About The Book

In December of 2010, I (Darren Alff) traveled to Peru and spent the following five months exploring the cities, deserts, jungles and ancient sites of this friendly South American country.

With only a few words of Spanish in my vocabulary upon arrival in Peru, I managed to travel about the country, interact with the locals and capture (with my camera) a small speck of the beauty, color and culture that is so unique to the Peruvian nation.

Mystical Peru is a eBook containing a collection of my favorite photos from my travels in Peru. The images you will find in the book are of people, places, animals, food, vehicles and more! There is no story to the book – just photos! Page after page of photos from Peru.

What Areas Of Peru Are Featured In The Book?

Mystical Peru is a collection of photos from my travels in the Peruvian cities of Lima, Nazca, Arequipa, Puno, Cuzco, Puerto Maldonado, Ayacucho, Huancayo, Cerro de Pasco, Huaraz, Trujillo, Mancora, Chiclayo and places in between.

In the book you will see the mysterious Nazca Lines, the floating islands of Lake Titicaca and the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. You will also get to see the terraced farms of Colca Canyon, the jungle animals of Puerto Maldonado and the glacial mountains outside the city of Huaraz.

Here are some sample photos from inside the book:

Why Is The Ebook Free?

When I returned home from my travels in Peru, I had a hard drive filled with photos and no one to share them with. Rather than posting them online in a gallery that may or may not be seen, I decided to edit the pictures and arrange them together by location in this free eBook.

In other words,  I put this book together in order to give:

• Armchair travelers a chance to explore Peru without actually traveling there themselves.

• Those considering a trip to Peru the ability to see which parts of the country might be of most interest to them.

• Individuals who have already been to Peru an opportunity to reflect upon their own adventures in this beautiful South American country.

To download your very own copy of Mystical Peru for the whopping price of zero dollars and zero cents (in other words… FREE!), just click the download button below.

Mystical Peru is delivered instantly as an Adobe PDF file, so as long as you can view PDF documents on your computer, smart phone or tablet device, you should be able to view this eBook without any problems. You can download Adobe Reader for free through this link.

Please bear in mind that Mystical Peru is 158 pages long and nearly 37MB in size. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, it may take a few minutes for the download to complete. Please be patient!

Tell Your Friends & Family About This Book

If you know of anyone (a friend, family member or co-worker) who might be interested in this free photo book from Peru, please direct them to this page or share this article on your favorite social media website!

Let Me Know What You Think!

Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think of the book. Which is your favorite photo? Where in Peru do you want to travel to the most? Or leave a comment and tell me about your own adventures in Peru.

My new book, Stretching For Cyclists, is finally finished… and you can grab a copy this week only for the super low price of just $4.95 USD (or get it for FREE with your purchase of The Bicycle Traveler’s Blueprint (more details below)).

As someone who rides a bike, you probably know that you should be stretching your muscles on a regular basis. But I’m betting you either don’t stretch often enough, are unsure which muscle groups you really need to be working, or you’re stretching in a way that is causing pain and damage your body.

What Can You Expect To Learn From This New Book?

Even if you are a seasoned cyclist who stretches on a regular basis, the information inside Stretching For Cyclists will help you to:

• Reduce the tension in your muscles.
• Increase your range of motion.
• Promote circulation throughout your body.
• Prevent common cycling-related injuries, such as muscle strains and tears.
• Increase your speed, power and agility on the bike.
• And perform at your very best.

Stretching For Cyclists is a 31-page eBook that not only tells you:

• Why it is so important that you stretch on a regular basis.
• The best times of day to stretch.
• The proper way to stretch (without hurting yourself or causing damage to your body).
• How to stretch your entire body in record setting times.

… but the book also introduces you to 15 stretches you can perform on a regular basis to help you make the most of your cycling-specific stretching routine.

Click here to read more about Stretching For Cyclists and/or get a copy of the book for yourself.

Who Helped To Create The Book?

While I’d like to take full credit for putting this book together, I have to admit I did have some help.

