Just Riding Along... Troll complete!

Finally, after about a year of debating, pondering, comparing, and lusting, the Surly Troll is now complete. This has been a long process, but I am very excited and satisfied with the big decision to pull the trigger on this amazing frame. After first seeing a few years ago, (here) then came the rather annoying comparisons, (here and here) the Troll is now complete and I am done with bike building for a while. That said, here are a few pictures:

Pacer decals in black, on the Ford blue powdercoat.

Drivetrain.

Just a few quick pictures from today. Not much time to take a ride this evening, just a quick spin around the block. Who knows when the trails around here will finally dry out (or freeze) so I can test this beast out in the woods. Hope to get some real saddle time in this week.

Plans for the Troll already. Once the rear rack I am wanting comes back into stock, I will be able to hit the road on some off road overnight trips. I am also thinking about some sort of frame bag, maybe just a partial, to increase my carrying capabilities. Another purchase that will happen probably next week will be a set of road tires for commuting purposes. Still on the fence as to what model, but I am sure they will be big. That's how the Troll rolls right?

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... Surly Troll part 3.

Quick update on the Troll. After powdercoating, I took the frame down to my local shop, Bishop's Bicycles, to have the frame treated with framesaver and also to have the headset installed. Picked it up this evening, and started adding parts to make the bike more complete. Here are a few pictures for a tease:

Chris King Headset.

Brooks saddle looks at home.

Avid BB5 disc brakes in the interesting dropout.

More parts being added, more parts being ordered, hope to have everything finished this week! This bike is starting to look like a tractor!

Just keep spinning...

Just Riding Along... Surly Troll part 2 cont.

A couple teaser shots from today, just mocking up some things before other work is done...

Maxxis Ardent 26x2.6 fit, just barely, with the axle pushed all the way forward.

Mocked up, no headset installed as of yet. Checking the fit of the Salsa Down Under rack.

I am beyond excited about this build, slowly but surely coming together.

Just keep spinning...

New bike thoughts...

So on my last post, I talked a bit about dissembling my HaroX cargo bike, and moving the parts to a new frame. What frame you might ask? This guy:

Surly Troll

That's right, a Surly Troll. If you have read this blog before, you know that I am a big fan of Surly's products. As for the Troll, this is no exception. I was contemplating the Troll when it came out over a year ago, check here and here. It is an amazing frame with lots of options, and most of all, versatility. I will still be able to haul my daughter around, using the free trailer that I picked up this summer. So here is the plan:

Once the new frame is in I plan on taking it over to my father's motorcycle shop to make some changes. First, the rim brake bosses are going to be cut off. I never plan on using them, it will make the bike look cleaner, and it will slightly increase my tire clearance. After that is done, it will be powdercoated. Not going to reveal the color choice just yet, I will keep that a surprise. Once I get the frame back, it will be parts swap time, and time to add some recently acquired purchases. Parts will look something like this:

-Sun Singletrack wheelset
-SRAM X7 shifters
-SRAM X9 rear derailleur
-Shimano LX front
-Avid BB5 disc brakes
-Avid FR5 levers
-On One Mary handlebars
-Salsa stem
-Truvativ FireX crankset and BB
-Shimano XTR pedals

And the new purchases:

Chris King headset

Brooks B17 narrow

Maxxis Ardent 26x2.6 x2

That should round it out. I am really pumped to be building this up. But the question now is: Should I order the frame now, or wait til March when the newer frame starts hitting the shops, with an extra bottle mount on the downtube and the extra mounts on the fork legs? What's a couple more months?

Coming soon...

Troll picture from Surly's site
Other three pics from Google Images