The Surly Long Haul Trucker is build for reliability and strength to get you do where you need to go. It seems like it is the most ultimate touring bike. As it is marketed as a touring bike and offers many great features specifically for cycle touring. The Surly LHT is not only a great touring bike, but would suit for a commuter or even a weekend group ride bike with the ride custom build setup.

Ultimately it is designed for touring, and offers a smooth and comfortable ride with a relaxed geometry, bar-end shifters and it comes in at a fair price point. The steel frame is build to handle big loads with ease while still providing a stable riding experience.

One of the things that attracted me to Surly in the first place is the way they are perceived on the web through there quirkiness, that is noticed through their online persona on surly.com

So who are Surly? “We are an assortment of personalities and humanoids all brought together by one common interest: bike ‘nerdom’. We make serious steel bikes for people who don’t take themselves too seriously.”

I have had my Surly LHT for about two maybe three years now. I got mine second hand, as I love to pick up bargains and pocket the rest. Click HERE if you want to learn how to buy a used touring bike.

It was essentially the same as buying a Surly LHT frame set. As the bike that I got from Cash Converters was very average parts, apart from the frame. The parts were not appropriate for a bicycle touring adventure.

So over the years I have been building the bike into many variations. Not only to suit cycle touring and off-road bikepacking, but also to suit my personal preferences.

Adding many different, handlebars, cranksets, rear derailleur, wheel sets, and tyres. To be honest I am still fine tuning and figuring out the best possible bike build I can for my Surly. But where it currently is, it is a wonderful rig.

SURLY Long Haul Trucker Touring Bike – youtube.com

When the LHT is fully loaded for a tour, it rides like a dream. This is how it was intended to be used, perfect chain-stay distance, and overall geometry of the bike makes for a gentle and comfortable ride over bumps. The way a touring bike should be. Also the quality steel tubing that Surly prides themselves on is what truely makes this bike the ultimate touring machine.

Ever since getting the LHT I have not had the need to get another bike, it is so smooth and comfortable to ride. As I am not only using it for traditional cycle touring. I chucked on some fatty tyres and have been shredding up the dirt on some off-road touring and bikepacking adventures. And I dare say the Long Haul Trucker has held up very well and I am indeed impressed.

Great Things About The LHT

Some people suggest changing out the saddle for a Brooks. But it is comfortable enough even with the factory seat
The bulletproof 4130 steel, shock absorbing frame is solid and handles rough off-road riding very well.
The geometry of the LHT’s drop bars offer more riding positions. Resulting in improved overall endurance and power.
A fairly budget friendly touring bike option. Frameset : $500 or complete bike : $1,350
The gears offer a great range for climbing hills when fully loaded
Rim brakes (Long Haul Trucker) and disc brakes (Disc Trucker)
Bar-end shifters come standard
Wider tyre compatibility “Fatties Fit Fine”, allowing for some off-road experiences

Also works well with single tracks and bumpy, dirt roads.
Variety of gear ratios (26 – 32 t smallest) and (50 t at the biggest front)
Many eyelet mounting points for bike racks and mudguards

Surly Long Haul Trucker Sizing

Available in many sizes ranging from a 50.5 cm to 62 cm, which suits heights from 150 cm to 200 cm. Accommodating for a large range of people.

3 X water bottle storage space on the frame. Two in the centre and one underneath.
36 spoke wheels
It’s a “life time” bike! That works as the ultimate touring bike but also also great for commuting
Great geometry
Surly has one of the longest chainstays, perfect for bike control and manoeuvrability but also from preventing heel slap.
The LHT does not look flashy or expensive to potential thieves
Kickstand compatible with the Surly Kickstand Plate

Not So Great Things About The LHT

The brakes! They are not the best. The stock rim brakes that come with the LHT may need to be replaced. Or even just remove the stock brake pads as they are not the best in wet and steep conditions with a fully loaded setup. You may want to look into upgrading to some “Kool-stops” break pads, as a alternative. If you are worried about the brakes (which only some customers have mentioned that they are average.) It maybe a better option to look into the Surly Disc Trucker. Even look into getting v-brakes instead, I have them on my surly and they are so much better.
The handlebar, stem and saddle are all of average quality. But they can all be changed.

Keep These Things In Mind

The Surly LHT is made to bike tour
It must be fully loaded to completely enjoy! It is recommended to replace the stock saddle with that of a Brooks. And once broken in you are good to go
The Bar-end shifters may take a little while to get used to, just like any touring bike. But once a few days on the road, the shifters become very intuitive.
Make sure to do your research and test ride before you buy a bike. Touring bikes are all different and you need to find or even build one, that satisfies all your personal preferences.
Some customers of the LHT say that it is a “average climber”, however most, if not all touring bikes are. But this depends if you get a frameset and build it yourself. I was reading somewhere, that a Surly LHT owner was running a Ultegra lightweight build. With Open pro rims, GP4000 tyres and a SON 28 Klassic Dynamo Hub and they say “it’s not that slow ….. I often use it on weekend ‘fast’ rides instead of my Giant TCR”. So if you think the surly LHT is too slow it is recommended to buy a frameset and build it out with lightweight parts.
The bar-end shifters can be awkward if you are riding out of the saddle on a hill.
Also the cork mix handlebar tap stands up okay, but it is not the best.

Surly Long Haul Trucker vs Disc Trucker

Comparing the two options, in a nutshell my choice would be the LHT only cause I have one for myself. But not only that, if you intend to tour, the LHT should be your go to option. As the simpler the better for a tour. Rim brakes or V-brakes as more easily accessible and repairable all over the globe.