My father, Dr. Steven Alff, D.C., helped me figure out which cycling-specific stretches to include in the book and provided additional research for the anatomy-based information that can be found throughout the text.

Prior to becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alff worked as a Corrective Exercise Therapist at the Veteran’s Hospital in Sepulveda, California where he spent much of his time working with spinal-cord injury patients. While at the Veteran’s Hospital, Dr. Alff designed a stretching and exercise system to be utilized by wheel-chair bound Veterans, which was circulated to all of the Veteran’s Hospitals in the United States. It is no surprise then, that my father was able to help me create the cycling-specific stretching program outlined in Stretching For Cyclists.

And who is that beautiful woman on the cover of the book?

That’s my friend Caroline Gleich – a professional skier, sports model and design consultant. Apart from being a part-time cyclist, Caroline spends most of her time in the outdoors – either skiing, stand up paddling, trail running, or growing vegetables in her backyard garden.

Caroline not only graces the cover of Stretching For Cyclists, but can be found on 15 additional pages throughout the text. Pages that look a little something like this:

Why Did You Write This Book?

The reason I put this new book together is because readers here at Bicycle Touring Pro have been asking for it. People just like you have been sending me emails for the past several years and saying:

Do you stretch before your bike rides? If so, what stretches should I be doing?

- Trey Kobler -

Are there any stretches you recommend I do before I go on my upcoming bicycle tour? I want to make sure I am in shape and prepared for my trip.

- Alan Smithe -

You should really think about creating a book for cyclists that is all about stretching. How to stretch properly… what stretches to conduct… etc. I know that information is something I need, and I think others would benefit from it as well.

- James Hammond-

Well guys, you asked for it… and here it is!

How Can You Get A Copy Of The Book Right Now?

I wanted to do something super special for the launch of this new book, so this is what I’ve decided to do.

If you want, you can get Stretching For Cyclists this week (and this week only) for the super low price of just $4.95. This is a launch-week special. On November 7, 2011, the price of the book will go up to $6.95. But you can get the book today for less than five dollars and have it delivered to you electronically in a matter of minutes!

Or, you can get Stretching For Cyclists for FREE with your order of my wildly popular book about long-distance bicycle touring, The Bicycle Traveler’s Blueprint.

Either way, you get a copy of my new book, Stretching For Cyclists, and inside that book you get all the tools you need to start your own cycling-specific stretching routine right away!

So, what will it be?

Please share this article with anyone who might be interested.

Below you will find 23 casual/stylish pairs of SPD cycling shoes that are perfect for bicycle touring because they look good both on and off the bike and they can be walked in with relative comfort (thus reducing the need for many traveling cyclists to carry two separate pairs of shoes). Below each of the shoes on this page will find a yellow “Buy Now!” button, which you can click if you are interested in purchasing a pair of these shoes for your own commuting/touring/mountain bike adventures. Shoes are listed in alphabetical order.

Diadora Globe

The Diadora Globe is a touring shoe made of Nylon, reinforced with fiberglass, and combined with a rubber outsole. The fiberglass-reinforced nylon ensures the rigidity required to obtain a direct thrust and effective power transmission, while the rubber outsole provides maximum traction.

Forté Traverse

Urban style meets rugged good looks in these MTB shoes built for road, trail, touring or indoor cycling.

Mavic Alpine

The Mavic Alpine shoes feature a balance of rugged support, breathability, abrasion resistance and the Trail Grip Outsole for trail traction, efficient pedaling and all day comfort.

Mavic Cruize

Simple, reliable and comfortable. The Mavic Cruize MTB shoes bring casual style to every ride.

Northwave Drifter GTX

This carbon soled shoe adapts to every shape of foot with thanks to its special upper construction. This shoe will also keep you feet fresh thanks to its clever ventilation system, giving an all round superb cycling experience.

