Touring - Surly LHT - What would you change?

I am planning on building a LHT this spring. I am wanting to do my own build rather than buy the LHT complete mainly for the hands on experience. I feel that I will be better able to handle any repairs having built the bike up myself.

I am planning on using the parts listed on the Surly web site for the complete LHT for my build. Not having any experience with touring and limited road experience they seem like a good option. Pricing the components on the internet I have found them to be reasonably priced and for the most part well reviewed.

So my question is: What components would you change if you were building a LHT?

Thanks for your help.

The frame :D

jk

How much will this exercise cost you? I mean, how much will you spend to buy the frame and parts vs. buying the built bike? Given that your going in position is the same parts kit as the LHT complete, why don't you buy the complete and swap from there. I would bet that the difference would pay for some bike maintenance classes!

Speedo

So my question is: What components would you change if you were building a LHT?
If I were I would add STI shifters, but I am in the minority here on this forum at least.

BTW: I think it is a bad idea to spend more money to build it yourself unless you really want something radically different from what comes on the complete bike. Different strokes though.

One of the good things about the LHT Complete is that it's pretty much good to go. There are only a couple of tiny tweaks that I can think of: better brake pads, a handlebar to your liking, tires that suit your use, a better saddle.

Maybe you can get the Complete from your LBS, and tell them you want to assemble it yourself.

Although one plus of buying the frame and parts separately is that you'll probably get the frame quicker - Completes tend to sell out, iirc.

I could not agree more with those who posted above.

I recently mangled my hybrid into the back of a stationary Hyundai!!

The result was I bought a Cross-Check and canablised what I could off the wrek onto the Cross-Check.

Unless you have done this before you will not believe how much work it is. I now have a new found respect for good bike mechanics. I wanted to build as I am a DIY fiend but no sonner have I finished my bike and done a few hundred miles I still want a mechanic to check it over.

In hindsight I am glad I built the bike and am proud of the task, but hells bells I would love to have all those hours back or rather have spent them in the saddle.

Buy complete and fiddle as you go.

I am running the Shimano BR-R550 brakes, no idea if they are any better.

PS: Could not enjoy this bike more, go Surly!

PS PS: wait till you see how much decent tools cost!!!

Why not buy the complete bike, and take the whole thing apart. Then you could at least try to remember how it all went, when you try to put it back together. With the money you save, you could take it to your LBS and they can fix all the things you can't remember how to put back correctly.

Here's how I can save you two hundred dollars, give or take, and still meet your goal:

Buy complete LHT, take it apart, put it back together.

Wanna save three hundred? Buy a Randonee. I think they're a better deal anyway...

Haha...Yeah, that's the puzzle for me lately. LHT vs. Randonee. I'm not buying either until it warms up, but it's driving me nuts. I finally decided on the Randonee, then Surly announced the olive green and I'm back where I started. I would want to ditch the brifters and put barcons on the randonee but that's just me. I wonder how the two frames stack up, but the likelihood of someone having real touring experience with both seems incredibly small.

I would change the saddle to a Brooks Flyer. The shifters to downtube shifters. Other than that I can't see what else I would "really" need to change.

That's a good start.:D

Next would be the brakes, then shifters.

I'll never understand the mystique in building a brand new, antique bike??????

Mystique? It's the hottest seller around here for commuters. It's rugged, and reasonably priced, what's not to like?

Two things ... I'd dump the bar end shifters and get brifters, 9 speed 105's if you can find them. (I'll take some heat on that one) ... and I'd change the saddle to a Books B17.

The saddle would be gone. I might change the bars to trekking bars and therefore the shifters but I could live with the drop bars (barcons vs. STI, now that would require more thought) What I would really like to change but can't would be the fact that you can't get the 56 size with 26" wheels.

The stock saddle isn't any good... I replaced mine with a Brooks Professional.

The stock Kalloy stem had too much rise for me. I replaced it with a Easton EA90 100mm stem, and flipped it down for negative rise.

