Ive got a tarted up Dahon folder (26 inch wheels) which is very nice flexible and fast. Ally frame . Only bike of mine some kids made an attempt to nick. £10 aldi cable lock held them off just long enough
So true. I gave up on nice commuter bikes after two were stolen. I just pick up an old 90s mtb from a garage sale and keep it well maintained and ugly.
Commuter build with no mudguards?! Personally given the area I'm in my perfect commuter would be an endurance focussed bike with: Mudguards year around Dynamo front and rear lights Threaded BB Disc brakes
My commuter is awesome. It's an ugly steel 90's mtb with a super steep rise stem and swept handlebars. 3x7 drivetrain, rack and fenders, dyno with lights front and rear - and last but not least, equipped with a bell. found 26 x 1.5" tires spin up quickly and are just right. I love this bike and nobody wants it because I simply taped my electric wiring on the tubes so it's extra ugly. It rides so nicely, fits perfectly and I'm not worried about parking it anywhere in Paris. Just not overnight.
All these dream bike builds usually have some proper tarty frames but this is actually a dream because of how practical and affordable you could build it.
I did a similar build a couple of years ago, but single speed, under the impression of a nice 'cheap-ish' custom build. Carbon Force 1 cranks, King headset, Compass tires and Thompson finishing kit later I'd gone way over budget, disliked how heavy and wobbly the frameset was, found the drop outs WAY too much of a faff to line up the rear disks and then binned it over the handlebars when the front rack slipped (my fault when fitting). I eventually hated the whole bike with a passion. On the plus side, it was the 1st bike I built up myself which was fun and fulfilled a childhood dream of having a King headset fitted. Just thought I'd offer an alternate view. Enjoy the bike!
Beautifully build. Commuters bike are really important these days as we move into carbonless. They are just not enough video for starter like myself to even imagine building my own bike. Great build that comes with a rack. Hopefully you can do video for smaller bike build.
CW's b-roll is so gorgeous. If I saw this bike on any other channel, I can't promise is be excited about it but now I'm dreaming about doing the same with my bikes. You got me.
Those Shimano MT520 4 pot brakes (things are men't for E-mountain bikes, and mid to long travel MTB's)!!! legitimate downhill mountain bike stopping power. I just got a set for my Fuel EX. Super nice brakes but Id be scared to touch the levers riding that bike haha. Be careful riding home from the pub late at night, and grab a handful of front brake my dude! I guess the tiny rotors balance them out but still
Have a Surly Ogre with a 24 pack rack, rear rack and attachment for a BOB trailer. Stripped its done several gravel races. With all the racks, several week long tours. Record beer haul, with the trailer, 4 cases.
I live where snow and ice are issues (along with salt on the roads). I went with an aluminum frame to avoid rust. Mudguards, internal gears, belt drive and dynamo are pretty important. I read some comments about roller brakes. I have never found them to be great stoppers. Hydraulic discs are the answer. I wouldn't see this setup for much off-roading, however.
I have to agree with you on roller/hub brakes, although they're better than cantilever and caliper brakes in wet conditions but the brake fade you get is horrible. I bought a disc braked bike a couple of years ago and I woundn't go back to calipers or hub brakes (and certainly not cantilevers).
Agreed, though I'm in a pretty salty area and I've had no problems keeping steel bikes in good shape. T-9 protects pretty completely. I have 8 Winters on a gas pipe frame with effectively no rust.
Recently built my commute experiment bike for winter, all the things I wanted to try: Steel Frame, Cable Disc brakes, Flat Bar, Internal Gear Hub, Dynamo, Belt Drive, 38mm 700c Schawlow Marathon tires, rear rack with pannier. Compared to commuting on my road bike so far: Love the belt drive - quiet! IGH is fine so far Still getting use to the flat bar, I keep cutting it down (now 28”, 710mm), added bar ends Love the tires, more comfortable, no flats so far vs 1 flat per month on my road bike Love the pannier getting the load off my back.
Great build! Surly sure does make a nice frameset to build up a classy looking bike. I built a Pacer back in 2013 and still ride and love it today! It's been a great bike!
I've got a bike with a 90s Schwinn frame that I've been upgrading and adding to for decades. Started off as a mountain bike, used it as a road bike and now it's a commuter haha.
Lovely build - the only 2 things i would have done differently would be 1) opting for Shimano GRX 2) the rack with base that had no holes so i could throw small stuff into it without having a bag.
Just a random build question - If you had the ability to choose whatever you wanted for a commuter why would you opt for a front rack before a rear pannier rack system? Seems to me that the only benefit would be you could easier accommodate wider/flatter loads like a pizza box w/ a 6 pack at the cost of steering, aero (not that important but it's there) and making the bike a little front heavy so might be slightly easier to endo if forced to emergency stop w/ those powerful brakes when loaded.
I've been running front loads on the Straggler for a few years now, and I really enjoy it. I came from a strong culture of rear panniers, and would always choose to put commuting gear on the front over a rear rack. I prefer the handling. Low trail isn't required for a stable front load (though it is nice). I'm a fan of a 137 basket on mine. Great for taking shopping bags or unusual loads, and takes a waterproof bag (that's designed to fit) for all my commuting kit. The Porcelain Rocket bag is superb. No endo issues either.
I`ve got the blue On-One Pompino V-2 with in-house branded wheelset, Miche track drivetrain, Shimano cantiveler brakes, Maxxis CX tires, Nitto 720mm bullmoose bar and oldschool Selle Italia Flite saddle. Perfect bike for everything. Sometimes I even think to sell my MTB and gravel bike, but I don`t do it just beacuse I need to have some spare bikes
@@fishingwiththomas Thats like getting a recall notice for a car randomly catching on fire and saying "well I drove x amount of kms and it hasnt caught on fire yet so Ill just keep driving it". Sounds idiotic doesnt it?
