All Right, so I've been doing some light touring (grand canyon to phoenix, phoenix to Payson, phoenix to Sierra vista) on my vaya, and so far I've loved it, but I think I'm beginning to see what the hullabaloo is about having a full fledged touring bike. I feel like the hills could be easier with better gearing, and riding down the hills at higher speeds with all my gear could be less sketchy with a longer wheelbase. (55mph heading down from Jerome was fantastic but scary, I felt like one slight wrong twitch could have had bad results, and that was with about 15lbs on the front axle, 10lbs on the back)

I don't really want to change the gearing on my vaya, it's hilarious fun as it stands riding around home and on group rides, so a bike better set up for it is the way I'm running it.

I'm down to two bikes, and I can't decide between them. The salsa Marrakesh and the surly disc trucker in 56cm/26in. The Marrakesh is gorgeous in that dark blue and I'm not as much a fan of the gray color of the disc trucker but I've heard that 26" wheels are stronger overall. Tire choices for 700c also seem better, but the tires I'd be running come in both anyways.

What's y'alls opinions of these two? I try not to post too much in here, I don't feel like my little tours so far are really post material for this forum

i can't comment much on the difference of both bikes, and I don't tour, but both bikes are popular here and there are fans for each.

To me, you answered your own question with the Marrakesh comment and I would agree.



Edit: Also see this discussion: Salsa Marrakesh or Surly LHT?

I'd say almost any bike is ok for touring; but I would get one with disc breaks.

just be aware that the LHT has changed its parts/specs recently.

oh wait, I just checked and it appears that they have stopped listing the crankset to be the sora 50/39/30 and 9 speed, and back to a 48/36/26 and 10 speed 11-36---so it appears all is good again.

listen, both are nice bikes that do their job.
The LHT with 26in wheels has certain advantages (slightly stronger wheels, lower gearing cuz of smaller wheels, no toe overlap, probably even with fenders)

in the end, put a bunch of weight on the bikes and they will work the same.

are you ok with bar end shifters?

There's a significant difference in effective top tube length between the two models and similar "sized" bikes, with the Surly being longer as usual, so take that into consideration with your own upper torso length. Ride both if you can.

are you primarily pavement touring? Then probably the Marrakesh would be better.
I tour on a 26in wheel RockHopper (rim brake of course - linear pull if you care).
To date I've been on CONTI tires. I think the selection is fine at with 26in wheels.
I try to stick to dirt roads as much as possible. So I'm getting ready to switch from a 1.75in tire to a 26x2.0in tire. I think if I ditch the fenders I could easily go 2.3in. But I'm only doing that if I know there's no rain.

Nothing else to add that more experienced folks have not already added - - - get the bike that fits!

happy trails.

My vote is for Trucker, I've had two and they are solid, reliable, well made touring bikes. The Marrakesh should be fine too, but I don't like the superfluous swinging dropout and the fact that it forces you to use Salsa's special short-height Alternator rack. I recommend Marrakesh IF you plan on singlespeed or IGH, otherwise get the DT. I commend the OP on their intelligent choice of 26" wheels over the trendy 700c.

I like my Disc Trucker. At first I used 38mm/1.5" wide tires & it felt sketchy on bumpy descents. Switching to Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 50mm/2.0" improved the downhill handling a lot by eliminating some front bounce. However, with the long wheelbase it doesn't corner as fast as a road or randonneur bike. With loaded panniers I like to limit my downhill speed anyway, wind can buffet the bike. Marrakesh says max tire width with fenders is 40mm.

Previously many tourists favored 3X9 since 9-speed MTB & road were compatible but just now I find that Shimano has apparently discontinued Deore 3X9 cranksets though they still have Alivio & Sora etc. Not sure if that's a big deal or not.

Both bikes have brake-only levers so consider upgrading to TRP hydraulic brakes.

As I am new myself, I won't comment on which bike is "better" or has "stronger" wheels because everyone is different. Everyone as in bike build and human physique will always have different opinions on what works. What i would recommend is working with a LBS that is knowledgeable, not just sales people and let's you ride both bikes. You must fit that bike like a glove; remember, a 56cm Surly may not be the same geometry as the other in same 56cm. What panniers or sizes are you using? How big are you feet? What is the length of your torso vs. legs; oh and arm length? Not sure if all this really matters, as others say, "just get a bike and tour".