The Tektro Oryx brake pads aren't any good... replaced with Kool Stop. A few months later, I got frustrated with the propensity of the Oryx brakes to pick up lots of grime in the mechanism. I didn't want to be stuck with taking them apart and cleaning them every month, so I replaced the front Oryx with Paul touring cantis. I almost never use my rear brakes, so I left the Oryx on the rear. The Paul brakes are excellent and have lots of stopping power... but the Oryx brakes really aren't bad.

Stock tires were replaced with Panaracer T-serv 28mm. I went too narrow on the tires, and will soon be replacing with 32mm T-servs.

I replaced the stock seatpost with a Thomson. The stock post is OK, but I prefer a micro-adjust seatpost for use with a Brooks, since they can be a bit finicky with regard to fore/aft tilt.

Yikes! Such negative "build it yourself" energy here...

Go for it man. Yep, it will cost more than buying a complete bike. Yep, it will take some time. Yep, you will need some bike tools. Big deal. Life is short and building up a frame is fun and rewarding.

You can pick and chose the parts you want, where you want the cheaper parts and where you want the better parts. What drive train will work best for you and your situation, the right combo of hubs, rims and tires. The list goes on. You will learn a ton just picking the components. Then you get the experience of the build, learning how your bike is put together and how it all works. Get stumped part way through? Thats where Bike Forums can help. Step back and look at a bike, it is really a pretty simple machine. You will be a better mechanic for it. Gotta buy some tools? Well how are you going to maintain it without some tools?

And do try and buy at least some of your parts from a real live local bike shop.

Most of the LHT is decent to begin with -- frame, cranks, bars, stem, etc. Trade up the wheels, saddle and seatpost over time. Change out brakes and derailleurs based on what works and doesn't work for you. We're all in this to ride the bike -- I'd put my effort into getting the bike, putting on some miles, and make your upgrades over time. Me? I'm fixing up and riding a 1983 Specialized Expedition while I wait, wait, wait for my Americano!

p.s. -- if you have this bike long enough you will get plenty of experience assembling and reassembling.

Oh geez. Here we go again. The whole vibe on the LHT has changed from making your own dinner, to "hey happy meals are 25cents off at McDonalds!"

You would probably do yourself a favour to just dial back the clock to a time before this prefab hit the bricks. There are lots of old threads on building these things out and you can find lots of ideas.

I wouldn't have any (too many) of the package parts from the LHT on my bike, but as others have noted you do need to have more in mind than just changing the bell, or you really will take a financial shelacking.

Find an online dealer like Spicer, that will work with you, and order everything you can at once, but first negotiate a discount. The prices in the catalogs aren't final. When you do this you don't really have to lock in every last part, so you may be able to pick up a few sale parts elsewhere without getting off track with your dealer. Try to figure those parts first, then you can just lay out you want everything from them, but you have a few carry overs already. Get the frame from the likes of Spicer, and he will do the frame prep for you. You need that or some major stuff may not fit, and the tools are about 1K ++.

Wheels you could go something like LX hubs, DT butted spokes, some rims people have actually heard of (OK I like the Alex DH22, but you could go with something like mavic or velocity), then build the wheels yourself. It isn't really difficult, and you can absolutely do a better job than a machine made wheel.

I like Schwalbe Slick tires 37mm , but here is another opportunity to tune the bike to your use and terrain.

Go LX rear deraileur, and on the front I don't really have a favorite, I normally buy whatever is cheap on Nashbar or something.

Cranks specified on the Surly are great, but I think the ratios are the usual stupid. What anyone needs with a 48x11 700c, is beyond me, unless you are gearing for your unloaded use. I like to go purely touring because that is all I use the bike for, to each their own. Apparently you need the same gearing on a 700c as on a 26" tire. I guess it is because they have the same circumference. It's technical. :)

Brooks saddle. I like a B17 without the copper rivets, dyed leather, or broken in option.

I would get the widest rondoneur style bars possible, but that is my build.

I'm pationate about brakes. If you diverge from the specified brand, at least get something similar in shape, check out the catalogs. Nashbar has some cheap options. I have their 20 dollar a pair ones and they are fine. I would probably go something like the Paul touring, not the neos, on this if it was mine.

Stainless chain.

I'm using up some Nashbar cartridge bearing BBs at the moment.

