Originally Posted by
Commodus
It's odd, but it's actually pretty tough to buy a normal steel bike with proper clearances and braze-ons from many major manufacturers. Of course you can go custom, or Rivendell, but they are expensive. Surlys are made in Taiwan, and TIG-welded, which keeps costs down..
I agree with that. The Jamis Aurora is a sensible bike, but I've never seen it in any local shop. No local shop that I know of sells the Surly LHT either. It seems like local shops only carry racing bikes, full suspension mountain bikes, or comfort bikes that are all completely impractical for commuting moderately long distances.. it depends, of course, on what you want to do with the bike, but for commuting I prefer drop bars, fenders, wide range of gears, and braze ons for racks. Any bike that allows those things would be good for me.