Speaking of this though, you could always swap the front fork and put disks where it counts. If you really really wanted disks of course..

Seriously dude, get the LHT.

You want to make the right decision the FIRST time don't you?

Don't be stupid.

I thought I would hate the bar-end shifters. It was almost a deal killer even. When I was considering buying the LHT, I'd reach for where the bar end shifters would be while I was riding my road bike and think, "Yeah, that's totally not gonna work for me." But otherwise the LHT was exactly what I wanted, so I ordered Paul Thumbies at the same time I ordered the bike, with plans to install them myself. I figured they wouldn't be as effortless as brifters, but at least they'd be in a more convenient location, and it wouldn't be scary like reaching for a bar end to shift.

...and now it turns out I'm gonna throw the brand-new, never-installed Thumbies up on ebay. It took about 5 seconds to adjust to using the bar-end shifters on the LHT, and I still shift about as frequently as ever.

That's me too. Love the LHT. Particularly love the 26" wheels on my 54, that was what swung it over to me vs say Jamis Aurora or the REI tour bike...

I think the spokeholders are a bit on the precious side (esp. w/ the complete coming w/ 26" 36 spoke wheels), though I can still mount my rear triangle kickstand around them, the pump peg I don't use (all hail roadmorph, which I have behind the seattube 'cause of the stellar clearance all around), and every time I try to hang the chain on the chain thingy it falls off. The 3rd bottle mount is nice though.

When I'm too old to bend over the dropbars, if it hasn't rusted away by then, just ready to pop on some north road style bars and keep on truckin'.

Exactly!

The best part about the LHT, IMO, is the ride. Seeing neat stuff, exploring new places, that childlike thrill of just rolling along. The bike itself is the last thing on my mind, which is exactly the way it should be.

I had never seen a Surly at my LBS, but when I asked, they were very glad to order one for me. Almost every bike shop is considered a Surly dealer, but few stock these bikes in their showrooms. They had it in less than a week, and made me a good deal as well. They knew what I could get it online for, as I had told them. I was glad to order locally, as they help me accessorize it with fenders, blinkies, aerobars, and even swapped tires and brake pads to get me the ones I wanted (Schwalbe Marathons and KoolStop salmons). Once the owner witnessed the quality and value, he was talking about stocking one or two in his shop. Several had asked about my Surly hanging up before I had come in, and he already had the tires sold that he had removed from my LHT complete.

Currently my LHT is my only bike. Its a 56cm with a a longish stem since I didnt get fitted before buying the bike and was only able to test drive "similar" bikes.
My thoughts:

1.Get a fit beforehand if you cannot test drive the bike first, so you are as sure as possible you are getting the right size.
2.Its a little heavy and longish, so once you get her loaded bunny hopping curbs will take some work
3.She is not the zippiest bike nor the most maneuverable. That said I have no qualms about taking her into traffic. I do it everyday.
4. Her gearing (for the complete) is lower than most road bikes which is awesome for huge hills, but is wasted if you bike where its totally flat on nothing but pavement.
5. Her bottom bracket is low so you cannot pedal through turns if you REALLY lean into them. (Read late to work flying into traffic out of the parking garage and leaning hard into the turn)

She feels bomb proof and I like the way the steel handles bumps in the road. She hauls loads like a champ. Her gearing gets me up 10 degree mile long climbs loaded. She looks great, takes nice large tires, and it comfortable all day long. I am really glad I bought one especially since she has been my only mode of transportation this summer due to unforeseen circumstances.

my 2 cents

-E

Been using my buddie's LHT (in fugly green) for a week now, I really like it. He's currently out of town so he let me tune it up for him and I'm making sure everything is running right. It's very similar to my Bianchi Vople (gang green), heavy, predictable but both bikes can haul stuff with panniers front and back. If I coude have gotten the same deal for a LHT that I did for my Bianchi I would've grabbed it quick. I actually prefer it to my Bianchi. From what I see on the internet most LHT are going for just under a grand. Grab one ASAP, I think you'll enjoy it. Keep in mind that the price of steel is going up as well, so watch all bikes go up in price. Great all roung bike!

I think the only real disadvantage of the LHT trucker compared to many other bikes is the weight. If you need a bike that you can throw over your shoulder to climb up and down steps in an apartment complex or subway, a lighter bike might be a better choice.

That said, if I could have just one bike, it would be the LHT. I bought mine last April in olive green. It's plenty fast on the flats, and it downhills and corners better than anything I've ever ridden. It's definitely slower on the hills. With the standard gearing, you can get up almost any hill.

