FAQ | Surly Bikes

Product Options and Adjustments

Yes. Our hubs use widely available non-proprietary threaded axles. You can get a quick-release (hollow) axle to replace a solid axle on your Surly hub, or vice-versa. Ask at your bike shop. Tell them you need a 9x1mm thread pitch axle of the appropriate length for the front or a 10x1mm thread pitch axle of the appropriate length for the rear. The hardware (cones and whatnot) will swap over easy with the right tools and knowhow. Have a shop do it if you are not versed in this sort of behavior. If you know your way around a hub, get a 15mm and a 17mm cone wrench and you'll be in business. If you have an OLD hub of ours that is silver or black and says "1x1" on it, you have an old beast with a proprietary axle that cannot be replaced (because it is not made anymore.) You are screwed. If your hub is red and says "1x1" then it's off of our 11th anniversary 1x1 from a year or two back and they act just like our New Hubs, so the above paragraph about easily available axles applies.
Our rear rack will fit on a Pugsley/Moonlander, though it will sit slightly off-center due to the frame's offset design , and it sits a bit higher than normal since the mounts are part of the way up the seat stays rather than right at the dropouts like usual (this is to allow disc brake clearance). This is not something that will greatly affect the performance of the rack, but if you notice it try playing around with how you have your weight distributed on the rack until it feels "normal". Isn't that what we all want: To feel "normal?" Well, not all of us. Front racks are a whole other thing, and while it is possible to make many racks work, all require some sort of modification. What kinds of modifications, you ask? Google "front racks on Moonlander/Pugsleys" and see what turns up. The bottom line is that at this time the only 'unpack and mount' Moonlander/Pugsley front racks are custom made.
Nope, sorry. Surly Bikes is not a custom manufacturer. We cannot and will not entertain your wishes for custom geometries, custom brazed-on bits, different dropouts, forks from one model with a different model frame, changes to complete bike parts spec, or suggestions that we are incapable of change. We love you, but we don't do that stuff. There are a BUNCH of custom bicycle frame builders that we will be happy to recommend should this be your goal. However, we do offer a wide variety of frame sizes that accommodate most of the adult cyclist population.
No. However, getting a frame painted (or, rather, powder coated) locally after you've purchased it is a route you can take to color choice Nirvana. We sell decal kits for all of our models and they go right over top of the paint when you're done. It will look spectacular. Buy them first and send them with your frame if you're going to have a paint shop clear coat over the decals.
Not stock, no. Our bikes are sold as specified, no customization or changes. Your bike shop should be more than happy to work with you to make that shifter change or any others you'd like. This will of course cost you a little more dough.
Yes, they'll fit but remember that you won't be able to use rim brakes. Keep in mind using taller wheels raises your bottom bracket height, decreases stability, and adds greater potential for toe overlap. In short, it will change the ride characteristics of your frame. But we ain't your moms and we sure ain't gonna tell you not to do it. We encourage experimentation of all kinds, but do not specifically recommend this sort of behavior. Get it? 1x1 - sure, but clearance will be tight in the frame and older (80mm) forks Troll - yeah sure Big Dummy - only skinnies (700 x 25max) 26"LHT- you got no brakes!
No. Each LHT has geometry and braze-on/ brake boss mounts that are specific to the wheel size intended for the frame you purchase. So, if you buy an LHT 26", use 26" wheels. If you bought an LHT intended for use with 700c's, well then use a 700c wheelset. They are NOT interchangeable.
No! Don't do it. Really, just don't; It's unsafe. The wall thickness of our forks' steer tubes is too thin to thread safely, and as well as the inside diameter won't be right for your quill stem.
No we do not. We make a lot of cool zero-travel forks that can work for a lot of cool bikes, but the demand for a 1" threaded mountain fork is just not there to justify producing one. We recommend custom frame builders for this, or finding a bike shop with some old inventory of bits.
Hey, go nuts. Seriously, these are beefy steel steer tubes. Geek out, stack 'er all the way up if you like.
They are not the same hub shell spaced differently and are therefore not interchangeable: 120mm Surly New hubs: 42.5mm chainline 130mm Surly New hubs: 47.5mm chainline 135mm Surly New hubs: 53.5mm chainline (designed to run the ring on the outside tab of a 50mm chainline system, 50mm being the MTB standard) Where you place the ring on the crank (middle or outer position) and bottom bracket spindle length will affect your chainline, so eye it up.
No, probably not. The Fixxer works with Shimano brand Freehub bodies only - and even then some Shimano hubs will not work. Note that DuraAce 10 speed is a no go as is pre-97 DA. If you don't know what kind of freehub body your wheel has, please contact the wheel manufacturer for this information or Google it! This means that your hub must be a Shimano brand hub - not just any hub that works with Shimano-compatible cassettes. Cool? In fact, just read this, ok? https://surlybikes.com/blog/spew/spew_fixxer

