Overview
The Surly Disc Trucker, 26″, represents the next chapter in Surly’s legacy of road touring, evolving from the iconic Long Haul Trucker. Central to its design are the 26″ wheels, a global standard that promises not only durability but also a ride quality that’s both nimble and robust. When it comes to braking, the bike doesn’t compromise; its mechanical disc brakes deliver dependable and sturdy stopping power, regardless of the conditions you encounter.
The Surly Disc Trucker, 26″, is engineered specifically for long-distance touring, a true workhorse capable of carrying your food, water, and essentials through the most remote stretches. Every aspect of its design is infused with rugged reliability and day-after-day comfort, ensuring that your journey, be it through the arid expanses of the desert or the serene quietude of the woods, is as smooth as possible. Carefully organizing and loading up your gear on this bicycle becomes a prelude to adventures that span continents. With its focus on durability and comfort, the Disc Trucker turns each long-haul tour into an unforgettable experience.
Geometry & Ride Characteristics
The geometry of the Surly Disc Trucker, 26″, is designed with long-distance touring in mind. The head tube angle and shortened seat tube angle are optimized for stability and comfort, respectively, making it ideal for carrying heavy loads over extended periods and provide improved stand-over clearance. Its increased stack height promotes a more upright and comfortable riding position and also includes a longer wheelbase and chainstay length, contributing to its overall stability.
Riding the Surly Disc Trucker, 26″, offers a combination of comfort and durability, intended for long-distance touring. The bike’s geometry, combined with its CroMoly steel frame, offers a ride that absorbs road vibrations while maintaining lateral stiffness for efficient power transfer. This makes it well-suited for long-haul touring on a variety of terrains, from paved roads to gravel paths. The longer wheelbase and chainstay length provide stability, especially when the bike is loaded with touring gear. The bike’s design leans more towards touring, offering an upright and relaxed riding position, which not only provides better visibility but also reduces strain on the rider’s back and shoulders.
vs. the Surly Disc Trucker, 700c
The Surly Disc Trucker, 700c with its 700c tires, is priced similarly to the Surly Disc Trucker, 26″. While both bikes have comparable frames, the main distinctions lie in their wheels and tires as follows:
- Wheel Size
- Surly Disc Trucker, 700c: Can accommodate both 26” and 700c wheel diameters, depending on the frame size.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Primarily designed around the 26″ wheel size.
- Tires
- Surly Disc Trucker, 700c: Uses Surly ExtraTerrestrial 700 x 41 tires.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Uses Surly ExtraTerrestrial 26 x 46 tires for sizes 42–62cm.
vs. the Salsa Marrakesh Alivio
The Salsa Marrakesh Alivio and the Surly Disc Trucker, 26″, both feature durable steel frames designed for long-distance touring, but they differ in a few key aspects. The Marrakesh comes with both front and rear racks, providing immediate touring capability, while the Disc Trucker does not include racks. The Marrakesh uses MicroSHIFT bar-end shifters and Shimano Alivio components, whereas the Disc Trucker employs Shimano Sora shifters and a mix of Sora and Alivio components. Additionally, the Marrakesh features a triple butted CroMoly frame and fork, while the Surly opts for a 100% 4130 CroMoly steel frame and fork.
- Frame and Fork:
- Salsa Marrakesh Alivio: Features a Triple Butted CroMoly frame and a Marrakesh CroMoly Steel fork, emphasizing rugged durability and vibration absorption.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Built with a 100% Surly 4130 CroMoly steel frame and a lugged and brazed 4130 CroMoly fork, focusing on a balance of strength and ride comfort.
- Groupsets:
- Salsa Marrakesh Alivio: Equipped with Shimano Acera and Alivio components, ensuring reliable shifting and performance.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Features Shimano Sora and Alivio components, providing a dependable and smooth gear transitions.
- Wheel and Tire Options:
- Salsa Marrakesh Alivio: Uses durable Teravail Rampart 700c x 42 mm tires, which are tubeless-ready, offering puncture resistance on long tours.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Consistently uses 26-inch wheels across its frame sizes, paired with Surly ExtraTerrestrial tires, ensuring a uniform ride experience.
- Brakes:
- Salsa Marrakesh Alivio: Uses TRP Spyre-C brakes with 160 mm rotors, ensuring powerful stopping capability.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Equipped with TRP Spyre C brakes with 160mm rotors, providing reliable braking performance.
- Additional Features:
- Salsa Marrakesh Alivio: Comes with Salsa Down Under and Alternator racks, enhancing its touring capabilities.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Emphasizes its touring pedigree with features like the Surly Truckstop Bar, ensuring comfort on long rides.
vs. the Kona Sutra
The Kona Sutra, and the Surly Disc Trucker, 26″, both aim to offer a comfortable and stable ride for long-distance touring, but they differ in a few key features that affect ride feel. The Kona Sutra comes equipped with a Brooks B17 leather saddle and fenders, enhancing comfort and practicality right out of the box, while the Disc Trucker comes without these additions. The Sutra uses Shimano GRX components, known for their off-road capabilities, whereas the Disc Trucker uses a mix of Shimano Sora and Alivio, which are more road-oriented. Additionally, the Sutra features hydraulic disc brakes, offering more immediate stopping power compared to the mechanical disc brakes on the Disc Trucker.
