# Scott Sub 10 v. Surly Crosscheck



## mg5904 (Apr 2, 2008)

Hello all,

My wife and I have been mountain biking for a number of years and for our first foray into road biking we are deciding between the Surly Crosscheck and the Scott Sub 10. 
We will not be racing but enjoy occasionally “Haulin’!”, as wife says. We do not expect to do any rides of more than 20-30 miles with most being in the 10-20 range. If/when we find ourselves regularly riding further and really getting into it we will look for a more purpose-oriented road bike solution. For now we are looking at something that will provide a comfortable road experience that can also serve as a decent commuter bike and have no trouble with light trail/gravelly-dirt road work as well. Finally, we don’t want to go above $1000.00 if we can manage. 

Scott Sub 10 seems really neat. Nice package with a strong frame that has a similar Mt. bike fit that we are used to. We would go with the 700c option. 

The Surly also looks like a nice option but with a more road-oriented position. 

I’ve asked around a little bit and have been told that we can probably expect to go further, faster and with less effort with the Surly but the relaxed position of the Scott and the disc brakes are compelling. 

Any suggestions?


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## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

mg5904 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> My wife and I have been mountain biking for a number of years and for our first foray into road biking we are deciding between the Surly Crosscheck and the Scott Sub 10.
> We will not be racing but enjoy occasionally “Haulin’!”, as wife says. We do not expect to do any rides of more than 20-30 miles with most being in the 10-20 range. If/when we find ourselves regularly riding further and really getting into it we will look for a more purpose-oriented road bike solution. For now we are looking at something that will provide a comfortable road experience that can also serve as a decent commuter bike and have no trouble with light trail/gravelly-dirt road work as well. Finally, we don’t want to go above $1000.00 if we can manage.
> ...


For what you will be doing, the disc brakes are not really needed. I have them on my mountain bike and like them, but wouldn't really need them for what you are describing. As far as the strong frame, the Crosscheck is about as strong as you can get, and since it's steel, it's repairable if something were to happen. Are you looking at the Crosscheck complete builds or just the frame/fork combo and building them up yourselves? 

FWIW, the Crosscheck, or a custom near replica, will probably be my next bike. It's one of the most versatile frames out there. With some 1.8's you've got a bike that can handle singletrack, but with narrower knobbies you've got a nice commuter/cross type bike. If I had to pick a stock frame to ride around the world on, it would be a Crosscheck, though possible with a different fork. 

Let me know what you think.


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## mg5904 (Apr 2, 2008)

Thank you for the reply, SleevelesSS.

The crosscheck is a real nice frame and from what I read a real do-it-all bike. 

I like the disc brakes only because of some trouble I used to have riding in snow with rim breaks. I had couple of strong pucker moments until I switched to the discs. 

We would be buying a complete build as we don't have the facilities or skill to do a buildup ourselves.

Thank you for your opinion, I appreciate it.


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## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

mg5904 said:


> Thank you for the reply, SleevelesSS.
> 
> The crosscheck is a real nice frame and from what I read a real do-it-all bike.
> 
> ...


Just a few more things. 

One, you don't need facilities or skill for what I was talking about. What I meant was will you be buying the complete bike, or choosing the components individually and having the bike built up at a shop with those components of your choosing. It is just a matter of preference, but building the frame up separately will cost you more. You might be able to make a bike better suited to your needs than the stock bike, however. If you don't know much about individual components or have a strong desire for different equipment than the stock bike, it will serve you well and is a good value. 

About the discs and snow, you would be surprised what a difference some Kool Stop Salmon pads will make on either cantis or mini-v's. They are designed for wet weather, and are grippier than most pads. I use them on my road bike all the time, as the only disadvantage is they need replaced more often. Mini V brakes will also offer an improvement in stopping power over the canti's that I believe come stock. Just two ways to improve braking power, and used in conjunction should really make a difference.


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## mg5904 (Apr 2, 2008)

SleeveleSS said:


> Just a few more things.
> 
> One, you don't need facilities or skill for what I was talking about. What I meant was will you be buying the complete bike, or choosing the components individually and having the bike built up at a shop with those components of your choosing. It is just a matter of preference, but building the frame up separately will cost you more. You might be able to make a bike better suited to your needs than the stock bike, however. If you don't know much about individual components or have a strong desire for different equipment than the stock bike, it will serve you well and is a good value.
> 
> About the discs and snow, you would be surprised what a difference some Kool Stop Salmon pads will make on either cantis or mini-v's. They are designed for wet weather, and are grippier than most pads. I use them on my road bike all the time, as the only disadvantage is they need replaced more often. Mini V brakes will also offer an improvement in stopping power over the canti's that I believe come stock. Just two ways to improve braking power, and used in conjunction should really make a difference.