That is absolutely nothing like my dream city bike. I'd aim for maximum comfort, minimum maintenance. So we'd start off with an upright seating position on a sprung faux leather saddle and rounded handlebars. A step through frame wouldn't go amiss. We'd move on to weather proof internal hub gears and a full chain guard which protects myself as much as the bike. The brakes would also be internal drum brakes (roller brakes) to minimise maintenance and protect from weather. Speaking of weather, we'd have metal mudguards and maybe even a coat guard. Tyres would have to be puncture resistant or altogether puncture proof so likely Marathon Plus with slime tubes or Tannus airless tyres. No city bike is complete without low maintenance lights which has to mean dynamo hub or e-bike battery powered lights. If we're going the e-bike route, a mid drive high torque motor would be great as well as a 300-500Wh battery from a reputable brand. Finally, storage would be on front and rear racks and roll top weatherproof bags. This bike wouldn't win any races but it'd be damn good for getting around a city without any fuss.
If anyone wants to see a bike like this, check out the Cortina E-U4 "ladies" version with roller brakes (there is a colour suitable for men). You would just need to add a coat guard (sold separately) and Tannus tyres. There are a couple of important reasons to choose step through (or "ladies") versions. First, these bikes will last. They may even outlast you. You may find yourself needing to transport kids with it and good luck getting your leg over a men's version with a kid on the back. Second, God forbid, but the bike may be easier to use should you suffer a collision or permanent disability or share your bike with someone who has. A lot of these "Dutch" e-bikes come with hydraulic rim brakes. This, in my opinion, is the single worst engineering decision for any bike. It will ruin your wheels by design and they'll need to be replaced. Go for drum brakes or hydraulic disc brakes (available on some Batavus bikes like the E-Go) If you want British made and non electric, I'd look no further than the Pashley Roadster Sovereign.
Basically you're describing a Dutch bike. My Batavus has an upright position (?), fully enclosed chain, hub gears, rack, panniers, built in lock and a stand. I hate to admit it but most of my trips are done on this, it is so practical. However, I do have other bikes to play with, even some with engines!
@@ronwhite8503 I don't blame you. I'd do most of my personal trips on a Dutch bike. I already own three bikes - one folding for the car and public transport and two for my work as a food courier - so for now the closest I'm gonna get is the shared bike scheme where I live. But I'll definitely get one some day.
Wow, wasn't expecting some of the choices you've made that added lots of weight to it but we all have different tastes and needs. I ride a commuter hybrid bike on a very hilly city so I try to keep it as lightweight as I can (€€€) while maintaining an aluminium frame (instead of carbon) and I need to have light gears so I'm pretty limited on max speed (8 speed 11x32 cassete with 30x46 on the front) and I use 700c carbon wheels with 23 road tires. Basically a budget custom hybrid/city bike. Still weighs 9.5 kg but I'm pretty happy with it. I'm tempted to try a one by for the simplicity but I'd be even more limited on both speed and light gears :\
What are talking about that bike is still super light. Even an extra 10-15 lbs (4.5-7kg) will only be a few percent slower over a 100 miles. My rig is about 38lb (17kg) but I have a 60mm suspension fork and 47mm tires. The hills are awful and the roads are worse.
ultimate town fixie, dynamo lights, disc front so no wearing out rims, bullhorns and a tt break because awesome. If there were airless tires that felt good then they'd be on there like a shot making the bike near maintenance free. you can always jump on and go, no reindexing gears, no charging lights
Very glad you choose surly, my dreambike would be based on a surly troll frame or a brooklyn machineworks. I prefer 26" for commuting. Then a rack is a must.
I rebuilt a 1995 Gary Fisher Montarre($700.oo retail). I bought it on CL for $200.oo. The bike was hardly used. I had it powder coated from the Navy blue to a medium purple. The headset is a Tange/Sekei. The brakes are Tectro frame mounted cantilever brakes. BIG improvement from the original angel wing design. Crankset is a Specialized Forged (bought used on Ebay). Rear wheel was fine but I had purchased a vintage Regina (Italy) solid body freewheel but came to see that the original was a cassette so after 5 years I wanted to put the Regina to good use so I had to buy a new wheel. Weinman double wall with a large body hub. Generic stuff but solid enough. Dimension Arc Bars on the original 120 or 150 mm stem. I replaced the original 42 teeth front ring with a Willow 46. Just using one ring up front times 7 on the Regina. Kept the original Sun Tour rear derailluer. . I ended up spending as much as the original retail price. I could have painted it myself for $20.oo but -I would have had to spray it outside in the FL heat. (I know -just an excuse). OK - I justified it as a birthday present. The bike can be classified as a gravel bike except for the narrow range 12 to 19 tooth gearing on the back. I have a 34 tooth ring to add to the front if I ever find some trails.
You built a really nice Hipster Gravel bike but as soon as you’re out of site it’s gonna get nicked! Also as a rider of both drop and flat (MTB) bars I think drops are more comfortable due to having so many hand positions 👍
I'm going to purchase a commuter bike within the next couple months...either a Priority Continuum Onyx or Priority 600... Gates belt, hydraulic disc brake, front hub generator for the lights... either internal Navinci CRT rear hub or Pinion gears.... combined with fenders this will handle the crappy weather we can get in Northern NY near the Canadian border...I have 2 Surly's, a LHT and a Disc Trucker... Like them both.. thanks for the video...
I've bought myself a cheap out of fashion fitness-hybrid bike fitted with wide-ish tires. Aluminium frame and no discs, but the general idea is the same. Mounted some very sleek fenders, I think that's quite essential riding in my normal clothes. I do wish it had drop bars though.
great bike, but I mean you know better than me, mudguards should be mandatory around the UK even though they would ruin the sweet looks of this cool bike :D but keeping you and your frame nicely dry.
