Today we’d like to introduce two Surly bikes.
The first is a Straggler.
We built it as an all-rounder to match the owner's vision of a bike primarily for commuting, but also capable of weekend touring and dirt rides.
The handlebars are SimWorks Calsaga Bars. While the complete bike comes with drop bars and STI levers, we opted for downtube shifters to give it a more relaxed feel.
For tires, we went with the Schwalbe Kojak 700-35c, which performs well for commuting. In the future, we’d love for the owner to equip it with Bruce Gordon Rock’n Road tires to enjoy some dirt touring.
Next up is the Pacer. While the Cross-Check certainly stands out as a multi-player, the Pacer is our recommendation for those seeking a partner that offers a bit more speed or the ability to go further.
There’s a lot of buzz about the 11-speed 105 hitting the market (don't worry, we'll have plenty in stock too), but my answer is that, at the end of the day, 10-speed is more than enough. (In fact, I don't even own an 11-speed groupset myself...) The owner was looking for an "adventure road" bike to use for commuting while also being capable of heading out on long weekend trips and tackling some gravel.
Since the owner liked the stock color, we accented it with brown to match the red. It’s easy to jump straight to a BROOKS saddle, but keeping the budget in mind, we chose the BLUE LUG-exclusive WTB Silverado. Whether or not you find this look a bit "unrefined" is up to you, but I think it’s pulled together very nicely. Above all, WTB saddles are incredibly comfortable.
Both bikes introduced today utilize their stock factory colors. At first glance, you might assume they were based on complete bike builds, but we actually selected the parts starting from the framesets. The key point is that we built them at a better value than the price of a complete bike.
When choosing a bicycle, if you have a clear image of "what you'll use it for" or "where you want to ride," you'll surely be able to find the perfect bike. However, sometimes there are things you just don't know until you ride, which leads people to choose complete bikes. There’s nothing wrong with buying a complete bike, but if there are certain parts where the stock spec fits your needs and others where it doesn't, it’s worth taking the time to face those choices and select each part one by one. That is exactly why Surly, a manufacturer we love, offers both complete bikes and framesets.
If you aren't sure about the technical details of components, please feel free to consult with us here at Circles. Each of our staff members would likely make different selections. Though the final bikes may look different, each one we build by pooling our wisdom to find the best fit for our customers serves as a testament to our approach at Circles.
If you start considering custom paint, the price can add up... but if you are already planning to spend as much as—or more than—a complete bike, or if you're just leaning toward a complete bike for convenience, doesn't this way of buying a bike sound like a dream? It sure gets us excited at the shop.