Originally Posted by
Cb8s
i am thinking about getting a surly lht because of the durability as i will need to ship the bike
How do you think your bike got to the shop where you bought it? Pack it correctly (or have a shop do it) and you will likely come out fine.
Unless you are flying Frontier or Southwest, it will almost certainly be cheaper to ship the bike than fly with it. Whatever you do, do not fly U.S Air. They want $200 each way for a bike.