rothenfield1

I think they only started selling them this Spring and it appears that they are sold-out. The only Surly they still have is the Big Dummy which I didn't even know they sold. Is this an indication that Touring is becoming more popular? I wonder if anyone knows if the Touring Forum has been gaining in popularity lately?

Austinite

Sorry. I bought one of the last ones last week (online) during their 15% bike sale. It was - I think - the best deal I was going to get on a new Long Haul Trucker. It hasn't arrived yet but is in "Shipped" status. Two days after I ordered, it sold out. The guy at the REI store didn't even know they sold them yet and when he looked for it on their own site, he saw that it was gone.

NoGaBiker

They don't have them in Georgia. But, they're sold out of the Novara Randonee, their slightly-cheaper house-brand competitor to the LHT. I've never seen them sell out at the local stores in four years of paying attention to touring bikes. The salesman told me instantly when asked about it that they were sold out across the country.

But that's interesting about the LHT. No indication in the local stores that any Surlys are going to be part of the mix. Are you in the Pac NW?

Weasel9

Wow, I didn't know REI started carrying Surly. I hope Surly doesn't fall down the slippery slope of popularity that tends to ruin bike brands.

I'm not sure if it's an indication of touring getting more popular. Most of the people I meet with LHTs don't do much touring. Or they fall into the category of I'd-like-to-do-some-touring-someday people. It's a great all-around bike. A bit overbuilt as a townie, but if someone can sleep at night because they know they can ride long distances on their bike, good for them.

gcasillo

I bought a Surly LHT about a month ago from my LBS. The main appeal for me was the smartly spec'd bike. Perhaps Surly has hit the sweet spot of a market for tourers and commuters alike, and folks that might have opted for other brands/models have gravitated toward LHTs?

wahoonc

I don't know it there is an increase in touring, but the LHT makes a very nice all around bike and there are not a whole lot of those readily available on the market for the price point the LHT and the Cross Check hit.

Aaron

Austinite

Yeah, that's me. I needed a bike for commuting, running errands all over town (so, general car replacement for most days for most purposes except large cargo), towing the kids, etc. And I could see someday doing one of those family tours. It didn't make sense to me to buy a bike that can do the commuting but had too-short chainstays (for example) for when/if I'd want to tour, so I just decided to get the touring bike now.

indyfabz

I bought my LHT about 2 years ago specifically for touring, which I had done a lot of back in '99 and '00. Last year I rode it on a week-long trip through Montana and Canada, and have done several long weekend trips with it. But I found out that it does make a good all-around bike. I ride it to work. I ride it for errands. (Keep the racks on so I can slap panneirs on it any time.) I ride it on bike dates. I ride it for recreation when I am in the mood to take it relatively easy.

travelmama

Surly bikes could be sold for a short time at REI just as Kona bikes were last year?

jtgotsjets

Surly is gaining a reputation as one of the best, most practical bike brands out there and an innovator in many ways—you could say that their bikes tend to fill niches that didn't exist before.

Plus, people are realizing what has always been true: touring bikes make great "everything" bikes. If you're only going to have one bike, make it a tourer.

robow

I would claim that the LHT is simply filling a niche that has existed forever but more recently, one that most bike manufacturers have been ignoring. A gentleman that I spoke to that is heavily involved in the bike industry as a whole is wondering if touring will become the next big thing now that the boomers should have more free time available.

rothenfield1

That’s exactly what I was sensing. Having just turned 50 myself, loving the outdoors, camping, hiking, kayaking, and in the past 4 years, riding MTB & road bikes. I started to really get into rebuilding lugged steel bikes. In all that time, bicycle touring never even crossed my orbit until I almost tripped over a Specialized Expedition at a garage sale. I rebuilt it and commuted with it for a while. What a sweet ride! It was too big for me and regretted it as soon as I sold it. I had already been bitten, but didn’t know it. Within a couple of weeks, a Miyata 1000 practically fell out of a tree on top my head. This one will not be sold. I’ve become touring crazed. I discovered the BF Touring forum, ordered my first set of panniers, and will ride down to Big Sur for my first overnighter when they get here.

I don’t know how long the Novara Randonee has been around, but when I read that it will be no more, I thought maybe touring is dead. Then I saw that it was replaced by the very popular LHT and thought, there is something bigger going on here.

jtgotsjets

Well, that's true in regards to the Long Haul Trucker in particular, but I was speaking more generally about Surly's lineup. I mean, Pugsley. That is creating a niche. Then bikes like Cross Check and Steam Roller are enormously practical, versatile bikes that really addressed markets that didn't exist before (or markets that had no previous concern for practicality). The LHT is somewhat unique in their lineup—I've always seen it as something of an homage to the classic touring rigs of 20-30 years ago—but it still has the idiosyncratic Surly ingenuity.

I really don't want to turn this into a flame war, but they are a little like Apple computers. They are beautiful, elegant designs, but form still follows function. Usability is key. Both companies have a vision of what their particular industry should be like and they make the unique products that they feel meet that vision. (Grant Petersen is like this too!)

KonAaron Snake 

I built up an old Koga-Miyata frame, but that's me too. I wanted a good all around commuter that could haul stuff and that IF I ever get the chance to tour...I could do it.

CCrew

Both the LHT and CrossCheck are heavily used by commuters... most of which will buy when the best deal avails itself. I can about guarantee that it's not an upsurge in bike touring.
-R

fantom1 

Think it's an indication that more and more people are cycling, but probably not many more tourers.

rothenfield1

Your probably right, kinda like CF racing bikes. I don't many people are actually racing them. They just like the idea that maybe one day they would.

BTW, I just saw that REI has restocked the LHT.

jmenking

Good! As much as I want more people to enjoy touring, what would it be like having to merge into on-coming LHT traffic on a once empty country road? Ha ha, not likely, but it's a funny vision. Hey, I guess it would beat merging into Ford and Toyota traffic.