Surly Love

[Catrin]

$640 for an upgraded drive train might be worth it - I'm not sure whether handbuilt wheels'll make a difference, but maybe you can ask them to spec stock wheels vs. the built ones. That may cut down the difference.

If you tell us what upgrades there are to the drivetrain/shifters, we could probably tell you whether it's worth it or not... If the upgrades result in a considerably lighter bike, they might definitely be worth it..

Do you need another crank length than stock anyways? If so, that's an upgrade you'd've had to do... Youd have probably had to switch out the handlebars and saddle from stock to match your shoulders, maybe even the stem...

Upgrading bikes if you're doing it by yourself one by one can be not so expensive... however, if you need to have a bike shop do the work, it does add up.

I have someone checking out the differences between the two specs for me - and I do not at this time have the mechanical skill, space, or tools to do the upgrades myself. The handlebars, stem, and saddle have to be upgraded anyway for fit and/or weight. When I have a better understanding on what is actually ON the list (right not it is a list of parts - some of which I can figure out - some are not) and how they differ from the stock build I will post it here. Thanks for the suggestion!

I've checked with my builder to see what difference the price would be if we used machine-made wheels with XT hubs rather than hand-made wheels. He is going to get back with me after doing some research. Apparently he cannot get the same wheel that Surly uses in the complete build, that is only available with the full Surly package.

As agonizing as all of this is (I want my new bike NOW), this is still a lot of fun