After riding a few different bikes, I suddenly found myself wanting a SURLY frame more than ever.
The biggest reason? It looked like there were absolutely no rules when it came to building it.
Every now and then, I’d come across bikes that looked like a random mix of someone’s favorite parts and whatever they had lying around. We sometimes call this kind of build a “parts-bin special.”
And more often than not, I’d find myself thinking, “Wow, that’s so cool!”
I think that kind of openness, that ability to accept just about anything, is one of the things that makes SURLY so special.
So when the Steamroller was released right around the time my SURLY fever was at its peak, I jumped right on it.
Having my coworkers help me build it after work, chatting and throwing ideas around together, was a priceless memory in itself.
I wanted to experiment with all kinds of setups, but for starters, I decided to transfer the parts from my AFFINITY Metropolitan (size L) onto the Steamroller (size 59).
I’ve already started covering it with stickers, but yes, it’s brand new!
Since I had the chance, I decided to go with the widest tire size listed in the specs: 700 x 38c, and set it up with a freewheel.
*By the way, I got a little too confident and thought, “Maybe I can squeeze these in!” and tried a pair of WTB Nano 700 x 40c tires. But, nope. They didn’t fit!
I also swapped the stem from 100mm to 80mm.
On paper, the Steamroller is slightly bigger than my Metropolitan, but once I hopped on, the shorter stem gave me a much more comfortable position than I expected.
(And I had so much fun going back and forth with everyone over the color of the brake housing…)
I also decided to use the alternative decals that came with the frame instead of the 20th Anniversary decals. I figured most people would be running the 20th Anniversary graphics, so I wanted to do something a little different.
One nice little detail is that a spare set of decals is included, so you can always switch back to the original look. Love that.
The wider tires take the edge off bumps and rough pavement, while the bike still feels surprisingly light.
It has a completely different ride feel from my Metropolitan. There’s this smooth, effortless feeling of just gliding forward.
For cruising around the city with a good balance of comfort, speed, and light handling, I feel like this frame might be one of the best options out there.
Maybe I’m getting to an age where I’m not quite ready to go all-out with a super wild build anymore.
But with the Steamroller, I feel like anything goes. You can keep it clean and simple, or go completely wild. Either way, I think this frame will happily take it.
I’ve always wanted to try a combination like a VAN stem with a Hi-bar.
I also want to keep bombing stickers on it (which I’ve already started doing, obviously).
With the current setup, I’m even tempted to switch it back to fixed gear for a while.
Or maybe throw a cargo fork on it and turn it into a completely different kind of bike?
There are just so many possibilities.
I can almost hear this frame saying:
“Why not? Give it a try!”
I want to take advantage of that big-hearted, anything-goes attitude. Keep changing things around, follow whatever ideas come to mind, and let the bike evolve with my mood and whatever life throws at me.
Hopefully, this is a bike I’ll be enjoying for a very, very long time.