Northwave Expedition GTX Boots

A guaranteed all-out water protection combined with excellent breathability. The unique membrane, without thermo insulation, is perfect for spring and summer shoes, to makes you confront the longest trips out without fatiguing or overheating your feet.

Northwave Mission

A sole specially designed for off-road use. The special design of the tread gets rid of mud optimally, and together with the Vibram® compound, it guarantees maximum grip on all types of surfaces. The structure of the sole is designed for use with MTB pedals and offers the right position when walking.

Northwave Rocker

The Northwave Rocker is a stylish casual black cycling shoe with laces and a big ankle strap.

Pearl Izumi Fuel

A crossover, dual-purpose shoe, the lightweight Pearl Izumi Fuel bike shoes boast a running-shoe-style upper and a rubber lugged bottom for efficiency and comfort when cycling or walking. Comes in both men’s and women’s styles.

Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek III WRX

The X-Alp Seek III WRX combines the best of both worlds. The stiff nylon Ride & Run plate provides power transfer to the pedals, while the Softshell upper provides excellent water resistant protection and optimum breathability.

Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek IV

The Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek IV bike shoes boast a running shoe style upper and a carbon rubber lugged bottom for cycling and off the bike adventures.

Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek WRX

When the weather doesn’t cooperate, slip on the Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek WRX bike shoes that boast a running shoe upper, an award-winning X-Alp bottom and a little protection from the elements.

Polaris Bojo

The Polaris Bojo is a lace up cycling shoe with subtle styling. Perfect for commuting and touring cyclists. Features a reflective heel detail for low light safety.

Shimano AM45

The AM45 is built with a raised outsole that wraps around tough synthetic leather to offer added protection for rough sections of trail. The mid-top design protects your ankle while the no-mesh design keeps dirt and rocks out.

Shimano MP56L

If you’re looking for a set of clipless cycling shoes that protect your ankles while you ride, allow you to walk in style, and make you look good at the same time – look no further than the Shimano SH-MP56L shoes. Also available as the upgraded MP-66L.

Shimano MP66W

A Shimano SPD mountian biking and spinning sneaker. The ’09 Shimano SH-MP66W men’s MTB shoe is very comfortable to walk in.

Shimano MT21

Looking for all-round, clipless cycling shoes that allow you to ride the trails, tour the country, hit the indoor cycling class and still be able to walk around comfortably in between? Look no further.

Shimano MT32

An SPD compatible mountain bike shoe with an EVA midsole that provides you extra efficiency while pedaling and a comfortable walking experience.

Shimano MT33L

These Shimano MT33L bike shoes feature stiff midsoles and great tread patterns, making them ideal for mountain biking yet completely at home while commuting, touring and riding casually.

 Shimano MT42NV

The Shimano MT42NV shoes are designed to be at home off-road but totally in place on the pavement, too. On or off your bike, Mountain Touring offers comfort along with casual good looks.

Shimano MT53

The Shimano MT52 is a mid-top hiking-style mountain bike shoe designed to offer great ankle stability and walking support.

Shimano MT60

On-road commute or off-road escapade, these MTB shoes handle any cycling adventure you put in their path.

Specialized Primo

With modern styling, extra plush cushioning, and patented Body Geometry technology, this truly versatile and affordable cycling shoe is ideal for commuting or casual use.

Do you have experience with any of the shoes on this page? If so, what do you think of them? Also, are there any other stylish SPD shoes that I missed that should be included here? Leave a comment below and let me know what you have to say!

All of these questions will be answered in this long, but detailed article… so just keep reading… or scroll down below to the area that interests you the most.

What Is A Bicycle Trainer?

A bicycle trainer (or a “trainer” as they are sometimes called) is a piece of equipment that makes it possible for you to ride your bicycle from a stationary position. Very much like treadmills allow you to run in place, bicycle trainers allow you to cycle in place. But unlike a treadmill, a trainer is not an entirely separate piece of gym equipment. Instead, it is a device that attaches to your regular bicycle so that you can ride your bike in a stationary position.

There are two main ways that bicycle trainers are used.

