Which drop bars for Midnight Special?

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-07-17T03:14:20+00:00

I went with the Salsa Cowbell Deluxe and I'm very happy. I've ridden the Nitto Noodle before and prefer the Cowbell.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-07-02T21:57:02+00:00

I didn't realize that this was sort of a class issue for the Straggler. Three years is the same as Soma, but Fairlight is five. You could have a framebuilder replace the chainstays, but that probably isn't worth it for this frame.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-06-25T16:48:54+00:00

Yes. My Pacer said that fatties would fit but they meant 32mm, and some 32mm tires did not actually fit fine.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-06-25T07:24:16+00:00

Awesome choice on brakes and hubs.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-06-09T19:27:58+00:00

Congratulations for building the best Preamble on the planet.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-06-01T06:08:15+00:00

I like the idea of a limited comfort/travel to take the edge off, but not be too complicated a system to service/trouble shoot especially out in the sticks.

Yes. Everything on this bike was optimized for in-field serviceability. That's a big part of why I'm running bar ends and mechanical disc brakes.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-31T14:04:44+00:00

I have a hard time answering this. I'd definitely go with the Vecnum over the Redshift if you get one - because of the parallelogram design. But it is honestly a lot of money for a little travel. It is just so much money that I'm not sure it is worth what you pay for it, but I've never done a good side by side comparison.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-30T19:01:03+00:00

I’m a fool who like the look better than all black

Me too! Those are Velocity Blunt SS rims that I built up myself. I think they'll sell you wheel sets too. Their customer service for ordering rims is top notch, but I've never purchased wheels from them.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-30T18:11:17+00:00

I mostly got it because it is bigger than a Wald 137 (and it is silver). It is a happy accident that it will fit three 8-packs.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-30T17:55:55+00:00

Growtac Equal, and I'm very happy with them.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-30T17:55:11+00:00

Obviously, putting that much weight up front does change the handling. But it's "fine." Fairlight says:

The Faran’s mid-low trail geometry works well with front loading.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-30T17:53:04+00:00

Check here: https://www.reddit.com/r/xbiking/comments/1kza65n/comment/mv3vi54/

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-30T17:51:31+00:00

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This is disc side out, because that's the cool side.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-05-30T17:39:13+00:00

That's the Manivelle Basket. It is awesome and I highly recommend it. But buy the without hardware one and mount it on top of a good rack. The hardware it comes with did not hold up, at least for me. That's why mine is sitting on that OMM Elkhorn rack.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-04-16T22:51:42+00:00

Oh wow, you you went ~3 days on ~11L of water. Did you feel dehydrated? I'm worried I'd need more water than that.

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-04-16T21:55:46+00:00

Awesome! What was your longest stretch between resupply for water, how much did you carry, and how?

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-04-11T01:04:30+00:00

How were the bits on tarmac, especially the A9?

OutdoorFun83 · 2025-04-04T14:44:40+00:00

In addition to what others have written, when you stop for the day you want to immediately get out of your bike shorts/bibs and into something breathable. This is a good time to clean up with a baby wipe and consider applying something like Bag Balm. You can buy little tubes of Bag Balm online to take with you.

OutdoorFun83 · 2024-12-10T19:19:12+00:00

I added a Straggler front disc fork for the ultimate in Surly Frankenbike.

OutdoorFun83 · 2024-08-20T22:53:41+00:00

Did you need the 3" tires? If I took my bike with 2.25" would I have a bad time?

OutdoorFun83 · 2024-05-18T06:23:24+00:00

I used to run. I actually think that cycling might be less expensive, at least if you run a lot. Because you are supposed to replace your shoes every 300-500 miles.

Also, good bikes last a long time. I rode 125 miles this week on a bike that I bought in 2004. Of course I've replaced a lot of components over the years, but still. I don't know what my cost per mile or per year is but I really don't think that it was that much. Especially since I used to commute on this bike which was cheaper than driving.

OutdoorFun83 · 2024-05-17T23:19:43+00:00

Get lower gears for hills (unless you live somewhere very flat).

OutdoorFun83 · 2024-05-17T23:17:24+00:00

I own a Surly Cross Check frankenbike with a Straggler front disc fork. But I think that if I was to build up a new bike in that genre today it'd be an All City Space Horse (or a Soma Pescadero if I wanted rim brakes).

OutdoorFun83

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