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Nah, that's cool.
He was a fucking dude and I only ever watched his youtube videos and it was only recently we found his series and binge watched everything he made.
The fact that so many people have been talking about his death and how much he meant to them while he was alive shows what an inspiring guy he was. Have at it.
hippy
A lot of you may know this already, but this week it was announced that Iohan Gueorguiev passed away last month. He was a bikepacker, video producer, writer, tree planter, animal lover, and just an all-round lovely person. His 'I Want To See The World' Youtube series tracked his progress south from Alaska over the course of years, and they're still some of the very best cycling films out there, professional or otherwise. If you haven't done so yet, please do consider giving them a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0wAPztOO2U
I never got the chance to meet Iohan, even if I did work with a friend of his in Toronto, but the news of his passing broke my heart. I've spent most of this week crying and grieving, which is probably a bit odd given that he was a stranger to me. The thing is, Iohan might have been my biggest influence, full stop - his videos taught me how to tour for the sake of touring rather than stats, showed me the value of treating all animals as individuals, and even gave me the push to undertake my own Transamerica tour back in 2019.
After that ride, I'd intended to carry on in Iohan's footsteps with a full-on, round-the-world bike tour over the course of five years. However, the pandemic and then an unexpected new relationship put paid to that notion, and now I find myself living quite happily in Bristol. However, the long tour itch remains, and I've been gently plotting an attempt on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) that would require a suitable bike.
On top of that, Iohan's early videos turned my head towards the Surly Troll - it's a truly silly bike, and it's now discontinued. I worked at a Surly dealer for a while, and I entirely failed to sell a single Troll, no matter how hard I tried.
So, nw seemed like a good time to get my own Troll, and to build it up in my own very small tribute to Iohan and all that he did. I've just got back from paying slightly too much for a 2016 model, which was the last one with the suspension-corrected fork. The previous owner had it built up for them in Thailand and then took it all over - Singapore, Taiwan and the Indian Himalayas, apparently - so it's not in the best shape. The paintwork is a mess, the rims are fairly worn, but it's got good bones.
I'll keep track of my gradual progress here, but here's the rough plan:
Strip down and repaint, probably in the same RAL powder. I might also add a couple braze-ons for a bolt-on frame bag, but tbc.
Rebuild as a 1x10, mechanical disc brake setup but with the capacity for V brakes as a backup
Maybe get some new dynamo wheels built? The Andra 30 rims are worn and a bit narrow to make the most of the 26 x 2.75 clearances, so Andra 40s would be better. Hubs will stay Shimano either way.
Switch to Jones-style bars
Maximum crayon - I want this to be silly and colourful, so think (cheap) anodised parts, purple Oury grips etc
Carradice Super C saddlebags front and back, and a big ol' cotton duck framebag - hoping Mack can make this for me as they're just over in Weston, and the main triangle is bloody huge
Maybe eventually grab a suspension fork for trail rides?
Maybe building a bike in tribute to a total stranger is a bit off, but it's something I want to do for myself as a way to process my feelings about the whole situation. It'll be a good bike regardless, and will keep me amused over the winter.
All input welcome!