Jamis Aurora vs Surly Long Haul Trucker

[Zen]

Jamis does indeed have a unique geometry. Mine fits like no other bike I own. Too bad you can't ride these bikes.

[PscyclePath]

Have been looking at the same for the past week, since the faithful old Cross-Check went to Bike Heaven last Sunday... Haven't had a chance to ride either one, but the Aurora has STI shifters rather than the bar-end shifters on the Surly, has the small auxiliary brake levers along the center stretch of the handlebars, and at least in the Elite version, has disc brakes.

Still pretty much thinking of a new Cross-Check, but won't make a decision until I've had a chance to ride an LHT and an Aurora...

Tom

[OakLeaf]

the faithful old Cross-Check went to Bike Heaven last Sunday...

[hijack] Uh-oh, what did I miss?? [/hijack]

[violetpurl]

[hijack] Uh-oh, what did I miss?? [/hijack]

I hope Tom doesn't mind me posting this. He was hit from behind by a pickup on last Sunday's club ride. Here's a link where he describes what happened http://www.arkansasbicycleclub.org/p...pic.php?t=1897. I got to ride with him yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Kandy

[PscyclePath]

I hope Tom doesn't mind me posting this. He was hit from behind by a pickup on last Sunday's club ride. Here's a link where he describes what happened http://www.arkansasbicycleclub.org/p...pic.php?t=1897. I got to ride with him yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Kandy

Yep... had a little run-in with a drunk, hit & run driver last Sunday (2/28). Hit from behind while accelerating away from a traffic signal. I went flying like Superman, but managed to land okay, just a pulled muscle in my right leg. The bike, well, she didn't fare quite as well...

The lurid story is here:
http://jbarcycling.blogspot.com/2010...or-struck.html

http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkans...s_out_the.aspx


Tom

[OakLeaf]

Wow, glad you're (mostly) okay!

[WindingRoad]

I like the idea of having 700 cc wheels personally that the Jamis has. They will be a little lighter and quicker overall.

[Catrin]

Jamis does indeed have a unique geometry. Mine fits like no other bike I own. Too bad you can't ride these bikes.

I have called every shop in driving distance that I can find, and no one has either bike in a size that I can test ride. The LBS I am working with, however, is a Jamis dealer - as well as dealing in Surleys and they have sold/fit quite a few Long Haul Truckers AND Auroras. I am hoping this means that they know the two bikes well enough that we can determine which is the better fit between the two. I don't know enough about the differences in touring geometry to be able to tell anything outside of the top tube length...

[moderncyclista]

The Aurora is a sport touring bike. The geometry is a mix between a cyclocross/touring bike. Chainstays will not be as long as on the LHT. (Longer chainstays prevent heel strike when doing loaded touring - esp. on smaller frames.) The Aurora has STI shifters which some people love (using barrel adjusters to make gear/shifting finetuning adjustments) The LHT has friction shifters (bar ends) that allow for greater adjustment of the front derailleur and fine tuning. The Aurora has canteliever brakes and so does the stock LHT. The crankset on the Aurora 50/39/30 - a mixed ratio for speed and some low gears for small hill climbs. The crankset on the LHT - 48/36/26 - a slightly lower gearing for touring and lots of hill climbing.

I own an 09 Aurora and while I enjoy it okay. I much prefer my 520. Touring bikes are about simplicity. Have you ever seen an exploded diagram of an STI shifter?? Sheesh. It's pretty daunting. I live somewhere hilly and the 520 handles hills like a frickin' champ. I dread hills on my Aurora - the gearing seems either to high or too low on steep hills but never just right. Both are good bikes. Only you can really make the decision on if it will ultimately fit you or work for you. We can only offer our humble opinions.

[Catrin]

The Aurora is a sport touring bike. The geometry is a mix between a cyclocross/touring bike. Chainstays will not be as long as on the LHT. (Longer chainstays prevent heel strike when doing loaded touring - esp. on smaller frames.) The Aurora has STI shifters which some people love (using barrel adjusters to make gear/shifting finetuning adjustments) The LHT has friction shifters (bar ends) that allow for greater adjustment of the front derailleur and fine tuning. The Aurora has canteliever brakes and so does the stock LHT. The crankset on the Aurora 50/39/30 - a mixed ratio for speed and some low gears for small hill climbs. The crankset on the LHT - 48/36/26 - a slightly lower gearing for touring and lots of hill climbing.