For me it's much more than that, I've researched since September and building the bike myself, part by part including wheels. I previously rode a 700c so I like that. Also stick with what you know and works. Are you used to 26in or 700c?

I wish you the best of luck! Hope to see you in passing...

Gypsy Miles

I would be scared on any bike with a load of camping gear on it at 55 mph. I usually apply some brake to avoid going over 35 mph.

I once hit 50 mph on my touring bike and proceeded to poopy my pants before grabbing some brake. Won't happen again.

there's a time and a place, and that includes road surface, wind, side roads, traffic, how your bike handles, you name it.

but when all if fine and my instincts tell me its good, I'm happy as a clam hitting whatever kph.

Sorry About only replying to one part so far in here guys

There's only one shop around here that actively carries surly (Rage Cycles) and touring bikes aren't common so finding an LHT or a DT to testride is a dream at best. I've test ridden the Marrakesh at another shop (Landis cyclery) and I liked the way it felt, definitely a bigger feeling bike than my vaya. I don't mind the longer wheel base, it kinda feels like it would be more predictable above 25-30 (where I start noticing the vaya getting a little pickier about steering movements)

As for my panniers, I have a total of 40 liters of space out back and 20 or 25 in front, I can't remember which. Both ortleib roller classics, got them on sale online as a set. I actually don't have my own front rack yet, I keep borrowing my dads tubus ergo and it sits a little leaned forward on my bike but I don't know how it'll sit on the Marrakesh or DT.

I have no real preference for wheel size, both my current bikes are 700c but I have an old cruiser in 26 (not comparable, i know) that I love, I just need to rebuild it.

I just want something I'll be happy with for years and years to come, and I need it to be flexible enough to adapt to many roles, because I feel like whichever I get will end up on trailer duty (kids) and commuter duty occasionally. I don't just stick to roads and hard pack always either, so that plays a part. I plan to use this in all weather, touring in rain, shine, snow, etc. So it'll be receiving fenders like all my other bikes have. I might get larger panniers for it too, if I'm going to be self supported touring for longer than a few days at a time.

I found it both terrifying and hilarious fun. I couldn't stop laughing once i slowed down a bit. I generally try to keep under 40 going downhill but I felt the need to see what I could handle. Turns out 55 is as fast as I've ever needed to go on a bicycle, and not often at that. Fun, but not enough to risk my life repeatedly fun

There is a Disc Trucker 56/26 for sale here in Flagstaff for $1000. Looks brand new. Check Craigslist.

Something you might want to consider. Most Surly LHTs come with an uncut steerer tube. This allows a large amount of flexibility when adjusting handlebar height. The Marrakesh in the picture shows the bars lower than the seat and the steerer tube cut at that height. Depending on body build this could be a factor when dialing in bar height for optimum fit. The LHT steerer tube also looks like it was cut, but they are not usually shipped to the dealers that way.

I met a you couple that were riding across Canada on Salsa Vayas. They really liked their bikes. The Marrakesh looks like a nice bike.

My LHT is about 10 years old, and I still have not got around to cutting the steerer tube.


Our daughters also ride LHTs. The Blue one has the steerer tube cut. She was happy with the fit after a couple of 2-week tours, so I cut it for her. The gray one was new to our other daughter when we were on this tour. She was still dialing in the fit so she just rode it that way. I finally cut it for her , leaving about 10 mm above the stem. She is short, and that is a 42 mm frame. She still needed a short, high angle stem, which we can change out in the future. Good fit is everything

I’ll ad my 2 cents and that’s an exaggeration of its value. The Marrakech by forcing you to use their rack makes it not a good choice in my opinion, there isn’t any bars in the back to keep panniers from wanting to sway into the wheels in rear. If you look at a picture of a Surly further down the page it has a rear rack more suitable for panniers.
good luck with whatever you choose.

Allen