We are big on “just wander” styles of biking. So far, the 2016 Idaho fall weather has been excellent for some nice weekend S24O rides. The “start” of the Adventure Cycling Association’s Idaho Hot Springs MTB Route is right out our door, but finding the time to ride the entire route in one big trip isn’t feasible. We’ve ridden sections of the trip – last year we accomplished 150 miles when it was 112 degrees in the shade so this year we opted to wait until after fire season and the summer heat and planned to ride two more sections. We also opted to be flexible and let go of the purist idea of where one should start a ride. Sometimes life gets in the way and while we did get one section ridden the other will now probably wait until spring. In September, the stars & the full moon lined up and we ventured to Atlanta with some great biking friends. While our entire ride isn’t described on the Hot Springs Map this is a great get away ride with some beautiful scenery. Another group decision was to not start in town and suffer the 12 to 14 miles of horrendous wash board on the Middle Fork Road. Enough of us have biked that section to know once was enough. Taking off after work on a Friday we drove to Willow Creek Campground, knowing there was a full moon we were happy to see clear skies. What we didn’t account for was the full moon attracting campers who had no intention of sleeping and having them set up camp right next door… A bit bleary eyed we took off for Atlanta Saturday am. The road follows the river pretty much the entire 47 miles so, for the most part, it is a gradual climb. The last few miles the road steepens but knowing the bar and cafe in Atlanta weren’t far off we all geared down and carried on. The Bike Hermit wrote about his trip to Atlanta last year and did a great job of describing the bar. Happy to say it hasn’t changed. Good beer, a choice of cheeseburger or hamburger and life was good. Not only that but they agreed to feed us breakfast the next morning, truly an easy decision for all of us. The seven of us had the campground to ourselves and the hot springs to ourselves as well. We all agreed this would make a great annual fall trip.
Things to know:
The road is dirt and gravel. For the most part a bike with 38 mm tires will do fine – there are some sandy areas. We had two Surly ECR’s, 2 Trolls and a Disc Trucker on our ride and all did awesome.
The washboard isn’t as bad if you start anywhere beyond Willow Creek Campground and it gets better once you leave Boise County.
The folks at Twin Springs are very friendly – one could also rent a cabin there and another cabin in Atlanta and be really spoiled (except the beer choice at Twin Springs is Coors or Bud so pack accordingly)
The Campground in Atlanta seems to be free after labor day
Hot Springs in Atlanta are nice. We opted for the one by the river below the campground but the pool close to the campground is also great. We didn’t ride down and look, but there are more hot springs by the river as you pedal to the campground.
Fall vehicle traffic wasn’t bad and people were polite.
There are plenty of places to camp along the way.
Highly recommend! Photo Credits to Paul Lindquist and Ron Riley
Brisk start Sunday but it’s all downhill from here!The road follows the middle fork of the boise riverTwin Springs – Bar, Cafe & Cabins with private Hot SpringsTucked in for Beer and BurgersEarly Fall colors the entire ride
Wednesday is Surly Bikes’ latest iteration of the fatbike. Starting with the Pugsley and the Moonlander bikes, then bringing out the Ice Cream Truck a few years later- in the meantime inventing the 29+ standard with the Krampus and ECR bikes- Surly appears to be looking for the sweet spot in the crowded fatbike market. The fact that every bike maker now has a fatbike in the line means that there are new standards for components such as hubs and bottom brackets that are specific to the unique requirements of fatbikes, and the Wednesday takes advantage of the resultant economies of scale. There’s Fat and There’s Fat
The Wednesday comes stock with Surly’s 80mm wide My Other Brother Darryl rims which will fit either the stock 3.8″ tires or up to 4.6″ tires. If swapping to the bigger tires all that needs to be done is to slide the rear wheel back in the horizontal dropout for clearance; the fork is wide enough for the fatter tires. Rather than offsetting the rear triangle and wheel in order to use a traditional 135mm rear hub, à la the Pugsley, the Wednesday uses a 170-177 rear spacing, depending on what type of axle is being used; 10mm or 12mm. The front fork uses a 150 x 15mm thru axle. The bike will work well with a 100mm suspension for as well.
80mm rims for 3.8-4.8 tires.
