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American Steel May Be King: Surly Disc Trucker Proves It With Workhorse Design

You may not realize it, but we usually read the comment section. That said, I've found a bike that's not only affordable but can be transformed into one mean machine aimed at touring: the Disc Trucker.
Disc Trucker Chromoly Bike 12 photos
Photo: Surly Bikes
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Folks, the machine you have before you is from a crew dubbed Surly, an American biking manufacturer from Bloomington, Minnesota. However, what makes them really special is that they continue to build bikes using an age-old material, steel.

In Surly's case, that steel is 4130 Chromoly, the same stuff used in motorsports and aerospace development. The machines this crew manufactures are built with this material for tubing, and Disc Trucker is no different.

Surly mentions that they aimed to build a "best-riding and most value-packed drop-bar touring bike out there." Whether that's true remains difficult to prove, but since I've started researching this crew and their builds, it's mostly good to excellent news.

By now, you've understood that the frame and fork are completed using the metal mentioned above. Because of this, it can take all sorts of abuse and stress.

Disc Trucker Chromoly Bike
Photo: Surly Bikes
With that in mind, take a close look at the frame and its tubing and notice how thin those tubes are, like the classic bikes most of us grew up with. Well, with a bit of modern tech, Trucker takes this frame and adds numerous mounting points to transform the bike into something else entirely.

To get an idea of what I mean, I've added an image in the gallery with a young lady riding a Trucker that's so packed with racks and cargo bags that it almost looks as if she's riding a motorcycle-sized vehicle. Oh, and it's not even loaded to the brim. It looks like a handlebar bag, and another cargo bag on the front rack can be added.

The image doesn't include things like tube-mounted tool kits or meal bags. I think you can understand just how far you can go with this machine; your legs may give out long before the bike does.

This brings us to the next point on the list, the drivetrain. The bike itself, with components and all, is priced at just 2,000 USD (1,762 EUR at current exchange rates). Aside from the cost-effective steel, the bike features a Shimano Alivio drivetrain.

Not being familiar with this drivetrain from the famed manufacturer, I found that it's a rather budget option. However, swap it out with your favorite drivetrain if you don't like it. All that's tuned to 3x9 speeds.

Disc Trucker Chromoly Bike Frame
Photo: Surly Bikes
To control this "power," Surly continues with Shimano and adds Sora brake levers with TRP Spyre C rotors with 160 mm (6.3 in) diameter. While a lot of Surly bikes include rim brakes with classic rubber pads, Trucker is equipped with disc brakes because of the loads it'll be carrying; you'll need the stopping power.

A pair of Alex Adventurer 2 rims will be holding onto proprietary Surly ExtraTerrestrial tires with 700x41 dimensions. This last feature is also one that could very well allow you to enjoy riding during the colder months as well. Why not? You already have mounts for things like fenders to keep things clean.

While the manufacturer doesn't say anything about weight, I was able to find out that it'll weigh anywhere from 28 lbs (12 kg) and up, depending on if there are racks and fenders mounted. Usually, it tops off at 32 lbs (14.5 kg). If you start to mess with components, you may tweak those parameters.

I'm not saying that this bike will end up being the very last one that you'll ever buy, but a lot of Surly customers do feel that way. Personally, I was looking for an affordable bike that looks like it can go the distance (not so sure about that drivetrain), and if anything were to happen to it, I wouldn't feel bad about it. A sort of take it, ride it, smash it, and pick it up again, kind of bike.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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