Building a Surly LHT

[il padrone]

just a thought after skipping through the thread, but is it worthwhile having front shockies for long distance, especially if the tarmac is a bit bumpy?

My opinion?

No.

Suspension is nice, but sealed/gravel road riding is rarely rough enough to warrant it. And I have toured on some pretty rough fire-trails in the high country with rigid forks on my MTB. Sufficient to say that front shocks are of very limited effectiveness when carrying front panniers, by far the most balanced way to pack your gear on a bike. Suspension just makes it much more awkward to fit a front rack.

[Aushiker]

just a thought after skipping through the thread, but is it worthwhile having front shockies for long distance, especially if the tarmac is a bit bumpy?

I suspect the trade off is loss of energy on the long miles on good tarmac. Steel is pretty comfortable to ride by all accounts.

At the end of the day, I look at what experienced tourers are doing and it is hard to find tourers on bikes with suspension. Sure some are out there for sure and I use one for off-road touring, but steel frames are by far the first choice.

Andrew

[ajh_ausnzcf]

nice deal there.

Usually you only get a Rohloff hub for that. Someone lost a lot on that one.

[rustguard]

my shimano nexus hub weighs a ton. What is the weight difference between your igh and a cassette, hub, derailleurs, extra chain?

[il padrone]

my shimano nexus hub weighs a ton. What is the weight difference between your igh and a cassette, hub, derailleurs, extra chain?

A few measures of Rohloff weight compared to derailleur gear sets on this Singletrack discussion

Seems to be about 300-450g heavier

Having seen a friend of mine climbing a high country 4WD goat track, while I was off and walking, I can assure you that the weight is not necessarily a disadvantage. Easier slow speed gear shifting is a definite plus for rough country stuff.

[Nero]

I was (very) lucky, I found the add online on 'gumtree' adds in Sydney and bought it straight away. It was not a complete bargain. The frame is damaged where some idiot had way over tightened the kick stand and significantly dented the two bottom tubes - not an easy repair. Otherwise it has a whole load of brand name bits on it that are sturdy enough as far as I know: Deore cranks, LX brakes, Mavic A319 rims, cane creek head set and a couple of thorn bits.
First ride today: Rohloff was easy to get used to. All the foibles are well recorded - it can take a bit to shift at times, but then I've never had a twist grip shifter either. Very smooth and the even gaps alleviate one of my biggest gripes with my other bike. Oh...the Ortleib panniers and bar bag are fantastic and then some. So much better than my other set.
The frame is relaxed and soft riding, very easy to ride in fact. Does not change direction quickly and the front tyre scrubs a bit when tight turning.
My 24km one way commute was a 10 min slower, but then I pulled a groin muscle the night before chasing my children!
One downside: I am acutely aware that this bike originally cost $4300...there is no way I can afford to replace it, so I need a damn big lock and insurance!

[il padrone]

What brand bike is it?


(Please don't tell me it's a Baum!!)

[Caelum]

What brand bike is it?


(Please don't tell me it's a Baum!!)

Surly LHT with a speedhub.

[ajh_ausnzcf]

Here is another brand with a Rohloff. Luxury Toy

[rustguard]

Thanks for that link il padrone when the guy said "Picking up a rohloff wheel for the first time was a bit of an eye-opener." thats exactly how I felt when I picked up my nexus wheel. Anyway makes me feel much better about not being able to afford a rohloff. lol

[Nero]

Well three one way trips to work for a total of 75km now. One thing I have noticed is how quiet the speedhub is and how I seem to be pushing a higher gear. Now before anyone goes on about pedalling eff'y I will just note that I am comparing it to a FB MTB with a worn alivio groupset.
LHT is nice, stable and easy to ride. Softer in ride than my old mtb on slicks, does not feel nimble - but this is fine for a commuter. The ortleib handlebar bag is very very handy for food, phone and tools and placing it so high is much easier to get to then the below cross bar bag I made up. So all good so far, though I would like a set of bar ends that allow a more upright sitting position to ease my back a bit.

[kukamunga]

This 'Cross-Check'-like frame on eBay might be of interest.....

[ajh_ausnzcf]

Well three one way trips to work for a total of 75km now. One thing I have noticed is how quiet the speedhub is and how I seem to be pushing a higher gear. Now before anyone goes on about pedalling eff'y I will just note that I am comparing it to a FB MTB with a worn alivio groupset.
LHT is nice, stable and easy to ride. Softer in ride than my old mtb on slicks, does not feel nimble - but this is fine for a commuter. The ortleib handlebar bag is very very handy for food, phone and tools and placing it so high is much easier to get to then the below cross bar bag I made up. So all good so far, though I would like a set of bar ends that allow a more upright sitting position to ease my back a bit.

