Review: Surly Long Haul Trucker

[elk]

yeah...I have an Aurora. I liked the Surly too, but the Aurora just fit me better.


don't forget the Trek 520. Sweet bike if the reach isn't too much...it has a long wheel base for loaded touring and thus a longer reach.

I DO love my Jamis....

[Clare]

I don't post often,....well hardly at all,...but I like to read this forum for the great information and wisdom that comes from the awesome people on this site...

anyways...I Love my Long Haul Trucker!!!! I have a bike addiction problem. I have five bikes. Two of which I don't ride, one to eventually sell....( an extra small specialize sequoia espert) and a 1990's trek mountain bike. I also ride a specialize Ruby Expert and a Specialize full supension mtn bike. Now, the Ruby is light and so quick and responsive...BUT the LHT is so steady and COMFORTABLE. I am slower on the LHT but i feel, oh so much better riding my Surly Q (her name) than I do riding my Ruby. I think that maybe I should sell the Ruby, too.

So..just another good word for the Surly...this bike is one comfortable ride!

[GraysonKelly]

Hi All,
Ya'll are making me nuts! In a good way! I haven't even ridden one yet and I want one. I really, really want the LHT but I want the bigger wheels so I'm jonsing for the cross check. Actually, I'm obsessing about the cross check. I've already decided that I will make that bike fit if I have to!! Heck, I've hever even ridden a bike with drop handlebars before but I'm willing to learn...only on the cross check. I think I'm a little crazy about this. And thanks to whoever it was that mentioned they are sold in minneapolis. I have an uncle that lives in rochester, MN and I just might have to arrange to go visit him and have him take me to look at some surlys!!! Want surly will travel!!! hahaha
Gray

[ginny]

I have posted a few times about my LHT.... I love it! Just another vote in that direction... They are super fun (I actually likened the bike to my banana seat bike I had as a kid), and tough too

[pakinmd]

First of, I'm not female - I hope my thought are welcome here.
Zen wrote that she has a Pilot and wanted is looking at a "touring" style bike. I too have a Pilot, my first really nice bike - I love it. However, when I got my Surly LHT, it became my daily ride. I use it for commuting (16 miles into Washington DC) club rides, shopping, day tours, and I hope to do my first solo tour from Maryland to North Carolina with it. The LHT is ALOT heavier than the Trek, but what the hey - with a low gear of 46 gear inches, I might be able to ride it up a wall if I could just stay on. It was built up by my LBS, from a pretty "black cherry pearl" frame.
It is certainly not my fast bike, but the ride is stable, gentle but responsive. I am a heavy guy at 240 lbs but w/ short legs (29" inseam) so I have the 54 cm with 26" wheels. I had the wheels built up as 36 spokes with XT hubs, and I use a Brooks Flyer (springs). I also added shiny chromed steel fenders.
The Aurora is also a nice steel bike - I can't think you'll be unhappy with either so long as it fits.
Paul

[eofelis]

Here's my 42cm LHT, Camion, doing what she does best. This was last summer on a 12 day tour, 500 miles around southwest Colorado. This picture was taken near Silverton, CO.



On this day we climbed Molas and Coal Bank Passes. We rode off Coal Bank Pass in a thunderstorm and heavy rain. The LHT was steady and "on rails" the whole way down on the wet roads. Great bike.

I have ~6lbs in each front pannier (tent body in one, fly in the other) and ~12lbs in each rear pannier. The front rack is a Blackburn lowrider, the rear is a Delta Sherpa. They both work fine for what I carry. Panniers are Jandd Mountain and Mini Mountain.

The gearing is full XT mountain, 22-34 low gear. I like it. My shifters are 9sp bar end shifters mounted on Pauls Thumbies on the tops of my bars. I have inline 'cross brake levers too. I can shift and brake from the tops of the bars. I don't have any room left for putting a handlebar bag and I really don't need one. I use a small Camelback and keep my wallet in it. My wheels are overkill: Sun Rhinolite rims on 36h XT hubs, but they were $110/set from Nashbar; couldn't pass them up.

The orange roll on top is the Boy's foam roller for his IT band exercises he tries to do everyday. I don't mind carrying it for him if it makes his ride a bit better. He's the ride mechanic, after all.

[canonsue]

Surlypacer,

I have been thinking about using Pauls Thumbies and inline brake levers. Is this something you would recommend? Can you tell us more about why you did this and the advantages?

Thanks,

-Sue

[eofelis]

Surlypacer,

I have been thinking about using Pauls Thumbies and inline brake levers. Is this something you would recommend? Can you tell us more about why you did this and the advantages?

Thanks,

-Sue

I really like the set up I have, even though my bars a bit crowded now. I had downtube shifters, I like the simplicity of them, but I felt unsteady reaching down to shift on a loaded bike. The Pauls thumbies were expensive, $50, but I really wanted to try them.

I'll go take some pictures of my set up:






My bf put them on the bike for me. He had to stagger them on the bars to make them fit the right way for me. The left shifter is moved inboard and angled down to make room for the cable of the right shifter. He cleverly put noodles from V-brakes on the cables to bend them and set the cables where he wanted them.

I really like the inline brake levers too. These are just sale-table Specialized levers. They work the V-brakes well. I have the same exact model levers on my Pacer and they work the road caliper brakes well too. On longs descents where I like to go slow, it's nice to have the 'cross levers. My hands get tired always pulling the aerolevers.

I can have my hands up on the flat part of the bars and brake and shift. Sometimes the loaded bike can get squirrely, especially if it's windy, and it's nice to be able to keep me hands on the bars at all times. I get a bit wobbly on climbs and now I can shift down on climbs with out reaching down and upsetting my balance even more.

I feel that this set up enhances my comfort and safety on the bike.

I saw a set up like mine on a blue LHT someone posted to crazyguyonabike. I don't recall who it was.

[pakinmd]

I have been riding my LHT for about 1 1/2 years now and I really love it. I rarely ride the carbon bike (Trek Pilot 5.2) much anymore. I just built out a Rawland Sogn, to use as a commuter. It has 650 B wheels which seem to be both faster and more able to handle rough stuff than the 26" wheels on my Surly. It's shod with Grand Bois Hetres (650B 42) and I took it on a 34 mile dirt / gravel ride. I still love the Surly, but I love the Sogn even more - a true all-rounder. For pics, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/pakinmd/RawlandSogn# BTW - I got used to bar end shifters, and really like them.

[Cataboo]

I have been riding my LHT for about 1 1/2 years now and I really love it. I rarely ride the carbon bike (Trek Pilot 5.2) much anymore. I just built out a Rawland Sogn, to use as a commuter. It has 650 B wheels which seem to be both faster and more able to handle rough stuff than the 26" wheels on my Surly. It's shod with Grand Bois Hetres (650B 42) and I took it on a 34 mile dirt / gravel ride. I still love the Surly, but I love the Sogn even more - a true all-rounder. For pics, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/pakinmd/RawlandSogn# BTW - I got used to bar end shifters, and really like them.

That looks great... I really like that the xs & s uses a 73 degree seat angle.

[twin]

I am posting the newest version of my LHT and my twins LHT. Someone asked me to post them and its finally done and it took long enough. My LHT has been changed due to a partial shoulder replacement and I have ridden short rides and it is fun. Short because I do not have doctors permission yet. lol