Best mail order source for Surly Long Haul Trucker?

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

As far as I know, nobody has it in stock at the moment. They get a
batch built, they hit QBP's system, and they're sold out within a few
days, then it's a couple months until the next batch. I've heard
reports of some hitting bike shops this week, but none of the usual
web sites that tie directly into QBP's stock (Jensonusa.com,
AEbike.com, harriscyclery.com, ebikestop.com) list it as available, so
it may have sold out already.

Bare frames are widely available, though.

I'd suggest checking the dealer list on Surly's site. Call around and
see if a local bike shop (even if it's not local to you) has one they
can ship you. http://www.freerangecycles.com/ is a shop that was
building up LHTs from the frameset long before the complete bike came
out, and I'm guessing they could hook you up whether the complete is
sold out or not. A custom config like that would likely cost more,
though.

I'm more concerned about the sizes you mention. I assume 5'1" is a
typo and you mean 5'10 or 11". At that height, you should be looking
more at a 58, not a 54. At least in my opinion. I'm 6' even, and my
LHT is a 60cm. You might want to check out the LHT owner's group at
http://groups.google.com/group/SurlyLHT Many, many threads discussing
sizing, and that may give you more insight.

Good luck!

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

I've had good luck with bikemannetwork when it comes to QBP stuff.
They're up in Maine, so not the guys you want shipping to Oregon or
something.

As far as size goes, I bet you're closer to a 56 than a 54cm at that
height and inseam. I know guys your height that ride 58s, FWIW.

Don't forget to order pedals, and if you're nervous about the stock
stem, get a cheap adjustable one to play with.

I'm 5'10'' or 11', 31" inseam, and ride a 56cm Ritchey touring frame
from 1980. I can stand over it, but it's snug. It's the way touring
bikes were set up, but the seatpost looks short compared to
contemporary set ups.

I don't think I could ride a 58cm, but the Surley may have sloping top
tube or non-700c wheels, so maybe my advise is out of date...

JG

try 'universal cycles' and graze thru while there eg 'pedals'

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

You should get a 56 cm at least,
measured from center of bottom bracket spindle
to middle of the top tube at the seat tube.
Be sure to fit the top tube length properly;
and you cannot do this unless the saddle is
positioned fore and aft for ideal weight
distribution over the pedals.

--
Michael Press

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

54 cm will most likely be too small.

Good luck actually buying a Surly LHT. Huge shortage, as there are no
alternatives for a bicycle like that, in that price range.

Michael Press said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

Quoted message said:

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

Quoted message said:

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Quoted message said:

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

You should get a 56 cm at least,
measured from center of bottom bracket spindle
to middle of the top tube at the seat tube.
Be sure to fit the top tube length properly;
and you cannot do this unless the saddle is
positioned fore and aft for ideal weight
distribution over the pedals.

--
Michael Press

right. length defines how your knees travel over and down into the
power stroke while reducing inside thigh contact onto the saddle.
correct knee glide reduces compressive knee malfunction, essential to
LHT.

SMS said:

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

Quoted message said:

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

Quoted message said:

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Quoted message said:

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

54 cm will most likely be too small.

Good luck actually buying a Surly LHT. Huge shortage, as there are no
alternatives for a bicycle like that, in that price range.

The Cross Check Complete is in stock, and a great alternative unless
you're heavy touring. It might even be better if ya want slightly
sprightlier handling. Same price.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

FWIW, trying to fit someone over the 'net isn't the wisest practice.
Having said that, I will provide my data for your reference.

I'm 176cm (5'9"😉 tall with a 81cm (32"😉 PBH*, and I ride my 54cm LHT
comfortably, meaning with a Brooks saddle I have a fistful of seatpost
showing, and I don't need to use an odd-sized stem nor lots of spacers
under than stem. I could probably ride a 56cm, but the standover height
will get uncomfortably close to my PBH. This was a consideration for me
because I use the bike for commuting and errand running, with a lot of
stop-n-go and traffic negotiation. I would have less of an issue with
the standover clearance if I were to buy the bike for touring.

