Is A Tourer without a Rack...

[style over speed]

Interesting you should say that, I had a *very* close pass today when the driver behind me decided to blow a red light I was stopping for - he was too close when I braked & swung around me. I don't think my lights had much to do with that though.



I tour with panniers, but can't commute with them - I don't like the feel of a single pannier, tend to overfill it, and they make the bike harder to get on and off the train because of the extra width.

It's definitely no speed machine, but a lovely bike to ride, laden or unladen. The 42c tyres (up from 32s) ride nicely on pretty much anything. I like the olive a lot - this year's Truckers are Velvet Blue & Black, I think, the 2009 "Truckaccino" looks better in the flesh (with brown finishing kit, imo) but not my cup of tea.

the 2009 does looks lovely in the flesh (imho) heres my trucakachino one when it was new and shiney:

 

[cnb]

Yep its still a tourer, After all a cars still a car even when its up on bricks... Nice looking bike.. I'm thinking about getting one and would have loved the olive green, they only do black or blue this year so will prob have to be the black one...

 

[John the Monkey]

Yep its still a tourer, After all a cars still a car even when its up on bricks... Nice looking bike.. I'm thinking about getting one and would have loved the olive green, they only do black or blue this year so will prob have to be the black one...

Could be worth asking around, there may be some dealers with 2009 stock still - alternatively, there may be someone selling a 2009 frame...

I really liked the cherry red LHT they did (2008?) personally.

 

[Arch]

any ride you walk away from, right?

I read something in a book of internet funnies the other day, list of aviation 'rules' from an aviation magazine. One was "a good landing is one you walk away from. A great landing is one where they can use the plane again afterwards....."

With regard to your rack question....

It's one of my very few bike 'style' niggles - a bike with mudguards but no rack. It just looks really.... odd, to me. Dunno why, but it's a strong enough feeling to ensure I'm unlikely ever to take the rack off my FCR, if I want to retain the mudguards.

I'll accept any old bar set up, drivechain mixes, paint job etc, if it suits the rider's needs, but that's the one thing that grates for me.

Sorry. Nice bike though. A colleague was asking me the other day if I'd heard good thing about them and I remembered you had one and it looked like a tidy bike.

 

[John the Monkey]

Yep its still a tourer, After all a cars still a car even when its up on bricks... Nice looking bike.. I'm thinking about getting one and would have loved the olive green, they only do black or blue this year so will prob have to be the black one...

Have a look on the Google "Surly Long Haul Trucker and Crosscheck" group - there's a chap on there who's built up the "Blacktacular" colour frame recently. I have to say, it looks really nice - silver finishing kit on it, a very smart bike indeed.

Edit: Here you go (hopefully the link will work)

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/N9RXlxu4j9j6ibg3CpLbWP0x8aJJDkzVPoOBeDxxxzw?feat=directlink

 

[John the Monkey]

Sorry. Nice bike though. A colleague was asking me the other day if I'd heard good thing about them and I remembered you had one and it looked like a tidy bike.

No need to apologise, be a dull old world if everyone liked the same things!

For your colleague; plusses are the feel of the frame, ability to mount *really* big tyres (up to 45c AND mudguards) & proper set of braze ons (3x bottle cage, front rack, rear rack eyelets separate from mudguards, etc,etc). Frameset is cheap for steel too. Rear spacing is 135mm, which could be a consideration if an existing set of wheels is going on.

Downsides are the heaviness (although frame weight on a tourer? Who really cares?) and I guess the lack of a disc tab, if your pal is a bit modern. Happy to answer any specific questions on it if your colleague has them, do feel free to pass on my details.

 

[Arch]

No need to apologise, be a dull old world if everyone liked the same things!

For your colleague; plusses are the feel of the frame, ability to mount *really* big tyres (up to 45c AND mudguards) & proper set of braze ons (3x bottle cage, front rack, rear rack eyelets separate from mudguards, etc,etc). Frameset is cheap for steel too. Rear spacing is 135mm, which could be a consideration if an existing set of wheels is going on.

Downsides are the heaviness (although frame weight on a tourer? Who really cares?) and I guess the lack of a disc tab, if your pal is a bit modern. Happy to answer any specific questions on it if your colleague has them, do feel free to pass on my details.

Cheers - although I think he's off now, touring and wooffing through France on his Dahon....

Funnily, having said what I did about the rack/guards thing, I'm veering towards NOT putting a rack on my 'bent trike, and instead making a pair of over the seat bags, although I do have a rear mudguard (pretty essential, unless you fancy a muddy shower on any wet ride). Partly because of rack logistics (on a trike not made to have one), and partly to keep it light for when I don't need much luggage and can manage with the behind seat pocket. I guess it all looks odd enough already!