The Troll is still going strong. As part of the changeover from winter to summer commuting, went with PB Cascadia 35mm fenders and 700x28 Gatorskin on the rear and 700x25 GP4S on the front. The bike is noticeably faster and lighter in the summer configuration.

Looks like it would be a great all-round bike. I like the orange.

That bungie have some function where it is? Or is it just a way to have it on hand? I've been meaning to work a bungie or two into my set up just-in-case. I put them in my trunk bag, but that just means that when the rack is actually free to have stuff strapped to it, I'm pretty much guaranteed to have left my bungies with the trunk bag.

The bungee is there to hold the Topeak trunk bag on securely. I don't trust the little latch on the front to hold the bag. Also eliminates any rattling. The bungee pops under the bag behind the track. Before I replaced the bag with the current fold out pannier model, the bungee was also there to strap extra clothes in a dry bag on top for the 'tween months (cold mornings and warm evenings). No need to do that with the panniers now available.

Ah, I also use a Topeak bag/rack, and I also have trust issues, although I will say that the only time it has failed is when I failed to get the bag in the track properly, so I guess the trust issues are really with myself. What I do is leave the shoulder strap on the bag and toss it over the seat, so that even if the bag started to slide backwards, it could only go so far.

The winter left the MUPs around here in pretty bad shape, and the ride is a little harsh with the narrower tires, so I decided to switch back to the Marathon Supremes 700x35. To fit under the smaller fenders, had to add monkey nuts to the rear dropouts, which moves the wheel back 14mm. The disc brakes also need to move back the same amount.





The Topeak trunk bag/panniers are really nice. The fold out panniers are a great feature to carry extra clothes this time of year when the mornings are cool and the evenings are warm. Also good for carrying lunch, a laptop and a folded dress shirt, as needed. Otherwise, the panniers are out of the way.

Looking nice! I'll get some of my Troll commuter pictures uploaded here soon.

I am 6'2". will the 20 inch be the right size or would the 22" be better?

It's really difficult to determine the correct bike size for you, due to varied torso vs leg lengths. If I was 6'2", I'd get the celestial Surly Ogre instead of the honorable Surly Troll.

* IMO, both bikes are two of the very best in commuters!

I'm 6'0 with a 34" inseam, and the 20 fits perfectly. Also ride a 58 road bike. You could probably fit either size, but I'd probably go with the 22. Surly has some info on fit https://surlybikes.com/info_hole. You should be able to find a bike at a shop with similar frame measurements, if unable to find a Troll. Also, MTBR has a long thread on the Troll that you may want to read through.

Ill do more reading and see if the LBS can offer some input before I order the frame through their business. I like a larger frame--I have the XL size on my Novara Safari bike and like the tall feel of it. Ive been looking all winter at SURLY, and at this point thinking Troll because I want 26. My Novara Safari has 700, and I like that, but the MTB I think will have 26. I want to build it up from a frame, for the experience and to understand my bike and because it sounds like a fun project. I have another MTB with 26, and that works OK for me. Ive read lots of sites 26+VS+29. It will be a bike for general commuting, trips around, goofing off. Right now I am in Nepal, and will get back to Alaska in spring, and probably order the frame from the LBS. I travel every winter to third world countries, and so obviously I am considering 26 in case I decide to ride it around Asia some winter.

Alan,really nice build (still loving it?)! I just found this via your link from elsewhere (somewhere that I'm not SS92,but rather Longhaultrucker ),I love it! Barring unforseens,(as we share a car for now),as I drop the Wife off at her job this morning,I'm rolling to the LBS to order up my own 28" frame/fork,can't WAIT to get it in/built-up and ride it

Mine will be built up as a road/gravel/trail/camp-mobile/mtn bike (my only geared mtn bike)

The Troll is still exceeding all my expectations. Currently commuting on Marathon Supremes in 26x2.0 and Marathon Winters in 26x1.75. Waiting for the weather to warm up to get the 700c wheels back on. Also looking forward to the trails drying up a bit so I can get out in the woods.

Hey!!! That's my bike!

Actually, I did steal your idea about the bar extenders. They are great.

Just looked back, and realized I've been riding this bike for 3 years now! A few tweaks here and there, but pretty much the same setup. The Cane Creek bar ends are starting to show some wear on top, but should last a couple more years. Haven't seen anything better out there, although I do like the feel of the Egron GS-1 grips, which are a flatter, more minimalist version of the GP-1. Might give them a try next.

Post a picture of yours when you get an opportunity.

Cool,thanks for the update Just got back from a visit paid to the LBS,ordered one up When asked "What color you want...Eggplant (purple) or Not So Dark Black?",I simply said "surprise me"

Swapped out the riser bars for Jones H-Loop bars. Tons of room for lights, GPS, and more. Still have some tweaking to do with accessory placement. Also may cut down the bars, but currently have partial MTB grips to cover the ends.

I've been thinking about getting these for quite some time, and glad I finally did it. They give five distinct hand positions, on the ends, on the Ergon grips, in front of the shifters, aero on the front cross bar and more upright near the stem. Aesthetically, they take a bit of getting used to, but the hand positions are all very comfortable.

well i've been looking and researching hard about my first "jump" into a solid commuter bike as I've been riding around western WA on my Trek 820. Not the best commuter bike but for the money it's serving me well. I gotta admit, I really like what you've done here and I'm looking real hard at the Troll now in addition to the Fargo, Vaya and Ogre. The way you have the bars set up is making me lean pretty hard toward the Surly's

I've been testing the effects of riding in the aero position vs. on the grips. Rolling along at 20 mph, when I get into a tuck position, all of a sudden I'm doing 21 mph. That's a nice gain. I have many short stretches where getting into a tuck for 30 seconds on downhills makes a significant speed difference (23 mph vs. 25 mph). Also, I have several long straight flat sections along the river with strong headwinds, and as long as the surface is relatively smooth, I can stay in a tuck comfortably for extended periods.

My overall average speed has picked up about 1 mph for a 15 mile commute. So instead of averaging overall in the 17s, I'm now averaging in the 18s.

So far, the new bars are working out nicely.

so a full MPH just from the aero position? That is impressive!

I wouldn't say a full mph. After tracking for a couple weeks now, with a more accurate GPS measurement, my avg speed went from the high 17s to the low 18s, so more realistically, about .5 mph improvement. Still, not too bad.

The Jones bars take a bit of tweaking to get them just right, but I'm getting close. Stem length increased by 10 mm, and the bars are a little more level. Small adjustments make a big difference. Accessory placement take a bit of trial and error.

Cool build progress over the years!

I still plan on my next bike to be a full-fledged dedicated commuter with real rack and fender mounts, and possibly disc brakes. I really like drop bars, though. I plan to build up something from scratch this time, so this frame will definitely be in the running for whatever I decide to go with.

How hard/annoying is it to change the rear tube after a flat? Do you have to take off the fenders too?

You have to loosen the rearmost set of fender stays with a 10 mm wrench (I carry a Park Tool MT-1) and the fender is flexible enough to remove the wheel. Getting the wheel back on requires pulling the chain back and over the cassette, so a pair of nitrile gloves comes in handy. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. This is with PB fenders, of course.

Put my Troll on a serious diet. Went from 32 pounds to 25.8. Getting a World Troller in the next couple weeks as a travel bike, and everything is going on the new bike. 1x11 drive train will be new for me, but so far pretty nice for a quick ride around the neighborhood. Needs a bit of tweaking (chainline off a bit and housing too long), but went together very easily and quickly. To keep the weight down, I'll be commuting with a Revelate Designs Terrapin saddle bag.