Single Speed Cross Check

The single speed Cross Check finally got some much deserved love this weekend. After building this frame up in various configurations over the years, this is one that I'm actually proud of. The photo above shows the build as of last Friday's commute. Here's the new build...

New drops, levers, tape, fenders and pedals not only give it a better look, but make it a bit more functional, too.

I was going for a full-out black build. I wanted to give the colored bar tape a lot of pop.

More of these Tektro levers. They are road levers that work with V-Brakes. I'm running V-Brakes on my LHT and this rain bike. I just don't think you can beat the stopping power that they offer at their pricepoint.

I've been working in the kitchen instead of the garage recently. Good thing I have an awesome wife that's okay with it :)

Next came new fenders. I used a set of Planet Bike Cascadias but wanted to add a little flare. For now, I used electrical tape to drop a racing stripe down the center. I figured if I liked the appearance, I could do a more permanent paint solution down the road. I really liked the way they turned out. They also have more coverage than my last set. They're a bit wider to work with the current tires I'm running and will allow for some growth in the future.

Not a great photo but you can get the impression of the bikes new look. I swapped out the smaller pedals for larger Kona platform pedals and it's an all new ride. My stem feels a little too long. So I might change that out after a couple rides. My test ride was in 16 degree weather with no head covering or gloves. So I was evaluating my potential for hypothermia more-so than I was evaluating the ride. We'll see.

All in all, I'm very pleased. I like the drop bars on a single speed. When the wind is pounding me, I can crouch down out of it a little more. Plus, my wrists have always gotten achey on straight bars. And the pedals are a HUGE upgrade. In slippery, rainy conditions, I have often slipped off and raked my shin down the pedals. It hurts. These new platforms are big a grippy. They'll be perfect.

This generation of the Cross Check may make me a bit more likely to choose it on non-crappy weather days. I'm looking forward to it.

Get out there.