Originally Posted by
dutret
The msrp for most of the frames is absurd for a plain old welded 4130. Quality wise I haven't seen anything to set surly apart from every other little company who imports frames from asia. On the other hand a lot of their models do have nice features and if you can find or bargain your way closer to wholesale then retail they are indeed well thought out solid bikes.
I think it's important to emphasize that last point, because Surly is actually designing a product and having its manufacture outsourced in Asia. That's a far cry from the other steel-bike importers these days, who seem to be pointing to a picture from a catalog when they want to add a new bike to their offerings. Also, their complete bikes are also among the best deals going in the three categories they represent.
Who the hell pays MSRP? I got my Cross-Check frame for $370 without any special shop discount of wholesale price, and I think it's a good deal (not the best deal, apparently) for a quality frame and an attractive crowned fork.