Hi Jim,

I noticed the Surly Long Haul Trucker doesn't get a lot of love, so I decided to submit some pictures of mine, the surly [sic] half-breed descendant of the XO-1, All-Rounder and Atlantis.

I picked the Trucker because I wanted a 'normal' bike, not a race bike, nor a mountain bike nor a *shudder* comfort-hybrid. It's low-tech, but bomb-proof and there's nothing on it that I can't fix with an allen key and a paper clip. Moreover (and this is the best part), judicious eBay'ing, scavenging, bartering, and bargain hunting resulted in a total build cost of less than a thousand dollars!

Since its initial construction this spring, I have logged over a thousand miles via commuting daily to work and light-pack touring/randonneering on- and off-road. My race-bike sits neglected as the Trucker gobbles up the miles. (a Surly rack, bottle cages, Egg Beaters and plastic fenders are bolted on when in touring mode.

The pictures show the Trucker at its cleanest and simplest: commuting mode.) If I were stuck with one bike for the rest of my life, this would be it, because there's nothing it can't do.

Build Spec Highlights a.k.a. Portrait of an Ultegra/105/Dura Ace/LX/XT Mix) 52cm Black Cherry Pearl Surly Long Haul Trucker
XT rear derailleur, Ultegra front derailleur, Dura Ace 9-speed downtube shifters
105 cranks and 9-speed 105 cassette (50-39-30 rings, 12-25 cogs)
LX V-Brakes with Dia-Compe 287V levers mounted to Nitto Noodle bars
26" Mavic Rims and XT hubs wearing fat WTB Slickasaurus 1.5" tires
and of course... the obligatory Brooks B.17 saddle, Velo Orange bag and generic kickstand.

Thanks for the great site,

Timo K.
Massachusetts, USA

sv650s2k3@hotmail.com