Commuting - My Disc Trucker Build

Back in September 2011, my all-weather commuter bike (an old steel mountain bike with retrofitted drop bars) was destroyed in a collision with a car. Once my body was on the mend, I started turning my thoughts to what my next commuter bike would look like. Due to problems I had had with rims and sprockets getting gunked up with ice and snow during winter riding (thereby reducing braking and shifting abilities) I wanted a bike based around disc brakes and an internally geared hub. I'm also partial to drop bars. Such bikes do exist off the shelf (Civia Bryant for one), but they're expensive and hard to find around here. So, I thought I would try a custom build using an Alfine 8 speed hub and Avid BB7 brakes. When I discovered that Surly was introducing their Disc Trucker this year, I knew I had my frame.

The remaining parts were spec'd in collaboration with a very helpful guy at an LBS. The emphasis was on durability, not weight savings (note the big heavy mountain bike rims!)

Here's the Trucker:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_nLvFKRCHd0/T7O-qEuHXrI/AAAAAAAAAuw/l9t8eJMj53A/s807/photo.jpg

It's still a work in progress - it's not neary Fredly enough yet to be a commuter bike. I still need to get fenders, install lights, and I may install a rack (though I don't mind using a backpack).

The only problem is the shifter. I know there's probably plenty of people on this forum who can say "I coulda told you that!" but IGH and friction shifters don't work well together. I was assured at the bike shop that people do that all the time, but it's not working for me. Not only do I have trouble locking it in a specific gear, the shifter also doesn't pull enough cable to get through all 8 gears - I can only access gears 1-6. I have this JTek 8-speed indexed shifter (http://jtekengineering.com/jtek_bar-end_shifter.htm) on order now; hopefully I'll get it next week, and then I can wrap my bars too.

Very nice!

Looks nice, but I can barely see it in that tiny picture. Any chance you could post some larger pics?

Looks great!

Looks nice, but I can barely see it in that tiny picture. Any chance you could post some larger pics?

I can't seem to figure out how to do that. Sometimes, that stupid ad in the first post will shrink everything else - if I expand my browser window width-wise, the image gets a bit bigger. In Chrome, you can also right-click the picture and open it in a new tab (no equivalent in IE that I can see.) Or maybe this will be better (click to view larger):

250592

Wow that's a really nice looking bike.

What bars are those?

Sweet bike!!!!

Now that's my kinda bike! :thumb:

Thank you for building a LHT without a mile of spacers under the stem, or a mile of seatpost showing, or the bars tilted way back in the stem so the brake levers look like fangs. This seems to be a theme of Trucker builds I've seen lately.

I can't seem to figure out how to do that. Sometimes, that stupid ad in the first post will shrink everything else - if I expand my browser window width-wise, the image gets a bit bigger. In Chrome, you can also right-click the picture and open it in a new tab (no equivalent in IE that I can see.) Or maybe this will be better (click to view larger):

It's definitely larger clicking on the pic. I upload iPhone pics in large size (around 500KB) to Photobucket and then copy the direct link into the "insert image" dialog box. BF then pulls it off PB and inserts into the posting.

What bars are those?

They're Easton EA50 (42cm): http://www.eastoncycling.com/en-us/ea50-298


Thank you for building a LHT without a mile of spacers under the stem, or a mile of seatpost showing, or the bars tilted way back in the stem so the brake levers look like fangs. This seems to be a theme of Trucker builds I've seen lately.

:) You're welcome!

Thank you for building a LHT without a mile of spacers under the stem, or a mile of seatpost showing, or the bars tilted way back in the stem so the brake levers look like fangs. This seems to be a theme of Trucker builds I've seen lately.

Sounds like a lot of them are using too-small frames. ;)

I love that color and the shallow bars - looks great!

Very nice build! Should be super comfortable, hard core maintenence-free and last for many years of constant commuting!

Excellent choice of components too.

Rick / OCRR

The bike is finally finished, since I got my indexed shifter on Friday and got it installed on the weekend. I fredded the bike up with fenders and a rack and wrapped the bars. Took it on a test commute this morning, and the shifter seems to work really well (way better than friction), but there might still be some minor adjustments required, as a few times there was some gear skipping.

