Sorceress

This is a modern trail bike built to rip a wide range of trails, especially the fast, rough, and/or steep ones that get your heart pumping. Surly makes bikes that can do all the things; Sorceress does one thing really well: ride trails. No racks, no overpacking, no extra baggage. We built it to be fun, playful, and capable across all kinds of dirt, from steep and chunky to full-on flow state, so you can ride hard, move fast, and keep it simple. If you’re looking for a pack mule, go get a Krampus. This ain’t that bike.

If you think rear suspension is optional but a long dropper isn’t, you’re in the right place. Sorceress is for riders who like steel, simplicity, and durability. Maybe you’re a longtime Surly rider eyeing steeper, rowdier trails. Maybe you’re singlespeed curious. Maybe you don’t dodge bumps, you look for them. It can be your go-to trail weapon or your first real taste of dirt. It’s for riders who are just getting into trail riding all the way to hardcore hardtail enthusiasts.

We wanted to send it, and encourage you to send it without going over the top.

Sorceress is designed to tackle a wide range of terrain for a wide range of riders. “Balanced geometry” might be a cliché, but it matters, too short and steep gets twitchy, too long and low feels like a bus. Sorceress lands in the middle to maximize fun on the trail.

It’s happiest with a 140mm fork but plays well with 130–150mm travel.

As always, we put special focus on the book ends of the size range. Small frames get the lowest possible front end to keep saddle-to-bar stack low and make standover easy. Large frames get extra front-end height so taller riders enjoy a more upright, comfortable cockpit. Everyone deserves a bike that fits, not just the folks in the middle.

Sorceress geometry is listed with the fork at 25% sag (standover is measured with the fork fully extended). We do this on all of our hardtails with suspension forks because that’s the geometry you actually ride, and that's what matters.

We’re not too concerned with fully extended fork geometry because that only shows up when you’re in the air or not on the bike.

A lot of other brands list hardtail geometry with the fork fully extended, which can make apples-to-apples comparisons a little weird. If you’re trying to line things up, you can expect the Sorceress at full extension to be roughly:
~1.5° slacker
~11mm less BB drop
~12mm more stack
~15mm less reach

Comparing hardtails to full-suspension bikes is another story. Most brands list full-suspension geometry at full extension, but once you’re at sag, the bike’s overall attitude doesn’t change much, so most geometry numbers stay pretty close. The biggest differences show up in BB height and BB drop.

If you’re comparing Sorceress to a full-suspension bike, the listed at-sag geometry should get you pretty close for most numbers.

DUH is our new patent-pending modular dropout system, built to provide reliable, no-nonsense solutions for both geared and singlespeed drivetrains. On geared bikes, DUH offers an intuitive single-axle position with a standard thru-axle and UDH/Full-Mount derailleur. On singlespeed bikes, the dropout inserts are swapped, a Surly thru axle is added, and tensioning screws are introduced to get 16.5mm of secure rear axle adjustment.

They didn’t run away, which felt like a win.

Thankfully, SRAM worked with us to ensure DUH is compatible with all UDH/Full-Mount drivetrain technology. Surprisingly, they didn’t tell us to stand on it, but of course we all did. SRAM also encouraged us to certify our design, so DUH is now patent-pending and Surly’s first foray into the world of legally protected nerdery.

Installation Manual

They are not. If you purchase a complete bike, only the DUH configuration that comes on the built bike is included. DUH parts kits will be sold separately if you’d like to convert your bike to geared or singlespeed in the future.

If you purchase a frame, both the geared and singlespeed DUH configurations are included.

DUH small parts can be purchased here.

You’ll need to buy our DUH single speed chip kit and single speed rear thru-axle — the geared UDH axle the bike came with will not work.

You’ll need to buy our DUH geared chip kit and a 12 x 148mm thru-axle (175mm overall length with a 1.0 thread pitch) – the single speed UDH axle the bike came with will not work.

Big ones! The seat tube and cable routing design allow for maximum seatpost insertion. The seat tube has no internal restrictions, and the dropper cable enters from the bottom through the DT, so the seatpost can nearly touch the BB shell. A long travel dropper is a must for many riders, the Sorceress delivers.

These are the anticipated dropper post sizes that will be used on each size frame:
▪ XS = 120-200
▪ SM = 150-210
▪ MD = 150-240
▪ LG = 150-240+
▪ XL = 150 – 240+

People come in all shapes and sizes, so all dropper posts are not going to work for everyone. See the Sorceress geometry information to get data that will allow you to calculate your max dropper size.

We’re not going to tell you how to build your dream bike. However, we did not intentionally design the Sorceress to be a mullet bike. We're not saying you must avoid it, but there’s no need for business up front on the Sorceress, it's already all party.

Sorceress, is set up for faster, rougher, steeper riding than Karate Monkey and Krampus. The suspension fork is longer, head tube angle is slacker, seat tube angle is steeper, less accessory mounts, less tire clearance, more room for longer travel droppers, and more stand-over.

Hell yes it does! Sorceress has an all-new 1mm thick silicone chainstay protector. We think it really brings the room together. You’ll find if nothing else it mutes chain slap just like that sweet Natch steel mutes trail chatter.

We typically prefer to use non-gendered bike names. However, to us, "Sorceress" conveys proficiency, power, and authority (the good kind). We favored this positive association to female-identifying people. While "sorcerer" is technically a non-gendered term, it's often used as the male form of the word.