I own an 09 Aurora and while I enjoy it okay. I much prefer my 520. Touring bikes are about simplicity. Have you ever seen an exploded diagram of an STI shifter?? Sheesh. It's pretty daunting. I live somewhere hilly and the 520 handles hills like a frickin' champ. I dread hills on my Aurora - the gearing seems either to high or too low on steep hills but never just right. Both are good bikes. Only you can really make the decision on if it will ultimately fit you or work for you. We can only offer our humble opinions.

Thanks for this information, Moderncyclista. I am 99% certain that I will go with the LHT - but I have a tendency to sometimes not look at other options once I make my mind up which was the reason for my 3 week enforced waiting period There is also a lot of fun imagining what different bikes would be like.

I will admit that the bar end shifters have me a little nervous, I still can't take my hands off of the bars to, say, get a drink. However I do have the use of a trainer on which I can practice The shifters is the only thing that I am nervous about with the LHT. Of course, I would have no idea how to use the STI shifters either - so either way there will be a learning curve.

It is invaluable information to know that you have issues with the right gearing for hills with the Aurora. One of the purposes for this bike is to take it home and play in the mountains - so I thank you

I keep coming back to the Surly - so that should tell me something. Thanks to everyone who have weighed in and been so patient with this novice cyclist!

[OakLeaf]

It is invaluable information to know that you have issues with the right gearing for hills with the Aurora. One of the purposes for this bike is to take it home and play in the mountains - so I thank you

As moderncyclista said, gearing is pretty personal. The Aurora in stock trim is geared taller than the LHT, but they both have triple cranks, mountain derailleurs and 9-speed cassettes, so it would be very simple to change the gearing on either one to suit your personal preferences once you decide what those are.

Example: I'm not happy without a 16T rear cog. I missed it on my 6-speed 13-21 with a 53/42 standard double, and I miss it on my 10-speed 11-25 with a 50/39/30 triple. There are very many people in this world who live happy and productive lives without ever shifting a rear derailleur onto a 16T cog. I just don't happen to be one of them. You will learn your gearing preferences as you ride more. Don't let it be the reason you choose one bike over another.

[lunacycles]

Jamis does indeed have a unique geometry. Mine fits like no other bike I own. Too bad you can't ride these bikes.

What is unique about it? Curious? Geometry listed somewhere?

I like the idea of having 700 cc wheels personally that the Jamis has. They will be a little lighter and quicker overall.

Sorry for curmudgeony post, but this is a big old myth. What makes a larger wheel be lighter? What makes it "quicker?"

[SLash]

Both Surly LHT and Jamis Aurora are good bikes. I just recently bought the Aurora Elite 2010. In 2010 Jamis changed the gearing making it more of a true touring bike. Rear cassette is Deore 11-34, with 50,39, 30 in the front. It also has disc brakes (good for loaded touring), Mavic rims, as you noted STI shifters, which was a plus for me. Yeah, I know they are more complicated and can't be repaired on the fly like bar-ends if you're in the middle of nowhere but that's not going to be me. I could have adjusted to bar-ends but prefer to use STI. My personal preference.

The frame on the Aurora Elite is Reynolds 631 tubing, the Aurora is 520, both very nice frames. The LHT is definitely a nice frame too. As someone pointed out the Aurora has 700c wheels.

Either way you can't go wrong, but I understand your concern. It is so hard to buy a bike, to decide on which bike to buy, especially when you can't ride them! I wasn't able to ride the Jamis before ordering it nor the Crosscheck or LHT. It makes an already difficult (but fun ) decision that much more difficult.

I also gave a lot of thought (can you say neurotic/ocd when it comes to bikes) about what to get so I feel for you.

Take your time, weigh the pros and cons and then take comfort in whether you buy the Aurora/A Elite or the LHT you are getting a very good bike.

Good luck!

Susan

[Zen]

I will admit that the bar end shifters have me a little nervous, I still can't take my hands off of the bars to, say, get a drink.

I know.
You can still hold on to the handlebars a little bit with the barcon shifters.
Or someone could weigh in on whether these will work.

[Catrin]

I know.
You can still hold on to the handlebars a little bit with the barcon shifters.
Or someone could weigh in on whether these will work.

I know that the bars for the small LHT are supposed to be compact, smaller than on the larger sizes so I am hoping that I can just move my hand down the bar to get to the shifters without having to actually let go

I have also heard about Pauls Thumbies? Something like that, someone posted a picture a while back in another thread on this forum. It looked like another solution - similar to your link at velo-orange.

Slash, thanks for your kind words - and you nailed it in one I can go LOOK at much larger versions of all three bikes (and I have) but that isn't the same as being able to test ride something. Then again, I know a lot of people are in this position and it is just my, ummm, detailed approach to it all that has turned this into my Touring Bike Epic