Deaner has some good points. I actually have both Paul brakes for my current bike, but haven't bothered to switch in the rear, because the 20 year old brake I first put there has been working great.

That 20 year old brake is actually a petersen , and I just bought another for the front. I'm thinking they may be the perfect touring combo, but that is another post. Why do I have just a rear petersen? Because I once had two, and only bothered with the front one, the stock rear worked fine, and then that bike got stolen... At the end of the day, a few bucks extra up front is better

I like Thomson posts also. With the Brooks you need to be a little careful since they need a fair amount of set back to get the right ride, and don't have as much adjust in the rails. My new frame is going to be set up without set back and just have the seat tube at the right angle for the Brooks.

Well... interesting thread.

The one thing I think everyone misses in the Flyover's original post is the satisfaction and KNOWLEDGE that is gained from acquiring his parts and tools and doing his own build. That will be worth more than anything if he ever gets stuck with a mechanical somewhere remote.

I couldn't care less for what frame it is. But the idea of planning out a bike, researching and thinking seriously about the performance of each part, then the huge thrill of acquiring it (through means ranging from the LBS through internet dealers to ebay) all comes together to give you an unique experience.

I think the same about the acquisition of tools. The thing about bike tools is that I gain even more independence from the bicycle consumerism... I save money in the long term by being able to do my own work. And, I can build more and more bikes as my interest expands.

Flyover, you have a plan. A basic plan. But you will learn more about YOUR bike by getting the bits and pieces together than you ever will by purchasing a complete bike, stripping it, and rebuilding it. That's just jigsaw puzzle stuff. CREATING your own jigsaw... well that's something else.

The point is: I have been doing something similar with an MTB that has started as a frame. It's on its way to completion, and even I don't know if it will work. But I have acquired various bits and pieces that range from Velocity Deep-V rims throught to XT derailleurs and Magura hub and disc brakes and suspension fork. It should come in at well under $1,000. If it doesn't work... well, I can get a Brand-X MTB frame from the UK and transfer all the bits.

You might make some mistakes. The stem might be the wrong length. You might get a Rapid Rise rear derailleur instead of the normal one. You might get the seat post specs wrong. Or the front derailleur clamp diameter at the wrong size. But if you find a good cross-reference source or two on the internet where you can compare prices (including postage) you can pick up some good deals. And the Shimano website can be a good resource for tech info, as can Sheldon Brown's and Park Tools and....

As has been stated on another thread outside Touring, if you settle for components that are a generation behind the current models, you will do extremely well, and at a lot cheaper price. And don't forget to look over the other side of the Atlantic -- I've been using chainreactioncycles in the UK lately as a reference for my local pricing.

And, as I have discovered, eBay has its various "shops" where fairly reputable dealers put up excellent deals on a Buy-It-Now basis.

As to your question... ummm... what was it?

Oh yes... I'd go

- STI

- Brooks

- Depending on your height, 170mm cranks with 26-36-48 chainrings for flatland and 22-32-44 for lots of hills

- 32-11 cassette

- Whatever Shimano hubs you want, but Deore seem to be the flavour, in 36H, but I like cartridge bearings, and in that camp, everyone seems to like Phil Wood (if you can afford them, and I can't).

- Whatever touring rim; Mavic maybe, although Velocity Dyads in 36H are my current choice, with DT spokes

- The best-quality BB cartridge bearing unit you can afford

- V-brakes with travel agent

- A good quality headset (whatever that means -- maybe around $US100).

I really must find something else to do...

I should note that there was a lot of good advice above, but remember that all of it (including mine) reflects personal preference.

The standard build can do just fine on a transcontinental tour with absolutely nothing changed. This includes even the brakes (the pads are a bit marginal, so at least carry spares) and the saddle which I probably wouldn't change. Any of the changes are personal preferences or niceties. You don't *NEED* any of them. Absolutely everything on the standard build is at least adequate for a 4000+ mile tour except you will probably wear out the brake pads at 3000-4000 miles or so if loaded touring in the mountains for a major portion of the tour. The tires may or may not last the whole way, but can be replaced when worn out or flatting too often.