Performance

We list maximum tire width recommendation for all our models. Find the frame you are wondering about here: https://surlybikes.com/bikes, click on frame highlights and then scroll towards the bottom of this page for that information. The max tire size on a Surly is generally larger than most bikes. This is because we love big tires - they mellow out life's harsh bits and they help increase the life of your frame, wheels, and components with their awesome passive suspension qualities. That said, we have not tried every tire on every frame. Some manufacturers' tires are a bit smaller than they claim, some are a bit larger, some measure overall tire width, others measure just the casing and don't factor in the extra width knobs add. As well, max tire size in the frame can vary depending on where in a horizontal or semi-horizontal dropout your wheel sits (run your wheel all the way forward with the biggest tire we list, and the tire may rub the stays. If we say a frame will fit up to a 45mm tire, that does not mean that EVERY 45mm tire will fit in any gear combo. So take some personal responsibility and use the absolute largest tire with some informed caution.
Your Surly New hubs use adjustable cartridge bearings (like many threadless headsets) so that the 'play' that develops as bearings wear may be adjusted out. This will allow longer life from the bearings assuming they are adjusted properly. They adjust like loose-ball hubs, in that they work on a cone and locknut system. If you know what that means, you may already know how to adjust them. Regardless, if you are not sure what you're doing we highly recommend taking them to a competent professional bicycle mechanic. If you think you might know how to do it but just have some questions, feel free to contact us. The long and short of it is this: make sure your Surly hub bearings are properly adjusted, and when they need adjusting have them adjusted by someone who knows what they're doing. Our New model hubs all use 7901 series adjustable sealed bearings. The black seal should always face outboard. Or if you want to take the guess work out of the equation try 6901 series non-adjustable bearings.
There are too many variables involved for us to supply a straight, hard numbers type answer. Rider weight, rack type, terrain, cargo weight distribution, and more all come into play. Very generally speaking, we feel comfortable with combined rider and cargo weight of up to about 300lbs/136kg. However, if you're 150lbs (68kg) you probably are not going to like the handling of a bike carrying 150lbs of stuff, so be reasonable. The Big Dummy can haul more because it is awesome. And our Trailer can haul about 300lbs give or take.
The Instigator: https://surlybikes.com/parts/instigator_fork. That is all.
Each type of chain slack reduction technology has its pros and cons. We prefer the mechanical simplicity of horizontal dropouts. We do this for a few reasons, but mainly because the interface between wheel and frame has no moving parts and no added complications. Eccentrics and sliding dropouts are more prone to issues like creaking and slipping. The biggest obstacle people find to using dropouts like ours is that they do take a step or two extra to remove a rear wheel. We're ok with that. Carry a 5mm hex wrench.
No, but you will most likely look more appealing to the opposite sex. Seriously, ask yourself this: is a Formula 1 race car slower than a John Deere tractor? The tractor has bigger wheels, shouldn't it go faster? The answer obviously is that it does not. "Speed" has a lot to do with gearing, the tire width and pressure, and a lot to do with the engine. And yes, couples have successfully toured together -one on a 26" wheel and the other on a 700c wheeled bicycle – without ending up 23 miles apart by the end of the day. Your mileage may vary.

