New Stem

As I said in my original post, the stem I got was just a stem...It met the requirements of being silver, and was the length of the stem that comes on the stock LHT.  It was way too long at 100cm.  So I got an Origin8 ProFit 80mm on Amazon and got Chandlee to replace it the other day.

I only got to ride it on the sidewalk outside the shop, but it felt so much better!  It's got the same degree of drop (17 degrees), but I think it's installed in the opposite direction and it's shorter.  I think it's going to make a big difference!  Hopefully I'll get to ride to work next week and I'll find out!

Pay it forward

Ever since I found out that people actually ride their bike across the country, I've been reading blogs on crazyguyonabike.com.  I've known since I read the first one that someday when work and family aren't an issue, I'm going to do it myself!

About a year ago, I started looking at how I could fit out my Cervelo S2 road bike to take long trips.  The answer is mostly that you can't do that, but I could have gotten an Axiom Streamliner rack and make do.  I decided not to do that...

Back in March of this year, I started reading this blog from the TransAm route.  It was wonderful!  Well-written, tons of pictures, and he focused more on the journey of meeting people and seeing the country than the mechanics of riding a bike that far. I came home every night hoping for an update.  After a month or two, each day after reading the day's update, I searched craigslist, Online Swap Meet and ebay for touring bikes; specifically a Surly Long Haul Trucker, a Co-Motion Americano or a Salsa Marrakesh.  The LHT comes up for sale more than the other two, but still not that often, especially in a 52cm.  

In June I found a 2012 52cm LHT frame in Connecticut on craigslist.  It was green, which probably wouldn't be my first choice, but not bad at all, and who am I to be choosy when there aren't that many out there?!  The weekend I contacted the seller, he had a couple of people coming to look at it locally, and if they didn't buy, he'd let me know.  I got the email that it was still available while Chip was cooking supper.  It was at this point that I bounced it off him to see if I was crazy.  He mostly agreed that I was not. :)

So I bought the frame for $350 plus shipping.  It also came with fenders, an Axiom rack, Continental Travel Contact tires and Mavic rims.  Not wheels, just rims.  I had also asked my friend Chandlee at Electric Bike Specialists if I was crazy for considering this, and he was all for it. 

Thus began the search for components. I spent most of a week googling 'LHT' over and over.  I used this blog for a LOT of information, so I want to pay it forward for anyone who comes after me. :)  Also, the Surly 2012 Catalog was very useful to see what was stock.

Frame

As I said above, this is a 2012 Surly Long Haul Trucker frame, size 52cm.  Super Dark Green in color.  I decided on a 52cm because the effective top tube length is 540mm, which is pretty close to the same as Velonica, my beloved Cervelo S2, which is 54cm and fits like a glove.

Crankset

I knew that I wanted to do a triple, and the online touring community seemed to back that up.  I haven't had a triple since my first road bike, and honestly, the only reason I went to a compact double was because of peer pressure. :)

I wanted something with a fairly tiny small sprocket in case I ever do really load it down.  I went with a 26/36/46 Sugino XD600.  I paid a little more than I should have to get a silver one.  It was $109 from Tree Fort Bikes.  If I had gotten a black one, it would have been somewhere around $75.

Bottom Bracket

This is where I really had to go with what's on the Surly spec sheet.  I know a bottom bracket is down there on all bikes, but I don't really know anything about it.  I went with what was on the spec sheet, which was a Shimano UN-54, although I got the updated UN-55.  As luck would have it, as they were putting the bike together they found that it was totally mislabeled, so now I have a little bit of BB sticking out.  The one that's in there is 77mm instead of 68.  I may correct that someday...I have no idea if it's a good thing or not to have a BB that's slightly larger than the hole it's in.

Shifters

I come from a road world, so I've never had anything other than 'brifters.'  In all my research, it sounded like brifters wouldn't be necessary, as you don't have to shift in an instant if you're not racing, and if you're in the middle of nowhere and have issues with indexing, you might be in for a bad day.  So I decided on bar-end shifters, knowing that they'll take some getting used to.

I ended up getting Shimano Dura-Ace SL-BS77 shifters from Jenson for $73.99.  Did I need Dura-Ace?  No.  But for $15 more, I thought I would go all the way.  They're silver, so they fit with my theme, and the rear derailleur can be indexed or friction.  So if the indexing stops working in the middle of nowhere, you switch.  I even found a bunch of people online saying that they like the friction better.  I don't think I'll be there anytime soon, but you never know...

So far, the bar-end still aren't completely natural after two weeks, but they're getting there.  I'm way better than I was on the first ride!

Front Derailleur

I found a closeout on a Shimano triple 105 front derailleur (9-speed) for $35.98.  That price wasn't significantly more than $20-$25 for a Sora, so I got it.  I probably should have just saved a little money (it adds up), but that's what I did.

Rear Derailleur

I knew I should do 9-speed because of the triple, and I didn't want to go cheap because the RD is where you really notice a shifter not doing what it's supposed to do.  Apparently Deore is a mountain bike RD, but I found a lot of mentions of it on LHTs.  I found a Shimano Deore XT M772 at Jenson for $62.99.

Brakes

Since the frame was a regular LHT and not a Disc Trucker, I at least didn't have to make that decision.  After reading a lot of forums, I decided that I wanted linear pull, which I didn't really even know existed before this experience.  To me, all brakes were either like my road ones (caliper), like my early-90s mountain bike (the Y-cable thing), or a disc.  I ended up getting Avid Single Digit 5 from Amazon for $18 each.  

