Recently ended up with a Surly Cross Check cyclocross/do it all frame dirt cheap...couldn't pass it up so i built it up as a "monster cross" (Facebook.com/monstercrosser) A Monster Cross bike is between a mountain bike (with 2.1-2.6 wide tires) and a cyclocross bike (30mm-35mm...or hair over an inch to inch and a half). This bike has Panaracer Fire Cross 45's....about 1.8-1.9 inch wide. Bars are a variation of a drop bar found on road bikes called a "dirt drop". These I bought at Bicycle Experience and are Origin 8's version, the Gary bar. Love 'em. I set this bike up as singlespeed but thinking of going 1x9 or 2x9, but I do love the simplicity and quiet of the singlespeed.