- Frame and Fork:
- Kona Sutra: Features a Kona Cromoly Butted frame with a Kona Project Two Cromoly Disc Touring fork, emphasizing a combination of strength and flexibility.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Built with a 100% Surly 4130 CroMoly steel frame and a lugged and brazed 4130 CroMoly fork, focusing on durability and ride comfort tailored for touring.
- Groupsets:
- Kona Sutra: Equipped with Shimano GRX components, known for their reliability and smooth shifting, especially in touring conditions.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Features Shimano Sora and Alivio components, ensuring dependable gear transitions suitable for long-distance rides.
- Tires and Rims:
- Kona Sutra: Uses Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 700x40c tires, known for their durability and puncture resistance, paired with WTB ST i23 TCS 2.0 rims.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Consistently employs 26-inch wheels across its frame sizes, paired with Surly ExtraTerrestrial tires, ensuring a consistent and stable ride.
- Brakes:
- Kona Sutra: Features TRP HDC711C Mechanical/Hydraulic brakes with 160mm rotors, providing powerful and modulated stopping capability.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Equipped with TRP Spyre C brakes with 160mm rotors, ensuring reliable braking performance during tours.
- Additional Features:
- Kona Sutra: Comes with extras like fenders with mudflaps and a Tubus Tara Big Apple Front Rack, enhancing its utility for both touring and daily rides.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Emphasizes its touring pedigree with features like the Surly Truckstop Bar, ensuring comfort and practicality on extended journeys.
- Ride Feel:
- Kona Sutra: Offers a versatile ride feel suitable for both touring and urban commuting, with components like the Brooks B17 Leather saddle enhancing rider comfort.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Delivers a specialized touring experience, emphasizing stability and agility, especially when loaded with gear.
- Geometry:
- Kona Sutra: Designed with a geometry that balances between touring and daily commuting, ensuring comfort and agility in diverse settings.
- Surly Disc Trucker, 26″: Features a geometry tailored for long-distance touring, ensuring a harmonious balance between stability and agility across all frame sizes.
Features
Touring Geometry: The Surly Disc Trucker, 26″ offers a geometry specifically tailored for long-haul touring, setting it apart from other bikes in its price range that may be more generalized in design.
Reliable Disc Brakes: While many touring bikes still use rim brakes, the Surly Disc Trucker comes equipped with TRP Spyre C disc brakes with 160mm rotors, offering superior stopping power in all conditions.
Efficient Drivetrain: The bike’s drivetrain, which includes Shimano Sora and Alivio components, ensures smooth shifting and dependable performance throughout long journeys.
Bag, Rack and Fender Mounting Points
The Surly Disc Trucker, 26″ is equipped with the following mounting points to cater to all your gear-hauling needs:
Front Fork Mounts: There are multiple mounts on both sides of the front fork for water bottles, cargo cages, or front racks. (upper, lower, and mid-blade threaded)
Rear Rack Mounts: The rear of the bike has mounts for attaching a standard rear rack for panniers or other gear. (upper and lower threaded)
Down Tube Mounts: The down tube has mounts for a water bottle cage or for attaching additional gear.
Seat Tube Mounts: The seat tube also has mounts for a water bottle cage.
Fender Mounts: The bike has mounts for full coverage fenders, which are essential for wet weather riding.
Surly Disc Trucker, 26″ Featured in the Wild
Surly Disc Trucker Touring Bike: Legacy Review & Detailed Photos by Tom
Tom, an experienced world bike traveler, provides an in-depth review of the Surly Disc Trucker, emphasizing its adaptability for various touring applications. He describes the bike as striking a balance between utility and adaptability, ideal for both long-haul global tours and shorter mixed-terrain adventures. The Disc Trucker’s design is rooted in simplicity, durability, and offers ample room for customization. Tom notes, “Few bikes have quite the same ability to inject such a feeling of fun into the act of fully-loaded riding, and to do so with admirable effortlessness.” He recommends the bike for those valuing functional, versatile design and suggests consulting a touring bike specialist for sizing and customization.
The New 2021 Surly Disc Trucker: My Honest Thoughts – CyclingAbout.
The 2021 Surly Disc Trucker has undergone its first significant update in eight years. Alee Denham of CyclingAbout highlights the bike’s enhanced features, such as the 20-30mm taller frames, 12mm thru-axles, and user-friendly STI shifters. However, the bike has shifted from a Shimano 3X10 drivetrain to Shimano Alivio, which is a step down in the hierarchy. Denham mentions, “The frame geometry is as good as ever… But with more tyre clearance, a better spec and a lower price, the Kona Sutra is still my number one pick for the touring bikes in this category.”
Specs
Build Kit
The Surly Disc Trucker, 26″ features a versatile Shimano Sora 3×9 drivetrain, paired with Shimano Alivio components, ensuring smooth and reliable shifting. For braking, it employs TRP Spyre C brakes with 160mm rotors, offering consistent stopping power. The Surly Truckstop Bar and WTB Volt Sport saddle enhance rider comfort, while the Novatec hubs and Alex Adventurer 2 rims provide a stable and reliable wheelset. The bike is rounded off with Surly ExtraTerrestrial 26 x 46 tires, designed for durability and grip.