Purchasing Information

You can acquire all of our bikes or framesets at nearly any bicycle shop in the U.S. who has an account with our sole U.S. distributor, Quality Bicycle Products. We have placed a Surly Dealer Locator on the Surly website in order to help you find a shop who really understands our products: https://surlybikes.com/dealers. Outside of the US, we have a network of country-specific distributors that can help you get what you need. Check here: https://www.surlybikes.com/distributors/
Your best bet is to visit a bike shop that can help you with fit. Failing that, we posted a basic fit chart here to help you establish a rule of thumb when looking at Surly bike sizing. Additionally we wrote about the whole thing in this article found elsewhere on our website: https://surlybikes.com/info_hole/spew/spew_bike_fit. You might also want to read this from the late bike tech guru Sheldon Brown: https://sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html. Or for the laziest of you: http://www.totalbike.com/service/frame_size.php (Make sure you are referencing your "cycling inseam" and not your pants inseam: Stand with your back against a wall, your bare feet 6" apart on a hard floor, looking straight ahead. Place a book or carpenter's square between your legs with one edge against the wall, and pull it up firmly into your crotch. Have a helper measure from the top edge of the book to the floor. (You can convert inches to centimeters by multiplying inches by 2.54.) Repeat two or three times, for consistency, and average the results to get your inseam length.
Think about it this way: Pacer - club rider, backpack commuter, gravel racer. The Pacer does not have as many braze-ons for mounting racks and bags as the others, plus the geometry is not designed with fully-loaded touring in mind, so while it will handle long distances well with lower weight cargo, heavier loads will affect it's handling and your heels are more likely to hit rear panniers on this model. Cross Check - light duty tourer, pannier commuter, and versatility for practically any build you dream up. Versatile as all get out, but somewhere between touring and "road" geometry. Long Haul Trucker- cross country tourer, heavy duty commuter, practically begs you to bring the kitchen sink. All the bells and whistles. Low BB and long stays make it good for racks and bags but not as good for technical off-road trails. Sure, there's a lot of cross-over between them in what they CAN do - they all make excellent commuters for example. They simply excel a bit more in one area or the other than the next.
RAL is a color code number system used by paint manufacturers. We can provide this code for most but not all of our colors. You can contact us at Derby@Surlybikes.com. Please provide the model of your Surly, its color, and the frame's serial number to aid us in your quest.
Your frame uses a 44mm head tube. This is a good thing because it allows you to use EITHER the 1 1/8” straight steer tube rigid fork supplied with the framesets listed above, OR a tapered steer tube suspension fork. “But how, dear Surly friends, is that possible?” I’ll tell you. Cane Creek initially supplied the individual parts for making this happen, and now they actually have a complete headset (two actually) that get the job done. Here’s how they’re described.
1. Cane Creek 40 ZS44/28.6 EC44/30 – This is the headset you want if you’re using a stock Surly straight steer tube fork. I’ll break it down. The 40 is the model designation. Cane Creek makes a 10 and a 110 and some others. The 40 is good solid stuff. The ZS44/28.6 is the top cap. The ZS means it’s a zero stack – or, that the bearing cup does not extend much past the top of the head tube. The 44/28 means it’s for a 44mm inner diameter head tube and a 28.6mm (1 1/8”) steer tube diameter – which is the measurement at the top of both straight and tapered steer tubes. The EC44/30 is the bottom cup. This designation means it’s an External Cup design (the bearing cup sits outside the head tube) for a 44mm head tube and a 30mm crown race seat. This is a special adapter crown race that allows the 1 1/8” steer tube fork to work with the big ol’ 44mm bearing and cup. The part number for this headset is HD2410 through our distributor and your bike shop.
2. Cane Creek 40 ZS44/28.6 EC44/40 – This is the headset you want if you are going to run a tapered steer tube fork – like the Rock Shox Bluto for example on the Wednesday or Ice Cream Truck, or another tapered steer tube fork like a carbon legged thing. It is, as you will notice from the description ALMOST exactly the same as the previous headset. The only difference is that last number - 40. It means that the crown race with this headset is for the larger 1.5” (40mm race seat) crown of a tapered steer tube fork. The part number for this headset is HD2411.
3. The part numbers for the crown races individually are HD7600 for using a rigid Surly 1 1/8” straight steer tube fork and HD7601 for using a tapered steer tube fork.
What it all means is that this headset will work with both setups with the proper crown race. Did you get a complete Karate Monkey Ops a few years back with the Fox suspension fork? All you’ll need is the adapter crown race (HD7600) from Cane Creek to run a rigid Surly fork. Did you get a Wednesday or Ice Cream Truck with a rigid fork and now you want to run a Bluto fork? Get the 1.5” crown race (HD7601) and you’ll be in business. Not only that, but you’ll be able to swap back and forth from springy fork to rigid with no changes to the headset – leave the appropriate crown race on the appropriate fork and they’re absolutely interchangeable.
Most of our products (including all frames and forks) are manufactured in Taiwan. There is a vast infrastructure there for the making of bicycle-related things, they do an incredible job (our warranty rate is well below 1%), and the people who we work with are our long term business partners and friends, so we have a vested interest in each others' welfare. We visit our manufacturers at least three times a year to check in, solve problems, and commune with each other in person. Also note that our frames are not built by some sort of robot, but rather by human hands belonging to experienced professionals.
This is a tough one. There are not tons of shops that carry these particular models on the sales floor. Time was, this was true of all of our bike models - in fact, we used to just sell framesets and finding those built into a bike was nigh impossible. Now, we have a pretty good smattering of bike shops that carry some of our bikes in stock. They tend to be the Long Haul Trucker touring bike, the Cross-check cyclocross bike, and the Steamroller. As time goes on, we'll have more that carry the weirder stuff, but for now, you may be buying sight unseen. I know this might make you a bit nervous, but a good bike shop can talk you down off of that ledge and get you the proper size. You can also rest easy knowing that literally thousands of humans have purchased our bikes or frames via special order from the bike shop - and lived happily ever after.
None of the major fender players currently offer a fender that completely covers a 3.7" or 3.8" tire. There are some folks who make wood fenders. they'll do a custom set for you for some number of dollars. These are cool. You can also DIY some fenders out of some corrugated plastic (look at your local craft or hobby shop) and some bits of fender hardware. Good luck. We believe in you.