The above is based on my experiences with three similarly equipped bikes on the transamerica this Summer. They weren't LHT's but had many of the same components and where there were differences ours had lesser components. We had STI which I prefer, but many here would rather have the bar cons.

Disc Brakes! LHT and Cross Check need disc brake mounts. If my cyclocross steed wasn't Campy-equipped it would have had disc brakes already. (Hard to find reasonable campy-compatible 700c wheels)

Disc Brakes! LHT and Cross Check need disc brake mounts. If my cyclocross steed wasn't Campy-equipped it would have had disc brakes already. (Hard to find reasonable campy-compatible 700c wheels)

No thanks... IMO, disc brake equipped bikes ride rough, and rack compatibility is limited. Also, Alex Adventurer rims can be had for $25, making the running cost of rim brakes lower than disc brakes in all but the harshest climates.

I built my LHT( http://www.flickr.com/photos/macmiddlebrooks/2061876884/in/set-72157603321717923/
)from the frame up to avoid having to upgrade most of the parts in the long run and ended up with the bike I truly wanted. Yes, it costs more but I guess it all depends on how obsessed with cycling you are. :D Most people I know would rather not go through the hassel of sourcing all the parts, researching on the internet for days, $$ factor, etc. Whatever makes you happy, just think it through!

The comment in the last post about being obsessed with cycling raises my hackles just a little. My observation is that there is a difference between obsessed with bicycling and being obsessed with all of the stuff associated with bicycling.

I guess there is nothing wrong with being either or both, but they aren't the same thing. Once you are at the quality level of the LHT build you already have more bicycle than you need to take off and tour whatever distance you want. Any upgrades are because you WANT to, not because you NEED to.

I often read about people who haven't even toured yet and are building the ultimate touring bike and wonder how many of them will ever do a long tour.

Bottom line do what makes you happy, but don't kid yourself that you need this or that item upgraded to tour comfortably or successfully.

The one thing I think everyone misses in the Flyover's original post is the satisfaction and KNOWLEDGE that is gained from acquiring his parts and tools and doing his own build....
Maybe, but again, one of the reasons why the LHT is a popular choice is because the stock parts are already well-chosen for the task(s), with a few minor exceptions.

And to slightly modify my previous post: I'd say that if the PRIMARY goal is to learn how to wrench, I'd get a couple of $10 bikes at some yard sale, pull them apart, re-assemble 'em, do whatever. I'd vastly prefer to learn on $50 worth of bike than $1000. :D

After you've assembled a few junky bikes, if you feel good about your skills then work on the LHT build.

No thanks... IMO, disc brake equipped bikes ride rough...

I'm sorry, but you lost me here. Can you expound a bit?

Well... interesting thread.

The one thing I think everyone misses in the Flyover's original post is the satisfaction and KNOWLEDGE that is gained from acquiring his parts and tools and doing his own build. That will be worth more than anything if he ever gets stuck with a mechanical somewhere remote.

...

I really agree. It will be a real sense of achievement, and also give you much valuable practical knowledge, to put together your own LHT.


For my LHT I used XT hubs 36h, Velocity Aeroheat Rims and DT Swiss spokes, XT deraillier, a Race Face Atlas crankset, LX front dr, Whipple blue chain, Avid Ultimate Digit linear pull brakes with matching Dia Compe 287V long pull levers, Dura Ace down tube shifters, Salsa Bell Lap handlebars, Salsa cross levers, Salsa seatpost and lip lock seat clamp, and a Brooks B17 saddle.

Really, mine is not much different than the complete but still, it is uniquely mine.

I'd say that if the PRIMARY goal is to learn how to wrench, I'd get a couple of $10 bikes at some yard sale, pull them apart, re-assemble 'em, do whatever. I'd vastly prefer to learn on $50 worth of bike than $1000. :D
My experience is that there's no fun in disassembling and rebuilding cheaper/older/junky bikes unless you're trying to restore them. To me, "fun" is a huge factor in bike building, otherwise the process can be a real drag. Besides, after all that work, I'd think the OP would rather ride a LHT, not a $10er.



The thing about bike tools is that I gain even more independence from the bicycle consumerism...
Bike tools give you independence for sure, but not from "bicycle consumerism."



