Surly Love

[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

[Bike Chick]

Catrin,

Glad you've found your bike and it sounds great. How exciting!

[KnottedYet]

I figure I don't need the kickstand until I put a rack on the bike and start carrying things other than me

I have a rack and carry quite a lot of things other than myself, and I don't use a kickstand. None of my bikes have kickstands.

One of my bikes fell over its one-legged kickstand in a very un-pretty way. I took it off and will not put one on a bike again.

If you really want a kickstand look into the two-legged ones.

[Catrin]

I have a rack and carry quite a lot of things other than myself, and I don't use a kickstand. None of my bikes have kickstands.

One of my bikes fell over its one-legged kickstand in a very un-pretty way. I took it off and will not put one on a bike again.

If you really want a kickstand look into the two-legged ones.

This is good to know, I DID note that the Surly site was very strong in their recommendation to not use one on the LHT in particular due to the possibility of ruining the frame. Apparently there is a kind that is positioned more to the rear, though of course only useful if you only load on the rear.

I did put one on my 7.6, I have regretted that since but the LBS talked me out of removing it the other day - they just sawed off part of the length. Time will tell if it stays...

[KnottedYet]

Apparently there is a kind that is positioned more to the rear, though of course only useful if you only load on the rear.

A kickstand isn't necessary to load a bike.
The location of the stand isn't really about the load.

A loaded bike is even more likely to topple, and while you are loading it the bike wiggles and is even MORE likely to topple.

Try learning to manage the bike without a kickstand at first. It will give you a feel for the balance points and inertia of the bike, which will help you decide later about kickstands.