Really awesome! I’m building up something for similar usage, a surly long haul trucker. I’m curious, did you face/chase your BB and head tube? Also, frame saver? I couldn’t quite tell from the looks of things, and maybe you left out that step when editing your footage. Thank you in advance.
What types of axles did you use? Are they just for security or do they add stiffness? I have constant problems running disc brakes with QR axles and am therefore hesitant to get a surly disc frame. Second question - Really short stem, yes? That doesn't make the reach too short, especially with the flat bars?
Would love to build something just like that but i think i'd put my rack on the back rather than the front. that and narrower bars cause i'm a scrawnymun. and slicker tyres cause there be very little dirt 'round moye pahrts.
Should have gone with an Enviolo hub and a gates belt drive. Changed up my bike and would never go back to gears. Ever. Also got ride of the "straight" bars and went with risers with some swept back too. Hat the DOT fluid in the Sharm brakes.
what size are those straggler? 52? and how tall is rupert? does he enjoyed the frame size pick? kinda struggling choosing straggler size, im 178cm tall, and shud i go for the 52 or 54? thanks before
Thanks for this video! I watched it last year and have recently dug it out to reference it for a similar style Brother build I'm doing. The stem length in particular is causing me concern, I have noooo idea whether to go super short MTB stem or longer road style stem. I guess I'll start short and work longer if I need to!
Please buy a proper set of flush cutters for thos cable tie ends, so much better than leaving those razor sharp jags. Knipex if you are feeling flush or microsnip.
Paul Symons . Spot on! Even a nice sharp razor blade works perfectly for cutting them flush (it’s just slow). Once he slices his arm carrying that bike up some stairs, he’ll fix it ;)
Love the rack, and i Love the bike build. I can attest too that Shimano has got some realyl buleltproof stuff. I run a full Deore set on my Full suspension MTB and since i Live with 3 state parks in my backyard, i opted for a bike that could be adapted to trails and street riding. Although I am running WTB A/T's. Also full Thule Pack and Pedal Rack, bags, trunk bag.
Quick question, if you're still monitoring comments on the video: The 56cm Straggler framesets were intended as 700c bikes - Have you had any issues with a 650x47 tire dropping the bottom bracket too low? (Pedal strike, etc?) I've built a very similar Straggler, but chose to go with 700x42 Gravelkings. Thank you.
I ran them on my 700C frame and found the drop fine around town and on flat trails. It's like a touring bike drop. Off road I did get more pedal strike.
Is the clearance still ultra tight on the rear for 650*47? A custom build we did in store left barely a millimetre either side at the chainstays. But this was a ~2017 model year.
Matthew Jackson i’d like to know this as well. I know that surly offers 700c and 65OB options for the straggler but I wonder if those wheel options change the frame and it’s clearances. Maybe he’s got a 700c frame running 650Bs?! The rear clearance looks a little better in the vid
I posted a long comment explaining 700C Vs 650B frame clearance around the 47mm WTB tyre in another reply on this vid, but will just add that on both frames I get around 2-3mm on each side of my Byway tyres. They're on i23 KOM rims, setup tubeless. So tight but workable. With the 650B frame you can maximise clearance by setting the wheel a few mm back in the dropouts (not an option on the 700C as you'd need to move the wheel further forwards, not back, to put the tyre in the middle of the widest gap). I bought a 650B frame because it's got a shade more clearance with the wheel back, and doesn't look shit with mudguards fitted. Bike in vid looks 700C to me (check the gap under the fork crown).
If you really plan on traveling with it, that gear range won't be enough. I have 11/46x32 on my build and when the bike is loaded, it gets me up those 20% hills 😜
Hi awesome bike. Dream building a bike someday myself. I got a btwin triban 100 and ride in Mumbai. I would like to get suggestions for a compatible rack for a commuter road bike.
Noice! Needs full length fenders, you will wonder why you didn't have them before, and I went with the specialized pizza rack that goes with the bag, as is only 40 quid, and much prettier than the surly 8 and 24 packs.
I really like your approach to this bike (in spite of many comments). One question, thou, if you would have selected an aluminum frame instead of steel, what would that be?
Shawn, maybe ignorance. I’ve been riding bikes “formally” for almost 30 years. Im guessing steel from those years weren’t as good as now. My first bike was steel, maybe cheap one. Didn’t like that much. Second bike was aluminum, liked it better. Third bike was carbon. Fall in love with it, and actually still have it. I’m currently bike commuting to work. And for some time used the carbon road bike. Unfortunately roads in Costa Rica aren’t that good, so I’m using my mountain bike to avoid flats. Having said that, I’ve looking for options. A new carbon frame for bike commuting sounds a bit expensive, hence the question on the aluminum frame. As I have some parts around, wanted to build a new one and your built is similar to what I have in mind
Ze Aguero check out the All City Space Horse (steel) or the Bombtrack bikes (aluminum and steel). Other Surly options are great bikes too with bona fides.
Ze Aguero Salsa also make some very good bikes in aluminum, specifically the Fargo and Journeyman, in many different spec models to meet any budget. Quality steeds
Ah man, this is amazing. I’m saving to have something just like this built for me by Stayer, I like the surly and the all-city frames but I’m not a fan of the weight! I’m also thinking of having a 1x mtb groupset on there, but I’m not sure if the ratio will be any good for the city.
Nice job. Your 1x has an 11speed cassette 12-36. That's a lot of gears over a small range. Don't you find yourself forever clicking searching for the perfect gear? Simplicity implies fewer choices. 10 speed Microsoft AdventX or Shimano Tiagra would both be simpler, cheaper (esp AdventX) and deliver the ride you seek. Just an idea. Thanks and well done.
Mostly golden stuff, i'd make a few changes though. I would go with : a dork disc mechanical disk brakes clincher setup full fenders bar ends and aero bars OR just a drop bar bottle cages
Nice build, I'd love riding it in town (though I will be scared to leave it unattended). But I don't understand the gearing choice, why do you need such close ratios? You are not trying to maintain a specific cadance, you just want to move. And with 42/32 you will be sweating up on every hill.
