Ramblings and rants related to bikes and, occasionally, food
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Keep on Truckin'
I've had my eye on either the Surly Long Haul Trucker or the Disc Trucker for awhile now. Any thoughts on either of these models? Disc brakes v. not? Expense? Components that I should invest in if I get one?
Are you going cross-country any time soon? The LHT does have awesome street cred, but if you're after a Surly, and you're only going to be using it for "light touring" (which I think means <50 lbs of gear?), then you should check out the Cross Check. It's a more versatile geometry that you can rig up as a city/trail rider with skinny tires, or load up with racks for your week-long trip. It has most of the same features at the LHT, but is not quite as heavy/"built".
If you do get the LHT 'cause you want to do heavy touring, IMO the disc brakes are not worth it. What happens when you bend a rotor in the middle of nowhere? With canti brakes you can at least rig up something so it kind of works. With disc brakes, when something goes wrong and you don't have the right tools / know exactly what happened, you might be stuck in one place until someone comes along and gives you a ride to the nearest bike shop.
Also, I don't know if the (negligible?) increase in stopping power is worth the extra $100. Also, replacement disc brake pads are more expensive that rim brake pads, and if properly installed, wear at about the same rate.
Maybe I just have something against disc brakes because I've never had them...
Re: additional components. Everyone always complains about the stock saddles that come on touring bikes. Don't have any experience on this front, but that's word on the street (see: internet).
Anyways, I have my heart set on the Trek 520, which is a little more expensive, doesn't have the Surly nameplate, and has a 2-piece crank instead of a three piece, but is a drool-worthy nonetheless. You should get one too and then we can be bike twins!
Ok, sorry for rambling on your blog.
8{0
That was the Teddy Roosevelt emoticon.
Tell your friend Marc sorry again. Stupid bike and roll... employees there are WORTHLESS
Rachel, Chris from Friday Coffee Club has a Disc Trucker and Mary G. has the kind with regular brakes.
I am partial to touring bikes so I drool over the LHT. Disc brakes would have come in handy on the downhills on the Backroads Century yesterday. Riding conventional brakes on steep, fast downhills gives me the creeps. I am always expecting the rims to fail. (It hasn't happened yet, thank god.)
@Jeff: Thanks for all the insight! I also thought about the Trek 520, but for some reason I'm just drawn to the Surly line. I've test ridden the 520 before, though, and if I like, found one in the woods someday or something, I'd keep it (I can dream). Hm. lots to think about.
===|:{o} (That's the surprised Abe Lincoln emoticon.)
@John: I think my opinion on disc brakes is being swayed by the fact that my current brakes blow. They're center-pull, and they don't have much stopping power unless they're tightened to within an inch of their life, in which case they tend to rub on my rims. Then again, I'd be hard-pressed to try and fix a disc brake because I have the mechanical skills of a goldfish.
Are you going cross-country any time soon? The LHT does have awesome street cred, but if you're after a Surly, and you're only going to be using it for "light touring" (which I think means <50 lbs of gear?), then you should check out the Cross Check. It's a more versatile geometry that you can rig up as a city/trail rider with skinny tires, or load up with racks for your week-long trip. It has most of the same features at the LHT, but is not quite as heavy/"built".
ReplyDeleteIf you do get the LHT 'cause you want to do heavy touring, IMO the disc brakes are not worth it. What happens when you bend a rotor in the middle of nowhere? With canti brakes you can at least rig up something so it kind of works. With disc brakes, when something goes wrong and you don't have the right tools / know exactly what happened, you might be stuck in one place until someone comes along and gives you a ride to the nearest bike shop.
Also, I don't know if the (negligible?) increase in stopping power is worth the extra $100. Also, replacement disc brake pads are more expensive that rim brake pads, and if properly installed, wear at about the same rate.
Maybe I just have something against disc brakes because I've never had them...
Re: additional components. Everyone always complains about the stock saddles that come on touring bikes. Don't have any experience on this front, but that's word on the street (see: internet).
Anyways, I have my heart set on the Trek 520, which is a little more expensive, doesn't have the Surly nameplate, and has a 2-piece crank instead of a three piece, but is a drool-worthy nonetheless. You should get one too and then we can be bike twins!
Ok, sorry for rambling on your blog.
8{0
That was the Teddy Roosevelt emoticon.
Tell your friend Marc sorry again. Stupid bike and roll... employees there are WORTHLESS
Rachel, Chris from Friday Coffee Club has a Disc Trucker and Mary G. has the kind with regular brakes.
ReplyDeleteI am partial to touring bikes so I drool over the LHT. Disc brakes would have come in handy on the downhills on the Backroads Century yesterday. Riding conventional brakes on steep, fast downhills gives me the creeps. I am always expecting the rims to fail. (It hasn't happened yet, thank god.)
@Jeff: Thanks for all the insight! I also thought about the Trek 520, but for some reason I'm just drawn to the Surly line. I've test ridden the 520 before, though, and if I like, found one in the woods someday or something, I'd keep it (I can dream). Hm. lots to think about.
ReplyDelete===|:{o} (That's the surprised Abe Lincoln emoticon.)
@John: I think my opinion on disc brakes is being swayed by the fact that my current brakes blow. They're center-pull, and they don't have much stopping power unless they're tightened to within an inch of their life, in which case they tend to rub on my rims. Then again, I'd be hard-pressed to try and fix a disc brake because I have the mechanical skills of a goldfish.