The Great Surly x Blue Lug Get-Together

Hey, RoseMary at Surly here, this is my first transmission. Please be patient, I am not short with words.

Friends smile and chat outdoors, with a person in a camouflage cap in the foreground.

One of the first top-secret projects that I was briefed on when I stepped into my role at Surly back in November 2025 was the Surly x Blue Lug Steamroller collaboration. I couldn’t believe I was going to be a part of such an exciting project, and my first thought was, “So we’re going to Japan then, right? Right?!?”

Sadly, that wasn’t in the cards for Surly this year. But in early June when the sample Steamroller framesets arrived at Blue Lug in Japan, we received a special message from our friends there:

Hello Surly Bikes Crew,

My name is Tomoya, and I’m the store director at Blue Lug. At work, everyone calls me “Chuyan.”

Once again, I’d like to express my gratitude to both the SURLY CREW and Motocross International team for bringing this special item to us.

When I saw the sample frame, I was so so happy I almost cried.

We are currently discussing various options at the company in preparation for the launch.

One possibility we’re considering is a direct visit to the SURLY/QBP Company.

Regards,

Bluelug Tomoya / Chuyan

It was such an honor that the team in Japan was going to make the journey to visit us in Minnesota, and we immediately got to work planning. When we realized they’d be visiting during one of Minnesota’s biggest cultural events of the year, the Minnesota State Fair, we knew we had to take them.

A person wearing a yellow Surly hard hat and safety goggles addresses the group through a megaphone.

Helmeted cyclists chat in a grassy park surrounded by bicycles with baskets and bags.

A smiling rider in a burgundy shirt stands with a black Surly bicycle while chatting with other cyclists in a park.

Fair Ride participants gather with their bicycles under trees in a park.

Helmeted riders wearing reflective yellow Surly vests gather on their bicycles in a shady park.

We set out to show them a well-rounded view of where Surly comes from, and how the incredible Twin Cities cycling community and culture have helped shape Surly. Around 150 riders met up to join us on our journey to the fair. At a mandatory party pace, we traversed bike paths and side streets, did some minor trespassing, and made our way to the promised land of meat on sticks, buckets of warm cookies, and fried cheese.

A large group of cyclists rounds a bend, led by riders in reflective yellow safety vests near a crosswalk.

Cyclists led by riders in reflective yellow vests approach along a residential street, viewed through a chain-link fence.

A line of cyclists follows a narrow path beside railroad tracks and freight cars.

A rider on a tall custom bicycle pedals alongside a bearded cyclist on a compact bike during the group ride.

A large group of cyclists rides along an industrial road with utility poles and a distant city skyline.

It is entirely possible to stay too long at the fair, so after a few hours of perusing prize livestock and giant squash we headed to Bang Brewing for the after-party. It was a carnival of its own, with live music from local band Wish Wash, and live caricature drawings by Matt Lawler and Josh Engen.

Fair Ride participants pose behind enormous pumpkins in a Minnesota State Fair exhibition.

Fairgoers photograph fish swimming in a large outdoor pond from behind a wooden railing.

Helmeted cyclists carry and walk their bicycles across gravel-covered railroad tracks.

Cyclists ride single file along a covered pedestrian bridge with red metal railings.

View down a fenced wooden pedestrian bridge toward a group of cyclists on the street below.

The biggest part of the circus was the crowd gathered around the bike piles, folks riding back and forth on the dead-end street in front of Bang, seeing who could manual the longest, some just comparing bike builds and sharing the love of the community.

Bicycles parked beside tall grasses as riders gather outside a building covered in colorful murals.

A cyclist in an orange shirt rides an extra-long bicycle past a colorful street mural.

A singer, guitarist, bassist, and drummer perform outdoors beside a building.

Friends clink glasses of amber beer beside their bicycles outdoors.

I do not say this lightly, but the dream of the 2000s is alive in Minneapolis. Throwing this event and after-party in honor of our friends from Japan was a reminder to me of the incredible MSP community of utility riders who live by bike, rain or shine, summer or frozen tundra, and who love bikes also because they’re fun.

Close-up of parked Surly bicycles, including a tan Disc Trucker and a burgundy Steamroller.

I haven’t lived in Minnesota since 2010, but this event, this time spent with friends new and old, local and international, sharing our love for bikes and food and community made me feel optimistic in a way that I haven’t felt since, well, probably the early aughts. Is it a coincidence that the Steamroller has come back to us at such a dark place in the timeline, or is the nostalgia just what we need?

Fair Ride participants pose together at a Minnesota State Fair photo display framed by hay bales and flowers.

The rest of the Surly Crew has more to share about their time spent with Blue Lug, so let’s keep the recap rolling:

A person wearing glasses, a cap, and a black Surly shirt stands beside parked bicycles at the fair.

Thor:
Blue Lug’s passion for Surly is always refreshing and rejuvenating to experience.  They make me confident that every detailed bit of work we pour into the products, this brand, and our cycling community is appreciated.

Cyclists in bright yellow safety vests walk their bicycles through a gap in a chain-link fence beside railroad tracks.