To the OP: Don't forget to buy a good bike manual as well! Initially, these books can be more helpful than the internet, although some of that is changing.

I'm sorry, but you lost me here. Can you expound a bit?

Disc brake equipped bikes have a sturdier fork to withstand additional stresses from disc breaks. Double the stress is placed on the side of the fork that has the disc brake mount tabs. The stronger, stiffer fork delivers a harsher ride, compared with a fork designed for the stresses caused from rim brakes. There are some manufacturers (i.e. Winwood) that make carbon fiber disc compatible forks that ride pretty good... but those come at a very steep price.

Well... interesting thread.

The one thing I think everyone misses in the Flyover's original post is the satisfaction and KNOWLEDGE that is gained from acquiring his parts and tools and doing his own build. That will be worth more than anything if he ever gets stuck with a mechanical somewhere remote.


No, I didn't miss that at all. It is important to ask the question about how much the exercise would cost.

I've built up from scratch in the past, and I recently priced out a home build. There can be a fairly hefty premium for a home brew over a stock bike. If you have something very different from any stock bikes in mind, then that premium is worth it. If you only want a slight variation on the stock bike, then there is a big economic advantage in starting with the built up stock bike. As has been suggested, that difference is large enough so that you could use it to buy a lot of tools, take a lot of classes, or teach yourself on junkers.

Speedo

My experience is that there's no fun in disassembling and rebuilding cheaper/older/junky bikes unless you're trying to restore them. To me, "fun" is a huge factor in bike building, otherwise the process can be a real drag. Besides, after all that work, I'd think the OP would rather ride a LHT, not a $10er.
The idea is to use the $10 bike to learn how to wrench without screwing up a new bike and new components. He can give the bike away when he's done, if he doesn't want to use it as a beater.

If the OP already knows how to do assemble a bike, then sure he can skip this step.

If the OP does not know yet how to assemble a bike, he will be MUCH better off learning / doing a first pass on a cheap bike than on a $1000+ build.

Disc brake equipped bikes have a sturdier fork to withstand additional stresses from disc breaks. Double the stress is placed on the side of the fork that has the disc brake mount tabs. The stronger, stiffer fork delivers a harsher ride, compared with a fork designed for the stresses caused from rim brakes. There are some manufacturers (i.e. Winwood) that make carbon fiber disc compatible forks that ride pretty good... but those come at a very steep price.

I could certainly see that it would be a concern in carbon forks, but Surly uses a steel fork which should take a simple disc tab without any additional reinforcement, no?

I have to wonder if this is coming from someone who is speaking from experience and has ridden disc and non-disc bikes in a meaningful comparison. Perhaps with certain fork designs there is an element of theoretical truth to this, but I wonder in reality if it can be truly discerned -when all other factors are equal -especially given the touring context.

Honestly, and no disrespect intended, but as a reason to avoid disc brakes on a touring bike, I find this to be more than a little far fetched, and I suspect too far into the realm of theory punched from a keyboard rather than practice on the saddle. But as with everything on internet boards, that's just my opinion and other people have a right to theirs!



Disc brake equipped bikes have a sturdier fork to withstand additional stresses from disc breaks. Double the stress is placed on the side of the fork that has the disc brake mount tabs. The stronger, stiffer fork delivers a harsher ride, compared with a fork designed for the stresses caused from rim brakes. There are some manufacturers (i.e. Winwood) that make carbon fiber disc compatible forks that ride pretty good... but those come at a very steep price.

I have to wonder if this is coming from someone who is speaking from experience and has ridden disc and non-disc bikes in a meaningful comparison. Perhaps with certain fork designs there is an element of theoretical truth to this, but I wonder in reality if it can be truly discerned -when all other factors are equal -especially given the touring context.

Honestly, and no disrespect intended, but as a reason to avoid disc brakes on a touring bike, I find this to be more than a little far fetched, and I suspect too far into the realm of theory punched from a keyboard rather than practice on the saddle. But as with everything on internet boards, that's just my opinion and other people have a right to theirs!

