robert schlatte

I'd be interested in seeing all the Soma Saga builds mentioned here. I built a 56cm Saga last summer and I love it. Taking it from Columbus to Burlington, Vt. this summer. Since I bought the Saga as a frameset, I wasn't able to ride one but after looking at all the various frames, the geometry of the Saga seemed like it would work best. Also, the tubing of the main triangle is Tange Prestige and I read is a fairly high quality steel tubing.

headloss 

That's been my experience. I like my 520 for anything from group rides to off road to touring. I don't feel that it weighs me down when I ride it without a load, I'm quite happy with the way it handles. It wouldn't be ideal on a tight course with lots of turning, but for anything else it's great. The LHT is a bit more purpose built. The older Sutra had more in common with the LHT but the newer version shares a frame with the Kona Rove and I suspect is more friendly unloaded than the earlier version.

The only reason I wouldn't use the 520 unloaded is because of set up... If I have my rack mounted along with the tires I want for touring purposes and touring gearing, etc. I'll grab another bike for a faster paced ride. At the moment, my 520 is my primary ride with 28mm tires that aren't ideal for touring and gearing more suited to club rides with a 52t chainring, and lately the only bike I've been grabbing.

I bought a 520 because it was a good deal used. It's a nice middle of the road bike. If I were in the market for the same type of bike, new, I'd probably be leaning towards a Jamis Bossanova, All-City Space Horse, or maybe a Gunnar Hyper-X. Even for a full cross country tour, I'd lean towards the more aggressive geometry than the 520 which is kind of on the limit for me. A LHT would be out of the question for me, it's too touring specific for my taste and I wouldn't buy one to ride except for dedicated touring. I like a bit more versatility.

johnread

As everyone else has suggested, at this price point all three are excellent and it's all about fit, fit, fit. I built my LHT with Shimano 105 road components for a commuter and credit card touring bike and it has served me very well; I really like it.

Some toe clip overhang with fenders and the 700x35 Schwalbes, but definitely manageable once I instinctively learned where to have my pedals during tight turns. You've no doubt read reviews that call the LHT a slug, but since my other bikes are heavy and slow city bikes/commuters, the LHT feels quite lively. It's all about perspective. If your other bikes are carbon racers, then the LHT will definitely feel slower, more stable, and forgiving.

I had a 520 about a dozen years ago and enjoyed it as well. Probably put 5k miles on it and it never let me down. Excellent bike. This time I went with the LHT just to have something different and like it just as much.

westrid_dad

Nice setup, I like the classic touring look.

paddybogman

I think the SAGA is worth a look. They cost about the same as a SURLY LHT, I think they may have a better tube set. Compared to a LHT they have a longer head tube and a sloping top tube among other things. I prefer those differences.

Kona makes great bikes but I think the current Sutra is the same as the Rove. A great all purpose bike but some might find the BB too high.

Another bike to consider would be the Salsa Vaya.

veganbikes

I love my Disc Trucker and I know a lot of folks who love their DT or LHT plus a whole handful of online reviews from various tourists and commuters who love theirs as well. If I ever go with a custom built touring bike I would probably stick with the DT/LHT geometry. It is comfortable over the miles and carries the load quite well even on less than optimal conditions. Yes there are plenty of companies breaking into the touring market with one bike maybe two (not talking about higher end specialty folks like Co-Motion) but honestly Surly makes a many bikes for touring/bike packing and also a bunch that will do the job quite well.

I did a lot of research before I bought my DT and made sure I was getting the best value for my money and the best bike I could afford. I am glad I settled with the DT as it has given me many many happy miles and I wouldn't have wanted them on anything else (aside from a custom built frame).

superflychris

Hey DogBoy!

Apparently I don't have enough posts to contact someone via Private Message - so let me try this here!

Hi there!


I saw from one of your forum posts you have a Surly LHT that you installed a Plug III on...


I hope you don't mind me asking but my LHT arrived today and the Plug III arrives on Friday but I am concerned about the installation - how did you find it?


Are you running cables up the inside of the fork?


Any help would be appreciated!


Chris.

krispo

Hey Pepper240: it's almost exactly a year later...wondering which rig u ended up purchasing, how u might have modified it, & how it's worked out for you..?

I'm looking at both the Kona Sutra & Trek 520 Disc (2015s) ...planning on a few self-contained trips per year, mostly pavement, lots of mountain climbing...which makes the Trek a shoe-in. But the Sutra is so fine! ..and might lure me into more bikepacking expeditions.

Would love to hear what u ended up with.

DropBarFan

Current ride is Surly Disc Trucker with aftermarket S & S couplers. Built it up from frame but stock components look OK. I have long arms so I like the stretched-out frame. Descents w/light loads, however, feel a wee bit sketchy. Not to the point of shimmy, just less of confident feel than with previous road or touring bikes. Perhaps just a natural trade-off for the comfy ride & room for fat tires.

Kona Sutra looks nice esp since it includes disc brakes. Before buying Disc Trucker 2 years ago looked at the Trek 520, didn't like the limited tire size nor lack of disc option. Both the Sutra & LHT seem pretty OK w/stock components. If you lean to the Surly, why not buy the Disc Trucker?

The Toronto-Halifax tour seems like a fun adventure. Went to '74 Montreal World Championships & later a couple of times to the Formula One race, always had a good time & the locals were nice & friendly. Wouldn't have guessed the distance was that far but we Yanks are pretty terrible with Canadian geography. On Jeopardy one can almost see Alex Trebec shaking his head in disbelief when Americans (sic) miss simple questions!

pursuance

Here is one of the better previews of the Sutra that I've read.
Note that the front BB7 will rub the inside of the pannier.
Kona Sutra 2015 Touring Bike: A Preview | Tom Allen?s Bike Trip

The current Sutra is based on a Rove frame. The older Sutra had a sloping TT and (iirc) longer chainstays.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

mrv 

@pepper240 - Please let us know where you ended up! @krispo
- When you were (are) selecting a new bike, was any consideration given to the Troll / Ogre / ECR ? Bikes | Surly Bikes

I'm currently commuting / short touring on an old Specialized RockHopper.
I'd like to replace it within a year or so with something that has: 1. a shorter top tube; 2. 700mm or 29in wheels

Every time I start looking at new bikes, I look at this old Specialized - and BAM! "Hey, I already got that." I keep making upgrades to my RockHopper, making it harder to get rid of....

skimaxpower

Yup. LHT is workhorse, not a racehorse. It's a slow ride even without carrying gear.

DropBarFan

Have an 80's Rockhopper that I put drop bars on; frame was silky smooth over curb cuts & bumps even w/narrower 1.5" tires. But handling felt weird w/the drop bars, gonna convert to flat-bar fixie. I'm not esp happy how slow it takes for the more advanced tech to filter down to touring bikes unless one spends mega-$$

mrv 

maybe one of the frame builders can confirm, but i suspect the handling feels odd because of the loooonng top tubes used on these MTBs.
for example, on my Specialized, the seat tube is 52cm (a small bike for me), but the top tube is 59cm. look at the geometry of a LHT, and the TT is same as or shorter than the ST length.
I've kicked around the idea of going with mustache or Albatross bars. Still riding the rando bars for now.
As far as tech goes.... yea. don't care. I don't consider wheel size a technology. 650B is an ancient French touring size. Now it's marketed as the latest and greatest and it's called 27 1/2 in.
Can't wait for some marketing genius to bring back 27in wheels - they are just the perfect size... until 26in wheels are! ha!