5,000 miles on the Trucker
Thursday, October 28th, 2010Last week, I crossed the 5,000 mile threshold on my Surly Long Haul Trucker, which I bought back in August of 2008. It’s staggering to think of all the places this bicycle has taken me in the last two years or so. In fact, it has opened up new riding possibilities for me, in terms of mixed terrain (which I’ve done a lot) and loaded riding (which I still haven’t done much). It has also been my commuting bike for most of this year.
I am still very happy with the Trucker. It’s versatile, and a joy to ride. My only real complaint is that it’s not fast; particularly, it can be a real dog when climbing. I haven’t done a lot of rides with a full load, but it’s nice that the capability is there. Frankly though this bicycle is overkill for how I use it. A cyclocross bike would work just as well, or better. Then again I’m not exactly fretting over having a bike that’s sturdier than I need.
Perhaps somewhat enigmatically, even though the Trucker is slower and requires more effort on hills, the extra carrying capacity and smooth ride/forgiving geometry make it a great bike for all-day rides, especially in remote areas with no services. Since this is a situation I find myself in often, it comes in handy.
After 5,000 miles, the bike is getting to a point where it needs some work, and there are some improvements I would like to make. Money is tight right now, so most of that will have to wait. But, at the very least, I need to get the bike ready for winter. I intend to commute on it this winter as much as possible. That will mean buying some studded tires that will fit (I have some, but they’re 26″ and I have a 700c Trucker). I’ll also likely need better lights, since my commute is longer than before and I’ll be riding more of it in the dark.
Part of me is looking forward to winter riding, and part of me is dreading it. It can be a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot harder, and dealing with layers can get complicated, and it’s just an entirely different kind of riding. But, every year I seem to get a little better at winter riding; hopefully that will hold true this year as well. I think the Trucker will make an excellent winter commuter. We’ll see!
Fun fact: I’m still using one of the original Continental Contact tires that came with the bike!