The Agonizing Search For The Perfect Bike

After researching nearly every single touring bike manufacturer that the Adventure Cycling Association's 2011 Touring Bike Buying Guide listed, which mind you, is easily 40+ companies, I figured out that only two companies made bikes in my midget-y size of 46cm, in my price range, and with all the features I wanted (steel, disc brakes, 3 connections for water bottle holders, spoke holder, and runs 26" wheels), and only one of those offered a complete bike, which is always cheaper than going custom.  In some ways, this is better.  I love bikes.  Having to put together and build the bike I will be riding for a year or longer is an agonizing decision.  Having fewer choices makes it easier in many ways.

So basically, I had to make a choice between the oh-so-classic Surly Long Haul Trucker (with disc versus cantilever brakes) or the Surly Troll (which could run either or both, but which didn't offer some of the other features).  So I wandered into my local bike shop to chat up some of the mechanics, who love building dream bikes and about 2 hours later, a half dozen jokes about throwing in the $1000 Rohloff hub or a dynohub, had figured out that I should get the Surly Long Haul Trucker with a few upgrades of the stock components to make it bombproof. 

The value of bike geeks excited about helping you build a bike cannot be underestimated.  I learned which things I should upgrade, like the headset, front deraullier, seatpost, and saddle (which I already own), which things can wait, like holding off on replacing the handlebars to see how I like the stock ones, and why its better to go with the Tubus racks instead of the ones Surly designed for the Trucker.  I also learned why its okay to go with mechanical disc brakes instead of cantilever brakes after having offsetting concerns about braking power versus fixability on the road.  Carrying an extra disc and extra disc brake pads weighs very little and I'll appreciate all the braking power I can get in the rain or screaming down the Andes.

Approximate delivery time, mid-March... need to do the following before bike comes:

• Go back to bike shop and wax philosophic about fenders and which Tubus racks to order
• Pull SPDs off full suspension mountain bike and replace with older SPDs, use nice ones for touring bike or consider Ergon pedals