Saddledrive - New Surly Bikes

I like to think of myself as a minimalist or utilitarian or consumerism anarchist. I can get away with this kind of thinking because I own three pairs of pants. However, I own this koozie that looks like a handlebar grip and I'm drinking a Le Criox from it, so clearly I am to minimalism what Kanye West is to modest restraint. But hey, it's my life and I can live under whatever pretense I like. 

Anyway, I like to think of myself as minimalist. This makes me somewhat at odds with the bicycle industry, which puts itself through annual contortions to come out with 'new' products that are often the same or worse. Sure, we progress. Bikes are better than they used to be and we must fail to succeed, but evolution is a slow process. I avoid most trade shows because it's not worth my time and energy to fly across the country to see a new ultrasonic chamois or telescoping handlebars.

However, when Surly called and said, "Do you want to check out some new stuff at Saddledrive?" we said, "Only if you're exclusively making crit bikes now," and they replied, "Yeah, fat crit bikes." And so we went.

Over the last few months, a few of you asked us whether Surly was going out of business. You likely asked because of their low inventory levels on popular bike models and even some staples like cogs, rim strips, and Tuggnuts. The answer is no (you can read more here). The new stuff we saw at Saddledrive is just the tip of an iceberg of rad innovation that will sink the Titanic of your ennui. We didn't get to see everything Surly has in store, but the rumors we heard make it difficult to sleep.

Was it worth flying across the country to see what we saw? Yes.

The Karate Monkey, Cross Check, and Troll have all been updated to one degree or another. If you want to feast upon technical data, you can read all the specs here.

The Cross Check frame remains the same, but will be offered in a flat-bar build for $875. Yeah, I know! We rode it, and it rides like a Cross Check. It just costs less. Knards! A rear rack! A WTB saddle! Dreams are coming true.

The Troll is no longer suspension corrected. It comes with better tires and a new rear axle spacing. Look at the size of the frame bag you could put in there. If there is a place you want to go, this bike can get you there. 

Too many braze-ons to count.

So that's one bike with an updated build kit and one frame that's been improved.

This Karate Monkey has been totally reimagined and the results are screamalicious.

The Karate Monkey has been around long enough that almost everyone has owned one. It's gone largely unchanged since it was one of the first production 29ers in 1842. It's been all kinds of rad for all kinds of people for so long. Why would they change it? To make a great thing even better.

When I first saw that sticker I laughed, then I thought about it and I understood that the new Karate Monkey is about freedom. Run a dropper if you want. That little brace that ran from the seat tube to the top tube is gone, as is the bend in the seat tube, so you can run a 30.9 dropper with a ton of travel. Run a fork with up to 140mm of travel if you want. Bikepack if you want. Commute. Run different wheel sizes. Have an "old" 135mm rear hub with a quick release? Great. Do you have a fancy new boost wheelset? Fine. You are free. Do whatever you want to this bike and it is going to respond with poise, grace, and competence. (For goodness sake do not buy it because it's the new hotness and then hang it in your garage for a decade. You are free but that's just wasteful.)

Rebecca signals either that she's riding a bike with one gear or that this will be the one and only time she ever rides a bike with one gear.

The top tube is longer than the Instigator's! The head tube is two degrees slacker than it used to be! It has trumpeted tubing like the Ice Cream Truck and Instigator instead of gussets. Prettier! Stiffer! Internal dropper post routing! All of the braze-ons! Ehrmagherd!

There are two stock builds on the way: a single speed 29er in Stand Back Purple and a 1x11 with 27.5+ wheels in Rhymes with Orange. 

Both are so rad.

We also rode the Ice Cream Truck. It will be back later this year in a new color and with a new build spec, but we rode the old sparkly blue one that's been around for awhile. New products are so constantly made available that it's easy to forget that "old" bikes (less than two years old) are still mind blowing. 

The Ice Cream Truck is unassuming. It may not look like a fun and capable trail bike, but it's a total blast. Our first impressions of the bike were favorable, and nothing has changed. 

Here's the takeaway: Surly has new stuff and it's exceeds not only expectation but desire. Surly has old stuff that's exceptional. If you already own one, don't forget you already own one of the best bikes available. Are the new bikes better? In my opinion, yes. Is your old bike still great? Objectively yes! I won't be getting rid of my old Karate Monkey any time soon.

The future is uncertain. The Earth may completely disappear out from under you when you're in an airplane. You never know. Ride good bikes while you can.

The Yawp Company in Curt Gowdy

Wyoming. Earlier in June, the Yawp Company went there to see if what they say about Curt Gowdy State Park is true. What do they say about Curt Gowdy? Usually "I've never ridden there," or "Where is Wyoming? or "Is that a car dealership?"

Being there was better than getting there. 