I have not ridden a touring bike with disc brakes. There aren't many out there... Seven makes one, as does Kona and now Raleigh. But my accounts of degraded ride quality are not "theory punched from a key board". I have ridden six different disc brake equipped bikes, and I found the ride to be somewhat harsh on each one. One of these bikes was a high end cross style bike that had a Winwood fork, and it rode decently, but nothing to write home about. There may be nice riding disc-equipped bikes out there, but I certainly haven't found one.

Honestly, I really want to like disc brakes. I don't like to have to clean my rims and pads all the time. I hate replacing rims. It's a fact that disc brakes are more powerful in the rain. But the tradeoffs with ride quality, rack compatibility, and cost are not worth it for me. Plus, extra complication on a touring bike isn't a good idea... with disc brakes, more there to break, and getting replacement parts while on tour might not be easy.

I could certainly see that it would be a concern in carbon forks, but Surly uses a steel fork which should take a simple disc tab without any additional reinforcement, no?

Maybe you should ask Surly. They make a specific fork that has a disc mount. It weighs more, which leads me to believe that it's built heavier (and so, will probably have less flex, and rougher ride).

I've changed my opinion a bit on getting wrenching practice on old, disused bikes.

My experience with junker bikes as "practice" wrenching is that they are a waste of time. Often you need completely different tools to work on them (eg, BB spanners, freewheel removers), so they also become a waste of money. Because of their condition, corroded-on parts become a frustrating issue. And the wear on parts means you either have to purchase new (again a waste of money) or try to adjust without much success.

It is much, much better to practice with parts that are already clean and fit together than have to clean up old grease and oil. Junker bike practice results in only one thing... a clean junker bike.

Haha...Yeah, that's the puzzle for me lately. LHT vs. Randonee. I'm not buying either until it warms up, but it's driving me nuts. I finally decided on the Randonee, then Surly announced the olive green and I'm back where I started. I would want to ditch the brifters and put barcons on the randonee but that's just me. I wonder how the two frames stack up, but the likelihood of someone having real touring experience with both seems incredibly small.

If you are going to use the bikes as commuter bikes or recreational bikes or for sagged touring, the Randonee is as good as the LHT. But if you want to do loaded touring, the LHT beats the Randonee hands down. I've ridden loaded touring with bikes as short as the Randonee and it was never that fun. The handling was too twitchy for comfort and, with 17.1" chainstays, anyone with average sized feet is going to have problems with kicking all but the smallest of rear panniers.

Let's play Money is No Object!

Frame and Fork: Well if you changed those, it wouldn't be an LHT;) (Although I'd go for a Cannondale;))

Headset: The Logic is good but has no pizazz! Chris King will last forever but you'll be paying for it that long, too. Still...it's a King!

Stem: The Kalloy is hohum. I'd probably go for a Salsa, in black. Much sexier.

Handlebars: Zoom = boring! I really like my Salsa Bell Laps. They flare out nicely and the hand position is more natural.

Handlebar wrap: Co-Union Cork Mix - okay. Cinelli better.


Brake levers/shifters: The stock stuff is okay but I'm not a fan of barends. STI Tiagra or 105. If you're going to be a grouch about it, keep the barends.

Brakes: Tektro Oryx cantilever are okay but Paul's cantis would be cool. If that's too rich, IRD Cafams are good too. Avid Shorties are disappointing...they squeal a lot...but a pair of Kool Stop MTB dual compound pads seem to have stopped that.

Cable Hanger, front/rear: Tektro. No change. Maybe in black


Front Derailleur: Shimano Tiagra. Don't change this for love or money! Best triple front road derailer on the market. Works much better than it's more expensive cousins. It's wider and more forgiving on chainline issues.

Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT. Again, can't do better.

Crankarms: Sugino XD600. Okay but boring. If you can find an LX trekking crank in Octalink, it'd be better. External bearings are sweet and dead simple to work on in the field.

Pedals: NOT INCLUDED:eek: What do you mean not included! What are you supposed to do, push with your feet! ;) Best choice, Shimano M520. Cheap, rugged, works. Use mountain bike shoes, please.