Rohloff recommends an oil change every 50000 kilometers.

[Aushiker]

This 'Cross-Check'-like frame on eBay might be of interest.....

Is this one of yours?

Andrew

[Nero]

http://sydney.gumtree.com.au/c-ViewAd?A ... =unchecked

[Aushiker]

link snipped ...

Needs more photos and details ... but the price is not bad assuming all else is okay. The $4500 figures sounds a bit over the top but then maybe not with the hub.

There was/is a 58 cm one in Victoria on the market, similar set up for $975. Apparently it has a cracked rear hub which the owner didn't mention in his advert so would tread carefully if anyone is interested.

Andrew

[il padrone]

Needs more photos and details ... but the price is not bad assuming all else is okay. The $4500 figures sounds a bit over the top but then maybe not with the hub.

Plus full set of Ortieb panniers, handlebar bag and large rackbag included - worth approx $800 retail in Australia

[Aushiker]

Needs more photos and details ... but the price is not bad assuming all else is okay. The $4500 figures sounds a bit over the top but then maybe not with the hub.

Plus full set of Ortieb panniers, handlebar bag and large rackbag included - worth approx $800 retail in Australia

But retail in Australia is really not that relevant when they can be brought for a lot less elsewhere .... the oldest trick in the book is over inflating the "value". Look at Torpedo 7 for example.

It also only "value" if you need all those extra components and can get the package at a good price given the condition of same.

Frankly to me the lack of additional photos, particularly close up critical areas photos along with the lack of details says a hell of lot more to me than $4500.

Andrew

[il padrone]

Actually that bike is a red hot buy if you are setting something up. $1500 gets you a full set of Ortliebs, a Rohloff hub and anything else you want to use - a bargain! Just sell the frame if it's too big and anything you don't want .

Frankly to me the lack of additional photos, particularly close up critical areas photos along with the lack of details says a hell of lot more to me than $4500.

Oh for sure, you'd need to ask for closer photos to fully check it out if you were going to consider buying. Retail in Aus is still a valid price comparison. But it is a bargain, even compared to os prices eg. those Ortliebs = approx $A600 bought on-line, if not more with current $A value.

[ajh_ausnzcf]

That's a top notch touring setup, only the fenders are missing. I'm wondering why a setup up like that is missing fenders. Someone lost a lot of money or has too much.

Those pronged stands are a pain on anything not hard and even, specially when your bike is loaded.

[il padrone]

Those pronged stands are a pain on anything not hard and even, specially when your bike is loaded.

You need a rear stay-mounted kickstand.



My wife's bike on the far left, my bike just across the road, next to the lady in black, and my daughter's bike on the right on the driveway entrance. All standing up quite happily, loaded and on less than hard surfaces.

They do work. Alloy Greenfield-brand kickstand, light and strong, with a wide stance that supports a loaded bike so well. I've had one and used it a lot, for the past 5 years. The guy at St Kilda Cycles told me it'd probably break after a year

[Nero]

I bought the bike (had it looked at by an acquaintance in Syd) and had it serviced two weeks ago. What can I say, it was in my price range (just) and my size (I'm 203cm tall) and it came with all I needed including tubus racks and some lights. The expensive scwalbe tyres are worn, more at the back, but again I've been advised not to worry about it - I am using it as a commuter.
The bike setup is 12 months old and the stand was not a good idea...it damaged the tubes - crushed them a bit. I've had them inspected and been advised to just keep using them. I could plate that area of the tube if required, but we'll see. The Rohloff will get an oil change and I'll have a go at reducing some of the slack in the cables to get a better shift.
I have been very impressed with the ortleibs, they are simply the easiest things to use.
BTW I was told that with the currency change the wholesale on a speedhub is now over $2000.

[Aushiker]

G'day

Gemini Tourer on eBay.

Andrew

[ajh_ausnzcf]

G'day

Gemini Tourer on eBay.

Andrew

The handle bars are radical.

[kukamunga]

G'day

Gemini Tourer on eBay.

Andrew

The handle bars are radical.

This would've originally been a traditional touring set up with drop bars and possibly barcon/barend shifters back in the late 80's. Possiby a similar bike to the Shogun Alpine GT, with a double butted chromoly frame.

The Gemini World Randonneur was the forerunner to the Mongoose Randonneur, and the current Vivente Randonneur, all designed by Noel McFarlane

Possibly a good buy for someone sub 170cm tall, if you can determine why it steers to the left and whether this can easily be fixed!

Those handlebars are probably fitted because this frame is too small for a six foot person....