Dusting off the Surly!
#1
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Dusting off the Surly!
It has been a while since I posted here (not just this forum, but this site). Long story short - about 10 years ago(maybe a little more) I started a quest to become more active and get fit. I got obsessed with cycling, lost a ton of weight, was healthy and happy - felt great. I never got to my target weight, but still the progress was apparent. I ended up taking a new job and fell out of good habits convincing myself it was only because I was too busy. That one year break turned into a multi year break. I had a very rough pretty rough bout of covid, that caused several health issues to spiral out of control - and before I knew it I was in worse shape (physical size and overall fitness) that I have ever been in. I stated eating healthy, walking, and cutting out fast food and alcohol back in October and have gotten back down to a comfortable riding weight. I've spent most of the day cleaning off my LHT I built up shortly before I quit riding. It feels great to get back on it. Not sure I trust the tubes that have sat for the past 5 years - so ordered several so I can hopefully start building back up the miles this week! This forum was very motivating for me in the past, and I hope I can keep this motivation going again!!! - I can retire in 5 years, and would like to do some touring.
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#2
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Bikes: 2017 Surly Troll with XT Drive Train, 2017 Merida Big Nine XT Edition, 2016 Giant Toughroad SLR 2, 1995 Trek 830
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Show pics of your Surly LHT.
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#4
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#7
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Have always had a soft spot for the LHT. I never owned one but wanted one.
I settled on a frame-up build of a Cross Check around 2013. It ended up being heavier than I wanted but but was/is perfect for Chip n' Seal roads around me. Today it's my indoor trainer bike, and think I have more hours on it than any other.
TLDR: Bring on the Surlies!
I settled on a frame-up build of a Cross Check around 2013. It ended up being heavier than I wanted but but was/is perfect for Chip n' Seal roads around me. Today it's my indoor trainer bike, and think I have more hours on it than any other.
TLDR: Bring on the Surlies!
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#8
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Surly Cross Check w/ 105 components, Mavic Open Pro, circa 2015
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#10
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Welcome back, and all the best for your quest. I started a similar regime in January havine seen a picture of myself on NY Eve... fat and out of shape was the only way to describe it... also the result of to much boose over many years. I had got back into cycling a year or so ago, so I added walking to work, walking at lunch times and being careful with food. Limit drinking to 2 x a month, and then limited. At 63 the hangovers are unwanted, and i need to grow up.... ).
9 weeks in and im averaging about 10km a day walking, have only missed my target of 10k steps a day on 4 days since January 1st (two of them were the first and 2nd of Jan whilst hungover and making my new regime plan). So far I'm down from 102.5kg to 97kg.. so something is working, but im also seeing many other beifits... now.., I have been setting such targets since 2007, so I'm far from out of the woods, but I have started, and I do seem to have a will that was not there with much strength before.
Let us know how you progress, every success (and setback) can help the rest of us on this journey to a better shape.
Lovely bike as well, very lucky to have that stashed away.... a mate had been on a waiting list for 18 months here in Taiwan for an LHT, finally gave up and had a custom build, as the local Surly shop could not say when, (or if), it would ever arrive... crazy as this where probaly every componant is made for Surly....
9 weeks in and im averaging about 10km a day walking, have only missed my target of 10k steps a day on 4 days since January 1st (two of them were the first and 2nd of Jan whilst hungover and making my new regime plan). So far I'm down from 102.5kg to 97kg.. so something is working, but im also seeing many other beifits... now.., I have been setting such targets since 2007, so I'm far from out of the woods, but I have started, and I do seem to have a will that was not there with much strength before.
Let us know how you progress, every success (and setback) can help the rest of us on this journey to a better shape.
Lovely bike as well, very lucky to have that stashed away.... a mate had been on a waiting list for 18 months here in Taiwan for an LHT, finally gave up and had a custom build, as the local Surly shop could not say when, (or if), it would ever arrive... crazy as this where probaly every componant is made for Surly....
Last edited by deaninkl; 03-07-22 at 11:04 PM.
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#11
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Everything on the surly has been great after the break. Tubes replaced, scrubbed clean and lubed drive everything else seemed fine. Took it for my first ride earlier this week outside of the neighborhood and was just shy of 8 miles. Everything was good aside from the cheap tektro brake pads that have dried out and were slick as the rim. I was worried at a few stops. Ordered a set of kool stop brake pads. I also loved pulling my twins around in a trailer when they were toddlers. We used to regularly go on 15-20 mile rides through farmland and check out all of the animals. To fill that void I had to order another trailer for my little westie (love that dog - got the schwinn rascal which is made for small dogs). Was hoping to get some riding in this weekend and share some pics of the set up with the dog, but living in Ky I was riding in shorts two days ago, and now it is expected to snow a couple inches and drop back down in the teens this weekend, but who knows it may be in the 90's next week.
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#12
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Two weeks in MT and ID in 2017.
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Interesting guy. Originally from Canada. Before he worked as an engineer in the U.S. he had been in the RCAF and spent two years in a Nazi prison camp.
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#15
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I am retiring in about 5 years. Kids go to college that same year. I am hoping my son and daughter would like to take a cross country bike trip before they start school or after first year. I also hope to do a thru hike of the John Muir trail with them too. But honestly, when I retire, I plan on doing all the long distance tours I can, as well as thru or section hikes that I have been putting off the last 27 years.