Rupert: nice bike! This video sold me on a Surly Straggler. I'm building it now and was wondering if your frame was a 650b version or a 700c version. If you have a 650b frame can you fit a 650b wheel with a 47c tire? What do you run on your wheels?
The tyres in the video are 47mm WTB Byways. I've got two Stragglers, one 700C and one 650B, and have run the WTB Byway on both of them. So I got this! If you know you only want to run 650B wheels go with the 650B frame. The insides of the chain stays are shaped to allow more clearance around the rear wheel, and the position of that extra space has been chosen to give maximum clearance on a 41mm tyre. So on a 700C frame the (taller) 47mm tyre is positioned slightly too far back to get maximum clearance with the wheel fully forward in the drop outs. So moving the wheel doesn't allow you to correct it. On the 650B frame it's slightly too far forward to get maximum clearance, but you can run the wheel a few mm back to position the fat part of the tyre exactly where you want it. Both frames take the 47mm tyre okay though, and I found bottom bracket to ground clearance fine on both. If riding off road on 650B wheels, I'd suggest the 650B frame to reduce pedal strike. If you want to fit mudguards I'd strongly recommend a 650B frame. 650B tyres on the 700C frame are further from the fork crown and chain and seat stay bridges than mudguard manufacturers expect, so you need to get a bit creative with how you attach the guards (or put up with big gaps between tyre and guard, which looks awful). Wanting to run well fitting mudguards was the main reason I bought the 650B frame. I put some 58mm Velo Orange mudguards on. I had to cut away a couple of cm long pieces off the edges to get the rear guard to fit neatly behind the chain stay bridge (with a Dremel, but hacksaw and file would do too). They came out great, and there's just enough clearance (about a cm) for me to be able to ride mild muddy trails without getting rubbing. I've not tried a tyre with a lot of tread yet though, which might pick up more mud. Judging by the gap between the front wheel and the fork crown, I'd say the bike in the video is the 700C model.
In my opinion, lowriders or front racks keep the load better in check. I removed my Tubus Cosmo (950g) unless I have to carry really a lot. Otherwise, esp. when riding out of the saddle, the tail would wag the dog. Not pretty, but in town worth its weight: a bike stand.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Beautiful bike! Whoever steals that thing is going to love it!
So true. I rode a crap bike in London but I still had my saddle stolen! They will pinch anything.
Ive got a tarted up Dahon folder (26 inch wheels) which is very nice flexible and fast. Ally frame . Only bike of mine some kids made an attempt to nick. £10 aldi cable lock held them off just long enough
I was planning to build one commute bike almost the same setup as yours, now I think I should stop hasitating and just do another one in Shanghai
Truth! 😆
So true. I gave up on nice commuter bikes after two were stolen. I just pick up an old 90s mtb from a garage sale and keep it well maintained and ugly.
Commuter build with no mudguards?!
Personally given the area I'm in my perfect commuter would be an endurance focussed bike with:
Mudguards year around
Dynamo front and rear lights
Threaded BB
Disc brakes
My commuter is awesome. It's an ugly steel 90's mtb with a super steep rise stem and swept handlebars. 3x7 drivetrain, rack and fenders, dyno with lights front and rear - and last but not least, equipped with a bell. found 26 x 1.5" tires spin up quickly and are just right. I love this bike and nobody wants it because I simply taped my electric wiring on the tubes so it's extra ugly. It rides so nicely, fits perfectly and I'm not worried about parking it anywhere in Paris. Just not overnight.
Exactly - no mud guards + chain drive = faff
Rear reack for aerodynamics. Front rack secondary only.
All these dream bike builds usually have some proper tarty frames but this is actually a dream because of how practical and affordable you could build it.
For a similar price you can easily buy a car here in Argentina, bike prices have skyrocketed
my man, the frame costs 1700 dollars
@@mrnorthz9373the frame is £695 and a full frame set is £1800 over here.
Practicality is not something I dream about.
@@edrcozonoking boring bastard
Wouldn't leave that bike parked for longer than 5 minutes anywhere in London...
Tecno Ciclista I was going to say my dream commuter would be have the “least desirable to steal” look on the bike rack
Dam they be stealing bikes like that in London
@@lakishaweaks9784 worst place in the world for bike thefts
@@rainypath96 All part of having new experiences thanks to diversity
I love my 3x7 drivetrain on my commuter. I can really load up the bike's rack and panniers and still spin up any hill.
I did a similar build a couple of years ago, but single speed, under the impression of a nice 'cheap-ish' custom build. Carbon Force 1 cranks, King headset, Compass tires and Thompson finishing kit later I'd gone way over budget, disliked how heavy and wobbly the frameset was, found the drop outs WAY too much of a faff to line up the rear disks and then binned it over the handlebars when the front rack slipped (my fault when fitting).
I eventually hated the whole bike with a passion.
On the plus side, it was the 1st bike I built up myself which was fun and fulfilled a childhood dream of having a King headset fitted.
Just thought I'd offer an alternate view.
Enjoy the bike!
Beautifully build. Commuters bike are really important these days as we move into carbonless. They are just not enough video for starter like myself to even imagine building my own bike. Great build that comes with a rack. Hopefully you can do video for smaller bike build.
CW's b-roll is so gorgeous. If I saw this bike on any other channel, I can't promise is be excited about it but now I'm dreaming about doing the same with my bikes. You got me.
Bicycles make life and cities better.
Every child should get a bike at a young age.
