Surly CrossCheck 1x Gravel Build

 A few years ago I found a Surly CrossCheck on for sale on Pinkbike in Calgary, Alberta. The bike itself was nothing to write home about - a hacked 1x9 drivetrain using Shimano Sora brifters, alongside a slough of other stock parts. Having spent the past few years slowing building up a Surly Karate Monkey, I was aware of the potential for Surly bikes to take on many different lives. They are easy to work with, so I was quick to find a way to get this bike to Edmonton. 

CrossCheck in its original state

The build itself was slow, but I was excited about the platform the CrossCheck offered. Defined as a "lazy cross" bike, I felt it would provide good platform for urban riding, paved and gravel paths, and the odd gravel ride outside the Edmonton city limits. There are already a wealth of resources online praising the CrossChecks versatility, so I will use this space merely as a place to summarize and profile my current build, highlighting some of the key considerations. 

Final build enjoying a ride in the Edmonton River Valley

• Frame: 58cm, Surly CrossCheck, Black
• Fork: Specialized FACT Carbon Cx Fork - sourced locally on Facebook Marketplace
• Wheels: 700c Mavic Ksyrium UST 
• Tires: 700x43c Panaracer Gravelking 
• Brakes: Avid Shorty Ultimate Cantilever
• Shifters/Brakes: Gevenalle CX 1x10 (short-pull)
• Crankset: SRAM Rival 1x (40T)
• Cassette: Sunrace 11-42T
• Derailleur: 11-speed Shimano XT
• Headset: FSA
• Seatpost: Specialized FACT with Zertz inserts (gimmick in my opinion)
• Saddle: Brook Cambium C15
• Bars: 46cm Salsa Cowchipper
• Tape: LizardSkins DSP Bar Tape 3.2 

I quickly wore out the "original" 1x9 drivetrain I purchased the bike with. The onset of COVID-19 in 2020 lead to an early spring of wet, muddy, riding in the Edmonton region. With my derailleur jockey wheels resembling throwing stars, I figured it was time to focus my efforts on "proper" conversion, and give this frame a much needed facelift. 

Clapped out drivetrain - time for a facelift!

I quickly swapped out the stock 25.4 Salsa MotoAce CowBell bars for a more modern Salsa Cowchipper. To me the Cowchippers strike a perfect balance of flare, with comfort while riding on the hoods. I knew the frame size was a tad small for me, forcing me into a fairly aggressive riding position. Setting the bike up for comfort while on the hoods would suite my riding style in the Edmonton River Valley. 

Next I swapped out the stock steel Surly fork for a NOS Specialized Carbon CX fork. The Surly steel forks are great, and I will admit, this was more an opportunistic upgrade, as I found the uncut fork on the local Buy & Sell for a mere 40$. It came with a weight saving, but ride quality more less remained the same.

NOS Specialized carbon CX fork and Salsa Cowchippers

I later found an Easton Circuit wheelset on Facebook Marketplace, and decided to swap things over for a small upgrade from the stock Shimano wheels. I later learned of the nuance of internal rim diameter, and quickly realized the 16mm internal rim diameter of these Easton wheels was less than ideal. I opted to mount a set of Shcwable G-ones (38c) as a compromise. These served me wheel for one summer, though I later upgraded (?) to a set of Mavic Ksyrium UST, with a 19mm internal rim diameter, allowing me more comfortably run the 43c Gravelkings. 

I am firm believer that everyone should run the maximum tire clearance their frame will afford. This comes with no reduction to average speed and greatly improves comfort over mixed terrain. 

The real talking point of the bike build is the 1x10 conversion. Making use of the Gevenalle CX shifters, I was able to repurpose an 11 speed XT Shimano Dyna-sys derailleur, paired with 10-speed Sunrace 11-42T cassette. While there are a myriad of ways to achieve a 1x wide-range gearing, I ultimately settled on the Gevenalle as I had a few main requirements. Mainly, I wanted to keep the build affordable (utilizing old parts, when I could) and I needed short-pull brake levers for cantilever brakes. I considered the new Microshift Advent groupset for a while, but ultimately opted for the Gevenalle. 

My understanding is that an 11-speed derailleur works in this setup as the pull ratio for 10 speed and 11 speed mountain derailleurs is equivalent. The 11-speed derailleur can clear the 40T and 42T chainrings easier than the a 10-speed, which were previously designed for 36T cassettes. Using an 11-speed derailleur results in a cleaner build as you don't need to run any aftermarket parts like WolfTooth Goatlink, etc. 

Gevenalle Cx 1x10 short-pull levers

11-speed Shimano XT Dyna-sys rear derailleur paired with 10-speed Sunrace cassette (11-42T)

This setup is best summarized here on Youtube

I've since seen a variety of different ways to achieve a similar results, but I have been happy with the Gevenalle. Easy to setup, indexes perfectly, and feels robust and well machined. Takes about 5 minutes to get used to.

My only grief would be the lack of "aero" cables coming off your hoods. This is mostly an aesthetic choice, but can also impact your ability to run bags, etc. 

The last thing worth noting was my desire to run full length cable housing on this build. The CrossCheck comes with cable housing stops along top tube (rear brake) and downtube (rear mech) to run open cables. It was my hope to find a way to run full length cable housing to protect cables from dust, muck and grime. I had hoped that this would reduce some of the maintenance and make the cables last a little longer. 

I scoured the internet for options, the crux being how to run the cable beneath the bottom bracket and out along chainstay to rear derailleur. I had found this hydraulic brake cable problem solvers, which worked well, but lack a "clean aesthetic". They are a bit meh, but do the job and have worked well for running cable housing along the top tube. 

For the downtube I explored many different options, but ultimately settled on a cable guide product from Cobra Ties. The flexible, rubberized, guide mounts pretty cleanly to your frame using a zip tie. This was the most affordable option I could find to run full cable housing along my downtube, under the bottom bracket, and along the chainstay. 

You can run cable housing through your downtube shifter cable stop, too - so thats handy. 

I finished off the build with a Brooks Cambium saddle, and recently upgraded to the Lizard Skins DPS extra thick (3.2mm) bar tape. I've always been one to overlook bar tape, but the Lizard Skins stuff is good, and has drastically improved comfort on the bike. Would recommend! 

That pretty much sums up the build for now! We'll call this one done...for now.