riding is how non-special it really felt. There have been a few individuals who like to state that I am a crazy person for going out in this weather, or that think I am some sort of near super-hero for "braving" the elements. The reality is that it felt good to be out. I didn't do anything stupid, or head in a direction that I knew ahead of time would be unsafe. I didn't take a bike with slick tires that would go super fast, but rather one with knobby tires that has some weight to it and could handle potential, small hazards on the roadways. I got wet, yes. Many of us are ill-prepared for rain here, and I am no exception, but it really didn't bother me until I returned home and realized that I was quite cold from getting soaked through.

I was amazed to discover that no one was out riding - at least not the back roads. All of the usual racers who whiz by me were nowhere to be found. With the exception of a few cars that were likely just trying to get home, I didn't have to share the road with anyone. It was a really wonderful time to take in the beauty that has been created because of all this rain. It's certainly brought destruction with it, but to be able to still see green this time of year in this area is quite a treat.

Rain gear is en-route as I type, but by the time it arrives, the weather will likely have returned to a more normal state and this crazy flood that has happened will be a thing of the past. Although some will probably remember it for the pandemonium it created, I plan to keep memories of this storm as a time during which I got to ride the roads without traffic, to be the "crazy girl" who "toughed" it out riding through the storm, as a time when I got to appreciate all that is truly around me. I liked being that person... maybe I'll bring her along with me after the rain passes and normal life resumes.