FS - Surly Midnight Special 56cm

...so I got bored and stressed at home with the family over the weekend and did the most comforting thing and started a project build. This’ll probably be up for sale in approx 2 months when it’s hung in the shed unused but the ritchey Ti breakaway is funding this....

After chatting to @yetidamo about his old MS I was filled with lots of excitement and hope.
A great deal on Triton Cycles for frameset and I was away. Things got moving quickly and after raiding ebay and marketplace, I’ve secured the start of the build. There’s an orange and purple theme going on with the help of Hope kit.
So far the build list comprises of:

Surly Midnight Special 56cm - Hot Mayo.
Full R8020 Ultegra Groupset 52 39 / cass 11 30
Hope bottom Bracket
Hope Headset
Fabric Scoop Saddle
Aforce al33 on hope rs4 with gravel kings.(already had these)
Easton seatpost

Needed:
Stem and Handlebars
12 mm Thru axle conversion kit for hubs

Options:
Swap out the ultegra calipers for Hope Rs4 flat mounts?
Swap out the Ultegra cranks for Hope RX Cranks and go down the 1x route? This would mean a new BB and more ££££

Here’s a snap of the purple Hope goodness that arrived today.

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Cool!

Hot mayo :) Is that the official name for their white colour? Brilliant. Look forward to seeing this develop.

Hi @yetidamo . Yes, I think it sounds better than ‘white’.

More goodies arrived today and frame has been dispatched too!

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Hope cranks are lovely, but unnecessary.

1x sucks.

Bike sounds much fun though.

This came through the letter box earlier.

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@Bonj0ur what size is the frame and how tall are you? Interested in buying this frame myself, just figuring out sizing

It’s a 56cm. I’m 183cm (6 foot)

Wicked, interested to see this build turns out🤙

Headset Question. Surly recommend a crane creek special headset to fit the MS frame. The dimensions are:
Upper
ZS44/28.6
Lower
EC44/30

Hope do the correct upper but only a zs44/30
Will that work?

Probably a lower H from hope, is the fork tapered?

No straight. Just had a look at the surly website and it states that it’s okay to use the above....it changes the height slightly.

H plus adapter then

I had same issue with another Surly frame and the solution is to go for the Hope Lower EC44/40 and then get the reductor from 1,5" to 1 1/8" for the fork.

Cane Creek is supposed to have a lower EC44/30 but it's pretty difficult to source.

Hope that helps.

@Greasy_Paws thanks - did you try the hope zs44/30 route at all or was it straight for the ec44/ 40 & reductor solution?

You've got to love all these new headset standards.

Using the integrated lower cup you are slightly modifying the head tube angle for which the bike has been originally designed. Perhaps you can get along with a resulting, steeper head tube angle on a road bike. In my case, I didn't see any advantage (rather the opposite) in modifying the relatively slack head tube angle of the Surly Krampus so opted straight away for the EC option. The reductor is relatively cheap and widely available (SJS Cycles for example)

@kjlem tell me about it.

Thanks @Greasy_Paws I suppose the ec44/40 route gives me the option to run a tapered carbon fork if I ever chose that route.

I had a hope headset in mine so its possible. I must admit though I left the LBS to fathom out the bewildering combo of upper and lower cup options, but they nailed it.

Hope EC you want is “H” and the adapter to straight steerer

Headset bottom half arrival.

Anyone want a purple 1 1/8 standard Hope headset? As pictured above.

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Project update:
Everything bar some chain ring bolt covers have landed and the build can begin shortly.

Going to stick with 2x on the front and run 46 x 36 teeth.

A quick question to the panel; Braided Hope hoses. Worth it?

no, and they're a massive pain to cut

Braided hose, no.

Braided Hope hoses. Worth it?

I mean...they look nice. They are harder to fit than standards but it can be done. A good brake well set up with braided feels like something else in my experience.