Originally Posted by
jwill226
I'm a long haul truck driver that has a couple year old Surly Disk Trucker (58cm, 700c) sitting at home. I'm planning on bringing it out on the road with me. It will be kept in my trailer and used for exercise (I'm a clyde, 340lbs, and slowly dropping with dieting), exploring towns, and grocery shopping. I'm also looking at options to be able to take my little dog (12lbs) with me at times
The DT is completely stock. I want to add racks and panniers so I can use it for getting groceries since most stores don't allow semi truck parking. Should normal touring racks work or should I look into something else. Money isn't an issue. I want what will work best.
With my weight (340lbs) and the weight of a grocery haul on the DT should I be looking at upgrading the wheels? I don't plan on doing anything crazy but with some cities roads being what they are potholes, curbs, and whatnot are not the smoothest. Again, money isn't an issue.
I know this isn't exactly a touring question but I figured you all would have a better understanding when it comes to hauling heavy weights on a bike. Thank you for your time.
Take your wheels to a good shop, and have them de-tension, then re-tension the spokes. That will go a long way to making the wheels stronger, and reliable. I had mine done when I first bought it in 2011, and they are still true after thousands of loaded miles. The wheels that come with the LHT, are decent, but they are machine made, and benefit greatly from a human properly tensioning the spokes.