Surly Love

[OakLeaf]

Okay, I am really, really, really hesitant to say this, and I extra hate to be the first one to say it after I've let a day go by hoping someone else would.

But I just don't think carbon handlebars are a good idea for a non-racer.

If the only bars that really fit you don't come in alloy, well, then, by all means go for it.

But. Not only because you're a new rider, because anyone can tip over. Carbon tends to be fragile, and unlike a frame, in a crash or even a low-speed tip-over, handlebars tend to take the uncushioned brunt of it. Break your handlebars and you may be able to limp the bike home very carefully with one brake, or it may be completely unrideable. Break them on a tour and you're SOL.

JMO. And let me reiterate that I do not believe that crashing or even tipping over is inevitable, and I strongly object to people who say that it is (because I think that puts an idea into people's heads that make them not work as hard to avoid crashing). That's why I hated to be the one to say it. But if you crash or tip over, you want to minimize the damage to your bike as well as your body. I wouldn't have them on my bike, and that's the reason.

[Ered_Lithui]

I personally like the brown CC frame. It's kind of a chocolate peanut butter. Then again, I love brown. I think dark green accents would look really nice on a tan LHT. Regardless of color, it's a good-looking bike. Congrats!

[Catrin]

Oak Leaf - thanks for speaking up. I spoke to my LBS on this and we decided to go with aluminim for now. He said that it would have to be a pretty hard hit to damage it, but carbon would break where aluminum would bend. I had not even thought about that - but I do know someone who will look over the final specs for me before I commit myself.

[KnottedYet]

I hesitated to say anything about the carbon bars... but I'm glad Oakleaf brought it up.

(I'm quite a "steel is real" kind of gal, and hesitate to push my bias onto a new rider)

[radicalrye]

+1 on the non carbon handle bars. if you're fully loaded and touring..even if you use the kick stand you'd be surprised how fast a bike can topple over.

i have had issues with that, but my bike doesn't have as long of a wheel base etc. like a LHT is. Those things are amazing touring machines for sure.

Congrats on the new bike!

[eofelis]

My SO and a friend of mine both just got the tan colored LHTs. The color is called Truckaccino. It's quite beautiful! My SO trimmed his bike out in black components and it looks fantasic with the tan color. I was kinda envious. My LHT is the old sage green color.

+1 on avoiding the carbon handlebars!

[Catrin]

My SO and a friend of mine both just got the tan colored LHTs. The color is called Truckaccino. It's quite beautiful! My SO trimmed his bike out in black components and it looks fantasic with the tan color. I was kinda envious. My LHT is the old sage green color.

+1 on avoiding the carbon handlebars!

It is good to hear that the color looks better in person than online - when it comes to the images I like the green better. My fitter (who is also building my bike) and I decided to get the 46cm frame rather than the 42 and right now that is only available in the new Truckaccino color. If this is what I wind up with I will probably trim it in dark green

+1 on the non carbon handle bars. if you're fully loaded and touring..even if you use the kick stand you'd be surprised how fast a bike can topple over.

I don't see me doing fully loaded touring this year - I need to gain experience and bike-handling skills before I do that - but all the advice on the bars is appreciated. As I said earlier, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind until it was brought up here. Aluminum bars would still need replacing after a damaging fall/crash - but at least they do bend where carbon breaks.

I won't be getting a kickstand right away - I've noted Surly's strongly worded warning on their site about being careful with how they are attached to the LHT frame. I figure I don't need the kickstand until I put a rack on the bike and start carrying things other than me

[Cataboo]

Okay, I am really, really, really hesitant to say this, and I extra hate to be the first one to say it after I've let a day go by hoping someone else would.

But I just don't think carbon handlebars are a good idea for a non-racer.

If the only bars that really fit you don't come in alloy, well, then, by all means go for it.

But. Not only because you're a new rider, because anyone can tip over. Carbon tends to be fragile, and unlike a frame, in a crash or even a low-speed tip-over, handlebars tend to take the uncushioned brunt of it. Break your handlebars and you may be able to limp the bike home very carefully with one brake, or it may be completely unrideable. Break them on a tour and you're SOL.

JMO. And let me reiterate that I do not believe that crashing or even tipping over is inevitable, and I strongly object to people who say that it is (because I think that puts an idea into people's heads that make them not work as hard to avoid crashing). That's why I hated to be the one to say it. But if you crash or tip over, you want to minimize the damage to your bike as well as your body. I wouldn't have them on my bike, and that's the reason.

I was contemplating saying something... but, I use carbon handlebars on 2 of my bikes and I'm definitely not a racer. However, I don't have them on what's probably the closest thing to my touring rig (my commuter, surly pacer). They make a huge difference in my ability to ride without wrist pain/numbness for longer distances which is something I really don't do with my surly anyways.

My surly has a tendancy to topple over a lot because it hates me and 'cause there's often weight in the panniers that pulls it over.

I haven't really crashed either of the bikes with carbon handlebars on them - one of the bikes is carbon and has carbon wheels, so the handlebars are the least of my worries in a crash for that matter... But, the bikes have toppled over before and I haven't had the handlebars break.

So it's a non-standard choice for a touring bike - but I'm not sure how much actual touring Catrin is planning yet?