biketocamp

Hey all,

Modified my LHT again! I got rid of my triple chain ring and converted to a double 2x34x24 and 12x28 cassette. I plan to get a 32 rear cassette for a trip next month. I've had this bike for 2 years now. I must say I love this bike and is my go to bike that sits next to my carbon road and track bike. The current setup is dialed for bikepacking trips. While it's no fatty It gets around. Getting my chainring caught up in a long is no longer an issue since the bottom bracket is higher with the 2x. My cockpit is completely swapped out from the stock drop touring bars and bar end shifters. I know run Shimano Koyak bars, with XT shifters and Avid levers.

Enjoy the video!

DropBarFan

Interesting w/the bikepacker setup, helps negate some of the heavy frame weight. Ordinarily I'd be leery about putting flat bars on a drop-bar bike but many ride LHT's with flat or expedition bars just fine, just shows the versatility.

AdvXtrm

That bike is a legend in it's own time for good reason. It was among my top few pics when I bought my first bike for serious riding/touring, and I still may end up owning one some day. I like the way you've got yours set up; very functional yet minimal at the same time. Nice!

wished

Good to see what you have modified, and the versatility of the bike. Now that I have gotten more serious about biking/touring I was looking for a better bike, decided to order a Disc Trucker about 6 weeks ago, pick it up tomorrow from my closest "L"BS that would order what I wanted, about 4 hour drive from here. Really looking forward to picking it up!

ColonelSanders

I like much of what you have done to your bike and I agree with you about the versatility of the bike and it is why I want to buy one myself next year.


I also will be running a flat bar setup with rim brakes.


On the gearing though, it seems like you don't give yourself a lot of gear inches on the flat and even for hills, 24/28 might be considered not low enough.


If your legs are strong enough that 24/28 is all you need for hills, then I would have thought you would want more than 34/12 for the flats.


Be keen to get your thoughts on your gearing choices.

DropBarFan

That's dedication! Unfortunate that so few LBS's stock LHT/DT's.

jonc123

Heck, I drove all the way to MN to visit Surly. I figure if the dealers don't stock em' the factory should! Looks like they are now out of the bicycle business. No more Long Haul Truckers. They are now brewing beer. Here is the last bike off the assembly line:

indyfabz

Uh...That's funny. No mention their demise on their web site:

Surly Bikes

Surly Brewing has been in business a while:

Home Page - Surly Brewing Co.

Or were you joking?

jonc123

I thought it was funny to find a Surly bike hanging out at the brewery! The sign on the bike states "Were not realated, we're just friends."

The brewery and QBP are pretty close together in Minneapolis. The brewery has the biggest bike rack I have ever seen out front; probably a couple hundred feet long. Out of the 30 or 40 bikes parked in it, I did see 1 Cross Check and several LHT. Hopefully many more years of Surly bikes.

wished

Definitely need to add this to my bucket list of places to ride to!

DropBarFan

There's a nice brew pub right next to local bike path, I've seen 20+ bikes parked there, little slice of Portland. Web page doesn't include the obvious "Radler": half beer/half fizzy lemonade that started in Germany so bikers could stay hydrated & not too buzzed. I'm sure they'd make one but legal-wise more sensible to leave off the menu.

jonc123

wished

Wow, that is huge, not like all the funky little micro-breweries I am used to in other places!

Nice photo of your LHT. I have a photo I think in about that same spot taken several years ago before I got back into biking. I was on a teaching fellowship with the National Science Foundation in Minnesota and we were in Bemidji to look at the research on an oil spill cleanup nearby. Would love to go back to ride that Paul Bunyan Trail, looks pretty nice!

biketocamp

Thanks for checking out the bike! The disc trucker is awesome! I would of picked that instead of the rim brake version I have but at the time I bought mine the disc was not available. I started seeing the the following year. But mine does well with V-brakes. Enjoy your trucker!

biketocamp

Yes the 32/24 I've been riding is great when I changed it from my triple setup which had a 42 chainring. I have a high cadence when riding even on my road bike I typically stay in the 90 to 100 cadence range. In terms of the flats with this setup can be quite challenging. I tend to spin out once in a while in the 32 ring. I plan to go up to a 34 or 36 ring which should be perfect. I the 24 is fine since I rarely use that gear unless I am i'm climbing. The 32 cassette should complement the gear choices I've selected fine.

The idea behind this was to find my sweet spot and minimize my gearing. I was projecting I'd go with a 1x12x32 setup but decided to do the double instead for a few trips I have lined up that will require some climbing. Otherwise so far it's been great.

dim

I have a few bikes, and my Surly LHT is one I will never sell .... I'm still not done with the customisizing (Velo Orange stainless steel racks are on order and I need to get a dynamo hub and lights: .... I already have brand new Carradice Super C front and rear pannier bags .... saddle fitted is a Gilles Berthoud Aravis with titanium rails (super comfy)

ColonelSanders

Your use of silver/chrome against the black paint of the Surly, makes for one stunning looking package.

dim

thanks .... the Carradice Super C front and rear pannier bags are also black but have a bit or red trimming .... the back pannier bags are massive and can hold lots

I'm planning on doing a fishing tour along the coast of the UK next summer using my Surly LHT ... it's the most comfortable bike that I've ever ridden, and even though mine has 26 inch wheels, it rides pretty fast.

BigAura

+1. Definitely stunning, BUT it better not stay looking that pristine...it's a touring bike after-all!

fietsbob

<pictures omitted>

...
Surly is another brand made by the Maxway Ltd Company in Taiwan, the Surly brand is owned by QBP

they don't make their stuff, they design it and the subcontracts are filled in overseas factories...

You must be new to the way things are made these days ..

fietsbob

All the fish in the stream are owned by the Property owner, of the land where the stream Was, like they were King,
I could not even stay, an hour, let alone camp By a stream in England

because of my maybe fishing threat, .. though I had no fishing gear


do tell after the fact about Your Fishing trip Experience..

Trueblood

But he is going along the coast of the UK - there are lots of countryside campgrounds, some behind pubs..... You should be able to fish off of piers. Yes, private streams, lochs, etc. are another story.

ColonelSanders

Before I bought my Giant Toughroad, I was set to get a LHT and I still have the 26" wheels I bought for that, as well as the XT V-Brakes, so next year I will likely get a black LHT frame and build it up and take inspiration from your use of silver fenders etc.

DropBarFan

Looks very sharp. I like the Aravis shape & wonder if the nose is narrower than B-17 or Swallow?