What kind of shop would BLUE LUG be if we’d never crossed paths with SURLY?

Probably a little more serious.

For everyone at BLUE LUG — and especially the mechanics — SURLY has always been one of our favorite bikes to play around with.

They’re like that old friend, or maybe older brother, you’ve known forever.
The one who makes a stupid face at you the second you start taking things too seriously.

A lot of what we love about bikes — keeping things casual, doing things your own way, and finding your own version of what looks cool — we learned from SURLY.

We first reached out about doing a collaboration back in 2024.

It didn’t happen for BLUE LUG’s 10th anniversary, but with our 20th coming up, we decided to try again and aim a little higher.

And from the beginning, we already knew which bike it had to be.

The Steamroller.

The reason was simple.

It’s probably the SURLY that BLUE LUG has had the longest and deepest relationship with.

It’s an incredibly simple bike, but somehow we’ve never felt like we completely figured it out.

And ever since it disappeared, it’s felt like the old Steamroller walked away while it was still ahead.

No rules. No right answer. Build it however you want.

For someone buying their first real bike, maybe it becomes the start of something.

For the hopeless bike geek with a parts bin already overflowing, maybe it’s a chance to throw everything you’ve learned at one bike.

So that’s the question we wanted to put out there:

How would you build a Steamroller in 2026?

We chose the frame color together with all the staff.

And when I say “chose,” I mean we actually held a vote.

A full-on election.

We do plenty of painting ourselves at BLUE LUG, but when we started looking back through old SURLY colors, we were just reminded how much personality — and how many jokes — there were in those names.

And the winner was Boston Baked Beans.

Yes, named after the Boston dish.

It also happens to be an archive Steamroller color from 2011.

SURLY also came through with a special set of original decals for this edition.

And yes, we made sure to keep the brake housing guides too.

We filmed the whole staff color vote, so that’ll be coming to YouTube as well.

Now, one important detail.
We ‘d been calling the color Boston Baked Beans the entire time.

Then, during our recent visit to SURLY HQ, they looked at the BLUE LUG edition and basically told us:

“Boston Baked Beans?
Nah.
This is Frank and Beans.”

Well.

Now there’s some sausage in there too.

Fancy.

It definitely felt like one of those jokes someone thought of on the spot and immediately had to commit to.
Surly’s creative director Matt kindly added the sausage for us, so we’re accepting it with open arms.

Forget Boston Baked Beans.

For this one, please call it: Frank and Beans.

Every frame set also comes with a bonus sticker pack.

We actually had no idea about these until the frames arrived.

Another very SURLY surprise.

Stick them wherever you want. Have fun with them. That’s kind of the point.

＝＝SURLY × BLUE LUG 20th Steamroller ＝＝

 

Japan Release：Monday, November 2nd

Steamroller Frame set・・・¥132,000 including tax.

 

 

The release date is November 2nd 2026.

It also happens to be International Single Speed Day, a day dedicated to celebrating single speed bikes.

It’s Paul from Paul Components birthday.

And it’s BLUE LUG’s Anniversary.
So this slightly special Steamroller gets to make its debut on a pretty special day too.

That’s it from me, Matsumoto, for the frame set details.

From here, I’m passing the baton to our SURLY master, Kaneko.

Hope you enjoy what’s coming next.

 

 

＝＝SUPER EXTRA＝＝

Writing this blog reminded me of something.
Before I ever joined BLUE LUG, I wanted a track bike that could take breaks.

And I had already decided:

“When I get into BLUE LUG, I’m buying a Steamroller.”

I remembered it being some kind of metallic color.

Then I looked it up.

There it is. That’s the one…!

The photo was uploaded in March 2011. so there’s no question.

Once I started apprenticing as a mechanic, I finally worked up the courage to tell Azemi-san: “I want a Steamroller”

And he goes:

“Nahhh. Matchan, you’re a GEEK HOUSE guy” And somehow I ended up with a fluorescent pink CX frame instead.

This thing…!!

Azemi-san!

What was that!?

Then all these memories came flooding back of Tani-san and me trying to make the whole GEEK HOUSE thing work.

Thinking about BLUE LUG’s 20 years is dangerous.

Every once in a while, you dig up an old photo you probably weren’t supposed to find.
Anyway. Maybe after 15 years, it’s finally time for me to take another shot at the Steamroller.

Now I’m getting excited.