I have a Surly 26". I bought it in March. I wanted that big 3.7
endomorph tire (looks way cool) and it was snowing a lot in March in
Colorado. I love many things about the uni. It is bad-ass. I did
some rides in the Great Sand Dunes National Park as will as in Southern
Utah that would have been impossible on any other tire. I floats
incredibly well in sand and absorbs rocks and crud liek nothing else.
I kept riding Muni all summer on the Endo tire and mostly pooh-poohed
the many voices that say the Endo tire is too big and bulky for an
effecttive muni tire. I just thought I needed to improve my muni
technique and that we adjust to what we are used to. Well, this
weekend my Endo tire finally wore out and I bought the Duro 3.0 to
compare the two
The first thing that I noticed was the huge weight difference from and
effectively bald endomorph to an new 26" duro. It felt like I'd added
20 pounds. I had been getting good at "double-bouncing" the endomorph
to spring up steeps and rocky sections, and the Duro felt rock hard and
dead by comparision. But once I started to descend, I humbly
acknowledged the wisdom of those that caution of the endomorph as an
overall muni tire. I instantly improved my technical abilities
significantly on the Duro. More control, more confidence, partaking in
steeper sections with more drops and making more of them. It still
seems heavy and I have more trouble doing the rolling hops off ledges,
but once I land I have way more control. I am able to "feel" the trail
and mirco-adjust both up and down in a way that was impossible on the
3.7 endomorph.
As for the frame and the rim, I love the super wide Large Marge rim. I
gives me a wide platform in rocky crud. The frame, of course, is
spurred to allow for a 4 inch tire. Intitially, I struck the frame a
lot with my legs, especially when I struggled in difficult terrain.
But that had lessened considerable as my skill increases. I love
riding snow and sand so I am psyched to have a uni that will
accommodate both tires. The weight of the 26" is definitely a downside
to my set-up, but I am getting stronger and that can only be a good
thing. I love the speed I attain on the bigger wheel and my ability to
roll over obstacles is greater. When I hop on a friends KH24 it seems
like a feathery toy by comparison. The 26" Surly/Marge set up
definitely means business. If I were rich I would get a KH24 for more
trialsy-type muni, but my black beast is awesome for the Colorado
single track that I love to ride. Let's hear more feedback on the
Surly.
--
osmundo
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