Healthy exercise and fossil fuel free transportation
Kenz300 x and a helmet
Kai H actually in the Netherlands they don’t wear them and still manage to have a lower accident casualty rate than the US
John Doe that’s true but children are more likely to fall of at slower speeds and hit their head.
if only people would quit stealing them
@@JohnDoe-xc5kn but that's because Holland is completly flat and the US is not 😂
Those Shimano MT520 4 pot brakes (things are men't for E-mountain bikes, and mid to long travel MTB's)!!! legitimate downhill mountain bike stopping power. I just got a set for my Fuel EX. Super nice brakes but Id be scared to touch the levers riding that bike haha. Be careful riding home from the pub late at night, and grab a handful of front brake my dude! I guess the tiny rotors balance them out but still
4 pots for anything without suspension is overkill. Esp. those grabby deores with 0 modulation
Good to know
alright chief we know you like beer
hahahah
Have a Surly Ogre with a 24 pack rack, rear rack and attachment for a BOB trailer. Stripped its done several gravel races. With all the racks, several week long tours. Record beer haul, with the trailer, 4 cases.
Jonathan Benn as mentioned in other posts, these racks have been recalled for safety reasons.
Jonathan Benn . I’m a week into commuting on my new ogre. Love it!
I live where snow and ice are issues (along with salt on the roads). I went with an aluminum frame to avoid rust. Mudguards, internal gears, belt drive and dynamo are pretty important. I read some comments about roller brakes. I have never found them to be great stoppers. Hydraulic discs are the answer. I wouldn't see this setup for much off-roading, however.
I have to agree with you on roller/hub brakes, although they're better than cantilever and caliper brakes in wet conditions but the brake fade you get is horrible. I bought a disc braked bike a couple of years ago and I woundn't go back to calipers or hub brakes (and certainly not cantilevers).
Agreed, though I'm in a pretty salty area and I've had no problems keeping steel bikes in good shape. T-9 protects pretty completely. I have 8 Winters on a gas pipe frame with effectively no rust.
Recently built my commute experiment bike for winter, all the things I wanted to try: Steel Frame, Cable Disc brakes, Flat Bar, Internal Gear Hub, Dynamo, Belt Drive, 38mm 700c Schawlow Marathon tires, rear rack with pannier.
Compared to commuting on my road bike so far:
Love the belt drive - quiet!
IGH is fine so far
Still getting use to the flat bar, I keep cutting it down (now 28”, 710mm), added bar ends
Love the tires, more comfortable, no flats so far vs 1 flat per month on my road bike
Love the pannier getting the load off my back.
Hi! Where can i find the complete list of parts? Thankyou!
tip from a courier. ditch the bungies. reuse your old tubes.
Great build! Surly sure does make a nice frameset to build up a classy looking bike. I built a Pacer back in 2013 and still ride and love it today! It's been a great bike!
I've got a bike with a 90s Schwinn frame that I've been upgrading and adding to for decades. Started off as a mountain bike, used it as a road bike and now it's a commuter haha.
What a beauty! I'm inspired to get a front rack like that for my own bike! Thank you!
Apart from the tubes and hydraulics you basically built a Preamble a few years before it came out, this is a very cool video thanks for sharing :D.
I *love* my Straggler. Built with MTB components but drop bars, 1x10, 42t front, 11--40 in the back, with racks & mudguards.
Lovely build - the only 2 things i would have done differently would be 1) opting for Shimano GRX 2) the rack with base that had no holes so i could throw small stuff into it without having a bag.
Love it! It is not at all what I would go for, but seeing how it fits your needs perfectly, and looking great to boot I can't fault it, beautiful 🙂👍
Just a random build question - If you had the ability to choose whatever you wanted for a commuter why would you opt for a front rack before a rear pannier rack system? Seems to me that the only benefit would be you could easier accommodate wider/flatter loads like a pizza box w/ a 6 pack at the cost of steering, aero (not that important but it's there) and making the bike a little front heavy so might be slightly easier to endo if forced to emergency stop w/ those powerful brakes when loaded.
I've been running front loads on the Straggler for a few years now, and I really enjoy it. I came from a strong culture of rear panniers, and would always choose to put commuting gear on the front over a rear rack. I prefer the handling. Low trail isn't required for a stable front load (though it is nice).
I'm a fan of a 137 basket on mine. Great for taking shopping bags or unusual loads, and takes a waterproof bag (that's designed to fit) for all my commuting kit. The Porcelain Rocket bag is superb.
No endo issues either.
I`ve got the blue On-One Pompino V-2 with in-house branded wheelset, Miche track drivetrain, Shimano cantiveler brakes, Maxxis CX tires, Nitto 720mm bullmoose bar and oldschool Selle Italia Flite saddle. Perfect bike for everything. Sometimes I even think to sell my MTB and gravel bike, but I don`t do it just beacuse I need to have some spare bikes
Just fyi, Surly 24-pack racks have been recalled by QBP because they’re unsafe!!
Yes, you're right. Surly have put out a safety notice to say to remove the rack immediately until they come up with a fix to rectify the fault.
I don’t know why he didn’t just go with a Surly TV Tray on a Surly Front Rack.
I have done around 9000kms with my 24 pack rack with no issues. I am leaving mine on.
@@fishingwiththomas Thats like getting a recall notice for a car randomly catching on fire and saying "well I drove x amount of kms and it hasnt caught on fire yet so Ill just keep driving it". Sounds idiotic doesnt it?
Putting luggage on the steering wheel is nonsensical to being with. Put it in the rear like civilized people.
That is absolutely nothing like my dream city bike. I'd aim for maximum comfort, minimum maintenance.
So we'd start off with an upright seating position on a sprung faux leather saddle and rounded handlebars. A step through frame wouldn't go amiss.
We'd move on to weather proof internal hub gears and a full chain guard which protects myself as much as the bike. The brakes would also be internal drum brakes (roller brakes) to minimise maintenance and protect from weather. Speaking of weather, we'd have metal mudguards and maybe even a coat guard.
Tyres would have to be puncture resistant or altogether puncture proof so likely Marathon Plus with slime tubes or Tannus airless tyres. No city bike is complete without low maintenance lights which has to mean dynamo hub or e-bike battery powered lights.
