SURLY KARATE MONKEY
My first memory of a mountain bike was back in the 90s, aboard a gleaming new Cr-Mo steel framed hardtail. Those were the days, with horribly basic front suspension, non-indexed shifting, cantilever brakes, narrow bars and 2.1-inch wide tyres that I thought were fat at the time. Despite all that it delivered plenty of fun to my teenage self, riding around the poor selection of trails we had at the time.
Fast-forward to today and despite two decades of progress in the waves of alloy bikes along with capable dual suspension and then the rise of carbon, there are still brands out there building bikes out of Cr-Mo and other steel tubing.
RATINGS
IN THE STAND
7.5/10
ON THE TRAIL
8/10
OVER ALL
8/10
Surly is one such brand, using good ol’ 4130 cromo steel tubing they call Natch in all the bikes they make. Founded in 1998 in Minneapolis, USA, Surly Bikes is a brand that initially focused on single speed componentry but have since progressed to produce a wide range of components plus steel frames and complete bikes. Nowadays they are known for bikes such as the Pugsley, the first fat bike with its five inch wide tyres and produce a range of frames and bikes including cyclo-cross, trail, touring, cargo, road and commuter bikes.
Of course they do things a little differently, opting to
