smurray

I currently ride mostly fixed gear bikes but am in the market for a new geared road bike. This is mainly for two reasons. Firstly, I plan on doing a triathlon in August and need a bike that will serve me well. I definitely don't want a dedicated triathlon bike, however I do want one that I can use in the future if I decide to do more. Secondly, a friend and I plan on doing some long(ish) rides this summer. Probably somewhere between 50-100 miles. I've done some research and think I've narrowed it down to either the All-City Mr. Pink or the All-City Space Horse. I was hoping to get some input on the differences between the two. From what I can tell the Mr. Pink might have a slight edge when racing and the Space Horse would have a slight edge on touring/long distance rides. Am I right in that assessment? I know the Space Horse has rack mounts which could be nice, and I've also heard some people complain about the press fit BB that the Mr. Pink uses. I don't have any experience with anything other than an english threaded BB so I'm not sure how to feel about that. From an aesthetic perspective I prefer the Mr. Pink over the Space Horse, though they are both very nice looking bikes.

seajaye

both are very nice, well-spec'd bikes. i think the main question you need to ask yourself is, beyond the triathlon in august (just ride any bike for your first one), what kind of riding do you see yourself doing?

the mr. pink is a nice steel road bike. fast club rides, but also long all-day ones too.

space horse is for meandering, touring, maybe off-road exploring. of course, you can get slick tires and ride it on pavement too, but it won't have the same geometry and therefore same handling or feel as the mr. pink.

"slight edge" is kind of the wrong way to look at it. they're bikes made for two different purposes, and so one is always a better tool for the job.

also, don't worry much about BB standards. just know they are all supposed to be better than square taper!

TMonk

^
+1 to what he said.

Also, you may want to consider the type of riding you will doing in the future on this bike. If you like going fast, the Mr. Pink will be a funner bike, but will not compare with the Space Horse from a utility standpoint.

OldSurlyBastard

The Surly Pacer if you're looking for a quick, smooth yet comfortable 50-100 mile road ride. I built mine this spring and I couldn't be happier!!!! No, I'm not about to ride any tri's but I can guarantee you that mine is plenty quick enough, responsive enough and capable of getting that done!!! It has the english bottom bracket rather than press-fit and fenders and fatties will fit just fine. After having logged my first 530 miles on it, I can tell you I wouldn't trade it for an All City or a Gunnar. Good luck in your quest!!!

MRT2

Nice, and being red, is naturally a little faster than the Blue All City bike.

zymphad

And the name Surly so much better than All-City. Hate that name so much, All-City pretty much advertises to everyone hey I'm an urban hipster cyclist that all drivers want to run over.

Darth Lefty 

I shopped these. I like the look of them for daily riding.

Space Horse is a touring bike, it's built for carrying loads. The relevant features (which it shares with other such bikes like Trek 520, Novara Randonneur, and Surly LHT) are...
Wide-range gearing (though not as wide as its competitors)
Lots of eyelets and braze-ons for rack mounting.
Long chainstays (though not as long as its competitors). These provide clearance between your heels and panniers, and also let you mount large tires with fenders.
Cantilever brakes
Comfortable geometry
Most touring bikes also have bar-end shifters, but SH does not.
SH has horizontal drop-outs to allow one-speed builds.

Mr. Pink is a modernized classic steel road bike. The important differences from the SH are,
Name-brand frame tube set
Racier geometry
Higher component spec
Braze-ons for fenders and bottles but not racks
Higher gearing
Side pull caliper brakes
Press-fit BB and vertical dropouts means no provision for one-speed builds

bleui

sorry to hijack the thread, I couldn't quite see from your picture but does the Surly Pacer have a level top-tube or a sloping one? from various google images there're some that have sloping tubes. And is yours the 2014 version?
Did you also consider Soma Smoothie when you plan your build?

OldSurlyBastard

Thanks!!! Honestly, I did like the red much better than the blue :-) but for me, the deciding factor was cost. I didn't see much point in spending an additional $200 on frame and fork when I could go with the Pacer and build a steel road bike which weighs in at 23 pounds and gives me everything I'm looking for!!! Built weight: 23.05 pounds and a ride that I absolutely LOVE!!!

OldSurlyBastard

Surly just kind of fits the sarcastic mindset that I appreciate but seldom really reflect!!! :-) And the bike fits EVERYTHING I wanted or needed!!! The Pacer fitted with the Ultegra drivetrain is a dream come true for this guy!!!

OldSurlyBastard

No problem!!! Pacer has traditional "old school" road bike geometry with a level top tube. Mine is a 2014 model (the 2013 is Sparkle Boogie BLUE...not my favorite by any stretch) while the 2014 is Disco Tomato Red...otherwise really no changes in the frame/fork whatsoever. Yes I considered the Soma Smoothie and the All City Mr. Pink and even the Gunnar Roadie. In the end, cost plus features along with what I heard from other riders convinced me that the Pacer was what I was after and in my price range as well. As it "sits" in the picture, a 23.05 pounds (by the scale at the shop where we built it) it is without question the best investment I've made in years!!!

bleui

Thanks! I think you just made up my mind on a Pacer

MRT2

There is a 2013 Pacer at my LBS in my size that seems to be calling out my name every time I walk in. For the right price, I could see myself buying it.

OldSurlyBastard

Not sure what the "right price" would be and honestly don't know how much I spent on mine...SCARED to total up the "damages" :-) as I used brifters wheelset and hubs from an aluminum Motobecane that was too small for me and ordered all of the other components from either online vendors or ebay vendors. I guess my bottom line is not what I spent but what I have!!!! And what I have is "priceless" as far and I'm concerned!!! Nothin' like it in my book!!!!

OldSurlyBastard

It's been a great investment for me!!! It's as comfortable or more comfortable @ 50 miles as my '91 LeTour was with 4 pounds less weight and all of the upgraded drivetrain and components I was hoping for!!! The Surly'er the better!!! :-)

unabowler

OSB, that is a nice looking bike. When you say 23.05 pounds as it sits, are you including pedals and the bag?

OldSurlyBastard

Yes for the pedals; no for the bag. With the bag, not more than 24. I love it and thanks for the compliment!!!

bleui

+1
An old post in BF once said "The most expensive bike is the one that is not ridden."

seajaye

this is one of the most ridiculous things i have heard. so if all-city bikes are for hipsters who now want to ride geared bikes and crush it at cross races, aren't surly bikes made for bearded, flannel guys who love fat bikes?? branding is part BS, just saying...


back to relevant discussion: OP, surly pacer, all-city mr. pink, soma smoothie, etc etc. seem to all be pretty good choices if you're looking for a go-fast, modernized 'classic' steel bike. the space horse isn't necessarily fully touring-touring but seems to appeal to more of the gravel-adventure-exploring segment.