If we're going the e-bike route, a mid drive high torque motor would be great as well as a 300-500Wh battery from a reputable brand. Finally, storage would be on front and rear racks and roll top weatherproof bags.
This bike wouldn't win any races but it'd be damn good for getting around a city without any fuss.
If anyone wants to see a bike like this, check out the Cortina E-U4 "ladies" version with roller brakes (there is a colour suitable for men). You would just need to add a coat guard (sold separately) and Tannus tyres.
There are a couple of important reasons to choose step through (or "ladies") versions. First, these bikes will last. They may even outlast you. You may find yourself needing to transport kids with it and good luck getting your leg over a men's version with a kid on the back. Second, God forbid, but the bike may be easier to use should you suffer a collision or permanent disability or share your bike with someone who has.
A lot of these "Dutch" e-bikes come with hydraulic rim brakes. This, in my opinion, is the single worst engineering decision for any bike. It will ruin your wheels by design and they'll need to be replaced. Go for drum brakes or hydraulic disc brakes (available on some Batavus bikes like the E-Go)
If you want British made and non electric, I'd look no further than the Pashley Roadster Sovereign.
Basically you're describing a Dutch bike. My Batavus has an upright position (?), fully enclosed chain, hub gears, rack, panniers, built in lock and a stand. I hate to admit it but most of my trips are done on this, it is so practical. However, I do have other bikes to play with, even some with engines!
@@ronwhite8503 I don't blame you. I'd do most of my personal trips on a Dutch bike. I already own three bikes - one folding for the car and public transport and two for my work as a food courier - so for now the closest I'm gonna get is the shared bike scheme where I live. But I'll definitely get one some day.
Wow, wasn't expecting some of the choices you've made that added lots of weight to it but we all have different tastes and needs. I ride a commuter hybrid bike on a very hilly city so I try to keep it as lightweight as I can (€€€) while maintaining an aluminium frame (instead of carbon) and I need to have light gears so I'm pretty limited on max speed (8 speed 11x32 cassete with 30x46 on the front) and I use 700c carbon wheels with 23 road tires. Basically a budget custom hybrid/city bike. Still weighs 9.5 kg but I'm pretty happy with it. I'm tempted to try a one by for the simplicity but I'd be even more limited on both speed and light gears :\
I have 7 speed 1X and it works great for me so long as you don't want to set a speed record down a steep hill
What are talking about that bike is still super light. Even an extra 10-15 lbs (4.5-7kg) will only be a few percent slower over a 100 miles. My rig is about 38lb (17kg) but I have a 60mm suspension fork and 47mm tires. The hills are awful and the roads are worse.
Watched that sick intro editing like 4 times before I even watched the video. That was next level.
ultimate town fixie, dynamo lights, disc front so no wearing out rims, bullhorns and a tt break because awesome. If there were airless tires that felt good then they'd be on there like a shot making the bike near maintenance free. you can always jump on and go, no reindexing gears, no charging lights
Very glad you choose surly, my dreambike would be based on a surly troll frame or a brooklyn machineworks. I prefer 26" for commuting. Then a rack is a must.
I like it when both headset cups are pressed simultaneously.
Like the bike and enjoyed the building and the crafting of the video, well done mate.
You can now join the, I love my Surly Straggler, group on Facebook! Welcome!
I rebuilt a 1995 Gary Fisher Montarre($700.oo retail). I bought it on CL for $200.oo. The bike was hardly used. I had it powder coated from the Navy blue to a medium purple. The headset is a Tange/Sekei. The brakes are Tectro frame mounted cantilever brakes. BIG improvement from the original angel wing design. Crankset is a Specialized Forged (bought used on Ebay). Rear wheel was fine but I had purchased a vintage Regina (Italy) solid body freewheel but came to see that the original was a cassette so after 5 years I wanted to put the Regina to good use so I had to buy a new wheel. Weinman double wall with a large body hub. Generic stuff but solid enough. Dimension Arc Bars on the original 120 or 150 mm stem. I replaced the original 42 teeth front ring with a Willow 46. Just using one ring up front times 7 on the Regina. Kept the original Sun Tour rear derailluer. . I ended up spending as much as the original retail price. I could have painted it myself for $20.oo but -I would have had to spray it outside in the FL heat. (I know -just an excuse). OK - I justified it as a birthday present. The bike can be classified as a gravel bike except for the narrow range 12 to 19 tooth gearing on the back. I have a 34 tooth ring to add to the front if I ever find some trails.
A cost summary would've been interesting!
roughly: frameset £700; wheels/tyres £450; deore brakes £100, rival £250 not sure about bar, discs or seat but I reckon a total of around £1600
Now that is an absolute beauty
Surly steel frame. Absolutely amazing platforms.
Heavy.
You built a really nice Hipster Gravel bike but as soon as you’re out of site it’s gonna get nicked! Also as a rider of both drop and flat (MTB) bars I think drops are more comfortable due to having so many hand positions 👍
My bar ends take issue with that argument. 😛
Such a professional production, really enjoyed...I make videos for fun and man, do I have a long to get to this point! Cheers, Robert
I'm going to purchase a commuter bike within the next couple months...either a Priority Continuum Onyx or Priority 600... Gates belt, hydraulic disc brake, front hub generator for the lights... either internal Navinci CRT rear hub or Pinion gears.... combined with fenders this will handle the crappy weather we can get in Northern NY near the Canadian border...I have 2 Surly's, a LHT and a Disc Trucker... Like them both.. thanks for the video...
Nice build, nice bike, nice video. Did you consider fenders? (Or don‘t you have rain in London? ;))
Pete is never wrong But what about the way to the drinking spot...? :)
haha we sure do - we filmed this back when the weather was a little better. Fenders are getting put on asap!