Frame Considerations
The head tube on this bike is over-sized at 44mm. I guess this is from the mountain bike industry because many suspension forks now come with tapered steer tubes and in order to retrofit a fatbike with a suspension fork, a bigger head tube is needed. Still, suspension on a bike with 4 to 5″ wide tires? Seems redundant and unnecessary. Using a Truvativ (SRAM) double chain ring lets Surly use a “standard” 100mm bottom bracket shell which still allows moving the chain out far enough to clear the big fat tires.
The Wednesday uses a 44mm head tube.100mm bottom bracket shell.The Wednesday and the Ice Cream Truck both get a 30.9mm seat post.Sram X5 rear mech.Sram X5 shifter podsHayes MX Comp brakes front and rear with 160mm rotors.This is the port for an internally routed dropper seat post.Plenty of mounts for bottles, racks, Salsa Anything Cages, etc.
The Surly catalog says the “Wednesday sits in the middle of our ride-anywhere Pugsley and the modern trail geometry of the Ice Cream Truck”. I’m not sure what that means relative to ride characteristics, but the Wednesday and the Ice Cream Truck both have shorter seat tubes and longer effective top tubes as well as longer overall wheelbase for a given size than either the Pugsley or the Moonlander bikes. Apparently, also according to the Surly catalog, the ride of the Wednesday is similar to that of the Krampus, their 29+ bike.
I have a strong memory of my first overnighter on “Bernard” my Gilles Berthoud Adventure Touring Bike. I loaded him up the same way I had always loaded “Sky” my Rivendell Bleriot. I pushed off and on the first small down hill immediately noticed a pronounced shimmy in the front wheel. WTH?, I got off checked to see that all was attached correctly, it was. I fought the shimmy the entire day (I should note that the Bike Hermit was not on this ride with me.) The return the next day was a bit better but not much. I was crushed, thinking I had made a big mistake in buying this bike. I expressed my dismay to the Bike Hermit and his first words – “Stacy this bike has a low trail geometry, you can’t pack it the same way as you did your Rivendell”… “Oh”, I replied, “I didn’t know there was a difference between touring bikes.”
[Bike Hermit: “trail” refers to how far the center of the tire footprint on the road surface falls behind the imaginary point where the steering axis hits the road and it is a function of head tube angle, fork rake and tire size.Trail is the distance between the two lines where they hit the road.]
In this photo,the rear panniers on “Chief”, the A Homer Hilsen by Rivendell, sit much higher than my panniers on “Bernard”, the Gilles Berthoud. Typically, in our experience, a Rivendell bike does better with the weight on the back of the bike.
One thing I have learned in the last 15 months is that Bernard performs best with the load distributed between the front and the back. He has these amazing custom Gilles Berthoud Racks that have low rails for panniers. For short trips, I don’t really want to carry 4 panniers along with my front bag so getting the weight balanced can be a challenge. On a short trip with a smaller load, I am better off with the weight being heavier in the front than the rear. Attaching panniers to the low rider rack in the front and then strapping my sleeping bag on the rear rack makes for a much smoother ride. Our recent trip to Texas I wasn’t really thinking and I had my lower rear rack but not my lower front rack so I had some challenges in getting my load balanced – I basically carried all of our food in my GB front rack bag. Then had the tent (sans poles) and my clothes in the rear panniers. Next trip I am going to go ahead and bring 4 panniers, putting the smaller ones on the rear and the larger ones on the front.
This photo of “Bernard” with a full set of panniers demonstrates how the low trail design is meant to be implemented.Surly Long Haul Truckers and Surly Disc Truckers seem to be very forgiving when it comes to packing.
Obviously there are other design and construction details and considerations that affect how a bike handles when loaded. The type and design of racks used can affect handling too, as can the type and size and inflation pressure of tires. Most bikes billed as touring bikes should have the characteristics which will make them able to handle a load without becoming squirrely or unpredictable in handling. But every design will have its own unique nuances. Keeping in mind that an unloaded touring bike with rider aboard will have more weight on the rear wheel adds heft to the theory of biasing the added weight to the front of the bike.
The bottom line is that their are many factors which contribute to how a bike handles when carrying a rider and a passive load. That awareness means that, with some trial and error, it should be possible to optimize the load carrying setup on almost any bike.
