Touring - Surly LHT steer tube question... from Korea!

Hi all. I just got my LHT delivered to me here in Korea, my new home. However, the complete bike has an uncut steer tube :( There is a rather huge language barrier between me and the bike shop that I have commissioned to assemble the bike. Apparently, from what I can tell, Korean bikes ALWAYS come with the tube pre cut and this guy was looking at my fork like it was from mars. He told me in broken Korenglish that he could "finish" the bike tomorrow at 6pm. I do not know if he needed to get a special tool to cut the tube or if he just didnt have time to do it then and there. I did see him eyeballing a hack saw in the corner of the room.

Do you use a hack saw to cut the tube or do you need a motorized cutter? Should I let this guy cut my tube or not? He has metals and pictures of himself all over the walls racing and winning. I am pretty sure he knows what he is doing but I wanted to check with you guys.

How long should the tube be? Just long enough to fit all the spacers they send you plus the stem or should it be longer? I have no experience with cutting these tubes either. Any info would be great to easy my troubled mind!

Thanks again!

We use a hack saw down at the bike coop for just such a task. I would be more concerned that it is in some sort of a mitering box so the cut is straight.

I had the same hassle with my 52 cm LHT, even though I built the bike myself! The shop did not recommend cutting one bit of the 300 mm steerer. With my saddle at the same height as the handlebar stem, I still have 3 cm of spacers sticking out. It's a nice spot to hang my helmet when the bike is parked. I'll do the amputation one fine day.

Steerers are usually cut with a sharp hack saw and a tool that aligns and guides the saw blade for a straight and clean cut. You could DIY if you know how to. If not get the bike shop to do it. Winning medals racing bicycles should not be an excuse for sloppy/lazy bike building.

Before cutting, make sure you're comfortable with the stem's height. This magical position may take a week or more, after a long ride, if you really want to dial in the perfect height.

As they say measure twice and cut once. Then maybe add a cm just in case. Have fun!

Yes, do not cut the tube yet. Experiment with different handlebar heights until you find the position you like. When you think you've found your perfect fit, ride it long for a week before you do anything.

We had the shop leave ours uncut- two reasons- one, so we could make sure height was right, and two- I'm toying leaving it uncut so I can mount a second stem and short bar for bag and lights.

The answers about leaving it uncut for now are good ones. Spacers on top. Adjust as needed until your sure it's dialed in. I waited about 5000 miles before I cut mine. Figured at that point it must be pretty good for me.