reviewed by:
anonymousI can't say enough good things about this frame. Surly recently released a 2021 model of Disc Trucker that looks really cool, but I was unimpressed by some of the changes they made to the geometry, especially for shorter riders (I'm 5'2"). I also prefer the longer chainstays on this model- stability is more important to me when hauling cargo; the added spryness from shorter chainstays seems a little silly on a dedicated touring rig. Surly offers a very extensive range of sizes for many styles of bike, which is great for those of us on the extreme ends of things (tall riders will find some pretty big bikes available from Surly, but so will short riders like me!). I happen to be kind of between sizes, which is only disappointing because I'd like to swap in a suspension seatpost on my build, but I have to put the post pretty far down in the tube to accommodate my short stature on the 46cm XS bike- farther than most suspension posts with any decent travel will allow. I also considered the 42cm XXS model, but that would have reduced the stack & reach a bit too significantly for me, even though standover height would've improved (I do have adequate standover height on the 46, about 1"). I love that Surly has all the specs listed clearly on their site, even for older models that they're no longer producing. Makes it really easy to put together just the bike you need.
I was in the worst car wreck of my life pretty recently. Biked past a parked car at the worst possible moment...door opened into me from the side & fly-swatted me into oncoming traffic, where I was hit by another car travelling pretty darn fast. Absolute nightmare scenario. The paramedics who took me to the hospital were astounded that I was conscious & survived with minimal injuries other than a few broken bones in my right hand. Helmet definitely saved me. I was ready to cry when I saw my DT frame completely wrecked from the crash though. That thing handled so much intense riding, tough terrain, long-distance tours with lots of cargo & inclement weather it really felt like it would survive the apocalypse...but I suppose there are few things that can handle two back-to-back high-speed impacts with 5 ton blocks of metal. Don't think even Surly could rate their frames for that kinda abuse.
The frame was part of a custom rig I put together over the course of 2 years. It was my dream build for travelling, and I was really worried I wouldn't be able to find a replacement in my size or color now that Surly is producing a new model. For reasons stated above I'm honestly less interested in the 2021 design on the XS side of things, although it does come with more braze ons for mounting cargo cages & such, which is cool. The color was less important of course but I love the beautiful gray color this model of DT comes in. Fortunately Tree Fort Bikes had a few left in stock & once I placed the order it was here in just a few days. Huge shout out to Benjamin in customer support for helping me with some of my random & even silly questions when it came to ordering the frame & picking out some other replacement parts. Thanks for your patience with me. It was really appreciated. :)
Now that I'm able to hold a wrench again I can't wait to get to work on reassembling my noble steed. Thanks so much Tree Fort Bikes for helping me get back on two wheels!
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend Surly bikes & frames to anyone looking for a quality build that can handle just about anything. If you want to do some extreme off-roading check out the Pugsley or the Ogre. Want a do-everything bike? Check out the Troll or ECR. Want a do-most-things bike that's also amazing at dedicated long-distance touring? The Truckers won't disappoint. They also make longtail cargo bikes. And because they're all made outta ChroMoly steel they're ideal for heavy duty performance or even eBike conversions. For any kind of frame-up build, do your research on what style of frame you want but know you really can't go wrong with a Surly.
Tree Fort Bikes will continue to be one of the first places I look for specific new parts & components to outfit my bikes with (& other folks' bikes too, now that I'm doing some wrenching on the side). I always seem to find like 90% of what I need in stock here & their customer support is top-notch. They even match their competitors' prices? Of course I'm gonna look for parts here first! Who wouldn't?
TL;DR: Get a Surly. Shop Tree Fort Bikes. If you drive a car, pay attention to the road & do the friggin dutch reach when you open your door. You know if you're gonna kill somebody it should at least be on purpose. "I got an important text" really isn't gonna land well with family members or the person you just disabled. Be responsible.