1. They are used by cyclists who wish to warm up or cool down before or after a bicycle race or competition.
2. And even more common, they are used by athletes of all different skill levels so they can ride their bikes inside when the weather conditions are less than ideal, when time is of the essence, or when the cyclist wishes to participate in other activities (such as watching TV, reading a book, or checking his or her email).

On a personal note: Just about every cyclist in the city where I live (including myself) has a bicycle trainer in his or her home. When a big snow storm moves in, you can become trapped in your home for days, and being able to exercise on a bicycle trainer is a great way to stay in shape and not let the passing storm get the best of you.

What Kind Of Bicycle Trainers Are There?

There are a number of different types of bicycle trainers and each type operates in a different way.

There are, however, two major types of bicycle trainers, with several sub-types underneath these two.

In the photo above, the cyclist on the left is riding a bike positioned on top of a roller bicycle trainer. To the rider’s left (our right) is a bicycle mounted on a mechanical bicycle trainer.

The two major types of bicycle trainers you will see are:

1. Roller Bike Trainers (Or “Rollers”)
2. Mechanical Resistance Bike Trainers

Roller Bike Trainers

Roller Bike Trainers are the most simply-designed bike trainers you will see, as they consist of nothing but a set of rollers that you ride your bike on top of. With rollers there is nothing to hold your bike vertical, so you must maintain your own balance while on the rollers… and as you might suspect, the learning curve on rollers does take some time. When first learning how to use roller bike trainers, it is helpful to have something to hold on to so that you are less likely to ride off the sides of the rollers or fall to the ground while learning to balance.

Shown here: Minoura Action Roller Advance Wide Bicycle Trainer

The Benefits of Roller Bike Trainers:

• They are usually the least expensive type of bicycle trainers you can buy.
• They provide a more realistic cycling experience because you have to maintain your balance, just as you would on a normal bike ride.
• The fact that you can shift your torso from side to side, like you would when on your regular bike, makes it feel like you aren’t riding in place, but that you are out there on the road.

The Drawbacks of Roller Bike Trainers:

• Learning how to balance and ride on rollers takes some time – even for experienced cyclists.
• The rollers themselves provide no resistance to your bicycle. The only way to increase your resistance on the rollers is to shift gears.
• Rollers can not be used with knobby mountain bike tires. They are designed only for road and flat, touring style tires.

Mechanical Resistance Bicycle Trainers

The second major type of bicycle trainer is what is known as a Mechanical Resistance Bicycle Trainer. It get its name because this type of bike trainer uses a mechanism of some kind to resist the motion of the wheels… and it has a frame that holds your rear wheel in a vertical position (making it easier to balance).

The resistance mechanism on these types of trainers come in 3 major sub-types: wind, magnetic, and fluid. I’ll talk about each of these sub-types in just a moment.

Shown here: Elite Real Power CT Indoor Bicycle Trainer

The Benefits of Mechanical Bike Trainers:

• Because there is a frame to hold your rear wheel in place, keeping your balance on a mechanical bike trainer is a piece of cake.
• They are relatively small (in comparison to Rollers) and won’t take up a lot of space in your home, basement or garage.

The Drawbacks of Mechanical Bike Trainers:

• They tend to cost more than Roller Bike Trainers. And depending on which of the three sub-types you get, the costs can escalate even higher.
• Because the rear wheel is locked in place by the frame of the roller, you don’t get that back and forth “road-like” feel that you get on Roller Bike Trainers.

The Three Main Types Of Mechanical Bicycle Trainers

When it comes to Mechanical Bicycle Trainers, there are three main types that you will run across: Wind, Magnetic, and Fluid – each of which operates in a slightly different fashion.

Wind Bicycle Trainers:

Shown here: CycleOps Wind Indoor Bicycle Trainer

Generally the least expensive of all the mechanical bicycle trainers, a wind bicycle trainer creates resistance by having the cyclist power a circular fan that blows air onto the wheel.

