I purchased the bike today. A Surly Long Haul Trucker. The color is Truckaccino, a creamy brown sweetness. It arrives Thursday.
I’d say the bike is the most important accessory to bring on a cross-country bike trip – wouldn’t you? So why did I go with the LHT? It wasn’t my first choice, but I am happy with it. Here are the bikes that I checked out:
Fuji Touring: The Fuji Touring can be purchased from between $800-$1,000. This was the first bike that I considered because I currently own a Fuji Hybrid that I am happy with and the local shop carries Fuji almost exclusively. The shop owner informed me that he had sold the Fuji to a family of 5 last year that went on a similar trip to Oregon. There were also several available from last year at a cheaper price.
The main theme with reviews that I read online was that the bike frame was decent for the price range, but that the wheels were notorious for their poor quality and the components weren’t anything special. The components I could accept for that price, but a sturdy frame and reliable wheels were a must.
Rocky Mountain Sherpa 30 and 10: (website) That same shop carried the RM Sherpa. Good luck finding any information on this bike online. I came across one glowing review and not much else. When I looked into the bike further I was very much impressed. First, the Sherpa 30 comes with a well respected Reynolds 853 CroMoly and, impressively enough, hand built wheels. Also, the components on the Sherpa 30 were mostly of good quality and would not need replacement. At about $1599 the Sherpa 30 is a higher price than most other bikes that I looked at, but for what it offers I thought that it was quite a deal.
I was ready to pull the trigger on the Sherpa 30, but as of May 15th all of the 2010 models are sold out. My only option was the Sherpa 10, which also comes with hand build wheels and a Reynolds 725 Chromoly, but the components were definitly a step down. I did consider purchasing the 10 at $1,100 but got gun shy when I couldn’t find any customer reviews on the bike online. Its not that I questioned the quality of the bike, it was basically that the Surly LHT has a following of cult proportions and, when traveling alone cross country for 3800 miles, I’d rather go with the “known” performer rather than the “unknown”.
If you can get your hands on a Sherpa 30 consider yourself a lucky bastard.
Trek 520: There’s a Trek dealership a few towns over pedalling the Trek 520. Like the LHT the Trek has quite the following. Unlike the LHT, the Trek costs an additional $250 for pretty much the same caliber bike. From what I could tell the Trek is just priced higher due to the brand name (which sponsors Lance Armstrong). The copper paint job on the 2010 is pretty sweet though and definitely hard to pass up. Compared to the LHT the Trek is an Adonis. Check it out here:
Cannondale 1 and 2: The same shop that sells the Surly also sells the Cannondale. Honestly, I don’t know if it was the company name or the type of people that I assumed rode these bikes, but the Cannondale just annoys me. I don’t even know anybody that owns a Cannondale. Actually, no, I recall what it was. The higher quality Cannondale (Touring 1) comes with leather handlebars and leather seat, and as a vegan that fucking annoys me. What is this, a baseball bat? Also, the price was $2,000 for the Touring 1 but, when compared with what the Sherpa 30 offers, I thought that it was a bit overpriced. The bikes also just look stupid. Straight out they annoy me and this is my blog so I don’t need a reason.
Surly Long Haul Trucker: (website) So that leaves the LHT. To answer my original question, I bought this big bastard because it is a no-nonsense touring bike, with common (and thus easy) to replace parts and reviews that consistently praised the frame for its ease of ride and steering. It was as if the owners”became one” with the bike. In addition, the components were of decent quality and I just wanted something that I could buy, hop on, and ride out West without the fuss. The frame is CroMoly and the crankset, unlike most other bikes I checked out, started at a 26. In my opinion the bike isn’t much to look at and actually looks tiny in relation to the Fuji and Trek, but no matter what the bike looks like it’s going to be covered in baggage and mud for the entire trip anyway.
So that’s the bike.
Yo,
Good choice and congratulations my friend. I can’t wait to here the review of how you think the bike rides. Emily has been looking at the same bike, (well just a little smaller anyway). I was just thinking about you and your trip and I found your facebook post with the tool post. This site is great. Keep the posts coming. Have you started to think about racks/bags? Don’t miss a handlebar bag. Thought about fenders? Gotta run. So much more to read.
Hey Dave,
The bike came in yesterday through the shop and I just got fitted for it and added some equipment. I did add fenders (black), 3 bottle holders, as well as a rear rack (also made by Surely). I am most likely going to swap out the seat, which kind of looks like a swollen foot and isn’t too comfortable, but I am taking my time on that one as I think comfort will be the deciding factor as to how far I can make it in a day. Everything else I am keeping on the bike as is. I took it for a test drive yesterday and it road smoothly even without any panniers or weight on it. It does sit higher than my hybrid, which may be true for all tourers, but it will take a few rides to get used to. Oh, the bike also doesn’t come with pedals. I got a pair of Specialized pedals that support click in mountain bike cleats but also have addition surface on them to support the full foot. See “The Shoes” post for more details on the shoes I picked up.
I am in the process of reviewing panniers and I am leaning for some straight forward Ortlieb (http://www.ortliebusa.com/CartGenie/prod-30.htm) waterproof front and back panniers. I will also be getting something for the handlebar to hold my valuables for when I go into a store. The top of the back rack I will be reserving for strapping down my tent, bag and any tarps or padding that I take, if I take any.
Check this out. http://www.ortliebusa.com/CartGenie/prod-151.htm the handlebar bag also makes it so you can access stuff while you are on the bike and riding. Lip stuff, phone, camera, snacks, etc. Those panniers look pretty sweet. I’ve heard alot of great things about them.