The Surly ECR is one of those bikes that is up there in my favourite of all bikepacking and touring bikes! A plus tire off-road touring bike designed for routes with way less pavement and a lot more trail. Surly is renowned for touring bikes and they have quiet the selection in this category of bike. If you want the break down to see which off-road touring bike might be best for you. Check out the “Surly Troll vs Ogre vs ECR | Surly’s Off-Road Touring Bikes Compared” blog article.
If you went over and read that article I came to the conclusion personally while compared all these bikes that the ECR just offers a all around better bike for exploring and this is what we are all about here at Cycle Travel Overload.
You get better quality components on this bike compared to the other Surly Off-Road Touring bikes and it comes with 27.5+ tires from sizes (XS to Medium) and a 29+ from sizes (Medium to XL). It features the 1×12 gravel/bikepacking style gearing with SRAM NX Eagle groupset that has 30T at the front and 11-50T cassette at the back. Plus that Norwegian Cheese Brown tone looks really nice!
This gearing allows for better climbing abilities on the steeper stuff. Making it the go to for when you face more technical sections that might also be steep. The granny gear on this bike is great for the steep section and if you cannot climb in the lowest then you should just walk but it does a fairly good job to keep you spinning up hill.
This is Surly’s Go-To Bikepacking Bike. You get all the options when it comes to bikepacking bags, adaptable to frame bags for the minimalist approach. While also having the options for racks and pannier bags to maximise gear-hauling potential. It is best suited when you plan to ride dirt roads and then hit some more gnarly technical stuff further down the road.
The frame is built from a Surly 4130 CroMoly steel, with ED coating, Double butted main triangle and TIG-Welded construction. Again featuring the Gnot-Boost rear spacing with Rohloff torque arm slot and Bill/Ted trailer mount. You get eyelets galore with so many mounting options on the forks and frame.
Surly ECR Weight
The ECR weighs in at around 32.7 lbs or 14.8 kg. It is a bike that is built like a tank so you will have no concerns or doubts for that matter when it comes to strength and the ability for this bike to stand up to some of the tough terrains you will be throwing its way. As a result this means that it is a heavier bike then something like a gravel/adventure bike, thanks to the tires and just being a bigger bike.
However having the stock Surly Knard 27.5×3.0″ tires this helps in softening the rough feel of the trail and dampens vibration even when riding over large rocks, roots and rough sections. Letting out some PSI and these tires just float over nicely some of the roughest trails.
Or you can put them up to 35 PSI and they still perform well on road. It does have that 4 wheel drive hum of the tire when you ride down pavement and the tires might slow you down and not be as fast as a smooth 45 mm gravel tire. But this is a “off-road touring bike” after all.
Getting a bike like this is probably not necessary if you only plan to ride light gravel and not very exciting or challenging off road routes. But it defiantly encourages more adventurous riding, as it is more then capable to tackle some of the more demanding off-road bikepacking routes.
If you are considering something like the ECR you want to really consider your bike fit. And make sure you get a size that fits you well. As bikes like this are slightly different in bike fit and geometry then something like a all-road bike. Testing out some sizes at your local bike shop might be an option before ordering online.
The ECR comes with Mechanical disc brakes, The Avid BB7, Centerline rotors. 180/160mm front & rear. Some have complained about these brakes not having the best stopping power compared to some other brakes. But they seem to be fine.
Surly ECR Handlebars
The Surly Moloko handlebars are one of the main reasons why this bike appeals to me! It offers a multitude of hand positions to keep you comfortable and in control over the course of a long day riding on varied terrain. And you get plenty of spots to mount your gadgets and accessories. One little thing to consider about this handlebar setup on the ECR is the grips. The Velo Lock-On grips seems a little hard and could be a little more comfortable.
It is one of those bars that offers a generous amount of back sweep for that on bike comfort. With a 34 degrees sweep angle. It has a zero rise, so something to consider but could be changed with a riser stem.
Some people have also mentioned that this bike has a 4 point connection and not a rear stay that forms a triangle, for strength. This if were some are guessing this would make the bike weaker in this area of the bike. But they found it to be surprisingly strong, however this does make it a bit difficult to remove the rear wheel.
Also one last thing to pick about this bike is the 1×100 QR fork. Seems so old school. I’m really digging the simplicity of thru-axles on my Kona Sutra LTD gravel bike, and “they say” thru-axles help create a stronger wheel. plus wider spacing.
Surly ECR Bikepacking
The ECR is popular when it comes to bikepacking. As you can see with the images below I just included them for some inspiration and ideas for what is possible. I love looking at others bikepacking setups for ideas.
You get some options for bike bags with the ECR as it is a off-road ‘touring bike’ a good starting point for bags would be micro panniers and bikepacking panniers. These are not your typical touring panniers. Smaller volume which means you take less gear then huge 20L panniers. As I can see weight being an issue if you want to keep the ride somewhat nimble on the trail.
Furthermore Surly have their own frame bags which suit the ECR’s geometry and shape.
Overall the Surly ECR is a very versatile bike, an absolute blast to abuse. It takes it and then some. it is easily one of Surly’s most adaptable frames to any terrain you choose. It is smooth and handles heavy loads. If you are planning some fun off-road bike tours this is the bike for you. It is priced at $1,900 over at Tree Fort Bikes.
Surly ECR
$1,900
Pros
- Supple on the rough stuff
- Many mounting options
- Strong and durable bike
- Quality components and gearing
- Can tackle some of the most demanding terrains
Cons
- On the heavy side
- Not the best disc brakes
- QR fork is not a thru-axle
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