Advice on Surly LHT touring frame

[tommo123]

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum and relatively new to cycling in general but I was wondering if I could ask some advice:

I'm thinking about building up a touring bike for expeditions starting at the end of the year/next year and am currently looking for a frame. From what I have read in various places, the Surly LHT looks to be a great basis from which to work. I was wondering what your thoughts are on the frame and if the 26in or 700c version is better for the long run? I have seen this frame advertised on ebay and it seems to be a good price and good condition - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Surly-Long-Ha ... 4167b6fbf6. I have emailed the seller and they said that my height (5'9) is suitable for the size of the frame (54cm) - what do you guys reckon?

Cheers

Tom

[rualexander]

Starting bid price seems rather high given that you can get a brand new LHT frame and forks for ￡340 including postage.

[tommo123]

Yeah thats what I was thinking but its still £50 cheaper

[ossie]

Worth a visit here

https://groups.google.com/group/surlylht

[rualexander]

Yeah thats what I was thinking but its still £50 cheaper

Only ￡40 cheaper if you take the postage into account and that assumes you get it at the starting price.
Buy it new from a reputable dealer and you get a warranty, and maybe even the opportunity to exchange it if you decide the size isn't right?

[DougieB]

I'm about 5' 11", and use a 58 cm LHT. 54 cm sounds a tad too wee, but overall height is not really the deciding factor. Surly's are a bit of a nightmare to size properly, as they are really difficult to try out. where are you, someone nearby may have a LHT you could try out. also have a search on the Surly website (I think the area is called spew), as they have a good explanation of how to get the right sized Surly.

the other thing I'd raise, if you're new-ish to cycling, is do you know how much a home-build costs ? it's certainly a great thing to do, you learn a lot about bikes. but the costs rack up fairly quickly, unless you make some well informed component choices (which you can get lots of help with on here).

the LHT really is a great tourer. I think you'd be better off (financially) buying a new complete bike, or a complete second hand if you can find one. Unless, of course, you want to change the gearing/shifters/wheels.

you also mention expeditions rather than touring. if you are thinking of off-roading then you might want to look at an alternative to the LHT, as the low BB can be a pain. I've only ever really got annoyed by this on rocky off-road trails though.

I'd only buy that ebay frame if I knew the size was right.

cheers

[style over speed]

I'm about 5' 11", and use a 58 cm LHT. 54 cm sounds a tad too wee, but overall height is not really the deciding factor. Surly's are a bit of a nightmare to size properly, as they are really difficult to try out. where are you, someone nearby may have a LHT you could try out. also have a search on the Surly website (I think the area is called spew), as they have a good explanation of how to get the right sized Surly.

the other thing I'd raise, if you're new-ish to cycling, is do you know how much a home-build costs ? it's certainly a great thing to do, you learn a lot about bikes. but the costs rack up fairly quickly, unless you make some well informed component choices (which you can get lots of help with on here).

the LHT really is a great tourer. I think you'd be better off (financially) buying a new complete bike, or a complete second hand if you can find one. Unless, of course, you want to change the gearing/shifters/wheels.

you also mention expeditions rather than touring. if you are thinking of off-roading then you might want to look at an alternative to the LHT, as the low BB can be a pain. I've only ever really got annoyed by this on rocky off-road trails though.

I'd only buy that ebay frame if I knew the size was right.

cheers

I'm 5'10" and have the 52cm size with 26" wheel one, its super comfy. a bigger frame gets you a more stretched out position v smaller frame more upright ride

[tommo123]

Thanks for the excellent advice guys, you've been a real help. I'll keep you updated with any progress

[mcallaghan]

I'm 5'10" and went with a 56cm sized frame. Also went with the 700c sized wheels. I'll be in the UK in the middle of August on my first tour on the LHT

[simonhill]

5' 10" got a 54 cm, 26" wheels, straight bars, seems fine. Anything bigger would start conmpromising my standover. I want to be able to get off with my privates intact!

Worth doing a search of this forum and the technical one for 'LHT' as lots written about them re sizing, components, etc.

[jjpeterberger]

My wife and I bought new LHTs earlier this year. I was surprised that we each had to go one size smaller than our other road bikes to find a match. However, the bikes fit wonderfully and we'll arrive in the UK later this week to start a 3 week tour of Wales. I'm 5'9" and typically ride a 56 cm c-c Trek from the mid-80's. I ended up with the 54 cm LHT. My wife is 5'6" and got the 54 cm. Since I wanted to keep both bikes as similar as possible to minimize spares needed on the road, we opted for the 26 inch versions as well.

Good luck and maybe we'll see you down the road,
Jay