Can't say I've had a commuter bike dream!😂
I've bought myself a cheap out of fashion fitness-hybrid bike fitted with wide-ish tires. Aluminium frame and no discs, but the general idea is the same. Mounted some very sleek fenders, I think that's quite essential riding in my normal clothes. I do wish it had drop bars though.
I’ve been eyeing a surly straggler for a while interesting what you said about going for smaller wheels for tire clearance
Beautiful beer holding bicycle
i should buy the front rack like yours for my commuter bike. i need it especially in the summer.
Nice, looks like a top quality postmans bike
I think that for the city a mini velo is the perfect choice
The new Velo Orange mini velo looks pretty tasty.
That Surly is a nice bike
a bike to carry Beer what more could you want! haha
That is quite a beautiful little bike! Hope you’ve got a couple U-Locks to secure it!
great bike, but I mean you know better than me, mudguards should be mandatory around the UK even though they would ruin the sweet looks of this cool bike :D but keeping you and your frame nicely dry.
Thanks! We actually filmed this back when it was a little bit less wet! I'm getting them installed asap
Hey now a beautiful set of fenders could only add to the sweet looks in my opinion!
8:20 what a cut! talk about shrink it and pink it!
Do more of city bike please i will love to watch more of your videos🙆🏻♂️
Great work 👍🏼
Looks great ill see you on the London streets
Really awesome! I’m building up something for similar usage, a surly long haul trucker. I’m curious, did you face/chase your BB and head tube? Also, frame saver? I couldn’t quite tell from the looks of things, and maybe you left out that step when editing your footage. Thank you in advance.
What types of axles did you use? Are they just for security or do they add stiffness? I have constant problems running disc brakes with QR axles and am therefore hesitant to get a surly disc frame. Second question - Really short stem, yes? That doesn't make the reach too short, especially with the flat bars?
Very awesome video and very awesome bike build
Would love to build something just like that but i think i'd put my rack on the back rather than the front. that and narrower bars cause i'm a scrawnymun. and slicker tyres cause there be very little dirt 'round moye pahrts.
Yebbut, rear racks ain't trendy. And neither are mudguards!
Sorry, but it`s 2020 and rear racks and narrow risers are uncool.
What a great watch - makes me want to ride around Manhattan with beers !
Should have gone with an Enviolo hub and a gates belt drive. Changed up my bike and would never go back to gears. Ever. Also got ride of the "straight" bars and went with risers with some swept back too. Hat the DOT fluid in the Sharm brakes.
what size are those straggler? 52? and how tall is rupert? does he enjoyed the frame size pick? kinda struggling choosing straggler size, im 178cm tall, and shud i go for the 52 or 54? thanks before
I'm 181cm and ride a 58 with a 90mm stem and Salsa Cowbell bars. Fits me better than any bike I've had before.
Same question here, i'm 178cm, should i go with 52 or 54 straggler?
Nice bike. Nice video. (A tip of the hat to you.)
If there a parts list on this build anywhere? I would love to do some research and emulate it.
Thanks for this video! I watched it last year and have recently dug it out to reference it for a similar style Brother build I'm doing. The stem length in particular is causing me concern, I have noooo idea whether to go super short MTB stem or longer road style stem. I guess I'll start short and work longer if I need to!
Please buy a proper set of flush cutters for thos cable tie ends, so much better than leaving those razor sharp jags. Knipex if you are feeling flush or microsnip.
Paul Symons . Spot on! Even a nice sharp razor blade works perfectly for cutting them flush (it’s just slow). Once he slices his arm carrying that bike up some stairs, he’ll fix it ;)
Paul Symons yeah you can buy flush cutters online from RS components.
Love the rack, and i Love the bike build. I can attest too that Shimano has got some realyl buleltproof stuff. I run a full Deore set on my Full suspension MTB and since i Live with 3 state parks in my backyard, i opted for a bike that could be adapted to trails and street riding. Although I am running WTB A/T's. Also full Thule Pack and Pedal Rack, bags, trunk bag.
Quick question, if you're still monitoring comments on the video: The 56cm Straggler framesets were intended as 700c bikes - Have you had any issues with a 650x47 tire dropping the bottom bracket too low? (Pedal strike, etc?) I've built a very similar Straggler, but chose to go with 700x42 Gravelkings. Thank you.
I ran them on my 700C frame and found the drop fine around town and on flat trails. It's like a touring bike drop. Off road I did get more pedal strike.
Is the clearance still ultra tight on the rear for 650*47?
A custom build we did in store left barely a millimetre either side at the chainstays. But this was a ~2017 model year.
Matthew Jackson i’d like to know this as well. I know that surly offers 700c and 65OB options for the straggler but I wonder if those wheel options change the frame and it’s clearances. Maybe he’s got a 700c frame running 650Bs?! The rear clearance looks a little better in the vid
@@karaokeboyz6585 I'm in the same boat. I I have a 650b frame and am wondering if I can fit 47c on my 650b wheel and get it to fit for my build.
I posted a long comment explaining 700C Vs 650B frame clearance around the 47mm WTB tyre in another reply on this vid, but will just add that on both frames I get around 2-3mm on each side of my Byway tyres. They're on i23 KOM rims, setup tubeless. So tight but workable. With the 650B frame you can maximise clearance by setting the wheel a few mm back in the dropouts (not an option on the 700C as you'd need to move the wheel further forwards, not back, to put the tyre in the middle of the widest gap). I bought a 650B frame because it's got a shade more clearance with the wheel back, and doesn't look shit with mudguards fitted. Bike in vid looks 700C to me (check the gap under the fork crown).
If you really plan on traveling with it, that gear range won't be enough. I have 11/46x32 on my build and when the bike is loaded, it gets me up those 20% hills 😜
Hi awesome bike. Dream building a bike someday myself. I got a btwin triban 100 and ride in Mumbai. I would like to get suggestions for a compatible rack for a commuter road bike.
Nice bombproof build : )
Need the build list to this beautiful beast.