I came to like the bar end shifters so much that I put a set on my road bike. I re-routed the derailleur cables on both bikes so it runs underneath the bar tape. It's very clean like a campy-equipped bike.

Wow, I am really glad I posted in this thread. I am even more confident about my shop getting me a LHT and eventually a Big Dummy.

I have a 56cm with an xtracyle attached. First of all I love this bike. The tires on the stock version are a little wide making the bike slower than a crosscheck. The bike is a little heavy so you may have to work harder to keep up with the roady goon ride on your way home. As for the bar end shifter - I like that I can turn the indexing off and have a friction shift when the derailier cable is out of wack.

I replaced the tires with some 700x28s and I like the ride much better.

Everyone has a Surly (including me). Get a Kogswell instead!

I didn't want the bar-end shifters that a built-up Surly comes with, so I purchased a frame for around $400 from Jenson USA and built it up myself. It currently has downtube shifters, but I'll probably switch to brifters in the near future.

I love the Surly - it gets used nearly every day as my commuting and errand bike. I also have a Trek Madone (for racing and recreation), and a Cervelo TT bike (for going flat out fast!).

One thing - be careful with sizing. Surly spec's their frame sizes a little weird - they tend to "run big", and you might end up with a frame that's too big if you're not careful. Go to their website and download their spec sheets, and carefully compare the sizing to your current bikes - it's likely you'll need to downsize the Surly frame by 2 cm from what you're currently riding.

That's true. I ride a 55cm road bike, and a 54cm LHT. The LHT effective top tube is 0.5cm LONGER than my road bike. So I downsized 1cm, and it fits perfectly well. If I had gone up instead, it would have been too big.

I heart my LHT. It's a rock solid machine.

Got my 56 cm LHT a couple of months ago to use as a loaded commuter. It's been rock solid. I think this is one of the best bike values around!

As mentioned above, the top tubes tend to run long. I have a longish torso myself, so this worked out just fine. I have minimal standover clearance but at least there's some.

But back to the original question. You shouldn't buy the LHT if you want to spend more money for less bike.

Do yourself a favor and get a Long Haul Trucker. You won't be sorry.

Geez guys - thanks.

Good thing I ordered it this morning, I suppose.



It should be in and built up by the end of next week - I also got it for $985 and noticed on Surly's site that MSRP just went up.

For further clarification, this will be one of 4 bikes for me - roadie, SS roadie, ice bike, LHT. It'll be my daily commuter/car replacement (we are a one car household) and I'm planning a tour next summer with my brother in law. I literally cannot wait for it to arrive. Riding my current commuter is almost disappointing thinking about how smooth the ride of the LHT is....

Thanks again!

https://onelessindenver.blogspot.com

I did the same, I even built the wheels.

Congrats, and welcome to the LHT appreciation society

...and since I can't wait for yours to be delivered, here's one I prepared earlier

Good luck with your new LHT; I'm sure you'll love it. I got one a few months ago, and it's easily my favorite bike of all time. I rode it from Seattle to Victoria, BC and back, and it was very comfortable and surprisingly fast the whole way, over pretty hilly terrain. As stated before, the bar-end shifters are actually a nice feature, especially on a long ride, due to the friction-shifting option. Be careful about the rear derailleur; since the chain is kind of long (long chain stays= long chain), it can be touchy.

Nice build, Cyclaholic. You gotta love the irony of the DuraAce bottle on that LHT!

Wow, Cyclaholic...
I LOVE the way you did that.
I've been seriously considering the LHT myself, cause I need a good all-round bike more than I need something specialized. But, Wow... With the bullhorns and the bar-ends there, I'm a little impressed. I've never seen that before. How much do you like it?, And I like the aero-bars as well, although, I'd probably put them on mine just to relax and let my hands rest while I keep moving, I don't know how many people do the same, but I've really been curious about that.
The way you did that really makes me want to build one up myself.
Good job.
GR

If you are interested in a slightly lighter and comparable Surly frame you can look at the cross check, slightly higher bottom bracket, but essentially the same frame.

Right now i'm chomping at the bit for a cross check. It will be perfect for year round commuting, and here in michigan i will need it to run full fenders with studded 700c tires for winter, and for the most part, you would have to ride a mtb or a cx bike to be able to get those capabilities and clearances.

Because the Cross-Check is a little bit better