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03-10.-2006, 11:41 AM
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#1 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 30
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Surly Long Haul Trucker?
What is the word around the campfire on this bike? Seems to be a nice steel frame for only $425, and can be built up to 'real' touring spec for about another grand or so.
Another Surly option is the Cross Check, which is a cyclocross bike by trade, but can be easily set up for touring (although I don't know whether it'll hold front and rear panniers AND fenders, such as the Long Haul Trucker can... I like the idea of the Long Haul Trucker, and I think I might order one soon. It is up to all of you, my fellow cyclists, to advise me on this matter. What are your thoughts on the LHT vs. the Cross Check complete bike, vs. other options out there? thanks, peacetoya, tg
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"...Wow! You won't see THAT sitting on the couch!..." tg |
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03-10.-2006, 02:17 PM
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#2 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: China
Posts: 57
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
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Sorry, never heard of that make of bike. The importamnt things are fit and tube angles. The frame has to fit your body and the tube angles have to be set for maximum pedaling efficiency. If it costs over $400.00 and it is chromoly it should be plenty fine for long haul bicycle touring. I have seen some excellent touring bikes going for cheap, but not often. I saw a good touring bike for twenty dollars at a yard sale. I saw a $350.00 Fuji touring bike with all extras for fifty dollars at a thrift store. We saw a $450.00 Trek mountain bike at a Goodwill store for about forty-five dollars; this one did not last long. I knew a guy who went to the bank and got some money and went back to get it and it was already gone. He should have had them keep it aside for him. I saw a perfectly good used Trek hybrid for $75.00; I checked this one out thoroughly; it had all parts in good condition. All these bikes were used, yes, but they were also good for many more thousands of trouble-free miles of touring or for whatever kind of riding. Sometimes, people with the money buy bikes and then do not use them much. Then they just want to get them out of the garage or whatever. Years later, after little or almost no use, they or their relatives donate the bike to a thrift store of they offer them for sale in the classified section of a newspaper. If a touring bike can last for decades of hard use, you can figure what they are good for after just collecting dust in a garage somewhere. You might be surprised to see what kinds of absolutely killer deals you can get on quality bicycles if you shop around a bit and take the alternative, untraditional method to buying a high quality machine. I knew a guy who paid about twenty dollars for a very good quality either Fuji or Raleigh touring bike. It was slightly used of course, but all components were good and ready to go. Of course, for a fully loaded, transcontinental tour such a bike would have to be re-fitted with components but that can be done cheaply enough even in the United States. I toured the world on a Schwinn Le Tour bicycle. I had no problems with it. |
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03-08.-2007, 12:54 AM
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#3 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Alabama
Posts: 15
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
I built up a Cross Check for some flat-land touring with a Shimano Nexus rear internal hub and the darn thing is brilliant. Plenty of room for huge tires, fenders and whatever else you might want. Note that there are two different versions of the Cross Check. One has two rear eyelets and one has one rear eyelet. So far as I can tell, the colors vary from model year to model year, but all of the same color for one model year are of the same type (pretty sure). Neither of them has the front, mid-fork eyelet. But they both come with the Cross Check fork with the eyelet near the front axle. They also differ in that the one with the one rear eyelet is set up for integrated shifters (b/c no downtube shifter mounts, just cable mounts), whereas the two eyelet model has downtube shifter mounts which can be used for downtube shifting or cable mounting from the integrated shifters. My thinking is that the two rear eyelet model is superior for touring and more versatile generally.
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03-08.-2007, 01:10 AM
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#4 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Suburban Chicago
Posts: 2,777
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
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LHT is a great touring bicycle especially for loaded touring. The complete package is a great bargain just as it comes for QPB to it's dealers. You might find that you want a different saddle or need to swapt the stem for your ideal position, but QBP does an admirable job of component selection for value at this selected market. Surly's Nice Racks are also a great solution for loaded touring. Cross Check is oriented to unloaded riding and isn't set up for the best front fork mounting of a rack. You certainly could use Cross Check but it's Chain Stays are a few cm shorter which makes positioning the rear panniers and heel strike possibilities much higher.
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David Ornee, Western Springs, IL USA |
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22-08.-2007, 10:51 AM
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#5 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
I got a Surly Long Haul Trucker earlier this year, and I'm very happy with it. The bike is comfortable, and very stable under load (front and rear). The Cross Check can be used for touring, but I think it's designed for cyclocross. I have super low gears on my LHT, fenders, and front/rear racks. If you are doing light touring either frame would be okay, but for loaded touring LHT is the choice.