Because these types of trainers are relatively primitive in their design, they are inexpensive, less-likely to break that some of the more complicated bicycle trainers, and they provide a relatively road-like ride.

The major drawbacks of wind bike trainers, however, are that they 1) create an incredible amount of noise… and 2) because the resistance to the wheel is created by wind and wind alone, the resistance is not as high as some cyclists would prefer.

Magnetic Bicycle Trainers:

Shown here: Graber Mag Indoor Bicycle Trainer

A magnetic bicycle trainer functions with the use of a magnetic flywheel on the back of the device. The magnetic pull that this device creates causes resistance to your bicycle’s rear wheel and by adjusting this resistance, you can make the bicycle easier or more difficult to ride.

The benefits of magnetic bicycle trainers are that they are nearly silent to operate (which makes them ideal if you plan to ride your bike while watching TV or making phone calls), but the drawback is that only a certain amount of resistance can be added before the trainer is prone to break.

Fluid Bicycle Trainers:

Shown here: CycleOps Fluid 2 Indoor Bicycle Trainer

Finally, there are fluid bicycle trainers. Fluid bike trainers are the most complex of the bicycle trainers you will likely run across and because of this, they are more prone to breakage that the types we’ve discussed previously.

Fluid bicycle trains function as a sort of hybrid between magnetic bicycle trainers and a totally separate type of trainer that creates friction with the use of liquid resistance chambers.

The major benefit of a fluid bike trainer is that as you begin to pedal faster and faster, the resistance to the rear wheel begins to progressively increase. This road-like feel is what many cyclists working on a bicycle trainer want to feel, but fluid bicycle trainers do have their drawbacks. Mainly the fact that over time the trainer is prone to overheat, expand, and begin to leak.

Other Types Of Bicycle Trainers:

There are a number of other types of bicycle trainers as well.

There are centrifugal trainers, which like fluid trainers, get progressively more resistance as you increase your speed.

There are special “virtual reality” bike trainers, which are hooked up to electronic video game-type systems that measure the cyclist’s speed, cadence, and other such measurements while at the same time placing the cyclist in a virtual world of some kind via the use of video screens, audio projections, etc.

And there are number other types of trainers in existence.

But for the most part, we’ve covered all the major types of bicycle trainers in this article.

Now the big question is…

Do You Really Need A Bicycle Trainer?

Well, that depends.

It depends on you, your goals for the future, the type of cycling that you do, and how you plan to use your trainer.

As I mentioned at the top of this article, I own a bicycle trainer myself and I use it mainly to ride inside on days when I’m trapped inside due to bad weather or when I simply want to get a workout in and I don’t have the time to actually go on a long, drawn-out ride.

If your goals are similar, then a bicycle trainer might be great for you!

When it comes to whether or not you really need a bicycle trainer, I can’t make that call.

For most cyclists, the use of a trainer may not be entirely necessary. But for cyclists who are serious about what they do, are training for an upcoming race or tour, or simply want a way to ride their bike when the weather outside is less than perfect, then at least giving a bicycle trainer a try is a great idea.

Like I said before: I can’t tell you whether or not you NEED a bicycle trainer. But I’m willing to bet that there are more than a few people reading this article who have experience with bicycle trainers of various types and could weigh in on this subject.

So, if you have a bicycle trainer… or you’ve had a bicycle trainer in the past… and you’d like to answer this question as to whether or not you think bicycle trainers are a valuable asset, then please leave a comment at the end of this article. I’d really like to get your feedback… and I’m sure others who are considering the use of a bicycle trainer would like to hear from you as well.

Which Type Of Bicycle Trainer Is Best?

Just like I can’t confidently tell you whether or not you should buy a bicycle trainer for yourself, I can’t confidently tell you which of the hundreds of bicycle trainers currently on the market is the best.

My opinion, after trying out and reaching dozens of different trainers for myself, is that price is usually a good indication of just how good a bicycle trainer you are getting.