The wintertime (known to some among us as the “off-season”) is a great time to experiment with your bike setup and few components can transform the ride of a bike like handlebars. Unlike many so-called “performance” upgrades that claim to offer weight savings, greater precision or improved efficiency, different handlebars change the way your body relates to the bicycle in a fundamental and important way. The wrong handlebar can make the finest bicycle nearly unrideable. The right handlebar can enhance comfort, control and confidence. The Jones Loop H-Bar does just that. As many of the Surly bikes we sell (in addition to many other touring bikes) come with drop bars and bar-end shifters, I thought I’d share my experience converting my personal bike from drop bars to H-Bars. I’ll get more into the details and technicalities of the process – especially the fit aspect – in a future post, so stay tuned for that.
I built my dirt touring bike – the RandoGnar – around drop bars. I had the wide-open and reasonably smooth gravel roads of north-central Oregon in mind when drawing up the plans and laying out the cockpit. The position is very similar to what I’ve used on my cyclocross bike to provide a good balance of comfort, aerodynamics and pedaling efficiency for long, mixed-terrain rides and ‘cross racing. This setup performed admirably on the Oregon Outback in May, 2014 and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. However, on rough descents or technical singletracks, the hand and body positions offered by drop bars leave something to be desired. When riding in the drops – the preferred position for descending – my weight is shifted far forward over the front wheel which tends to generate a feeling of “oh-crap-I’m-about-to-get-pitched-over-the-bars”. This leads to tension throughout the my body, causing fatigue and a diminished ability to ride lightly over rough surfaces.
Open country and smooth gravel on the Oregon Outback
Upon moving to Idaho and sampling some of the unpaved roads and singletracks in the central part of the state, I found myself wishing for a different handlebar. Descending on a loaded bike through rough, rocky, loose terrain can be sketchy on any bike but I’ve had some harrowing moments on rutted, washed out mountain roads and trails down in the hooks of my deep drops.
A section of steep, rocky road near Scott’s Mountain on the Smoke ‘n’ Fire 400
Anyone who has ridden a modern mountain bike can tell you that a short stem and wide, flat handlebars yield enhanced control in challenging terrain. It is easy to keep the front wheel light and approach steep terrain with confidence. So for mixed-terrain bikepacking and touring – where we ride long hours on loaded bikes in widely varying conditions – we need a middle ground. We like the range of hand and body positions offered by drop bars but miss the confidence and control lent by a flat bar with things get rough. The Loop H-Bar treads this fine line better than perhaps any other handlebar available.
Your list of necessary parts will vary, but here are the parts I needed to effect the conversion.
The bits: Jones 710mm Loop-H bars, Thomson X4 90mm 0-degree stem, Paul Thumbies, Shimano canti levers.
I replaced my 100mm, -10 degree stem with a 90mm, 0 degree version to bring the handlebar clamp up closer to level with the saddle height for a nice, balanced riding position. I am now able to rotate my hips back slightly and rest my weight lightly on the saddle with most of my body supported by the pedals. The stance is upright and controlled but with enough forward reach possible to tuck under the wind. On the road, the forward extension offers a very similar perch to riding on the “ramps” of my drop bars. On singletrack, the extra width and rearward extension provides a very strong and confident stance to attack steep terrain with one finger tucked in the crook of the brake levers. The overall look is a little cruiser-y but the bike feels much more at home in singletrack.
Rando-Gnar with Jones Loop-H Bars
These bars are now the widest I have on any bike. The extra leverage and control is remarkable.
Cockpit from above
ODI’s classic Longneck BMX grips pair well with the Jones bars. The extra length covers more of the handlebar section than a standard mountain bike grip. I prefer to trim the flanges off for additional shifter clearance. We also offer the ESI foam grips which are designed for the long grip section of the H-Bars.
Also, I found (in corroboration with Jeff Jones’ guidelines) that the ergonomics of this setup are much improved by adjusting the brake levers’ reach screws in slightly to bring the lever blades closer to the bars. Those with extra-long fingers may not need to make the adjustment but the levers are easy to reach with the first finger even when at the farthest rearward position on the bars. The BL-R550 levers deliver a very strong pull to my cantilever brakes and a comfortable lever shape for one or two fingers.
