Surly Long Haul Trucker Demo Bikes

They are here and ready to ride! As of January 2, 2012 we have in stock six complete Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bikes. 50, 54 and 56 centimeter bikes with 26″ wheels. 56, 58 and 60 centimeter bikes with 700c wheels. We are providing these as bikes for prospective Long Haul Trucker owners to test ride. It’s sort of a leap of faith to plunk down almost $1300 sight unseen for a touring bike and there are very few places (are there any others?) that have such a large selection of sizes. Bike Touring News is listed on the Surly Bikes site as a dealer, a “shop filled with folks who know our products at an ‘above average’ level“. We have years of experience selling these bikes and suggesting the proper sizes for people, but this should eliminate any guesswork.

Surly Bikes does not allow new complete bikes to be shipped because: “We think a bicycle in its built form should come from a bike shop that knows how to assemble and adjust everything so that your ride is ready to go. It only takes a couple of frantic e-mails from customers wondering why their steer tube is so long or in which order the headset parts should go on to cause concern in our hearts. Buying a bike locally gives you a place to go for adjustments, for warranty concerns should they ever arise, and for sizing assistance. Buying locally also helps your neighborhood economy grow, it can help you find a network of riding friends, and sometimes even provide a clubhouse. From our perspective buying bikes through a shop keeps the liability concerns to a minimum and helps keep our products from being simple commodities. We like to think they have a little life in them.” We think that is a good policy and we abide by it.

So, here’s the deal. If you are in the area come in (you might want to call ahead) and we will determine the best size for you based on some observations and measurements we will make. Then you can ride a bike and see how it feels. If you are between sizes you can ride one size bigger or one size smaller. After we have determined your size and know the options you prefer, and after you slap leather for a 50% down payment, we will order your bike. If the supplier is out of stock, or if you need the bike right away we will sell you the demo.

We can still sell all Surly frame sets and components online, so if you know what you need in those departments, give us a shout. If you don’t know what you need, then definitely give us a shout and we will help you sort it out.