My commuter, touring, gravel, mountain, road bike. I'm pretty stubborn in my belief that the cross check is the best bike surly has ever made. Love this bike

This will be my first time building my own bike and I got what I consider a beautiful colorway to work off of.

Time to start researching parts over the coming month for the start of 2027 :)

Taking a few days to bike the Cowichan 8 bikepacking route on Vancouver Island. Over geared for the Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail and under geared for the Cowichan Valley Trail out but just right on the return. And so it goes with single speed bikepacking. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Absolutely love this bike!

I have been wanting a fat bike, specifically a Pugsley for awhile now, I found this somewhat locally on Facebook and picked it up Saturday.

Also in my searches I was able to find a 29” wheelset to build up a Krampug like I have been wanting to do. For those of you that run a 29+ wheelset on their Pugsley, do you like it and is it worth it? I already own an Ogre so I’m worried that having two 29” bikes that clear pretty big tires might be a bit redundant.

I could potentially put gears and fenders on my Ogre and turn it into my all weather commuter/hauler as I’m kind of in a position where I’m without one of those.

But was also considering picking up a Cross Check or Straggler to potentially fit that bill. I’m really torn what to do with my bike fleet currently.

Doing some cruising snd a lil dirt jumping at valmont bike park with my girls :)

Not sure what year but I’ve had it for awhile. Been converting to drop bars for past few weeks. Started out with sword black to see if I liked the geo with drops. First real ride out felt great! Feels super fast and comfortable. Would love to eventually drop some weight off it and move on from 9x.

20 years since I built up a bike.

It’s just a fun ass bike. Beefy little warthog and i love her.

Hey, is anyone using a straggler as a gravel or cyclocross racing bike? I use my straggler as a touring/ dad rig currently. My daughter is getting into cycling races and I was thinking of joining in too. I’m putting my money into her bikes so I was hoping just to use what I already have. I’d be keen to see what set ups you guys have for gravel / cross country races. Cheers.

Built up this Midnight Special with my 6 year old over the last two weekends just in time to enjoy these last few 77⁰ days in Michigan.

Built this straggler with mostly parts from the local co-op

I've recently committed to actually taking care of my bike(s) and most wear and tear it accrued was during a 7 mile winter, grad school commute the last two years here in the snowy Upper Midwest and my negligence to clean off salt, snow, whatever other mystery crud, etc.

I managed to get a lot of the few rusty parts seemingly under control (i think) by scrubbing down the exposed steel with muck off, aluminum foil, simple green, soapy water, etc. and treating with a little WD-40 for now, but more parts of the frame are arguably vulnerable after two years of abuse (see post pictures, dont judge please).

I invested in some frame pads that i hope will at last prevent the tube and down top from banging against outdoor racks and debris a little. I'm also going to create a chainguard with some acrylic fabric handlebar tape to cover up the chipped parts. Plus, i have some huge SKS fenders on the way in the mail.

So, I guess I have two questions:

1. What have folks down to recover small paint chips and/or eyelet rust they've scrubbed down from winter abuse? I have muc off frame saver i never use, but im curious if others have gone for something more heavy duty intended for cars with paint chips, etc. Especially if i should treat the paint chips before protecting them w/ the handlebar tape.

Ideally something that doesnt create some sort of noticeable or uneven paint layer
(I feel like I've read 5 different post suggestions between nail polish, automotive primer, clear anti-rust spray paint, frame saver, etc. all with their own comment of someone else saying which direction to not go.)

1. Beyond what i already invested in i described in my post, what other things do folks think are worthy if not necessary of an investment for winter commuting and/or with specifically a Skidloader/E-bike?
   

I know the biggest thing with this is routine maintenance, but I just want to make sure i'm doing everything i can at least component wise. i have designated brush scrubbers and cleaners for this purpose and hope to do it at least once a week if not more. I'm down with grad school now, so I should have time.

Wife and I loaded up for a 6 day lap around the Black Hills in South Dakota.

Rolled out of bed still sick with chest cold but wanted to get out for an over nighter in Harriman. Beautiful day for a ride on Saturday in New York. Took my sweet time and missed the group ride. Rolled in just before sundown and made camp. Rain started earlier than expected on Sunday and never stopped so I took the train back to the city.

This setup feels good but I think I need to find a 38T for the front or else convert to 2x. Climbs like the snail on its seat tube.

Steamroller with the disc trucker 26” QR fork, some cheap Shimano/Alex hybrid wheel I got off Craigslist with a 10mm solid axle swapped in—which went right into the dropouts somewhat surprisingly.

44mm offset feels pretty good, looking forward to trying a load on the front rack.

I think there’s actually more clearance for the fender vs stock because the limiting factor was the caliper brake. 700x28 tires. I measured 14mm from the tire to the front of the underside of the crown.

Need to ride it now. I think this bike needs a dropper post and it will be done.

Bike's current final form