Inexpensive trainers are often times very loud, prone to breakage, and/or in need or repair. While the more expensive bicycle trainers are quiet(er), prove a road-like feel, and will last you a very long time.

Tell me what you think: Just like I asked for feedback from experienced bicycle trainer cyclists in the heading above… I’d like to get your feedback here as well.

If you are currently riding on a bicycle trainer of any kind… or you’ve used a bicycle trainer in the past… what kind of trainer did you have (name and trainer type)? And would you recommend the trainer to other cyclists looking to buy a trainer for themselves?

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

I hope that this information has been helpful to you. If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you with an answer just as soon as I can. Or maybe, just maybe, another cyclist here at Bicycle Touring Pro with extensive trainer experience will weigh in and answer your question as well.

Thanks for reading… and happy cycling!

Photos by Phil Roeder and K. Steudel.

Deciding which touring bike to purchase is no small undertaking. When you’re going to be spending so much time and money on a bike, it’s important to get it right.

Over the past two years, my partner and I have used our trusty Long Haul Truckers to carry us up and over the hills of Wales, along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, across the Peaks and the Pennines of England, and – in our most extensive trip yet – around New Zealand’s beautiful South Island.

But before we did all that, we spent hours poring through internet forums, blogs and reviews in our quest for the ultimate touring machine. We also talked to friends who have been cycling touring and were a wealth of knowledge. A few of them had the Surly Crosscheck or the Long Haul Trucker and rated them highly.

We looked at the Dawes, the Thorns and the Koga-Miyatas among the many touring bikes on offer. But it was the Long Haul Trucker that kept popping up as the touring bicycle to have: a steel frame with all the braze-ons that you would ever need for v-brakes, racks, bottle cages and even spare spokes.

We already had a Surly in our stable, the Steamroller, which had done a good service as a fixed city commuter. The Surly 4130 CroMoly steel gives a comfortable and reliable ride, the paint job was smart, and we knew that we couldn’t go wrong with a Surly.

At Brixton Cycles in London we had a chance to see the Long Haul Trucker in the flesh. Beautiful, aren’t they? We had a great chat with the staff there, who are real Surly enthusiasts.  After some discussion, we found the right sizes for the two of us: quite comically I settled for the towering 58cm 2009 model in green, and my partner went for the diminutive burgundy 46cm, of which, happily for our wallet, Brixton had one left over from 2008 at a reduced price. We came away from the shop buzzing with ideas about how we’d build the bikes ourselves, to our exact specifications and needs. New additions to the stable were soon to be born!

The Build & The Ride

All the Surly bikes we’ve come across (the Steamroller, Crosscheck and now the Long Haul Trucker) are certainly not on the light side. But they are built to last – sturdy and rock solid.  The relaxed angles and the longer wheelbase make the Long Haul Trucker a simply brilliant ride.

Over the years, we’ve each tried many other kinds of bicycle, from custom-made titanium racing bikes to aluminum hard-tail mountain bikes. Admittedly, we’ve never tried a different model of touring bike, but the Long Haul Trucker has made such an impression that we feel we’ll never need to. Simply put, they are probably the most comfortable bicycles we have ever ridden.

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is not built for speed, but for carrying you and the kitchen sink. It really does handle and feel most at ease when you have loaded it up. This is, I’m sure, a common principle of all good touring bicycles.

We’re ashamed to admit that our other bicycles have more or less been put out to grass since we got the Long Haul Truckers. We have a couple of fixed and road bikes along with a MTB commuter. But, over the last two years, they have just been gathering dust, since the Long Haul Truckers are so comfortable and a joy to ride. While the titanium road
bike is a flighty thoroughbred, the Long Haul Trucker is a sturdy and reliable cart horse.

We’ve even used our Long Haul Truckers as commuting bikes in London. They are slow and heavy but always get you there in comfort and with a smile on your face. It is no racer, but let’s face it, you’re not going to do a sprint finish when touring. Need to take lots of luggage, extra water and a stock pile of food when away from civilization? The Surly doesn’t complain. It just takes the load and keeps on going. You can almost hear it say “More luggage? Bring it on!”