De-flanged BMX grips and brake levers with reach adjusted in slightly
The sweep and width of these bars has transformed the Rando-Gnar from a dirt road crusher into a singletrack slayer. I’m able to ride much faster and more confidently than I ever thought possible on a rigid bike. In addition to the range of hand positions, the 45-degree sweep of the bars offers excellent leverage for lifting either end of the bike over obstacles in the trail. This is especially helpful when the bike is loaded and requires more effort to maneuver.
From the front
Thomson’s X4 stem pairs perfectly with the Jones bars. Even the alignment marks align with the edges of the clamp jaws.
Alignment hashmarks placed perfectly for Thomson clamp
On the first few shakedown rides in the Boise foothills, I had to consciously keep my speed in check any time the trail pointed downhill. The riding position inspired so much confidence that I quickly outran the available traction from my close-knobbed tires in loose corners. With my weight shifted over the rear wheel and my hands out wide, I was able to leverage the bike around downhill corners with ease and maintain a comfortable, relaxed posture. When climbing, I could easily shift my hands forward to keep the front wheel down.
At the top of Scott’s Trail in the Boise Foothills
Overall, I’m quite happy with the comfort, control and multiple riding positions the Jones bars offer. On longer stretches of smoother terrain I find myself missing the aerodynamic position offered by the drop bars, but feel that the off-road confidence and control more than makes up for the slightly decreased efficiency on the pavement.
Rando-Gnar with Jones Loop-H bars in the wild
Overall, the Jones H-Bars are an excellent alternative to a drop bar for touring bikes that are regularly ridden in more technical and demanding situations. I’d recommend them to anyone who wants to blend the confidence and control of a flat bar with the comfort and hand positions of a drop bar. I’ll be taking a closer look at the setup process in a future post, so feel free to chime in with any questions you’d like to have answered or ideas you’d like to see explored. Thanks for reading!
We are often asked why Surly specs bar-end shifters rather than integrated brake/shift levers on the Long Haul Trucker, Disc Trucker and Cross-Check. This is a good question and one we thought warranted some explanation.
Disc Trucker with bar-end shifters.
When you walk into most bike shops, you’ll most likely find that every single new bike with drop bars is fitted with combination brake/shift levers from Shimano, Sram or perhaps Campagnolo. They have become ubiquitous for a myriad of reasons, most of them good. With an integrated shifter, the rider has complete control over braking and shifting from a single hand position without having to let go of the bars. Now, the rider can shift while bouncing over rough terrain, from the hoods or the drops, even out of the saddle or in a full sprint! Try that with your old downtube shifters and you may be picking your teeth out of the dirt. This was quite an advancement and has changed the way riders interact with their bikes in a profound way. Many cyclists could never imagine going “back” to bar-end or down tube shifters. Why should they?
Straggler with Shimano STI brake/shift levers
If integrated shifting is so great that it has become the standard for drop-bar bikes of all styles and price points, why would a bike company include anything else on their complete bikes? Are Surly’s bikes spec’ed by crotchety retrogrouches who are scared of progress? Maybe. Are they trying to rip us off by sticking us with obsolete, outdated parts for an exorbitant price? Doubtful. Did they accidentally order ten million sets of bar-end shifters that they had to put somewhere? Possible, but unlikely. Surly does use integrated shift levers on a handful of bikes like the Pacer and Straggler, so we know they’re not afraid to spec them when it makes sense. Perhaps it comes down to having the right tool for the job.
For all their wonders and benefits, the level of convenience offered by integrated shifters comes at a price, both literal and figurative. These things are not cheap! Next to the frame and wheels, those little clicky bits are usually the most expensive component on your bike. For example, Shimano’s latest Ultegra STI (Shimano Total Integration) levers carry an MSRP of $400. If you want the top-of-the-line Dura-Ace units you’re looking at at whopping $700! You could buy a nice new frame with money to spare or even a complete entry-level bike for that price!
In contrast, a pair of Dura-Ace bar-end shifters (probably the finest indexing bar-end shifters on the market) will set you back about $120. Depending on your drivetrain requirements, many shifter sets (like these little dandies from SunRace) cost much less. This saves you money on the complete bike and makes replacement in case of a crash or damage much less painful for the pocketbook.