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22-08.-2007, 08:14 PM
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#6 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 13
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
I don't like its geometry... steel means nothing if the geometry sucks. Of course, if you go for a short tours then it's probably one of the best options, but if it's gonna be days after days on bike e.g. expeditions and such it gets pretty tirin
I wouldn't go for it, although the price is sweet!
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Explore. Dream. Discover. 
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31-08.-2007, 04:22 PM
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#7 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 76
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
I have bought one recently. No long tours yet but very comfortable for day rides.
My LBS has a tame Cycling Coach on retainer and I was provided with a professional bike fit as part of the deal, I paid RRP less my usual regular customer discountand the bike fit was included. The process took about one and a half hours over two days and Carl suggested that we change out the headstem to get me a more comfortable fit. It has a standard touring crankset, something like 48-36-26 but much better than all the other touring bikes I saw including Trek 520 which have road triples which are 50-42-30 or thereabouts. I know you can change these at purchase but LHT had everything I wanted. At the price which in Australia was A$1500 compared to A$2250 for the Trek 520 you get XT hubs and rear deraileur, front deraileur is Sora non indexed but I have no trouble with the changes using the bar end shifters. I am very happy with this bike. Mike |
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03-09.-2007, 08:04 AM
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#8 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 47
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
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Okay...WHY don't you like the LHT's geometry? I'm not trying to be a smart-ass. For example, if I was asked about my opinion of a current movie, I wouldn't only say "I didn't like it" and walk away. I'd elaborate a bit...the plot was hard to follow, or the dialog was not believable, or whatever. I'm strongly thinking about building up a serious touring bike based on the LHT frame, so I really am interested. What's wrong with the LHT geometry?
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“An armed society is a polite society.” - Robert A. Heinlein |
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04-09.-2007, 05:32 AM
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#9 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 13
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
Hey,
yeah, it's more my personal preference. As it seems it provides more an upright position which is pretty tiring, at least, TO ME. If you're going to ride a lot everyday fully loaded through a tough terrain or have a permanent speed-ups on the road it's not the most lovely thing you could get. That's HOW I THINK. Yeah, but price is sweet and so is the offer overall so as a bargain it's not gonna be the shittiest one  As for the possibility to load it up and do serious tours.... I've been thinkin about it a lot.. a lot.. Personally, I'm gonna build a new touring bike too so this was also one of the possibilities but I don't know if this would be the best one. I'm going for a 26". LHT seems better as a 700, no? I'm not a smart-arse either this is just out of my experience Ciao
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Explore. Dream. Discover.
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04-09.-2007, 06:17 AM
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#10 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 76
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
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JeepGuy/Nomad Yes the LHT does have a more upright position compared to a road bike but with a proper bikefit which has the basic position of riding on the brake hoods you are not exactly bolt upright as you would be on a Hybrid. Then you still have the drops. The wheel size on the Surly depends on the frame size which depends on your height. I am 5'9'' and just fit the smallest 700C frame with about 1" standover clearance. I chose that because I prefer the 700C wheel size. I am very happy with mine and all I can say to anyone considering one is try a test ride and remember the price is right!. The Shark |
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04-09.-2007, 09:02 PM
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#11 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 47
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
Quote:
Thanks!
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“An armed society is a polite society.” - Robert A. Heinlein |
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04-09.-2007, 09:59 PM
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#12 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 13
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
I'm 5ft10 and always go for the 26". Because I'm a Xc rider so this size is more preferable +always remember my mate who was touring with me in northern europe, his tyre just fucked up and we gotta get a new one which was absolutely impossible just because of the size- 700c! And this is in europe! so with my 26" I can go into any supermarket and buy a pair of any 'xiang zang bing' chinese shite and continue the ride .remember that
I checked LHT again, if it wasn't the geometry I'd buy it NOW. 'or .. If I had a lot of moola I'd go straight for a Thorn eXp or a Robin Mather 
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Explore. Dream. Discover.
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29-09.-2007, 04:38 PM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 11
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
Sooooo...what did you buy??? You've got to tell us the last chapter...it's forum etiquette.
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01-10.-2007, 06:04 AM
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#15 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 76
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Re: Surly Long Haul Trucker?
An excellent choice!
The Shark |
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