Do you have a build list? I absolutely love the bike you put together.
Noice! Needs full length fenders, you will wonder why you didn't have them before, and I went with the specialized pizza rack that goes with the bag, as is only 40 quid, and much prettier than the surly 8 and 24 packs.
I really like your approach to this bike (in spite of many comments). One question, thou, if you would have selected an aluminum frame instead of steel, what would that be?
Ze Aguero why would you want aluminum? Steel offers much better ride quality at a modest weight penalty.
Shawn, maybe ignorance. I’ve been riding bikes “formally” for almost 30 years. Im guessing steel from those years weren’t as good as now. My first bike was steel, maybe cheap one. Didn’t like that much. Second bike was aluminum, liked it better. Third bike was carbon. Fall in love with it, and actually still have it. I’m currently bike commuting to work. And for some time used the carbon road bike. Unfortunately roads in Costa Rica aren’t that good, so I’m using my mountain bike to avoid flats. Having said that, I’ve looking for options. A new carbon frame for bike commuting sounds a bit expensive, hence the question on the aluminum frame. As I have some parts around, wanted to build a new one and your built is similar to what I have in mind
Ze Aguero check out the All City Space Horse (steel) or the Bombtrack bikes (aluminum and steel). Other Surly options are great bikes too with bona fides.
Ze Aguero Salsa also make some very good bikes in aluminum, specifically the Fargo and Journeyman, in many different spec models to meet any budget. Quality steeds
Lovely build, how many hours labour would it normally take to build a bike like this? Thanks
hi, can you please tell me what is the parts to use for my commuter bike. it's cannondale road bike was before. thank you so much!!
Ah man, this is amazing. I’m saving to have something just like this built for me by Stayer, I like the surly and the all-city frames but I’m not a fan of the weight! I’m also thinking of having a 1x mtb groupset on there, but I’m not sure if the ratio will be any good for the city.
Look at the Kona Dew. They pair a 42 tooth chainring with 10-51 Deore 12 speed cassette.
Nice job. Your 1x has an 11speed cassette 12-36. That's a lot of gears over a small range. Don't you find yourself forever clicking searching for the perfect gear? Simplicity implies fewer choices. 10 speed Microsoft AdventX or Shimano Tiagra would both be simpler, cheaper (esp AdventX) and deliver the ride you seek. Just an idea. Thanks and well done.
Which model of sram shifter did you use? Thanks
Mostly golden stuff, i'd make a few changes though.
I would go with :
a dork disc
mechanical disk brakes
clincher setup
full fenders
bar ends and aero bars OR just a drop bar
bottle cages
I have a very similar build to my Straggler 🤘
For a London commuter bike I think I would have left the steering tube longer to give a more upright riding position.
Like your Surly build. Where did you source your parts from and what was the cost?
great build
Whats the frame size and how tall are you buddy ?
Thanks
Thanks! I'm size 56 frame, I'm 5'11 - Rupert
What axles did you use? They look like thru-axle in a QR frame or are they just a more secure option in terms of theft?
Total cost to build?
How much did this bike cost to build really wanna build on my self to get around nyc, any chance you have links to parts you got for ur build ?
Nice build, I'd love riding it in town (though I will be scared to leave it unattended). But I don't understand the gearing choice, why do you need such close ratios? You are not trying to maintain a specific cadance, you just want to move. And with 42/32 you will be sweating up on every hill.
Rupert: nice bike! This video sold me on a Surly Straggler. I'm building it now and was wondering if your frame was a 650b version or a 700c version. If you have a 650b frame can you fit a 650b wheel with a 47c tire? What do you run on your wheels?
The tyres in the video are 47mm WTB Byways. I've got two Stragglers, one 700C and one 650B, and have run the WTB Byway on both of them.
So I got this!
If you know you only want to run 650B wheels go with the 650B frame. The insides of the chain stays are shaped to allow more clearance around the rear wheel, and the position of that extra space has been chosen to give maximum clearance on a 41mm tyre.
So on a 700C frame the (taller) 47mm tyre is positioned slightly too far back to get maximum clearance with the wheel fully forward in the drop outs. So moving the wheel doesn't allow you to correct it. On the 650B frame it's slightly too far forward to get maximum clearance, but you can run the wheel a few mm back to position the fat part of the tyre exactly where you want it.
Both frames take the 47mm tyre okay though, and I found bottom bracket to ground clearance fine on both. If riding off road on 650B wheels, I'd suggest the 650B frame to reduce pedal strike.
If you want to fit mudguards I'd strongly recommend a 650B frame. 650B tyres on the 700C frame are further from the fork crown and chain and seat stay bridges than mudguard manufacturers expect, so you need to get a bit creative with how you attach the guards (or put up with big gaps between tyre and guard, which looks awful).
Wanting to run well fitting mudguards was the main reason I bought the 650B frame. I put some 58mm Velo Orange mudguards on. I had to cut away a couple of cm long pieces off the edges to get the rear guard to fit neatly behind the chain stay bridge (with a Dremel, but hacksaw and file would do too). They came out great, and there's just enough clearance (about a cm) for me to be able to ride mild muddy trails without getting rubbing. I've not tried a tyre with a lot of tread yet though, which might pick up more mud.
Judging by the gap between the front wheel and the fork crown, I'd say the bike in the video is the 700C model.
Nice color
Shoulda gone for the drops and racked the beers in back
In my opinion, lowriders or front racks keep the load better in check. I removed my Tubus Cosmo (950g) unless I have to carry really a lot. Otherwise, esp. when riding out of the saddle, the tail would wag the dog.
Not pretty, but in town worth its weight: a bike stand.
Great build🤟✌️
Cruiser handle bar would be awesome for that, and suspension seatpost.
I run my 24 pack rack with a wald basket and a roll top bag on my ECR. You haven't gone dyno lights?
That’s actually a very nice bike!
what are you using that rack for again?