Blogs

Here's an update from the Surly newsletter. Super Neato!

Big Dummy
As you may know, our cargo hauler collaboration with Xtracycle is nearly ready to sell. As I write this a couple of shipping containers filled with these beasts are lumbering their way eastward on rail cars from Tacoma. It’s been a long time coming and we’re happy there’s light at the end of this long tunnel. We’ve had a lot of interest from consumers on this one and demand is going to be high. We’ve got a bunch coming in, but they will likely go pretty quickly, so check Item Watch, call us, and watch the Surly blog if you’re needing to get some.
Most of the reasons for doing the frame are covered here, so I won’t go over them again. Suffice it to say that it’s a bike that carries a lot without feeling like you’re carrying a lot. Get one and see.

Early on we’d talked about a retail price of $820 for these. The MSRP has been bumped up to $895.

The framesets will ship without any Xtracycle goodies. For those, part number BT1002 is what you’ll need. It’s a kit containing 2 vertical racks, 2 side bags, and 1 top deck. It’s the basic kit and will get your customers rolling. Check out Xtracycle for more information on more accessories.
If you take a look at the guys from Riding the Spine, you'll see a cool early custom version of this frame with Pugsley wheels.

These hats are wool, US made, have our logo and are available now at The Old Spokes Home!!! Check out Jason in his new lid!!!

They make even the roughest bunch look good! Also, have a look at our newest employee (he looks kinda like Jason to me...)

The premiere hand builder's showcase is coming up in Portland Oregon from February 8th to the tenth. It's a droolfest. The NAHBS features the best the bike industry has to offer. Many bike enthusiasts feel like bikes are peices of sculpture as well as the most practical transportation ever created. If you agree, this is the scene for you. If you can't make it, keep tabs on the show at their website.

We just completed our first Survival class last night. Thanks to Harris for helping out with the one on one interaction and input. I feel good about how it went off, although I felt a bit rusty because it was my first class of the season. Thanks , of course, to everyone who participated and for your helpful feedback.

The Bike Survival class is designed to give students a thorough grasp of the information and mechanical skills every bike commuter or distance cyclist should know. I tried to spend allot of time on skills such as flat fixes and chain repair. These and other mechanical failures are the type of thing that will leave you with a really long walk. The other focus was on diagnosis and maintinance, which will save you money in the long run.
All the folks in the class were kind enough to fill out an anonymous survey of questions we came up with. Check out some of the responses and please leave any input or questions you have in the comments.

These versatile frames are one of the most comfortable bikes I have been on. I can say that truthfully because I bought a frame set last year. I built mine with a Nexus eight speed hub, made possible by the extra long, stainless, horizontal rear dropouts. This summer I did a long tour through the dirt roads of Vermont and it served as my daily commuter through the summer and fall. I have not been riding it this winter, only because I'm not ready to trash my sweet bike yet. Plenty of fender clearance, plush ride and stable handling would make it a great winter bike.

The fit is unlike anything I've had in the past, but I'm a convert. My road bikes have always been fairly standard race fit, long and low with a high bottom bracket and a horizontal top tube. I still like that fit for racing but I always assumed a little suffering and back pain was part of the deal if your riding fifty to a hundred miles. Not so. While I still experience general fatigue, there is no one part of my body that gets sore on this rig. I could ride this thing until I drop from lack of sleep or bonk, whichever comes first. (bonk most likely) What the differences boil down to are the long head tube, sloping top tube and low bottom bracket. It maintains an even saddle and bar height while leaving plenty of standover clearance. There is no need for ugly tall stem, extra long steerer with a bunch of spacers, or a hokey steerer extender. The low bottom bracket makes for a super stable ride on rough roads.

Casseroll Single complete bikes come with their own color scheme and stem painted to match. The wheels are sweet Surly sealed hubs built with Salsa Delgado Cross rims. They cut no corners on this machine. Check out the chain guard!

Casseroll Tripple completes come with a Shimano 105 STI shift and drive train set up. The hubs are Tiagra with the same Delgado Cross Rims. The nice extra detail on this bike is the included SKS fender set.

For more details Check out the Salsa Web Site. We are now a stocking dealer and can get you any of the tasty bikes in their line for a great price.