# Short headtube of Surly CrossCheck....



## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

Yet another Surly CC as a do it all bike question. I've done a search, haven't seen this mentioned. I'm thinking either a 56cm Surly CC or a 58cm Gunnar Crosshairs would be an optimal do it all bike for the kind of riding I do. Prob is, I NEED the bars to be level with the saddle, preferably a cm or two above it. With the Gunnar, I can get a 1" threaded adaptor, and run a tall gangly quill stem, like the Nitto (along with a 1" threaded fork, of course). But with that short, short headtube of the CC, what are my options? 90mm of spacers, and look like a total dork? (I don't need any help in that dept). Riser stem alone ain't gonna do it, in my experience. I'm already using a Delta steering tube extender on my Roubaix, would like to avoid that on whatever I end up with. Looking more and more like I'm looking at a custom frame....something with a tall headtube, and short TT. Anything I've missed?


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## haikalah (Oct 5, 2004)

"With the Gunnar, I can get a 1" threaded adaptor, and run a tall gangly quill stem, like the Nitto (along with a 1" threaded fork, of course)." And you won't look like a dork with this? 

I have 56 CC. I'm 5'10" with about 33" inseam. For cross (last fall was my first season of racing) I decided to set it up with tops a bit higher than saddle. I have about 1 1/4 inch of spacers under a stem that rises slightly. I'm confused. I don't think the headtube is "short, short." I must be crazy. I'll go home and measure and post again, but I'm having a hard time understanding the concern. The cross check has steel fork and steerer tube, so hell, go with as many spacers as you want. Don't be concerned about the looks of the spacers. Anyone that dings you for having the spacers is gonna ding you for trying to hide your high bars by geting a custom frame.


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## haikalah (Oct 5, 2004)

Ok, maybe I am a bit of a crazy dork. I have about 4 cm (1 1/2") of spacers under what I'd guess is a 7 degree stem that is flipped up. But remember, one of the spacers is the cable hanger, so it doesn't look so bad. A stem with more angle would get the bars higher. I thought my bar tops were above my seat as it looks as though they are. In fact, using a level, I see that they are about 2 cm, or almost an inch, below the seat top. I have a 56 frame. For me anyway, I could easily get the bars above the seat with only 40 mm of spacers and the right stem.

I don't know what qualifies as a low headtube. Maybe the Surly has one. However, as I said, does it really matter if you have two inches of spacers when you've got a steel steerer tube?


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## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

Haikalah, Thanks for feedback. I wouldn't think it'd matter, but I've heard you're not supposed to have more than 40mm spacers, tops between the top of the headset and the bottom of the stem. The reason for this is, if you have more, then you won't be able to tension the star nut correctly, or so I'm told (couldn't you just use a longer bolt?). I'm 6ft, so I'd probably have to have more, to get the bars level with the saddle...all of this is why I keep going back to a 1" threaded system. I'm just not convinced the threadless system is better for anyone but weight wienies, and/or people who don't mind their bars several inches below the saddle.


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## haikalah (Oct 5, 2004)

The star nut does not come installed in the fork. You cut fork to length needed, and put in star nut accordingly. Reason that many say no more that 40 mm of spacer above headtube is that the extension puts extra stress on steerer tube and you don't want that with increasingly common top-end carbon steerers. Surly fork has steel steerer so I'm pretty sure that you'd be fine with considerably more than 40 mm of spacers. Why don't you check with Surly? Tell them your height, inseam length, that you want bars above saddle, and ask them what they think? Or ask a bike shop. I'm giving you my SWAG, but you can get good answers from Surly or bike shop.


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## m_s (Nov 20, 2007)

I think Soma specs most of their bikes with tallish head tubes. The Double-cross may be worth looking into.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

Here is a 56cm Surly with a bunch of spacers, just for your reference in evaluating the potential dorkiness. . .


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

m_s said:


> I think Soma specs most of their bikes with tallish head tubes. The Double-cross may be worth looking into.


Though this is true, it may be significant that the 54cm Soma is the closest to the 56cm Surly in ETT, and both have basically the same HT length.


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## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

That is a beautiful build, PB Breath! Doesn't look dorky at all. Thanks for sharing.


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## braston (Jul 22, 2005)

*CC's Have Taller Forks*

Don't forget that the CC fork is 400mm tall from axle to crown which sets the front end up about 3cm taller than a typical fork. If you add the 3cm to the length of the head tube, then the effective head tube length isn't that short after all.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

braston said:


> Don't forget that the CC fork is 400mm tall from axle to crown which sets the front end up about 3cm taller than a typical fork. If you add the 3cm to the length of the head tube, then the effective head tube length isn't that short after all.


Just to clarify, the CC fork is 3cm taller than a _road_ fork. This being the CX board, the typical fork is probably ~395mm.


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## vanjr (Sep 15, 2005)

this is very good info. it certainly expands the number of cross bikes that i would buy!


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## braston (Jul 22, 2005)

PeanutButterBreath said:


> Just to clarify, the CC fork is 3cm taller than a _road_ fork. This being the CX board, the typical fork is probably ~395mm.


Good point. CX frame head tubes are typically shorter than road frame head tubes because CX forks in general are taller than road forks.


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