Frameset
- Frame: CroMoly steel
- Fork: Lugged and brazed 4130 CroMoly fork
- Seat Post Clamp: Surly Stainless 30.0
Components
- Headset: Cane Creek 40
- Brakes: Tektro HD-M275
- Brake Levers: Tektro HD-M275
- Rotors: Tektro 160/160mm
- Shifters: Shimano Deore M5100 Rapid Fire
- Stem: Promax, 31.8mm
- Handlebar: Surly Terminal Bar
- Grip/Tape: Velo Black
- Saddle: WTB Volt 142
- Seatpost: Promax, 27.2mm
Drivetrain
- Crankset: Shimano Deore M5100 32t
- Bottom Bracket: Shimano BSA
- Front Derailleur: N/A
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore M5100 Shadow Plus
- Cog or cogset: Shimano Deore CSM5100 11-51t
- Chain: KMC X11 EPT
Wheels
- Front Hub: Novatec 9×100 QR
- Rear Hub: Novatec 9×141 QR 11-spd
- Rims: WTB ST i21 TCS
- Tires: Surly Extraterrestrial 700×41, 60tpi Tubeless Ready
Frame Construction
The frame of the Surly Disc Trucker, 26″ is constructed from 100% Surly 4130 CroMoly steel, ensuring durability and a comfortable ride. The rear dropouts are vertical with a 135mm O.L.D., designed to accommodate a variety of wheel and axle sizes. The frame is compatible with 51mm disc calipers and is designed for a 160mm rotor. It comes with an array of braze-ons and extras, including upper bosses and dropout eyelets for racks, fender eyelets, pump peg, downtube lever bosses, and three sets of H2O cage bosses. The seatpost diameter is 27.2mm, and it uses a 30.0mm Surly stainless seatpost clamp. The headset is 1-1/8″ threadless, and the front derailleur clamp diameter is 28.6mm. The bottom bracket shell is 68mm wide, threaded standard English. The frame offers chainring clearance for a variety of setups and has tire clearance for up to 2.1″ on 26″ wheels. The fork is made of 4130 CroMoly, lugged and brazed, featuring a proprietary sloping crown with threaded eyelets and tapered, butted curved blades.
Geometry
| SIZE | 56cm | 58cm | 60cm | 62cm | 64cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 387.5 | 391 | 400 | 402 | 412.5 |
| Stack | 613 | 632 | 651.5 | 670.5 | 685 |
| Head Tube Angle | 72.0° | 72.0° | 72.0° | 72.0° | 72.0° |
| Head Tube Length | 175 | 195 | 215 | 235 | 250 |
| Seat Tube Length | 560 | 580 | 600 | 620 | 640 |
| BB Drop | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Wheelbase | 1051 | 1060 | 1075.5 | 1084 | 1090 |
| Chainstay Length | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 |
| Top Tube Length, Actual | 562.5 | 576 | 591 | 604.5 | 621 |
| Top Tube Length, Effective | 575 | 590 | 605 | 620 | 635 |
| Seat Tube Angle | 73.0° | 72.5° | 72.5° | 72.0° | 72.0° |
| Standover Height | 813 | 831 | 850 | 869 | 885 |
| Stem Length | 100 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 120 |
| Stem Angle | 6° | 6° | 6° | 6° | 6° |
| Handlebar Width | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 |
| Crank Length | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 |
| Fork Length | 390 | 390 | 390 | 390 | 390 |
| Fork Rake | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
Warranty
Register your purchase at Surly’s Warranty Registration.
LIMITED WARRANTY FOR THE SURLY DISC TRUCKER, 26″
This Surly product is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for three years from the date of retail purchase of the product, subject to the limitations detailed below. Save your dated receipt for proof of purchase.
This warranty does NOT cover the following:
- Damage due to improper assembly or follow-up maintenance or lack of skill, competence or experience of the user or assembler
- Products that have been modified, neglected, used in competition or for commercial purposes, misused or abused, involved in accidents or anything other than normal use
- Installation of components, parts or accessories not originally intended for or compatible with bicycle as sold
- Damage or deterioration to the paint, surface finish, aesthetics or appearance of the product
- Normal wear and tear
- Labor required to remove and/or refit and re-adjust the product within the bicycle assembly
This limited warranty is expressly limited to the repair or replacement of a defective product, at the option of Surly, and is the sole remedy of the warranty. This limited warranty applies only to the original purchaser of the Surly product and is not transferrable. This warranty applies only to products purchased through an authorized dealer or distributor. In no event shall Surly be liable for any loss, inconvenience or damage, whether direct, incidental, consequential, or otherwise resulting from breach of any express or implied warranty or condition, of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or otherwise with respect to our products except as set forth herein.
This limited warranty gives the consumer specific legal rights, and those rights and other rights may vary from place to place. This limited warranty does not affect your statutory rights.
TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, THESE WARRANTIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND THERE ARE NO OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS INCLUDING WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