They stop very well.  Before I was used to the bike and the extra weight, I did a u-turn on a one-way road at the Chickamauga Battlefield, and not being used to the length of the bike, I thought I was going to go off the other side of the road.  I overcorrected and hit the brakes and that sucker stopped. And somehow in I managed to cut my ankle with the crank.  The point is, they stop...so much better than my road bike ever has, even with fresh pads.

Brake Levers

I went with the Tektro RL520 Ergo levers, mostly because I liked the price ($29.95 at Jenson), they came in silver, and I didn't find any bad reviews. 

Stem

I had no idea what to get for a stem, so I went with the size that was on the spec sheet and got a cheap silver one on ebay.  Not only am I pretty sure it's too long, it looks sort of used and is too aero for the bike.  It's a Profile Design.  It'll be changed out someday. :)

Headset

Other than the spec sheet told me that it needed to be threadless and 1 1/8 inch.had no idea what to get for a headset.  I mean...none.  I didn't even know the point of a headset.   I still don't really understand how some are better than others or how you can feel if it's not good.  But I did a little reading and found the FSA Pig, which wasn't expensive at $22.94 on Amazon, reviews were good, and there were even some touring reviews.

Handlebar

Other than the fact that I wanted to stay with the style I'm used to instead of I really had no idea what to get for handlebars, so I just bought one with good reviews: a Soma Brevet Randonneur Alloy.  I have mixed emotions about it.  I miss the flatness of my 3T Ergo on Velonica.  This is something I might change someday, even though it might look stupid to have race handlebars on it.  

Bar Tape

I splurged and got bar tape to match the saddle in the next section.  It was $12 from the UK, so it was $22 with shipping.  But it's the same color as the saddle, and I couldn't find it anywhere else!  It's Fizik Superlight Classic.  Like the handlebar, I don't like it as much as what's on Velonica, but it'll do for now.

Saddle

I read a lot of good things about Brooks saddles.  I saw a lot about the break-in time, but I figured I could handle it.  It turns out that after 6 years a true road saddle, these things are amazing.  I can ride in regular shorts and underwear!  And if I wear bike shorts, it's absolute heaven!  I think I might replace the Cobb on Velonica with a black Brooks.  It may look stupid, but I'll be the most comfortable person on any ride!  I got a honey colored one for $110 from Modern Bike.

Seatpost

I wanted to stay with the silver theme, and I saw this beautiful Gran Cru on Amazon.  I thought the long setback was okay because I had read in multiple places about needing a setback with Brooks saddles.  Well, those people were significantly taller than me.  While that seatpost looked beautiful, it set me back too far from the handlebars to be comfortable.  I rode it for a couple of weeks and then replaced it with a much cheaper Origin8 ProFit alloy.  That Gran Cru is for sale for $30. :)

Pedals

Before I bought anything else, I saw a pair of combination SPD/platform pedals on Online Swap Meet on Facebook.  I snagged them.  I think they were about $20 with shipping.  

Wheels

So we finally come to wheels.  I was so indecisive about this.  Should I just get some stock wheels until I get closer to actually going on a trip?  Or should I go ahead and get some good ones?  I figured out from touring forums that a lot of people get the wheels built with the components they want.  I sent a few emails to wheel-builders, and only one replied.  That quote was $890.  They had good stuff, but still...

So my friend and coworker had gotten a friend (Scott) at Scott's Bikes in Cleveland, TN rebuild his wheels in the past, so he asked him what he thought I would need and how much it would be.  I ended up getting Sun/Ringle Equalizer 21 rims with double-butted spokes and Origin8 RD-1100 hubs.  These are sealed cartridge hubs.  As much fun as it looks like it would be to take out the bearings and clean them, I decided to go with more expensive hubs that will/should last significantly longer.  These wheels with an 11/32 sprocket, a couple of spare tubes and tax cost $506.  It pained me to hand over my credit card for that, but they're going to last forever, right???

And sticking with the theme, the hubs and spokes are silver.

Panniers

My birthday was the day after the bike was completed.  My mom wanted to get me something, so I told her to get me panniers.  She told me to pick out what I want and buy it with her card on Amazon. :)  I got the Axiom Monsoons.  I can already tell they're going to be too small for a long trip, but they're good for commuting.  They even got wet the other day and had water beaded up on them!  My only complaints are that they're 35L and I think that's going to be too small in the long run, and they need zippered compartments or something for cell phone, wallet, etc.

Tires

The Continental Travel Contact tires that came with it seem to be good.  I may get some that have less drag someday, but they're good for now while my bank account regenerates. 

Conclusion

Obviously I could have gotten a new LHT for far cheaper, but this thing is going to last a lifetime, I hope.  It ended up being $1755.  But I love it so far as a commuter.  I love being able to put my work clothes in a pannier and not having to wear bike shorts and cleats unless I want to.  If ever it cools off (it's currently knocking on the door of 100 here in Tennessee), I hope to take longer rides, and maybe even an overnight.  My parents live in Birmingham, and it's a mere 150 miles away. :)

I dubbed the LHT Leroy, because of the alliteration and because Leroy sounds like a name could be comfortable being a long-haul trucker.