If you haven't been to Curt Gowdy, it's about two and a half hours from Denver by car, unless it's four or five. As you (finally) cross the border into Wyoming, almost everyone will exit the interstate to go to the fireworks warehouse that's just past the state line. You alone will continue on to Cheyenne, the bustling hub of the Union's least populous state. There's supposedly gasoline for sale there. Get some if you can, and then turn west into big wind country.

The campground at Curt Gowdy State Park was full, though there are more sites at the park than residents in Wyoming. Instead of camping near thousands of people with generators, car alarms, and inflatable mattress pumps, we ended up about two miles west in an empty field with nothing but flowers, clouds, and rocks. Every thirty minutes we made Nate hide behind a rock and pretend he was a generator so we could feel at ease.

In the morning, Darin surprised us with breakfast. While one part of me really enjoys good food, another part of me is very lazy. When I'm camping I convince myself that it's impossible to prepare good food in the woods and therefore give myself permission to eat cold canned brussels sprouts and Hershey's syrup on crackers. A few folks now have cooked meals for everyone on our camping trips (in fact, Ryan and Gray made dinner for us that same day), and it's tricking me into raising my standards. Also, some people are better cooks on the ground than I'll ever be in a kitchen.

We rode as many of the trails on the park's west side as we could. While the signage left something to be desired, it was easy to navigate the park with a map. Distances are short, and one never ventures too far from the parking lot. There are several "play areas" that offer remarkably fun technical challenges that are easy to session. Heckling (or I suppose encouraging) your friends has never been easier. 

The easier trails had enough technical challenges to keep our resident Trail Snob happy without being too difficult for beginner riders. The aptly named Pinball trail is great (mind your ankles and derailleurs). Mo' Rocka is also great (not to mention brilliantly named). If you ride El Alto, don't wait until your legs are already blown--there are many step ups, steep switchbacks, and drops. It's good, but difficult.

Trail systems like this are great for large groups or for riders of varying skill levels. It's easy to split up for a little bit, easy to opt into--our out of--gnarly lines, easy to drink a beer by the lake and then head out for another loop. It's pretty and pleasant and fun, and though the park doesn't offer a ton of mileage, it's easy to link up trails in different directions and the technical challenges would keep you entertained for multiple laps.

On Sunday we made the mistake of riding the trails on the park's east side. Middle Kingdom was fun, but the trails beyond that were not. It didn't help that we spent some time waiting out a lightning storm and fixing flats, but the trails were a mix of (according to our Trail Snob) boring, flowy bologna and hike-a-bike.

"Possibly the worst trail ever."  --Trail Snob

After the ride we spent some time drinking beer by the lake. Doing nothing with a bunch of good people in a scenic place isn't something I schedule time for, but every time it happens it's obvious that I should do it more often. Had it not hailed, we might still be sitting there.

There are countless trails and campsites within two and a half hours of Denver, and there are other destinations I might choose first. However, there are plenty of times when there's snow or lightning in the high country and Wyoming is clear. On those days I'll gladly head north. After I read a traffic report.

The Yawp Company in Gunnison

Faceplanting, Bonking, and Getting Ill with the Best

Photo: Ian Murphy

Some days go according to plan and some do not--if you're more than three days old you already know this. However, so many mountain bike rides go so dreamily well, it can be a surprise when small troubles compound and leave one a bit unprepared for even a short ride.

The Yawp Company went to Gunnison in May, and a few things did not go according to plan. In fact, we'd planned to go to Durango but the trails we wanted to ride were still snowy. So we went to Salida and Gunnison, where we wrecked, bonked, and got ill (not in the urban dictionary way). Also, I forgot to take photographs, so nearly everything you see below is the work of other photographers to whom--for the use of their material--I am grateful.

We stopped en route to say hello to some friends at Oveja Negra Threadworks and to ride a few trails in Salida's Arkansas Hills trail system. (If you have yet to make your way down to Cañon City, the trails there are quite similar to the 'S Mountain' trails in that they have similar sandy soils, similar pointy rocks, and run through similar geography. One thing Salida has that Cañon City does not is a jeep road that has sinister plans for you. You have to ride it to access some of the S Mountain trails.) 

Photo: Steve Kirshner

Photo: Steve Kirshner

Photo: Melissa Hession

We left the jeep road and descended Sand Dune. There is, toward the bottom, a short sandy section that I suppose could be considered a dune in the way a dalmatian in a red helmet could be considered a firefighter. Most of the trail, however, is moderately rocky and technical. The area is surely a habitat for rattlesnakes that I suppose could be considered dangerous in the way that a bear with sharks for arms might be considered dangerous. We didn't see any (snakes or bearsharks), but we were in mild danger from bad puns such as 'Been There, Dune That,' 'Get 'er Dune,' and many more that I shan't recount here (you're welcome). 

Rebecca smooched a rock garden but came through it smiling. (Kneepads, we later found out, would've been a huge help here, as by Sunday one of her knees was too swollen to ride.)

We finished our ride on Burnpile. It's been redone fairly recently, and one can see why some riders spend their entire day doing laps on this trail. Jumps, berms, jumps into berms--you'll blow your grin out trying to ride it more than three times.