^^^ Thanks for that. I don't think we will be going the custom build route as much as I wish we could. Expense is an issue and I worry I might get a bit carried away with carbon forks, bars and insano custom hand built wheels. Not ready for that yet, although i could see new wheels in the not too distant future and using the stock for the winter/bad weather riding i mentioned prior.

I was not aware of the different brake options, thanks for pointing that out. I will definately check into them if we go the Surly route. Stopping is very important to me, especially when it is snotty out! 

Thanks again. This is all very helpful.


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## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

Glad to be of help. Let me know what you decide and if you have more questions.


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## x-ker (Oct 10, 2007)

If you're in the US, take a look at Jenson for a good price on a complete crosscheck. 

$900 gets you one with a free build (You'll have to straighten handlebars and do some other minor things when it ships out) and it looks like there's also currently free shipping.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

SleeveleSS said:


> and since it's steel, it's repairable if something were to happen


This is kind of a myth, especially on a $400 frame- sure, you could get a tube replaced, but it'd end up costing double what you paid for the frame...

That said, if you can hurt a cross-check frame, you are more man than I.

Surly makes nice stuff. Well thought out. Don't get hung up on weight or disc brakes. I rode all winter through heavy snow, slush 6" deep, glaze ice and mud and good ol' v-brakes stopped me every time.


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## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

buck-50 said:


> This is kind of a myth, especially on a $400 frame- sure, you could get a tube replaced, but it'd end up costing double what you paid for the frame...
> 
> That said, if you can hurt a cross-check frame, you are more man than I.
> 
> Surly makes nice stuff. Well thought out. Don't get hung up on weight or disc brakes. I rode all winter through heavy snow, slush 6" deep, glaze ice and mud and good ol' v-brakes stopped me every time.


Though it might be financially advantageous to just buy a new frame, it can be repaired most of the time.


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## asdfasdfasdfasdf (Apr 22, 2008)

mg5904 said:


> We will not be racing but enjoy occasionally “Haulin’!”, as wife says. We do not expect to do any rides of more than 20-30 miles with most being in the 10-20 range. Finally, we don’t want to go above $1000.00 if we can manage. Scott Sub 10 seems really neat. Nice package with a strong frame that has a similar Mt. bike fit that we are used to. We would go with the 700c option.
> 
> Any suggestions?


I have to plug the Scott here. (I'm not familiar with the Surly.) I'm a heavy commuter and I completely wore out my last Jamis Coda Comp. I wanted a heavy duty, FAST, low maintenance commuter. I bought a 2008 Sub 10 (700C's) at REI a couple months ago and I couldn't be happier with it. ($900 minus dividend) I love the disk brakes. I actually added a front disk to my Jamis because I was getting tired of replacing and adjusting pads. FYI, the 2008 Sub 10 brakes are hydraulic. I prefer the flat bar because I ride in the city quite a lot but depending on how much "haullin'" you want to do you might want to be looking at bikes with traditional bars. My only beef is the rake of the fork but I've got use to it and is actually quite a bit more stable. The Scott's a little more on the commuter side than hauler but I say for the price it can't be beat. :thumbsup: Kyle


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## PDX BIKER (Apr 13, 2008)

From another Scott SUB 10 owner. I have a 2007 which came with a carbon fork that year. I specifically wanted a fast flatbar commuter urban bike and and the SUB 10 with 700c wheels works perfectly for me. The disc brakes are nice to have although not really necessary for a street bike. Good component mix, shifting is excellent. I was using my hardtail MTB with street tires, but for the road the Scott is definitely faster and handles well. I added SKS fenders (a bit of custom strut fitting to clear the front disc) and a rear rack. I have around 600 miles on it with no complaints. I've pulled a 60 mile ride on it and have no doubt I'd still be comfortable doing a Century, although the Surly might be more oriented for that. For the money, its a great flatbar urban bike. I spent several weeks looking at other bikes and finally settled on the Scott. Real happy with it.


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## mg5904 (Apr 2, 2008)

Thanks to all of the above posters for their helpful comments. Anyone else with a Sub 10 story or experience? 

Wife and I are going with the Sub 10 over the Surly. I imagine we are making some enemies out there now ;-) but they are the right choice for us. Wife got her bike a couple of days ago and loves the frame and the overall ride. Very different from riding her fully-suspended RM ETSX on the road. I am waiting for mine to come in; expecting it next week and daydreaming about the new addition to the stable is getting in the way of real work.

We'll be adding a rack and panniers (suggestions anyone?) soon. We have a 30 mile ride coming up in June, PDX BIKER, so I am happy to hear that you have gone 60 miles with no real discomfort. That was a bit of a concern of mine. 

Most importantly, I CANNOT WAIT TO GO RIDING! The weather has been unseasonably fantastic and it has been way to long, as my growing gut shows, and I miss feeling the wind and pedaling the day away. 

Looking at the clock and since starting this post, I am now 5 minutes closer to getting delivery of my new ride. Can't wait.


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