Hi gravel guys and gals! Here is my Surly Cross Check that has been my favorite bike since ~2017. It’s mostly set up as a commuter/toddler hauler at the moment, but I want to build it up into a capable gravel bike. I’d love to have a dedicated gravel rig, but it’s just not in the budget for now.
Here’s what I’m thinking for this little lady:
1. Upgrade the groupset to a GRX or similar, possibly run it as a 1x
2. Swap for SPD pedals
3. Swap tires for something like Maxxis 700×43 riddlers and run tubeless
4. Maybe upgrade the wheels, but I’m not sure if that’s worth the cost at my level
5. Obviously take off the cargo rack and put bar tape back on.
Curious to see if there are any insights or advice here! I live in SoCal so the trails tend to be pretty dry and fire road-y, if that influences the build at all.
by chasmfiend_
1 Comment
My Cross Check does mixed road/gravel. I’ve only got 38s on now but might go wider when I replace them. Grx is great, and I’m using the 2×10. All GRX brifters are hydraulic, so you could keep running friction or use the Tiagra levers which are cable brakes and shift GRX perfectly.