Surly Long Haul Trucker

[just jim]

A fine job, good luck with ti!

edit: I mean "it"

 

[Kirstie]

Yes it looks nice...

 

[MePower]

Very nice! I`m waiting for LHT to be delivered at the mo, same colour, spec is: deore drive with trekking bars and 9 spd rapidfire, deore hubs/mavic rims, stronglight crank, blackburn racks (will change to tubus when i can hide enough money from wifey) carradry full set.
Is the brooks new or broken in? Comfy enough? I`ve got an old leather charge spoon that would go on, but also the chance of a new brooks swift titanium for £115. Wot are they like and how long to break in?

 

[Pottsy]

Very nice! I`m waiting for LHT to be delivered at the mo, same colour, spec is: deore drive with trekking bars and 9 spd rapidfire, deore hubs/mavic rims, stronglight crank, blackburn racks (will change to tubus when i can hide enough money from wifey) carradry full set.
Is the brooks new or broken in? Comfy enough? I`ve got an old leather charge spoon that would go on, but also the chance of a new brooks swift titanium for £115. Wot are they like and how long to break in?

Sounds excellent, I'm certain you won't be disappointed with it.

It's a new Brooks saddle but I have some experience with them as I have one on another bike. I've found mine comfy from day 1 but you'll find other people who swear they are torture contraptions too - it's down to what suits difference peoples different shaped behinds I guess. I really like the way it looks in black on my LHT which I have to admit was a significant contributing factor.

 

[MePower]

Cheers Pottsy, am going to get the brooks before it gets snapped up, i know if i dont i`ll just regret it.

 

[MePower]

Havnt got the brookes yet, but i have nearly finished the bike!
Just need some marathons and the seat and it will be done. Its a very smooth ride and it soaks up the bumps even with 23c gatorskins on. Should be even better with 32c marathons. Me and 2 mates are in the alpes at the end of july for a weeks trek, so get to test it out fully loaded then. Cant wait!

 

[Crankarm]

Some very nice bikes. The OP's bike looks like a go anywhere do anything bike - bomb proof. Nice frame colours as well.

 

[Pottsy]

Thanks Crankarm.

That was the aim of the build really. I'm happy going a bit slower on the nice roads but having the option of minor off-road and country path excursions. I more of a 'make it up as you go along' type of cycle tourist, especially when I have the time. This sort of bike gives me the most options.

 

[PpPete]

Havnt got the brookes yet, but i have nearly finished the bike!
Just need some marathons and the seat and it will be done. Its a very smooth ride and it soaks up the bumps even with 23c gatorskins on. Should be even better with 32c marathons. Me and 2 mates are in the alpes at the end of july for a weeks trek, so get to test it out fully loaded then. Cant wait!

Love the brown leather bar tape to match the saddle - that looks really lush.

 

[MePower]

Cheers PorkyPete, tis very comfortable. Although its not leather, its the vinyl leather look from charge. You cant tell the difference, but 6 pound as opposed to 30-odd is more my price bracket

 

[John the Monkey]

Cheers PorkyPete, tis very comfortable. Although its not leather, its the vinyl leather look from charge. You cant tell the difference, but 6 pound as opposed to 30-odd is more my price bracket

The brown charge saddle looks really good with it too - nice build.

 

[canadiense]

I have recently completed a tour from Bangkok to Guangdong in China and am happy to report that the LHT handled everything i was able to put it through.

The bike was built to be able to handle any terrain and it did perform very well on remote roads in Laos and China as well as on tarmac. It is by far the most comfortable bike I have ever owned, especially when fully loaded. It was rock solid on descents as long as I had the weight evenly distributed in the front panniers and was always the fastest on descents - but not so much on the climbs.

Mine is a 54" with 26" wheels. I understand that this size of wheel is a must for an expedition bike, as is a steel frame and racks. Well that is what "they" say and I believed "them". I am not sorry for a second to have these wheels which are Salsa Gordos - 36 spoke rims with 2.00 Marathon XR on the back and a regular Marathon on the front. The XR was actually my spare which had to replace the regular tire in Vietnam as the rough terrain in Laos ate up my rear tire after just about 2400 Kms. The XR still looks new.

The attached photos are from Laos.

 

[Pottsy]

Great photos and really good to hear that you're pleased with the bike and how it performed. You don't seem to hear bad reports about it as a fully loaded tourer.

I agree with what you say and hear about steel frame and 26" wheels for an expedition bike. I have Marathon+ tyres on mine but for a tough expedition with off-road sections I'd go for the XRs for the reputation that they have. Let's face it, weight on the bike is less critical than strength on that sort of tour - particularly when you're carrying so much luggage anyway!

Also interesting to see a 4th bottle holder on the stem

 

[andym]

I have Marathon+ tyres on mine but for a tough expedition with off-road sections I'd go for the XRs for the reputation that they have.

Marathon XRs are made of harder rubber to give much greater mileage per pair of tyre, which is why they are very much the tyre of choice for long tours, but they don't have any particular advantage if you are doing a tour of say less than 5k kilometres.

 

[Pottsy]

Marathon XRs are made of harder rubber to give much greater mileage per pair of tyre, which is why they are very much the tyre of choice for long tours, but they don't have any particular advantage if you are doing a tour of say less than 5k kilometres.

Ok thanks, fair enough. Good to know.