Surly Steamroller

we'll be right here waiting

I have a cream roller.

It makes me happy.

I very nearly bought a Steamroller, but the long reach brake issue stopped me. I just wanted a standard caliper. I don't get the idea behind that long-reach nonsense - I know it helps when fitting a mudguard, but the calipers look ugly.

Then ride brakeless.

I have a cream roller.
It makes me happy.

That reminds me of cakes.. when are you doing more bake goods?

Oh god. Never if I can help it.

At least not until someone breaks an important bone and doesn't have sick pay.

Hmm.. I'm a contractor.. I don't have sick pay.. define "important"..

A body part that you couldn't work without.

Each of my fingers is insured for £30k.. a number of them would have to be damaged though..

looks for hammer

I just tried an old model 53 steamroller at brixton bike. I don't really know whether it was good bike cause its only the 2nd fixed bike I've tested(1st being the 56 BLB fixed bike). I had no problems riding it and it is more comfortable than the BLB(maybe the BLB is too big for me). Brixton bikes gonna build a new model black steamroller for me to try out this week.

when measuring for bike fit its the inside leg measurement, not total height ,that is key

I too ride a cream roller, commuting 35 miles a day on it, over some of the shitiest road surfaces known to man.
A thoroughbred workhorse.

Hi Lenk, come say hi to the tall American lady when your in for your next test ride in Brixton, that'll be me.

@Slowstephen, we do a stand over height test for bikes first, then, as long as the shop isn't packed full, we get them to balance against the counter to check leg angle and their position on the bike.

thanks slowstephen, Is it true that different frames will fit differently even if they are of the same size? or that all 53 frames is the same fit?

Nhattattack: will do the next time I come in.

I was delighted with the custom audax that 14 Bike Co made me so have decided to get them to make me a single/fixie.... have to pay a little more for better quality frame as I have a record of snapping chainstays!

I did give soem thought to getting a cheapie based on an old frame but decided that it would probably be wasted money as I would invariably wish to upgrade... and I need hand built wheels to support me...

I very nearly bought a Steamroller, but the long reach brake issue stopped me. I just wanted a standard caliper. I don't get the idea behind that long-reach nonsense - I know it helps when fitting a mudguard, but the calipers look ugly.

not sure if you're joking about this or not - it just looks like a caliper to me. the extra clearance is so you can fit fatter / taller tyres. I've got freinds in Minnesota (where Surly are based) who ride Surlys for that reason - snow and 23c tyres dont mix well.

I just tried an old model 53 steamroller at brixton bike. I don't really know whether it was good bike cause its only the 2nd fixed bike I've tested(1st being the 56 BLB fixed bike). I had no problems riding it and it is more comfortable than the BLB(maybe the BLB is too big for me). Brixton bikes gonna build a new model black steamroller for me to try out this week.

lenk, a 53 and a 56 are considerably different. there are a number of useful threads on bike fit if you wade through the search. of the 2 shops you mention i'd trust the opinion of Brixton everytime, they are an awesome shop.

I too ride a cream roller, commuting 35 miles a day on it, over some of the shitiest road surfaces known to man.
A thoroughbred workhorse.

it's amazing how smooth they ride. I've got an 09 blackroller (I assume the black model is not called that - racist?) and love it. it's a really great bike.

My uncle Javier rode an '06 steamroller on our farm in Norfolk when he was growing up, used it mainly to round up the rare-breed Gloucester old spot beef cattle my cousin farmed in his gap year.. it was painted the same colour as an in-heat mare cow and when he did wheelies the heffers would 'scent it' and come into season sometimes, if they were teething. He'd also soldered a watering can to the seat post, which he filled with warm milk and i used to ride round on the back dressed in my mam's dress (i'm a teenage girl) to suckle newborn ewes that had been rejected by their mother and were outcasts that could only feed 'on the hoof'. Funnily enough, most the meat from Javier's farm went to the Pepperoni factory in Ipswich, and my neice, Jimma, grew the maize and peppercorns used to make them spicey. Javier was mates with that rapist murderer bloke who killed those prostitutes. how well scary was that!

^ I want some of whatever he's got/on.

back on topic, awaiting the arrival of my black roller :) cant wait to build it up, yay!

blackroller FTW!

My uncle Javier rode an '06 steamroller on our farm in Norfolk when he was growing up, used it mainly to round up the rare-breed Gloucester old spot beef cattle my cousin farmed in his gap year.. it was painted the same colour as an in-heat mare cow and when he did wheelies the heffers would 'scent it' and come into season sometimes, if they were teething. He'd also soldered a watering can to the seat post, which he filled with warm milk and i used to ride round on the back dressed in my mam's dress (i'm a teenage girl) to suckle newborn ewes that had been rejected by their mother and were outcasts that could only feed 'on the hoof'. Funnily enough, most the meat from Javier's farm went to the Pepperoni factory in Ipswich, and my neice, Jimma, grew the maize and peppercorns used to make them spicey. Javier was mates with that rapist murderer bloke who killed those prostitutes. how well scary was that!

That would be a Surreally Steamroller. Very good, very Flann O'Brien.

I'm after either steam roller or condor pista - what size should I go for? I'm 172cm tall and around 80cm inseam.

koks: There are many bike sizing sites, google is your friend. I would say a 53-54 but you should really go try the bikes out. I think brixton bikes have steamroller build up.

Condor Pista, definitely a better buy than a steamroller.

if you buy from Condor, they'll check your sizing before ordering the bike.

the pista frameset is £200 more, so you'd expect it to be better.

I thought he meant buying a whole bike (Surly - £600, or £700, Condor - £800)