Surly is more than a mood.
A Surly Long Haul Trucker...
Besides being a mood, Surly is a bicycle company! And they make darn nice bikes, too. Last Saturday I had time to stop by Saturday Cycles and convey my condolences to Mark, the proprietor. (That’s fancy talk for chief dog and bottle washer) We all need to wish him a speedy recovery from a broken femur incurred from a crash while commuting to work. He hit some construction gravel, and before he knew it, down he went. The worst of it is the 6 weeks on crutches, and not on his bike! Now, that will make a cyclist surly!
Signs with typos make me surly!
Now, about those Surly Bikes. At Mark’s suggestion, I took a quick test ride on a Surly Long Haul Trucker. The LHT’s a nice upright touring bike, it’s made of steel, and designed for the long distance rider. It has a nice upright geometry, lovely welds, and a nice set of fat tires for smoothing out a rough commute or a long brevet. If you’re in the neighborhood some Saturday, stop by Mark’s shop in Centerville and give one a try. I enjoyed riding mine! If you need directions, just drop me a note…
A lovely stem, beautiful machining....
Now, you may ask what is Jim doing test riding an upright? Well, dear reader, the train is coming, the train is coming! The Frontrunner train starts on April 26th, and I don’t know if I can take the Little Red Bike on the train. I have a dream of train/bike commuting someday before I retire. Also, I was plotting a 300 Km Brevet during a TDY in May in Princeton, NJ. The brevet has 12,000 ft. of climb, and between that harsh fact, and the challenge of shipping a bent, I had been looking at some touring bikes instead. Mark has even graciously offered the use a gently used Rivendell Atlantis for the project. My test ride on that bike was like getting to meet an old friend. A lovely, nice riding bike, with mustache handlebars! Now, as you are well aware, I am not a bike purist. Upright or ‘bent, mountain, touring, or racer, the best bike for you is the one you ride! Am I going to ship a bike to NJ for the ride? Doubtful at his point, but I have enjoyed the research project.
The aforementioned Atlantis...
Speaking of riding, I have been slowly getting my miles. I am behind last year’s pace, but as I am learning, each year is different, and every year brings mental and physical challenges. So, I will get there eventually! But, I do have some more signs to share. One of them is from Sabino Canyon in Tucson, AZ, but I thought you would enjoy the bike graphic anyway.
No Words Needed!
That’s all the news for the day. See you on the road…
Jim
2 comments:
Breaking a femur on a loose gravel. That's pretty scarey. I guess it can happen to anyone. It definitely makes you appreciate the simple things like riding, walking etc.
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