Here are a few more notes for your consideration:

1. The 56cm is the smallest 700c LHT. The 54cm and smaller ones all use
26" (ISO 559mm) wheels. That may be a consideration because 26" wheels
are typically stronger than 700c wheels, although the selection of 26"
narrow road-going tires is quite limited. Regardless, all LHT have
135mm wide rear hub spacing. At least for me, it was easier and cheaper
to source a 26" wheel with 135mm hubs, than a 700c wheel with 135mm hubs.

2. Because of the wheel size difference, the effective gearing is also a
bit different. That may be a consideration if you're reusing some
drivetrain parts. I use Continental's Sport Contact 26"x1.6 tires with
a Campy road triple 53/40/30 and a 12-32 cogset. I have not run out of
gears yet, despite some heavy loads, strong headwinds, and hilly
terrain. The bike is slightly but noticeably slower than my 700c road
bike though.

3. If you have the skills and inclination, buying the frame/fork and
building up the bike isn't a bad way to go. I got a frame/fork, and
cobbled my bike together over a couple of months of eBay dealings. For
about the same price as Surly is charging for their LHT bike, I got a
LHT with the parts I wanted. Having stated that, if the Surly build is
acceptable to you, it is quite the value for money.

Pikachu

* PBH is similar but may not be the same as inseam; see rivbike.com for
details.

Quoted message said:

I'm more concerned about the sizes you mention. I assume 5'1" is a
typo and you mean 5'10 or 11". At that height, you should be looking
more at a 58, not a 54. At least in my opinion. I'm 6' even, and my
LHT is a 60cm.

Oops...yes a typo

I am 5 foot 10 inches.... maybe 11 inches not sure

But I stood over top a friends Cannondale 56 cm cross
bike and the top tube was right UP against my
crotch...so assumed form that bike that a 54 cm
(smaller) was better

Are the touring bike frames geometrically different in
height form a cross bike frame? At least enough diff to
make me fuzzy on all this?

Quoted message said:

I'm 5'10'' or 11', 31" inseam, and ride a 56cm Ritchey touring frame
from 1980. I can stand over it, but it's snug. It's the way touring
bikes were set up, but the seatpost looks short compared to
contemporary set ups.

Ok so should touring bike top tubes be right up against
my crotch? No space at all?

Quoted message said:

The Cross Check Complete is in stock, and a great alternative unless
you're heavy touring. It might even be better if ya want slightly
sprightlier handling. Same price.

yeah I'm thinking abt it as well

unsure of size at the moment tho

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm 5'10'' or 11', 31" inseam, and ride a 56cm Ritchey touring frame
from 1980. I can stand over it, but it's snug. It's the way touring
bikes were set up, but the seatpost looks short compared to
contemporary set ups.

Ok so should touring bike top tubes be right up against
my crotch? No space at all?

IMHO, you're looking at entirely the wrong measurement.
Effective Top tube length is where you should be looking,
get the bike size that has the top tube range you are
comfortable with. If that's right, generally everything
else falls into place unless you are on the end of some
physiological bell curve.

Also, the LHT switches wheel sizes from 26" to 700C at
56cm , so the 54 and the 56 would be quite
different bikes in some ways.

_ Booker C. Bense

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm more concerned about the sizes you mention. I assume 5'1" is a
typo and you mean 5'10 or 11". At that height, you should be looking
more at a 58, not a 54. At least in my opinion. I'm 6' even, and my
LHT is a 60cm.

Oops...yes a typo

I am 5 foot 10 inches.... maybe 11 inches not sure

But I stood over top a friends Cannondale 56 cm cross
bike and the top tube was right UP against my
crotch...so assumed form that bike that a 54 cm
(smaller) was better

Are the touring bike frames geometrically different in
height form a cross bike frame? At least enough diff to
make me fuzzy on all this?

