Need vs. Want, a LHT question.
 

Hey there;

Currently, I am selling my road bike (it's too small for me now, and, besides, Lance and George arn't going to call:)) and plan on getting a Surley LHT to use as my primary ride, leaving my Trek 7200 fx as more of a play bike to ride with friends and family. What I'm trying to decide is: should I get a frame and build it up (ordering exactly the components I want; this will probably be the most time consuming and expensive option), get the complete bike from the LBS, or get the complete bike from the LBS that has had better parts installed? I'm not real big on bar-end shifters, so I know that I'll be going with STI shifters at some point.

So I guess the question is really, are the parts that come on the stock LHT good enough that they will last through a few years of commuting (with the possible tour and other trip thrown in), or would I be better of in the long run with something like Shimano XT components on it from the start?

My commute is ~20 miles round trip, and I'll probably be doing that 3-5 times a week starting this fall (when work picks back up, summers off is a great thing), so durability will be a key here.

Thanks,
D

Get the complete unless you need need need the red. I really wish I had the red, but not enough to pay individually for the parts that the complete comes with. I do wonder about buying a red frame and moving my parts over to it though.

Anyway, I went w/ the complete, swapped saddle and tires to start, and later on swapped the 26t granny out for a 24. Otherwise, parts are holding up great. I'm on my 2nd chain and also broke a shifter cable and front brake hanger cable over the last 14 months/4500 miles.

The stock bike has perfectly good components including XT where it counts, so I would get that and wait until you can get a good deal on some STI shifters and install those later.

Go with the stock bike, it is a really good deal. The parts should last a long time, this guy rode his stock LHT from LA to Malaysia:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?..._id=2405&v=2KV

Friction bar-end shifters are the bomb. They make derailleur adjustment a non-issue.

I'm going to be the antagonist here. If you've got the cash and can spend an extra $500, I'd go custom. I'd go SRAM Rival (only available as a double/compact) or 105 or Ultegra (a bit overkill) and swap out what you want for XT stuff.

If you don't have a LBS, you might give Tom at gvhbikes.com a call and see what kind of price he could put one together for you or simply sell you the build kit. The advantage with going with him is that he won't charge you full MSRP price for the custom build kit. He charges you a bit more than would cost if you parted out a new stock bike. He can get you anything your heart desires. No junk. Take a look at his build kit builder on his web site. The prices are basically unbeatable anywhere but Fleabay. The advantage goes to GVH though since it's all in one, legit and safe.

If you do some research before you buy, you could build one up and easily shave at least 5# off the stock Surly. $100/lb (assuming an extra $500 for custom) is pretty good in road bike land.

You at least need to do due diligence...!

Surly
 

My own LHT was built from parts I had, which are very similar to the stock bike. The stock bike parts are very thoughtfully selected for the bikes intended purpose. Light enough, sturdy and simple not to mention, well priced. I'd get the stock bike and after the three year warranty is up, get the frame powder coated a custom color. The LHT is such a utilitarian bike that you can't go wrong in any configuration. Get one and ride the beans out of it! Oh! I mounted my Rivendell, bar end Silver shifters on the down tube. Simple and sweeeeeeet! :innocent::thumb:

The 20 mile round trip commute is modest. Unless you have clear rolling hills for a continuous ride then I'd stick with stock and save my money. But if money isn't an issue then bsyptak's idea sounds interesting. And I think it's worth your time to also consider the option of used bikes if you are really want STI. I've seen some good deals on touring/cross bikes on ebay in the past. The Surly is a fine solid bike but there are many fine bikes out there for a 10 mile run to work. Peace