Post-Purchase

No, we don't offer most of the stock parts that come on our complete bikes. These parts are sourced from the manufacturer directly and aren't usually available for purchase, but in most cases you can get something darn close or even better from your LBS.
There is no clearcoat on our frames. We do this for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it is one less step in the production process and saves you money. As well, if you're like us you may have reasons you don't want any identifying marks on your frame. For you, our decals are removable. If you want to remove the decals use a credit card or a plastic spoon or something else with a somewhat hard edge to flake the decals off. Don't use anything too hard, because you could gouge or scratch the paint. Use a hair dryer to soften the adhesive prior to poking at the decals with the credit card edge. Once the decal is removed, apply adhesive remover with a clean soft cloth to remove remaining adhesive. Finish with rubbing alcohol or multipurpose cleaner to make it look all pro. If you are alarmed by scratched decals you have basically three choices: One, pony up and have someone clearcoat the frame. Two, replace the scratched decals; we offer complete decal sets for all our models. Or three, cope. Scratched decals indicate that you use your bike and are not simply an anal-retentive poseur.
No. Our frames are powder coated, which is akin to glazing pottery in that a colored powder is applied to the metal and then baked at low temperature. So there's no real liquid involved. We use powder coat for several reasons: it is less expensive than wet paints, it produces a durable finish, and since it excludes many of the chemicals required for wet paint it is environmentally friendlier than wet paints. In our experience touch-up never really looks that good anyway. Most scratches do not significantly rust or corrode since they're on the outside of the frame, plus in our world scratches on your frame are a badge of honor, signifying that you actually use this thing. If you really feel the need to touch up scratches we recommend some model or automotive touchup paint, or even nail polish. We can supply the RAL color code for most of our stock colors if you need it.
Yes and no. When someone strips your frame and repaints it, we cannot be held liable if they botch the job. These things can be hard to determine and you do give up some of your ability to claim that we screwed up when the frame was made. However, if you have a re-painted frame that suffers from some malady weve seen before on our stock frames, we likely will not be ogres about the situation. Frankly, we have very few frame warranty situations. Have it painted at your own risk, but call us if something comes up. We'll talk about it.
We’re glad you asked. For the first 17 years or so of Surly, we just asked that you keep your original receipt for your bike. That will serve as proof of purchase and make it easy to get things going. But hey! What’s this? We actually have online registration now. Who knew? Deep within the Safety Page on the mighty Surly Website is a link for you to follow: https://surlybikes.com/warranty/register. We’ll keep your information in the sort of private way you’d want us to, and that will mean we have your serial number and other pertinent information on file. We might need that for a warranty, or to contact you if there’s a recall or some such. You might need it if your bike is lifted and you didn’t write down the proper digits. Everyone wins. So, get your mouse over there and fill that sucker out. Thanks.
Our frame warranty is 3 years from date of purchase. It applies to the original owner only and covers manufacturing defects only - not horseplay, racing, crashing, or other unauthorized tomfoolery.

Here is our Frame Warranty. Remember to keep your sales receipt to make things easier for you, your shop, and Surly.
No. Bicycling is inherently a little risky. Parts break, potholes come out of nowhere, and sometimes you forget that your bike is on the roof of your car. We've been there and we've wrecked that. We know that a Wednesday Night Ride will probably result in purchasing some new part or other to replace that doo-hicky that broke when we hit that tree. Don't look at the tree.
You need two rear 26" 17.5mm offset wheels. The stock fork is spaced for a 135mm hub; this allows you to have a backup wheel should you find yourself in the middle of the Sahara desert with a broken cassette. Many folks choose a single speed or fixed disc hub for this application. You will need an E-type Front Derailleur. This style of Derailleur mounts to the bottom bracket negating tire clearance issues associated with traditional ders. You will need to use two rear brake caliper adaptors (for stock frames with the curvy legged, 135mm fork). You need two rear brake calipers for your two rear wheels (some calipers are interchangeable front and rear and some are not). You will need a 100 bottom bracket and corresponding crankset. Because of the need for massive tire clearance at the chain stay junction we use a 100mm BB shell
You know that serial number on the underside of your bottom bracket? No?! Ok, so flip your bike over and take a look closely at the bottom bracket shell (the cylinder at the bottom of the frame around which your crank rotates). There will be a code stamped into the shell starting with the letter "M". Sometimes this stamp has a bunch of paint that has collected in it but look closely, it is there, I promise. The following number after the M signifies the last digit(s) of the production year of your frame. So, for instance, M2598144 was made in 2002, M8128666 was made in 2008 and M10034269 was made in 2010. Now write down the serial number and keep it somewhere you can find it in case your bike gets stolen. This might be the only identifiable mark on your frame if it comes back to you!