Also, the operation of integrated shifters can be very confusing for new users. Learning which of the four shift paddles (two of which are also brake levers) does what, when and how to use them adds to the intimidation and nervousness many new riders feel. So much focus is required to learn how to shift that it is easy to forget how to brake, especially when your brake lever is also your shifter! Conversely, bar-end shifters use only two levers – one for each derailleur – that are completely separate from the brake levers. Pull it towards you to shift one way, push away from you for the other. The lever even stays in place to remind you what gear you’re in. Easy for new riders to learn, refreshingly simple for the experienced.
The other main drawback of integrated shifters is their complexity and lack of serviceability. There is a whole heck of a lot going on under those hoods that allows you to pull and release cable, shifting willy-nilly up and down across your cassette to your heart’s content. When something goes wrong in there, there is often nothing to be done. Here’s a photo from the Black Mountain Cycles blog that illustrates the point:
Photo by Mike Varley, Black Mountain Cycles. Used with permission.
Holy smokes, look at all those tiny springs! We must note that Shimano does not intend for their shifters to be disassembled in this way. None of the pictured parts are available as replacements and getting this whole mess back together would be quite a chore. The problem with this particular shifter (as per Mike’s story on the blog) was that the teeny little spring in the lower-right corner broke, preventing one pawl from doing its job holding the cable reel in place and rendering the shifter useless. When something like this happens there is no recourse other than to replace the entire unit. In favorable conditions Shimano’s integrated shifters have a surprisingly good track record but they will all wear out eventually. When they do fail you will quickly find yourself up shi(f)t creek without a functioning paddle. This could be only a minor inconvenience if you’re close to home and have deep pockets but is not a situation you want to be in when out on the road for an extended tour.
For the sake of comparison, I pulled the Shimano 9-speed bar end shifter off the RandoGnar to see what goes on inside this little guy. Much like the integrated shifters, the guts of the bar end shifters are installed at the factory and aren’t meant to be taken apart for service. Unlike the STI units though, bar end shifters rarely fail or wear out. Here we can see why. This shifter has been in constant service since 2008; first on my Long Haul Trucker, then on the RandoGnar. It has seen many thousands of miles and an uncountable number of shifts in sometimes horrible conditions. It has never been cleaned, serviced or lubricated in any way. It still works well and I expect to get many more years of service from it. Given the same treatment, I would be lucky if an integrated shifter lasted half that time.
That’s all, folks. Not much going on in there, huh? No tiny springs, no diminutive pawls, just a shift lever, couple of ball bearings, detent ring, big burly spring and some washers, bushings, post and nut to hold it all together. Simple and robust. I gave everything a clean, oiled up the moving parts, reassembled the shifter and bolted it back onto the bike. It now works as well or better than when it was new.
To be clear, I’m not claiming that bar-end shifters are more serviceable than integrated levers. While they may be easier to take apart (I would never dare disassemble a fully-functional STI lever) and have fewer parts, Shimano does not offer replacements for the internal components. If something breaks inside your bar-end shifter, you’ll have to replace the whole unit, same as the STI. What I am saying is that there is much less to break inside a bar-end shifter, so the probability of a failure is minimal. And, if you do manage to break one you won’t have to sell a kidney to fund its replacement.
This is why they’re spec’ed on Surly’s touring bikes and many others. When compared with integrated brake/shift levers they are inexpensive, simple and reliable; all prized traits in touring gear. For my money, they’re the flat-out best shifter for a drop-bar touring bike. Surly gets that. You’ll get it too once you try them.
What has been your experience with integrated or bar-end shifters on your touring bike? Tell us about it in the comments below. Thanks for reading.
In the Northern Basin and Range ecoregion, the availability of water is one of the main challenges to traveling by bike, and while for our day trips we have been able to carry enough water, trips of more than one day require careful planning.
