Surly Bikes
Did you hear that we make a 650b version of the Straggler?
That’s right, we baked a new cake around 650b wheels: http://surlybikes.com/bikes/straggler_650b
and we iced it with a 650b x 41 version of our Knard tire: http://surlybikes.com/parts/wheels/knard_650b
What is 650b? 650b is a wheel size that is between 700c and 26” in diameter and is otherwise known as 27.5.” These two standards are related in that they both use the same rim diameter (584mm bead seat diameter), but have a different outside diameter based on their average width (think 700c and 29”):
These wheels have been busy setting the mountain bike world’s riding shorts ablaze for a few years now, but they were invented by the French a long time ago. The 650b size is interesting because it has a way of getting the best of both worlds for a lot of people without a lot of drawbacks.
Designing around 650b wheels allowed us to make a new Straggler frame and fork that are shorter for quicker handling and less toe overlap, more standover, and lower rack mounts. They also allowed us to make smaller sizes of the Straggler than ever before (down to a 38cm - 38!!!), which is important to the smaller people out there, who happen to be very important to us.
That’s not the end of the story here. This real beauty of this bike is that it not only does those things well, but that it does them with the stance and swagger of a musclecar. Long, low, and lean, it’ll beg you to stomp on the gas. And in true musclecar fashion, when you do it accelerates like you’ve been shot from a cannon. Top end is good, but this one was born for the strip.
Unlike that side-oiler Galaxie Fastback,it will actually slow down and make that corner at the bottom of the hill. A short and snappy fork combined with disc brakes, stiff wheels, and lots of traction means this bike holds a line like a bouncer at a Mainroom show.
But hey now, this ain’t no cheesy race rig. We put a lot of heart and soul into this thing to make sure it's always working for you, not the other way around. The smaller wheels and lower rack mounts mean it not only hauls the mail, but also hauls your luggage better than a comparable 700c bike. And it does it in style.
How can it be so good? Well it turns out some ideas are like fireworks- You know they’re gonna be good, but you’re not really sure how bright or loud they’re gonna end up 'til you light the fucker off.
This one ended up being a realy doozy - so cheers to a bike that exceeded all of our expectations to be my hands down favorite.