Seatpost: Use the Kalloy to anchor ships;) A Salsa Shaft or a Race Face Evolve XC are much better choices. Much easier to adjust. The Race Face is a little easier then the Salsa.


Seatpost Clamp: Surly Stainless. A Clamp's a clamp.

Saddle: Go Brooks or go home;) B17 narrow is my favorite.

Cassette: Shimano Deore, CS-HG50. 9-speed. 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30-34t. No change. Good choice

Chain: SRAM, PC971 9-speed. Good choice

Wheels: Shimano XT, DT Swiss (but double butted or Alpine III would be better), Mavic or Velocity rims. These are good but if you want the ultimate, get a set of Phils;)

Tires: No change.


The Complete isn't bad and most of the stuff changed would just be nitpicky. It's hard to beat the price of a Complete.

Crankarms: ...If you can find an LX trekking crank in Octalink, it'd be better. External bearings are sweet and dead simple to work on in the field...

.

Are you talking about the Shimano LX M581 cranks with 26/36/48 rings?

If so, has anybody used them and do they work well with LX, XT and or XTR front dr's? I am thinking about using them on a build I have coming up in the spring.

I have an LHT that I use as a road bike, no touring. (I'm a big guy, and I like the fact that I don't have issues with toe overlap or heel strikes with my size 14 feet, and I like the ride of a steel frame.)

Knowing that I was going to use it as a road bike and not a tourer, my LBS set it up with 700 x 28 tires instead of the 700 x 35's it would have come with from Surly. I also took the standard saddle (the LBS put on a WTB Speed V) and replaced it with a Brooks B17, only because I think the Brooks looks so good and I wanted to see what all the buzz was about.

The saddle change was really immaterial, as I had no comfort issues with the original, but the narrower tires were a good move.

I'd have to say my LHT is perfect, and wouldn't change anything else.

I often read about people who haven't even toured yet and are building the ultimate touring bike and wonder how many of them will ever do a long tour.

Bottom line do what makes you happy, but don't kid yourself that you need this or that item upgraded to tour comfortably or successfully.



I've been getting a constant reminder of this concept from a Mercedes Benz ad on tv recently, it's something along the lines of 'not everybody needs to drive straight from 24 hours of Monte Carlo to the Dakar Rally in the comfort of finest German luxury engineering, but some might, and for them there is...' anyway, bikes are cheaper than Benzes no matter how you pimp them out.

I am planning on building a LHT this spring. I am wanting to do my own build rather than buy the LHT complete mainly for the hands on experience. I feel that I will be better able to handle any repairs having built the bike up myself.

I am planning on using the parts listed on the Surly web site for the complete LHT for my build. Not having any experience with touring and limited road experience they seem like a good option. Pricing the components on the internet I have found them to be reasonably priced and for the most part well reviewed.

So my question is: What components would you change if you were building a LHT?

Thanks for your help.
Depends on your budget, and on what you are looking for.

If you want decent quality at the lowest possible price, there would be one set of recommendations.

If you want excellent quality at the lowest price, there would be another.

If money were not an issue at all....

If you are going to be touring in remote areas or countries, on rough roads, with heavy loads, ...and so on -- different people have different goals and applications and situations and preferences to deal with.

*****
Also, if your mechanical experience or skills are at a very basic level, and you still want to do the build [I applaud the idea -- you can learn a great deal this way, and you can end up knowing how to maintain your own bike, and how to deal with many of the almost inevitable problems that arise on the road], you might consider having a good mechanic with you during the build, to clue you in and help you to understand things better -- and come out of it with a sounder bike and sounder understandings, techniques and skills.

Some of these guys are glad to do this kind of thing, and for a very reasonable price. Some of them can meet you at your place, and you can learn a lot this way.

Thanks cyccomute. Good advice, as always. All roads eventually lead back to LHT. Until the day I can afford a Waterford, anyway.

Are you talking about the Shimano LX M581 cranks with 26/36/48 rings?

If so, has anybody used them and do they work well with LX, XT and or XTR front dr's? I am thinking about using them on a build I have coming up in the spring.

I have the XT version. They work very well with the Ultegra and probably would with a mountain bike derailer. They are just mountain bike rings, after all.