Surly You Jest

Sooner or later I can’t keep in mind when, somebody I can’t keep in mind who requested if I used to be going to touch upon the brand new Surly Straggler:

Properly, I don’t even know something concerning the previous Surly Straggler, not to mention the brand new one, however I did watch their irreverent video:

Then I learn an article about it:

It actually looks like a enjoyable, versatile, and simple bike, which is what you count on from Surly, however sadly I’ve reached the purpose in my life the place I can’t recognize any of that and as an alternative simply marvel in any respect the stuff that’s disappearing ceaselessly, like quick-release axles:

Tyre clearance is upped from 42mm to 50mm. Surly has achieved the inevitable and transformed from 100mm entrance/135mm rear quick-release dropouts to 100mm/142mm 12mm-diameter thru-axles. 

Sure, I do know it’s lengthy been over for the short launch and no person cares, however it nonetheless amazes me. In the future you’ll inform your youngsters about take away a bicycle wheel all you needed to do was flip a lever and it popped proper out they usually gained’t consider you. It appears too good to have ever been true, like these previous images of youngsters enjoying stickball in the midst of the road and doing swan-dives into the East River.

And naturally Surly have added compatibility with stuff like dropper posts and gravel suspension forks, which little question it’s essential to do with the intention to promote a motorbike like this in 2025, however being previous and cranky I can also’t consider the biking world has accepted these large headtubes:

The Straggler nonetheless comes with a metal fork as commonplace, however the 44mm non-tapered head tube opens the choice to suit a carbon fork or a gravel suspension fork.

Look, I do know it’s a Surly and never some fancy customized, however even the budget-conscious metal bicycle rider shouldn’t be pressured to reside with the “skipping leg day” look:

I suppose the aesthetics rapidly power you to improve.

Hey, what would you like from me? I miss the previous Surlys, and studying concerning the new Straggler simply made me wish to examine these as an alternative. So I retreated to the 2007 catalog, since that’s the 12 months I began this silly weblog. After all there was the Cross-Test:

Which was in fact killed by “progress:”

Gross.

Then there was the Pacer:

Advantageous, I’ll settle for it could have been a shedding proposition for Surly to maintain promoting a dirt-oriented bike with rim brakes in 2025. However the full disappearance of the no-frills rim-brake highway body (with bonus fender mounts!) is tough for me to reconcile. That needs to be a staple. It’s like if Heinz discontinued common ketchup and solely provided the spicy flavors:

Certain, I suppose there are sufficient steel highway bike frames on the used market to maintain the following 5 generations, however it nonetheless looks like a web loss for humanity.

And the way about that Karate Monkey?!?

Bear in mind when there have been mountain bikes that took both rim brakes or disc brakes? That was wonderful. They have been like these bizarre prehistoric fish that would additionally stroll on land:

After all I say all this having by no means truly purchased a Surly. I imply positive, I’ve had Surlys (Surlies?), however due to my fleeting Web fame (this weblog was briefly in style in the course of the interval when mountain bikes took each rims and disc brakes) I didn’t should resort to the indignity of buying them. For instance, there was the Massive Dummy, which was my first actual expertise with any kind of cargo bike, and which got here to me after I was a brand new dad or mum:

The bike was completely unbelievable and it couldn’t have been extra well timed, although ultimately after I had much less use for it I handed it alongside to a buddy whose kids have been youthful than mine.

Then there was the Vacationers Test, which was mainly only a Cross-Test with couplers, and which was a tad too small since that was the one dimension they’d left:

That bike accompanied me on a e-book tour and lots of different journeys and likewise served as what as we speak can be thought of a “gravel bike,” although you’ll discover that as a recovering cyclocross racer I nonetheless thought a 39×27 certified as a “low gear.” I consider I took the above photograph throughout a experience on Mount Tam, a full twelve years earlier than I’d experience it once more with Grant Petersen:

[Photo: Dan Leto]

General I’d say the Clem was much better suited to the duty–although the Vacationers Test served me very effectively total (particularly as a journey bike, it took a variety of journeys and I by no means paid a single airline charge, good luck flying with a Clem), and even went singlespeed in the direction of the tip of my time with it:

I understand this was purported to be concerning the Straggler, however if you get previous you are inclined to ramble.