We headed on to our campsite near Gunnison, and it was as ugly as they come:

Photo: Steve Kirshner

On Saturday we went to Hartman Rocks to stand around and look good.

Photo: Ian Murphy

Can you count seven Surly Bikes in this photo? No, you can't, but they are there.  Photo: Melissa Hession

This is Dan and Cullen, making our hearts go on (and on and on):

Photo: Steve Kirshner

If you haven't ridden Hartman Rocks, it is the Almond Joy to Buffalo Creek's Mounds. It is smooth and flowy but also relentlessly rocky and technical. A full day of riding there can feel similar to The Ball Thing in I Heart Huckabees where Albert and Tommy hit themselves in the face with a giant rubber ball until the pain makes them numb. 

In a place like this, it's easy to wear yourself out in a hurry. One of us bonked and then felt pretty bad about it. Feeling bad about bonking is unnecessary, but as Tommy and Albert say, there's no escaping human drama. 

Anyone who rides both trail bikes and road bikes knows that the former can exert you in ways that the latter do not. Technical features on singletrack require that you use fast-twitch muscles and small bursts of energy, and rocky terrain quickly wears you out. Many folks liken this to having a book of matches at the beginning of a ride, and each of these short efforts burns one match. Once you're out, it becomes very difficult to continue the ride. For those who are new to the sport and haven't built up strength in those fast-twitch muscles, that matchbook gets empty in a hurry. However, life is complicated and you can't plan for every variable. Most riders sometimes bonk or have off-days. Everyone has pushed their bike back to the car. Water bladders can spring leaks and leave you dehydrated. Squirrels can run off with your snacks. The food you thought you put in your bag might still be on the counter at home. It happens to everyone, but when you are new to this very difficult and demanding sport, it's easy to feel like no one else is bonking and you are the only person who's ever bonked and you're lame and you mom has always hated you and people can barely tolerate your taste in music and you have ugly knees (the ugliest).

I've given up mountain biking more times that I can count in moments like these, and I've cried while eating some strawberry gummies that a passing stranger was kind enough to give to me. It happens and it's no cause for shame. If you have a good bonking story and feel like leaving it in the comments section, that'd be rad. 

Photo: Ryan Klucker

Photo: Ryan Klucker

Photo: Ryan Klucker

Mostly, though, we rode bikes over rocks and had a great day. Then we drank some great Clintonian Pale Ale that Call to Arms kindly sent along with us and had a campfire. Hard to beat.

Photo: Cullen Mahaffey

Our band was much diminished on Sunday due to sickness, injury, and prior commitments. A few hearty folks returned to Salida for one final Cottonwood descent. It was probably awful, and things likely went wrong, and small trouble doubtlessly compounded. Nobody really seemed to mind.

Photo: Ian Murphyf

The Trucker Slush Fund is the Best Idea Ever

If you've found your way onto this blog, you probably like bike stuff. If you like bike stuff, there's a good chance that you sometimes break your bike stuff. One way or another, you've likely found yourself thinking either, "I wish I could afford those $500 hypercolor grips that launch fireworks at cars that pass too close," or "I wonder if I can glue this broken crank arm back together until payday." Well, our friend Tiffany came up with an idea that basically solves both of these problems.

The Trucker Slush Fund!

Tiffany has been riding a Surly Long Haul Trucker to work for awhile now, and every day she keeps track of her mileage. For each mile she pays herself twenty-five cents. At the end of the week, she deposits the appropriate number of quarters into a savings account, and though twenty-five cents a mile doesn't seem like much, there's always plenty of money in the account to cover repairs. Over the course of one year, Tiffany rode 10,000 miles and she had enough money to buy herself a new ECR for winter commuting.

The system is great for both budgeting for repairs and for making sure that upgrades are justified. Brilliant.

Obviously how you keep track of your mileage is up to you. Because I don't want anyone to take away my Ludite Card (which is actually too heavy for anyone to take away because it is chiseled into stone), I use maps and calculate mileage and write it down in a dumb little book with a quill pen.

You are free to use all sorts of GPS data and spreadsheets. You could track your earnings for each bike you own. You could charge/award yourself for all sorts of activities.

However you do it, you'll be more motivated to ride your bike (which you already like doing, even when you forget you like doing it), and you'll have every reason to keep your bikes in good repair. It's a win!

Surly Trail Sale (Insert Your Preferred "Steel" Pun Here)

Surly is putting four exquisitely rad trail models on sale. If you feel like reading about them, click on the links below. If you don't feel like reading about them, just absorb the prices below without going into shock.

Karate Monkey Ops  $1382  (Originally $1749)

Krampus (and Krampus Ops)  $1342 ($1453)  (Originally $1699 and $1849)

Ice Cream Truck  $1775  (Originally $2700)

Instigator 2.0  $1312  (Originally $2900)