Thanks djb and aroundoz! My frame is actually a Surly LHT 50cm. I got it on eBay at a good price. I purchased it with the intention of building an all purpose bike. I use it for commuting, grocery hauler, touring and a light duty trail bike. The frame was originally the (in my opinion) dull Surly utility blue color. It had several scratches and nicks, so I had it sandblasted and powder coated green. Prior to powder coating, I had a local frame builder add braze ons to the backside of the seat tube for a pump mount. The Topeak road morph fits perfectly behind the seat tube on the small frame LHT even with fenders. Below are some build specs and reasons for my choices.

Crankset
Sugino DX MTB crank - I choose a MTB crank to achieve a very low gear ratio. A 4 bolt MTB crank will take a 22 chain ring. I believe a road bike 5 bolt crank is limited to a 26 chain ring. Also, the Sugino DX cranks are good quality at a great price at $60.

Chainrings & Cassette
22/38/Chain Guard with a Shimano XT 11-34 - On all my previous triple crank bikes, I rarely used the large chain ring. The gear range on this bike works well for my style of riding. I often commute and ride in regular pants, so I added a chain guard to eliminate pant snags. It also keeps the chain grease off my pants. I think it looks good.

Shifters
Shimano 9 speed Downtube - All my old road bikes from the 80’s had downtube shifters, so I’m comfortable with them. I prefer a short stem (100cm) to achieve a more upright riding position. Because of this, I’ve had the problem of hitting bar end shifters with my knees while pedaling out of the saddle. I have never had brifters and there expensive so I didn’t consider them for this bike. I guess I’m old and set in my ways. Also, downtube shifters eliminate cable clutter for a handle bar bag, which I may add at sometime in the future.

Derailleurs
Shimano LX Front and Rear

I’ve had this bike for two years and it adequately handles my cycling needs. Thus far, I’ve taken it on 3 tours without any problems. My first tour with this bike was local – Indiana and Kentucky. Second tour was Ireland. Third was Scotland. Next year I may try crossing Iceland.

Cheers