Even at low speeds and fully loaded it handles very well. Nor is going up steep hills a problem. In the fastnesses of Wales and the Pennines we managed a few serious lumps – even a 25% incline – fully loaded, with the front wheel firmly planted on the ground.

I’m told I sound like a broken record when telling people about this bike, but it’s honestly the best way to describe it: It’s like riding a four-wheeled sofa. Heavy, but comfy as anything.

The Build & The Cost

We got hold of our two Surly frames at our local bike shop in London, Brixton Cycles. The 46cm was £50 cheaper than the 56cm, which set us back £350 since it was an older model (2008 rather than 2009). There are no substantial differences between the two frames aside from different lugs on the dropouts, and the colour: the 2008 frame was
only available in a rather fetching burgundy. Otherwise, they’re exactly the same. The 2010 model seems to differ from the 2009 frame in colour alone, and if there are further differences, they must be subtle as they’re not immediately noticeable. And, from discussions with other Long Haul Trucker riders, the ride quality doesn’t differ from model to model.

When it came to selecting the correct size, there were a few different schools of thought to consider. We took the advice of the bike shop to go for a smaller size than usual in a touring frame. The 60cm, and maybe even 62cm frame would certainly have fit me, but our man Barney at the local bike shop advised me to go for the 58cm in order to have
greater control over my steed when fully loaded, especially when getting on and off. I do have a rather long seat post and a raised stem. I didn’t even need to cut the fork down. What matters is that I feel comfortable on the bike, and so I’m absolutely sure I made the right sizing and set-up choices.  Even my partner took the size down from her normal size, 46cm, and she just loves riding her Surly Long Haul Trucker.

If you prefer an off-the-peg bike, you can get the Surly Long Haul Trucker built up from Surly for just over £890. We decided that we wanted to build our tourers from scratch, as we had particular ideas about our preferred components. For example, I don’t get on with drop handlebars or downtube shifters, and my partner prefers shallow drops and women-specific saddles. I also looked forward to the process of sourcing the parts and building up our new steeds. And then there was the practical benefit of helping me understand the bikes inside and out, and be prepared for any potential mechanical breakdowns while out on tour.

I built up our Long Haul Truckers with XT groupsets, 44, 32, 22 chainrings and a 11-34 cassette which gives us plenty of low gears for going up the steepest of hills. I chose the Hollowtech II bottom bracket, which I admit I was a little worried about at start (new-fangled technology!), but they are running just fine.

My bike has butterfly/traveller handlebars, which I’m still playing around with to find exactly the right set up. I’m almost there. The wheels, 700c,  I bought second hand from a friend who’d built them up himself with a HOPE XC rear hub and SON dynohub on Mavic A319 36 hole rims.

The smaller Surly was set up with women-specific shallow drop Bontrager handlebars and Ultegra STI shifters which work great with v-brakes when you use travel agents. The wheels, 26”, were built with HOPE front and rear hubs on Mavic A319 36 hole rims, by our very good friend and wheel builder.

Both bikes run Marathon Plus 35mm tyres which are pretty much bombproof, which is much needed for touring and commuting in London. Admittedly the tyres are slightly on the slow side (see a theme emerging here?), but it’s not speed we care too much about. Rather, it’s  durability and longevity that are important. The Marathon Plus ticks these boxes. As for the racks, we chose Turbus Cargo and Ergo racks because we’d heard good things about them and I was lucky enough to get them on discount through my work.

It’s a bit hard to state the total cost of the bikes. To be honest, we got rather carried away when building our new toys and didn’t keep a close eye on the budget. Plus, we did have some of the parts stored up already along with several great offers we managed to pick up online and through my work. The bike building project began in January 2009
and the first bike was fully built by June of the same year. If you have time to spare, gradually picking up bits and pieces through online offers can save you quite a bit of money. For example, we picked up my partner’s Ultegra shifters for half price, and got the Hollowtech II crankset for over £100 less than the street price.