Michael:
Seeing the MPLS bike scene and Surly history through the eyes of the BL crew was awesome. The respect and excitement about small details through to big moments coming from the BL folks was infectious. Kaneyan-san really blew me away with all the artwork he created and his reverence for cycling’s’ impact on his life. I’m grateful that Surly is a part of it. Empathy and understanding of riders that experience a Surly in different ways from me is an important part of my work as a PM. The zine that Kaneyan created highlighting his come up through the Tokyo scene and the many folks he’s helped to find cycling is a deeply empathetic act and it is so inspiring that he sees this work with such reverence. The work we do at Surly as part of big QBP can get mired in PowerPoint battleship, Excel rabbit holes and existing in Teams meetings; being reminded of the outcome of our work as a couple humans connecting to customize a bicycle for a specific need and the community this unlocks is something I’ll hold on to for a long time.

On various rides with other folks in the community, I’ve felt the lasting impact of the Blue Lug visit here in MPLS. Multiple folks active in the local community have brought up the BL visit to me since then. Folks are taken aback by how connected the cycling world felt after spending time with Santa, Sub, Kasper and Kaneyan. Seeing points of influence along the cycling culture migration pattern from Japan to Minneapolis and back again stood out to many people and drew folks in as one big family. Folks in the community feel like there is something very special here in MPLS after seeing it through the eyes of the Blue Lug crew and it’s driven a sense of gratitude in folks I ride with.

Two riders exchange a fist bump beside their bicycles while friends watch in a park.

Paul:
It is always special when we get to meet Surly riders from other parts of the world and show them where it all started. The Blue lug crew really understands why Surly bikes are different, and it shows in the custom bikes they build for their customers. For me, this trip was special because it was the third time I have met Kaneko over the past seven years. The first time was when I lent him my 1x1 Rat Ride to ride the Homie Fall Fest (that was a festive day to say the least). I was also able to visit him and Blue Lug while in Japan on a ski trip — it’s by far the coolest bike shop I have set foot in. During this most recent trip, we were able to spend more time together and chat about how bikes are part of our lifestyle, not just a piece of sporting equipment. The urban riding in the city, sending it on local dirt trails and drinking barley pops was fun, too.

Cyclists cross a bridge together, including a rider carrying a helmeted child on the front platform of a cargo bike.

Harrison:
I won’t forget the Blue Lug crew’s ability to stay enthused and engaged all day in the face of wicked jet lag and summer heat. Maybe they were fueled by the chaos or the energy of the folks around them, but they were down for whatever when most of us would probably be in a grouchy daze.

Also, seeing the local bike community show up for our guests made me proud, and I hope it made Blue Lug proud too. Hopefully this visit helped them realize the impact of what they do and just how many fans and friends they have here in the Twin Cities.

A rider in white coveralls and a yellow Surly hard hat gestures while pedaling a red cargo bike carrying two passengers.

Matt:
Spending 3 days riding/hanging with the Blue Lug crew around Minneapolis was an absolute highlight of my summer. I was floored by their passion for all things Surly, but even more specifically that they were so curious to learn about the why not just the what. “Why did Surly come from Minneapolis, and could Surly have been started in any other place?” Was pretty much their exact question.

Their energy for riding, bike culture, and community showed immediately and only became more apparent as we spent more time connecting. So many insightful questions and curiosities, and yet at the same time they spoke of Surly as if they had been part of the ride all along. Most notably Kaneyan as he couldn’t contain his admiration, excitement, and deep connection with Surly. But all four (Santa, Sub, Kasper and Kaneyan) had their own unique lived experience and it really made me feel like I’m part of something bigger than just schlepping bike products. Surly can mean so many different things to different people and sharing those connective elements with other members of our merry band of misfits just feels, well, connective. I was truly moved by the experience.

Shout out to the crew from Blue Lug - You made my summer. 
Now to come visit Japan, bike tour the coast, and shred some world famous powder.

And to Kaneyan: Surly should have you on the payroll. The special gifts you created for ourteam were incredible. The zine/spoke cards/poster/t-shirts — and most valuable of all, your personal time with us. Thank you.

Three helmeted riders in reflective yellow vests talk among bicycles in a grassy park.

Ian:
One of my favorite memories was definitely the last night Blue Lug was in town. In Minneapolis, we have this underground weekly hangout for bike people. After chatting with Kasper about it, they were in for one last party before flying back home. It was so rad to hang out with everyone on the bridge. I think we all felt how special it was. A lot of Minneapolis locals brought departing gifts for Blue Lug, and of course Blue Lug brought stickers and some items to give away. It was truly a beautiful thing to experience. Sharing stories and connecting over a simple two-wheeled machine reminded me that we're all connected through bikes. But that's just the starting point. Once you start having conversations about life and things outside of bikes, you realize we're all not much different from one another. Just tiny dots on a rock floating through space. I'll never forget those memories up on that bridge!

Cyclists ride along a tree-lined street, with one rider raising a hand toward the camera.

We’ll leave you with an insight from our new friend Kasper at Blue Lug, who had this to share in his recap of our time together:

“A Surly isn’t finished when you buy it. That’s where it starts… It’s about making a bike that can adapt as the person riding it changes. Your job changes. Where you live changes. Your family changes. The places you ride change. You get older. Your idea of fun changes.

And somehow, the same frame can keep finding a new role in your life.”

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