I put this Surly Big Dummy together to use as a mule or packhorse to be able to carry enough water, food and camping gear for some extended exploration of the desert. The Big Dummy got the call for reasons other than its ability to carry lots of supplies though:
The roads out here range from smooth, well graded gravel with washboard sections to loose gravel to double track trails. Sometimes we end up on cow trails and game trails and have been known to make the occasional cross-country jaunt. The extended frame of the Big Dummy just has to smooth out the boulder fields and washboard roads; and I could fit enormously fat tires on it for traction and cushion. Originally I wanted to use Surly’s new Dirt Wizard 26″ x 3″ tire but got tired of waiting for them and ordered two Maxxis Minion DH tires in 26″ x 2.7″. Maxxis actually make a front specific DH tire as well as rear specific, but the rear specific doesn’t come in a wide enough version for me, so I have front specific tires front and rear.
It’s actually a good thing I didn’t get the Dirt Wizard tires because I don’t think the chain would have cleared the rear tire when in the granny gear with the Surly Mr. Whirly Offset Double crankset. The Maxxis tires are brilliant though. They have large side shoulder knobs which give the tire an almost square profile and which cling to the edges of ruts and boulders for confidence inspiring handling. The rear (front specific) tire so far has given adequate traction on the loosest surfaces.
Surly’s Rabbit Hole rims are two inches wide so they flatten out the footprint of the tires even more. Surly Rabbit Hole rims with orange rim strip.(note also the 8″ front rotor and the bolt on Surly Ultra New front hub) Just a couple millimeters to spare between the tire and the chain in the lowest gear! There is a little extra room at the rear of the frame with 2.7″ tires. This is the front specific Maxxis Minion DH 2.7 tire on the rear. They cling to the most precarious terrain!
I am using Hayes El Camino hydraulic disc brakes to keep this animal reined in. Normally I wouldn’t want such a non user friendly setup on a back-country rig but I had them laying around and I do appreciate the stopping power. That reminds me; I need to bleed the front brake again.
The Jeff Jones H-Bar® Loop Bar seemed like an obvious choice for the cockpit. A nice, wide, ergonomically sweeping bar with lots of hand positions. For shifting I am using the IRD Power Ratchet thumb shifters. This version is friction only and I am still learning how to shift cleanly to not land in between gears. The levers have a hinged clamp and so I was able to mount them up on the loop part of the Jones bars in an attempt to create more useful space on the lower part of the handlebar. I may move them back down though because the spot where they are now actually is a comfortable hand position and they sort of interfere. Rather than the extra long ESI grips made for the Jones bars I chose to double wrap the grips and so far I like it that way.
The rear rack frame and bags are the newer Surly proprietary design. The bags appear to be well thought out and are compartmentalized for convenient packing. I have yet to load this up for any extended trips but before I do that I will be changing the 26 tooth inner ring on the Mr Whirly crank for a 24 tooth ring for a little extra oomph on the low end. I’m really looking forward to getting this thing out in the wilderness for some extended bikepacking and camping trips.
This is the Surly Straggler bicycle. It’s similar to a Surly Cross Check but with a few crucial differences; most notably the Straggler has disc brakes and comes stock with Surly Knard 700c x 41 tires. Surly sent us this bike to try out after the Interbike trade show in September and I have had the chance to ride it a few times now. The first thing I notice is that the handling is different than my Cross Check. The steering feels more nimble and responsive. The other thing is that although this is a 56cm frame and my Cross Check is a 58 this bike seems to feel fine fit-wise. Not surprising once I look at the Surly geometry chart and see that the 56cm Straggler’s effective top tube length is identical to the 58cm Cross Check top tube.
But why does the handling feels so much different I wonder. The seat tube and head tube angles are the same on both bikes, so I’m thinking the bigger tires change the fork trail pneumatically. Also, the bottom bracket drop on the Straggler is 6 mm greater than on the Cross Check and the Straggler’s chain stays are half a centimeter longer- both of these are probably in consideration of the bigger tires for which the Straggler is designed (the increased bottom bracket drop makes the standover height manageable),but they can’t help but affect the handling of the bike.
There are a couple of quirky details which I think are unique to Surly (no surprise, that);
-The rear dropouts are a “partially closed, horizontal design” made to accommodate single speed set ups or derailleurs. When used with a derailleur, the rear wheel slips up into the vertical part of the dropout where it is held in place partially by the clamping force of the quick release but also by the set screw threaded in from the rear of the horizontal part of the dropout. In a single speed application the wheel slips into the vertical part and then slides back in the horizontal part to tighten the chain and is partially held in place by the same set screw which in this case is threaded in from the front of the dropout.