My Long Haul Trucker

I just got back from a bicycle tour in Europe riding along the UK Route 1 National Cycle Network. And the surly held up very well. Before this trip I changed the wheels to suit more off-road style of riding. As I have been on previous cycle tours with generic road touring tyres and have been exploring off-road, and I loved it. So this time I had to get off-road wilderness style tyres.

Surly Long Haul Trucker Frameset Black

Surly
LHT Frameset
$515 USD

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Surly Long Haul Trucker Frameset Grandpa’s Thermos

Surly
LHT Frameset
$525 USD

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Specifications

Build Kit

Frameset

Sizes	26″ wheel 42–62cm; 700c wheel 56–62cm
Frame	Surly Long Haul Trucker, 100% Surly 4130 CroMoly steel.
Fork	Surly Long Haul Trucker, 4130 CroMoly, lugged and brazed.
Seatpost Clamp	Surly Stainless, 30.0mm (Surly stainless included)

Components

Headset	Cane Creek 40, 1-1/8˝
Brakes	Tektro M730, silver
Brake Levers	Tektro RL520
Shifters	Microshift BS-T09, 9-speed shifter, friction/index adjustable; Black
Stem	Promax 31.8 4 bolt
Handlebar	Salsa Cowbell
Grip/Tape	Black Cork
Saddle	WTB Volt Sport
Seatpost	Promax 27.2 300L non-offset [42–50cm] offset [52–62cm]
Extras	Kickstand Plate

Drivetrain

Crankset	Shimano Sora Triple 50x39x30T 9 speed
Bottom Bracket	Shimano BSA
Front Derailleur	Shimano Sora R3030 9 speed
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Deore M592 9 speed SGS
Cog or Cassette	Shimano HG200-9, 11–36t
Chain	KMC X9 EPT

Wheels

Front Hub	Shimano T610 36h QR
Rear Hub	Shimano T610 36h QR
Rims (26″)	Alex DH19 36h
Rims (700c)	Alex DH19 36h
Tires (26″) 42–62cm	Surly ExtraTerrestrial 26×46
Tires (700c)	Surly ExtraTerrestrial 700×41

Geometry

700c

56cm(700c)	58cm(700c)	60cm(700c)	62cm(700c)
Reach	389.3	394.4	401.0	403.0
Stack	588.0	606.1	623.2	643.2
Head Tube Angle	72.0˚°	72.0˚°	72.0˚°	72.0˚°
Head Tube Length	152.0	171.0	189.0	210.0
Seat Tube Length	560.0	580.0	600.0	620.0
BB Drop	78.0	78.0	78.0	78.0
Wheelbase	1055.6	1066.7	1080.8	1085.3
Chainstay Length	460.0	460.0	460.0	460.0
Top Tube Length, Actual	564.5	580.2	594.8	603.9
Top Tube Length, Effective	570.0	586.0	600.0	610.0
Seat Tube Angle	73.0°	72.5°	72.5°	72.0°
Standover Height	811.9	829.8	847.8	866.5
Stem Length	100	110	120	120
Stem Angle	6°	6°	6°	6°
Handlebar Width	440	440	460	460
Crank Length	175	175	175	175
Fork Length	390.0	390.0	390.0	390.0
Fork Rake	45.0	45.0	45.0	45.0

Frame Spec

Frame Construction	4130 Chromoly, Natch tubing, double-butted main triangle, TIG welded, ED coated
Fork Construction	4130 Chromoly, Natch tubing, double-butted tapered fork blades, brazed lugs, ED coated
Rear Dropout Configuration	Vertical
Rear Hub Spacing	10 x 135mm
Front Hub Spacing	10 x 100mm
Rear Brake	Rim – Canti (removable posts)
Front Brake	Rim – Canti (removable posts)
Head Tube	Ø34mm
Steerer Tube	Ø28.6mm (1-1/8″)
Crown Race	Ø30mm (1-1/8″)
Stock Headset Upper (S.H.I.S.)	EC34/28.6
Stock Headset Lower (S.H.I.S.)	EC34/30
Seat Collar	Ø30mm
Seatpost	Ø27.2mm

Front Derailleur (Clamp)	Bottom-pull (Ø28.6mm)
Max Chainring (CL)^[3]	1x (Road): 44T2x (Road): 42/53T3x (Road): 38/52/56T
Bottom Bracket	68mm threaded (1.37″ x 24TPI)
Tire Clearance Frame ^[1]/[2]	26in: 26 x 2.1″ (w/ fenders)700c: 700c x 42mm (w/ fenders)700c: 700c x 45mm (w/o fenders)
Tire Clearance Fork ^[1]	26in: 26 x 2.0″ (with or without fenders)700c: 700c x 50mm (with or without fenders)700c: 29 x 2.0″ (with or without fenders)
Rigid Fork Spec	26in: 376 x 45mm700c: 390 x 45mm
Max Suspension Fork Length ^[4]	N/A
Bottle Mounts Frame	3 Standard
Bottle Mounts Fork	N/A
Rack Mounts Frame	Yes (upper and lower threaded)
Rack Mounts Fork	Yes (upper, lower, and mid-blade threaded)
Fender Mounts Frame	Yes
Fender Mounts Fork	Yes
Other Features	Chainstay mounted spoke holderSurly removable kickstand plate (included)Downtube mounted shifter bosses

Final Thoughts

Overall the Surly Long Haul Trucker is a beast of a bike. That is suited to bicycle touring, but not only that works well on off-road condition when built out to suit.

Built well with quality steel that is guaranteed to be a ‘lifetime’ bike that will get you and your gear to where you need to go.

I have had this bike for the last 2 or so years and can not speak anymore highly of it. It is a great bike that I will continue to expect to last the test of time and countless cycle travel adventures.