Yep...Touring bikes have low Bottom Brackets for stability, CX have
high BBs for clearing roots and other obstacles. Most people can ride
a much bigger touring frame than a CX (or road racing, which have high
BBs to be able to pedal through corners) frame because for equal ST
lengths, standover on the tourer is lower.

Quoted message said:

I live in small town with no local bike shop nor one
for hrs away.

I'm 5' 1 or 11 inches and 32" inseam..... age 49

I want to buy a Surly LHT....... I "think" 56 cm will
work but not sure. What you advise? maybe 54 cm?

Bottom line..... where is the best mail order source to
order one from and have shipped to my house?

Have you given this bike a look:

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/07_bikes/aurora.html

I rode a friend's a few years ago. Very nice bike. Looks like the
price has crept up to $850, but, like I said, I liked it quite a bit
and I think that's in line with an LHT.

/s

Quoted message said:

Yep...Touring bikes have low Bottom Brackets for stability, CX have
high BBs for clearing roots and other obstacles. Most people can ride
a much bigger touring frame than a CX (or road racing, which have high
BBs to be able to pedal through corners) frame because for equal ST
lengths, standover on the tourer is lower.

Phew...glad I asked then

OK I need to go find a REAL touring bike to stand over
on and see how THAT 56 cm frame fits then.

But question still stands...do you want NO clearance
between crotch and top tube on touring bike?

Quoted message said:

IMHO, you're looking at entirely the wrong measurement.
Effective Top tube length is where you should be looking,
get the bike size that has the top tube range you are
comfortable with. If that's right, generally everything
else falls into place unless you are on the end of some
physiological bell curve.

OK but how will I know what top tube length is needed
for my body?

Just get on several touring bikes and "feel"? IOW.....
see how much my upper body torso is stretched out of
cramped/compressed up?

Quoted message said:

Have you given this bike a look:

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/07_bikes/aurora.html

I rode a friend's a few years ago. Very nice bike. Looks like the
price has crept up to $850, but, like I said, I liked it quite a bit
and I think that's in line with an LHT.

No I haven't but it sure looks nice for the price!!

Is it a touring bike per se?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Have you given this bike a look:

Quoted message said:

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/07_bikes/aurora.html

Quoted message said:

I rode a friend's a few years ago. Very nice bike. Looks like the
price has crept up to $850, but, like I said, I liked it quite a bit
and I think that's in line with an LHT.

No I haven't but it sure looks nice for the price!!

Is it a touring bike per se?

Honestly, what little touring I've done has either been supported or
of the quick 4-day flip/flops + a credit-card-for-hotels-and-food
variety, and that was done on a Schwinn Peloton with racey angles, so
I have no idea whether the bike will hold a line plummeting down Mt.
Hood with 60lbs of gear at 40mph.

FWIW, I found the Jamis a nice, upright, smooth, very comfortable
ride.* I think his bike was a 2003 or thereabouts. My friend is nearly
300lbs (and criminally negligent about maintenance.) He never had a
problem with the wheels or tires, and never mentioned any shimmy. The
backswept Ritchey Biomax bars were great, the Sora stuff worked fine
despite the low-end status PLUS lack of maintenance. More than
anything, and YMMV, the bike just had that magic feeling that it fit
me perfectly, and led to some changes on my own road bike. No
soreness, no tingling. Really, just a joy to ride. I think he also
found it for under $600, which made it a good enough value that you
kind of root for it as an underdog.

/s

* I should mention that I 'borrowed' his bike while he was out of town
for a Paris-Roubaix Hommage ride through the cobbled streets of
Brooklyn. It would have been a lot more work on my MTB and, well, as
much as I love and trust my Peloton, I wasn't about to risk finding
out what wasn't up to the task. Again, this wasn't touring, but it was
likely the best bit of torture testing I've put a road bike through. I
should mention that I'm also on the Clyde end of the spectrum,
weighing 210lbs.