-The front hub is Surly’s Ultra New Hub which features a hollow axle for standard quick release but the inside ends of the axle are threaded. Surly provides two stainless steel bolts with caps which thread into the ends of the axle and clamp the wheel in place. This setup gave me a sense of added security over a quick release- especially with disc brakes which place a lot of torque load on the hub.
The “partially closed horizontal” dropouts.
The fixing bolt cap on the Surly Ultra New Hub is heavily knurled to help hold the wheel securely.
The Salsa Cowbell 2 handle bar felt very good with the Shimano Tiagra brifter hoods. The bars have a very short top ramp but it mates nicely with the hoods creating a nice flat cradle for the hands.
Overall Impression and Conclusion.
I already noted how even with the big Knard tires the bike’s steering is nimble and responsive but these tires roll nice too. The bike feels quick in every way, and the tires felt nice and stable on the snow packed trail I rode.
I am in my retro-grouch phase now but I have to admit I like the brifters on this bike. Even though they are Shimano Tiagra level, the shifting is precise and easy and being able to shift without moving the hands is pretty important on any technical terrain. Like all Surly bikes there is nothing especially fancy about this bike but everything works and the bike is solid. This “Glitter Dreams” color is a love it or hate it proposition- I happen to love it- but they also make the bike in black.
It’s not technically a touring bike but it has all the braze-ons and clearances for racks so one could call it a camping bike. It also is a great bike for just ripping around in the hills on single track or gravel roads. It makes me want to go for a ride and that can’t be bad. I like this bike a lot- in fact when Surly asks for it back I will probably buy it.
In a previous post I compared and contrasted the Surly Pugsley and the Pug Ops. The Moonlander is Surly’s fattest fatbike with mammoth 4.8″ Surly Lou and Bud tires with 120t.p.i. (25% bigger than the Pugsley tires) on 100mm “Clown Shoe” rims. In order to make room for the fatter tires the Moonlander’s rear triangle is offset a little bit more than the Pugsley or the Pug Ops with a corresponding additional offset in the rear wheel. And the Surly Offset double crank gets a few more spacers so the chain won’t rub on the tire in the lowest gear. Surly Nate 3.8 tire on Pugsley is on the left. On the right is the Surly Bud 4.8 on the Moonlander. Both bikes use the same Moonlander fork.
You can see the 180mm brake rotor on the front of the Moonlander compared to the 160mm rotor on the Pugsley. A little more leverage to deal with the momentum of those taller, wider tires. The Pug Ops is spec’d with 180mm front rotors too.
The huge tires on 100 rims on the Moonlander can be ridden at very low air pressures for more flotation and traction on snow, sand, gravel and/or roots. Surly claims this bike is “designed from the ground up to ride where there are no roads, no trails and no people.” When the sandy single track gets wet in the Boise foothills two inch wide mountain bike tires dig in and cut up the trail, but the Moonlander barely leaves a mark! A bike like the Moonlander can expand the riding season as well as the areas and terrain that can be explored by the bicycle traveler. If you still think fat bikes are limited, look at this article in bikemag.com about the Walmart fat bike tearing it up at Sea Otter. The 4.7 inch wide Big Fat Larry tires (top) leave a very low impact footprint compared to a standard mountain bike tire below.
Surly rolls out bikes in new colors each year (or so). They continue to sell bikes in the previous year’s colors until they are gone. For 2014 the new Disc Trucker color is burgundy. We just finished this bike for a customer: A 62 cm Surly Disc Trucker with 26″ wheels Tubus Logo rear rack and Surly front rack The Tubus Logo rear rack; simple, strong and practical.The Surly front rack can be fined tune to clear the disc brake caliper and there is a special hole for the fender stays.
The new VO frame, the Camargue fresh off the boat for Interbike 2013. I’m afraid this bike might be pretty dang close. Made at the same factory as Surly and Rivendell.
Great color on this touring bike!I’m a sucker for the bi-plane forkExtended head tubeSingle ring and IG hub optionSemi horizontal drop out
