Review: Surly Long Haul Trucker

[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.