[quote=“biekridder”]520 is a reynolds branded cromo tubing. as is 531, 631, 853, etc
520 is a pretty decent stuff- certainly a step up from the noname stuff that pake and surly uses.
your point about “the same” frame doesn’t make sense- they have very obvious design differences, and made out of different tubesets of different brands and different quality. in fact, they are more different than they are alike.
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oh come on… look at the geometry of the two bikes. They are the same bike, with slightly longer wheel base on the jury. The only difference is that Bikes Direct put on what surly left off, cable stops and eyelets.
and 520 is reynolds branded 4130.
Also, they dicked up the cyclocross by running the cables under the top tube.
Mike from Bikes Direct made it very clear that this was these “revision” of the Surly Steamroller, with the things that Surly left off (braze-ons for fenders), and that a BD knock-off of the Cross Check will be available by the time 'cross season starts.
Reynolds 520 is basic 4130 Cro-Mo, not a step up at all from what Surly or IRO uses, it’s the same stuff. Anyway, as Zombie points out, he was referring to the Spatron, which everyone seemed to agree was heavy hi-ten shit and not quality Cro-Mo, so this is largely irrelevant.
I had one. Just sold it. Decent attractive frame. Heavy (I had the chrome one). Not exactly a joy to ride. I realized that I wanted something a bit lighter for my beater.No canti. mounts is annoying. The only brakes that will work seem to be the Tektro R556. You need a drop bolt to run a rear brake.