I want a Karate Monkey for Commuting...
 

What do you guys think? I like the way they look, the name is funky, and they seem to be a very versatile bike. It would probably never see off-road use, and I would probably put moustache bar on it. Drive train would be Alfine 11... Anyone else use one currently for commuting/around town? I want my commuter to appeal to me aesthetically, but not be afraid of the normal knocks and dings of the road...

Thanks!

Go for it. I would pick the Ogre over the Karate Monkey though.

+1

Yup! Me 2!

However, the KM or the Troll might work better for those of us who aren't so close to the sky. :D

Okay, I'll bite--why?

Sounds cool. Put some of those giant Schwalbe 29er slicks on it.

More flexibility with how it can be set up. Directly from Surly's website:

The Karate Monkey retains threaded barrel mounts on its stays. You can run a rear rack, but if what you really want is an expedition-type 29’er we advise the Ogre. Ogre shares the KM geometry but is designed to run fenders, discs and racks at the same time. If you want a lighter and faster 29’er that can do other stuff from time to time, the Karate Monkey is the way to go.

for the Ogre:
Ogre comes with our suspension-corrected (80mm) fork. It features mid-blade eyelets and low-blade barrel bosses for mounting front racks. We provide canti pivots and disc brake mounts, so you can choose a system that best suits your stopping needs. And it’s specifically designed to allow the use of a fender, disc brake, and front rack at the same time. Yep, you read that right.

Like the fork, the rear end allows all-at-once rack, fender and disc compatibility. Spaced for 135mm hubs, the ‘dropouts’ are just like Troll’s…rear load horizontals with a derailleur hanger, slotted disc brake mounts, M10 x 1mm threaded holes for mounting Surly Bill & Ted trailer-connecting hardware (or B.O.B. Nutz), and a dedicated anchoring point for a Rohloff OEM2 axle plate. We designed a ton of versatility into these framesets because we want you to build up a Troll or Ogre the way it will best serve you. Framesets and complete bikes are available in sizes 16, 18, 20, 22 and supergiant 24". Tall folks, we got your back.

Yeah, I just read that... I'm not a rack guy, though, so that isn't a big consideration... and I want to "just flat out rip" on a Karate Monkey... LOL! Come on, you gotta' love the name! And I'll be a hero with my kids! The last steel bike I owned was a De Rosa in the early 90's--that was a great bike with fantastic "feel," but it may just be nostalgia... In any event, I'm on Ti and Carbon now, was on Aluminum, and am looking forward to a dedicated steel commuter.

As far as I can tell, the only differences between the Ogre and the Karate Monkey (apart from color and name) are that the Ogre has cantilever/V-brake studs and is designed to haul a trailer. The rear eyelets are different, but I don't see anything the would preclude using rack and fenders on the Karate Monkey even if you did want to do that. The weight difference (7 grams, if I read the specs correctly) is probably due to the canti-studs. The two bikes have identical geometry.

So, if you want disc brakes and you aren't going to pull a trailer, I don't see any reason not to choose based on name and color.

I had a KM back in 08, and ran canti's on it with 2" big apples on a LX drivetrain .... I was ok with it... it was a nice ride and very stable. No complaints, just moved onto something lighter and more sporty.

Karate Monkey FTW. Perfect with an alfine 11 and you could also run it single speed with a swap of the rear wheel. Yes the Ogre is more versatile in terms long term options for set ups, but it sounds like that isn't a priority for you. I've know a lot of KM owners, nothing but love.

Allow me to be the first to give a link to the awesome karate monkey!

Honestly - I had one and thought it was a total POS. It had a unique ability to transmit EVERY vibration right to your body, it handled like an overbuilt tank, it looked ugly with the excessive braze ons and it was the weight of Schwinn electro-forge. Of every bike I've owned, it was my least favorite.

I should take pictures of the shop manager's KM at the bike co-op that I work at. His is setup with fenders, racks, giant Big Apple slicks, mountain drop bars, bar end shifters, and 9 speed setup I think.

Awesome bike.

I hope he brings it to the shop today so i can take a few pictures of it.

One word of warning; make sure to size correctly for your intended handlebars. Mustache bars will extend the reach, so the frame should be shorter reach than for flat bars (compare any mountain bike and road bike and you will see that, for similar sizing, the mountain bike will have longer reach). Enjoy!

Thanks for the replys! Mountain drops?? Wow. I was just imagining those--that might be the way to go!

Regarding sizing, if I want to use it strictly for commuting, should I consider larger than normal? MTB sizing is a bit different compared to road bikes--the KM's seem to have correspondingly long top tubes.

Please post pics! Thanks!

Pretty similar to how I did mine... but I eventually went to a straight bar and moved the barends to a set of Paul top-mounts.

Previously, I was only aware of the trunk monkey

Thanks for the trunk monkey vids. I had only seen a couple of those. Just plain funny.

I have an '08 KM and it is the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. I ran it as a mtb for the first three years and have used it for commuting ever since. Mine has always been set up single-speed (32/18 as a commuter, 32/20 in the woods). I put 40 mm Vittoria Randonneurs on it and it rolls over anything. You should be able to find a used on at a good price on Craigs List.

I actually would go smaller than normal. If you have a bike that fits well already for commuting, get measuring that bike and start calculating backward.

For example, I have an on-one inbred as my commuter (fairly similar functionally and fit-wise to KM), and I wanted to use mountain drops. So, I learned that my dirt drops had 70mm reach and 100mm. Working from my touring bike measurements, I calculated that I needed a size medium frame (I am on the edge between medium and large) and a fairly short stem to maintain a reasonable reach once I added drops. A huge stack of spacers, and I raised my bars sufficiently to make the drops the primary riding position (standard for mountain drop bars).

I would head over to twentynineinches.com and do some reading on drop-bar mountain bike setup, especially because the KM is a favorite for this setup. If using moustache bar, a few parts may be irrelevant (you won't need to worry as much about sufficient stack, I would think), but it should be an informative read.

Thanks for the info and ideas--good stuff. I'm pretty sure it'll be a Karate Monkey wooshing me away to work every day... Now I just have to find the right one.