I built this bike as my apocalypse bike but damn if she’s not sexy stripped down in minimalist summer mode. Removed the dynamo, fenders, and racks for the summer, and it’s like a whole new bike. My ever present inner conflict between practical utilitarian and minimalist is in constant battle.
I did my first gravel race last weekend on my Straggler, and it did not disappoint. Lining up with a heavy steel single speed amongst a crowd of lycra clad, electronic shifting, carbon, I felt like I was representing the Surly ethos well. 55 miles with 6,000’ of elevation made for a challenging course but the Straggler held its own. I was in dead last for the first 3 flat road miles but slowly picked one rider off after another once the climbing began…because single speed! Managed 24th overall and 1st single speed (of 2) but am going to count that win because that’s on all the other single speeders for not showing up. Sorry for the mediocre bike photo but wanted to share.
I can’t tell if it’s just that my peak mountain biking years were in the early 90’s or that the Steamroller is really just that good, but this bike is a blast to ride on single track! Maybe I just don’t know any better? The new mullet setup with a 700x38c Teravail Rutland in the front made a huge difference. 35c Gravelking Sk in the back.
I built this bike as the do it all adventure bike this past winter and finally had a chance to take it out on its first overnight trip a few weekends ago biking from the Olympic Peninsula to the San Juan Islands. While it was technically a bike tour and not backcountry, I’m excited for future trips exploring the FS roads in the Olympics and rail trails in Washington and British Columbia. Overall, I’m incredibly pleased with how the bike performed. And building this bike from the wheels up with durability and repairability in mind gave me the confidence that I can fix most of what comes up on a more remote trip. The gearing was juuust right for what I would consider a pretty hilly ride, but I think I’ll need to gear down a bit for more technical and steeper back roads. The dynamo hub did its job for not having to worry about battery life for lights, but I was reminded that a power bank is still needed to keep devices fully charged. My favorite part of the entire build was realizing on this trip that this is quite possibly the most comfortable bike I’ve ever owned, and I could have spent many more hours in the saddle.
My wife stopped biking over 10 years ago because she said she just didn’t feel comfortable on this bike anymore. She’s never fully embraced using gears efficiently and her neck and back protest (after years of competitive sports) when in a more aggressive riding position in the drops. She said she felt like she was getting left behind when I go for a ride and asked if there was anything we could do to make the bike work for her.
So for a Mother’s Day gift, I rebuilt her 2007 Long Haul Trucker with comfort in mind. We bought this bike early in our marriage and prior to kids when we had more time to adventure together. My hope was to breathe some new life into this bike and make biking fun for her again. I trued the wheels and replaced the original stock tires with 26 x 2.1 Gravelking SK’s, switched from drop bars to flat and added a mirror to help her neck. The triple chain ring was replaced with a Shimano CUES 1x, and all other worn parts were replaced (brake pads, chain, seat, cables, etc.). The bike got a deep clean and polish and looks good as new. I’m so excited to see this bike work for her again and to enjoy new adventures together.
I am absolutely in love with this bike. Headed to Lopez Island (from the Olympic Peninsula) for a short 3 day tour. It truly is an incredibly versatile bike and handles a load with ease while staying nimble and fun. The trip to Anacortes was 40 miles with 3,000 feet of elevation and then a day of unloaded riding once on the Lopez Island before the return trip home. Can’t wait for the next adventure!