But I’m pretty sure if you go into a shop and order what we have, you are going over the £2000 mark for each of these bicycles. That said, I’m sure that the off-the-peg Surly would be a great ride still and a great starter tourer to build up when you can afford to upgrade.

The Small Things

The paint job is good quality. I have used my Surly heavily over the last two years and of course there are a few scratches, but the paint job is still sound. I had read that the paint job on the burgundy coloured Surly wasn’t the best. But, we have not had any problems with ours. There was a rather big scratch inflicted by the journey to New Zealand but no paint job would have survived that.

The smaller 46cm frame is rather compact so you can only have one 750ml bottle in the three cages. The one on the seat tube can just about hold a 750ml bottle, and it’s a bit of a faff to get the bottle out and in. The one on the underside of the down tube can only take a small bottle as there is no room for it because of the front wheel.

Since the Long Haul Truckers are on the heavy side, you will be a bit pushed keeping your packed up bicycle within your luggage allowance when flying. We try to add a little bit extra into the box, such as your sleeping bags and tent. But with the Long Haul Truckers you don’t have many extra kgs to play with.

The standard sized bike box you can pick up from your local bicycle shop, is a tight fit for the 58cm frame. Even with front rack and mudguards off your Surly will be bigger than the box. I had to take the forks off as well in order to get it all into the box. The 46cm frame, however, fit nice and snug into a standard cardboard bike box.

My very first ride on the Surly Long Haul Trucker was quite an epic one: a ride called the Dunwich Dynamo, a 110’ish mile long ride over night from London to a beach north east of London. Around one thousand people take part every year in the summer. It was pretty much thrown together in the morning before the ride, a quick spin in the carpark
to see if it worked, loaded it up and off we went.

After around 40-50 miles my shoulders started to hurt. I then raised the stem one spacer and the pain started to go away. And that was it for the rest of the ride. It was just so comfortable. When I got back onto the bike after a quick swim and breakfast it was not painful.

When people see the Surly they are really interested and only tell you good things about it, either from their own experience or from what they have read or heard. I recall that at 4am on the Dunwich Dynamo, I was passing two ladies on a hill, and we all were rather tired at this point. One of them asked me, “Is that the Long Haul Trucker, with the
long wheel base?” This made me smile, gave me a boost and made me rather proud that I had picked such a well thought of and famous bicycle.

The only thing that has broken on the Surly is the rear wheel which was second hand. After nearly 10,000 miles in total, the rim cracked. I think it handled it responsibilities very well since I’m not the smallest of people and do carry a lot in my panniers, including a heavy tool kit, while commuting in London. And we did ride on some rather rough gravel roads in New Zealand. Otherwise they just roll along taking in whatever you throw at them.

The Surly Long Haul Trucker: In Summary

You’re not going to win any races riding a Long Haul Trucker. But it does exactly what it says on the tin. It carries you long distances, with all your worldly possessions (well, almost) in comfort and style. It just gets better the more you load it up.

I’m now coming up to 8,500 miles on mine and when it’s clean it still looks like a new bicycle. In the meanwhile, our other bikes look out jealously from under the washing draped over them; they’re just glorified laundry hangers these days. We were warned that once we’d joined the Long Haul Trucker club we’d have trouble weaning ourselves off… and it’s true!

I know for sure that these lovely, dependable Surly Long Haul Truckers will be in our stable for many years to come. It’s testament to the comfort and quality of the bikes that we really can’t think of anything that we want to change about them. We might just top up the paint job when it’s needed. In the meantime, there’s a lot of world left to explore, so we’ll just keep on Long Haul Trucking.

About the Author: Henrik Risager (aka “woollypigs“) is a pootling touring cyclist, who discovered the delights of cycle camping in 2009 and has since toured with his partner in Wales, England, Croatia, New Zealand and his native Denmark. He always stops for cake and daydreams about where the next tour will take him.