Hopefully I'm in the right forum for this question.

I currently own a Surly LHT and a Kona Dew Plus. I don't do heavy touring - the LHT is more for day outings and a few weekend hops but heavy touring NO. The Dew is my town bomber, grocery getter, pub hopper, etc. I've been meaning to pick up an MTB for my desire to get back on the local trails. I'm 53 so my trail use will be easy going, more for fun and fitness rather than the crazy sh@t I did in my teens and twenties.

I noticed a local shop to me has a Surly Bridge Club and it made me wonder if that bike could fit the bill for all of my needs, light touring, light trail/gravel use and grocery getter.

Thought and opinions appreciated.

Cheers

I haven’t ridden a Bridge Club but have a 26” wheel LHT and had a 700c LHT. A friend has a BC and everything I’ve read describes it as an off road capable all purpose bike. I wouldn’t call the LHT or BC light touring bikes unless the rider is a heavy person. I’m not sure what determines Surly’s frame rating system but the BC is rated a 3 and the LHT a 2 with regards to vertical drops the bike can handle.

Might want to move this to the MTB forum.

My quiver killer is a 29+ Surly ECR. It passes muster on the road because it's rigid, on the trail because 29+ absorbs the rough stuff pretty well at about 12-15psi, and as a hauler because it has plenty of braze-ons and a stiff-enough frame for big loads.

Seriously, 12 people could answer this question six different ways. If you want a Bridge Club, buy a Bridge Club. OF COURSE you can use it for all of what you stated in the o.p. It's not the only bike that could though, you know that, I hope. Some others might actually be better for a jack of all trades kind of assignment. And a BC isn't exactly a cheap bike. That Eagle drivetrain alone costs more than some entire bikes. I could get a lot done with a Salsa Journeyman just to throw a shortlist candidate of mine out there. Incidentally, the BC was on my shortlist too. But neither it, nor the Journeyman made it into the quiver (kill the quiver? Thems fightn' words) Covid has a lot to answer for ...

I recently got a 2020 Bridge club and it possibly could be a quiver killer, and I have 12 bikes. It is incredibly versatile and fun to ride. Mine has 27.5c2.5 Surly ETs and have ridded it with my wife on her electric assist on gravel roads and have loaded it down with my bow, climbing sticks and other hunting stuff for my 2 mile ride to my hunting spot. It works better than my Ritchey commando fatbike with 4" tires for the heavy stuff and still rides well unloaded. it will take up to a 26X3 tire, which I will be trying soon. it will also take a 700x42 and fenders, so it will be used on my next tour. I am kind of a bike snob and took this as a trade on another bike and have been very pleased so far. I even ran my wife down on her electric after she dropped me on a hill.

it is worth a look at least.

Tom Palmer

Twin Lake, MI

I ride my 26" wheeled LHT on gravel and light trails with some 2.2" MTB tires. I honestly don't care about getting so rough that I need suspension. Unless you just want another bike, I can't see much a Trucker won't do that a Troll or Bridge Club will unless you want to push the limits of a rigid frame. Even then geometry would be more of a consideration than strength.