Here's the completed bike:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-N-2RjBBPoeI/T8qiSiQ5luI/AAAAAAAAAw4/O-Tqr2UkFNw/s928/photo.jpg

Closeup of the shifter:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4NBE9roJRpE/T8qhaajKlpI/AAAAAAAAAwo/iiaC0_IFFds/s807/IMG_20120602_171513.jpg

Closeup of the rear hub assembly (ahh, a clean chain! That won't last long...). Had to use a tensioner (Surly Singleator) because of the vertical dropouts. I would have liked to install it in "push-up" mode, but the shifting mechanism on the hub (hidden by the chainstay) got in the way.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UljsS8DdiVk/T8qhvc-LAsI/AAAAAAAAAww/YtvA1uOSbl4/s807/IMG_20120602_171537.jpg

Looks good! It's a freaking sweet frameset. I love mine. Except it's really meant to use downtube cable stops so a full length shifter cable is a bit, um... less than elegant, but there isn't much you can do. Enjoy!

Minor nit picks: front fender might need a bit tweaking, isn't the saddle too far back?

Thanks for the compliments Adam. I used the pictures and other info on your Trucker that you posted here as reference a few times.


...Except it's really meant to use downtube cable stops so a full length shifter cable is a bit, um... less than elegant, but there isn't much you can do.

Yup. :(


Minor nit picks: front fender might need a bit tweaking, isn't the saddle too far back?

I noticed how goofy the fender looked only after looking at the picture; will try to make it a bit prettier. On the disc-brake side, I don't have a lot of extra length on the fender stays, so I don't know how much adjusting I can do.

The saddle is pretty far back, but I set the bike up as close as possible to another bike I have that I do 300 km rides on. That saddle position puts my knee slightly behind the pedal spindle, which works great on my other bike. There will likely be some tweaking here and there as I ride it more. I think I need to rotate the bars up slightly.

it's not neary Fredly enough yet to be a commuter bike. I still need to get fenders, install lights, and I may install a rack (though I don't mind using a backpack).

And some real rubber instead of those racer-boy things. Put some big apples on it to eat up those frost-heave potholes you must have.

Nice job!

...it's really meant to use downtube cable stops so a full length shifter cable is a bit, um... less than elegant...
The OP did talk about a need for a reliable winter bike. i vote win.

Yeah, you notice things when you look at the photo of the bike. It happened to me too :) If it fits you and the ride feels good and comfortable then that's what matters.

Oh, I just noticed another thing: can't you run the shifter cable under the tape all the way up to the flats? It seems it would interfere with your ability to grab the drops with your hands, as it is now, and may break the tape too. I don't know much about drop bars and bar end shifters (not my favorite) but does yours have the groove for that?

And some real rubber instead of those racer-boy things.

:lol: Compared to the 700X23 tires on my road bike, those 26X1.5s look huge! Don't worry, I have some nice fat studded knobbies for winter riding.


...can't you run the shifter cable under the tape all the way up to the flats? It seems it would interfere with your ability to grab the drops with your hands, as it is now, and may break the tape too. I don't know much about drop bars and bar end shifters (not my favorite) but does yours have the groove for that?

The bike this one is replacing had the shifter cables run as you suggest, and it worked fine. I kinda tried that on the Trucker, but with the two sharp bends, the cable didn't glide through the housing nearly as well as with one gradual bend, hence the final product. Seems like a lot of bikes with bar-end shifters are set up the way I did it (that's how Surly themselves do it on their complete bikes). If the bar tape starts ripping, I have lots of PVC tape to fix it up with! :)

Sweet build all around.

...it's really meant to use downtube cable stops so a full length shifter cable is a bit, um... less than elegant, but there isn't much you can do.

Sweet build!

I did a Surly cc w/ a Shimano tensioner so I could run a double chainring with the 8sp hub. With the tires I had on the bike, 32s I think?, I ran the shifter cable to the downtube stop and then just cable, no housing, all the way back to the hub, routing the cable through the stop on the hub. Worked great, looked clean.

The bike this one is replacing had the shifter cables run as you suggest, and it worked fine. I kinda tried that on the Trucker, but with the two sharp bends, the cable didn't glide through the housing nearly as well as with one gradual bend, hence the final product. Seems like a lot of bikes with bar-end shifters are set up the way I did it (that's how Surly themselves do it on their complete bikes). If the bar tape starts ripping, I have lots of PVC tape to fix it up with! :)

I haven't thought of that: tight bends. It works with briefters because they're closer to the tops.

Great build, thanks for sharing!

I went back through the thread to try to find a basis for criticism, and all I could come up with is the fenderline in front. Good job. :thumb:

As a friend of groovestew I would be remiss if I did not stop by and safety check this bike for him... :)

As others have said... sweet.!

Thanks for all the compliments, everyone. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and some of you have given me ideas for the next round of changes, whenever that is.


As a friend of groovestew I would be remiss if I did not stop by and safety check this bike for him... :)

Please do!