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A New Surly Pugsley Lands In Lviv, Ukraine

A few weeks ago I mentioned that William Salefski, an American citizen working in Ukraine, saw the article about the Surly Necromancer Pugsley that Zion Cyclery custom-built for me and he decided to wanted one tricked out the same way. He visited Zion, Illinois in early July to pick up his bike and then shipped it to Lviv, Ukraine. Last week he sent me a note to let me know that his bike made it safely to Ukaine and I asked his permission to share a few photos with you.

William Salefski in front of The Lviv Opera House (lviv, Ukraine)

Look at the smile on his face! I’ve seen a lot of cyclists with their new bikes—some people have a grin, triathletes usually have a look of pain, but a new owner of Fat Bike always has an ear-to-ear smile on their face!

A Beautiful New Surly Pugs

In his note to me Willaim said, “The roads in Lviv are mostly made of cobbles, and the Pug eats them up. Half a bar tire pressure. There is also some road repairs being done, and the Pug rolls right over the sand. The winter snow will not be a problem.” (By the way, half a bar of tire pressure is equal to about 7.5 psi)

The Cobblestones In Lviv, Ukraine

Look at those cobblestones! These beautiful cobblestone roads survived both Soviet and Nazi occupation during WWII and they remind of roads in the Paris-Roubaix race (my second favorite bike race in France).

Another Happy Fat Bike Owner!

In William’s second note to me he said, “Well, the smile from the first ride was the sheer fun of riding a bike that is unlike any bike I’ve ridden before. Having ridden bikes with 30+ pounds of pressure, the Pug feels like riding on a cloud. Over here, it’s even more pleasant since the big tires just eat up the cobbles in the city center. I can ride the Pug faster than my normal commute bike, a Swobo Dixon with Marathon Plus tires, on the cobbled streets. I like it better than my full-suspension MTB on the cobbles. However, ‘nimble’ is not the word to describe its handling. But I really enjoy the different handling. It reminds me of my FJ40: not the fastest or most agile means of transport, but it will roll over anything. I can’t wait to get some snow on the ground to try it out.”

16 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on July 28, 2013 in Fat Bikes, Life On Two Wheels

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, pugs, pugsley, surly

New Surly Pugsley Destined For Ukraine

03 Jul

A few weeks ago I stopped in at the local bike shop, Zion Cyclery in Zion, Illinois, and one of the mechanics told me that they had just received a phone call from a cyclist in Ukraine who saw my article about how Zion Cyclery built my Surly Pugsley Fat Bike with a Shimano Alfine 8-Speed Internal Geared Hub and he wanted them to make one just like it for him. It turned out that William Salefski, an American citizen working in Ukraine, was the cyclist who wanted to Pugs and he was going to be in the Chicago area in July to pick it up. I didn’t know when William was going to pick up the bike, but by chance I was at the shop when he arrived and I was delighted to meet him and welcome him to the world of Fat Bikes.

William Salefski and his new Surly Pugsley

William’s first ride on his new Pugs

Mechanic Grant explaining how the Alfine hubs works

Expert Mechanic Grant Mullen explains how the Alfine hubs works

Packing the Pugs for shipment to Ukraine

I want to make it plain that I have absolutely no financial connection with Zion Cyclery—they are simply the bike shop I choose to do business with. They are a family owned shop and have a sterling reputation for quality work, great customer service and fair prices. I have visited dozens of bike shops in the Chicago suburbs and these are the only folks I will let touch my bikes!

35 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on July 3, 2013 in Fat Bikes, Life On Two Wheels

Tags: alfine, bicycle, bike, cycling, pugsley, surly, ukraine

Surly Rolling Darryl Rims (Putting My Surly Pugsley Fat Bike On A Diet)

17 Dec

Question: How long does it take to finish building a Fat Bike? Answer: The world may never know! I’ve never met any Fat Bike owner who has actually finished tinkering with their creation—there is always a “little upgrade” or “tweak or two” in the works. Fat Bikes, like my Surly Necromancer Pugsley, are among the most versatile and customizable bicycles in the world and every time you think the bike is finished you find something else you would like to do with it. My wife has never understood why I need to keep buying upgrades for my Pugsley, but then again, I’ve never figured out why she needs 200 pairs of shoes (that number might be slightly exaggerated). Last week the guys at the local bike shop (Zion Cyclery in Zion, Illinois) made a few upgrades to my Pugsley, or, to put it another way, they helped me put my Fat Bike on a diet.

Surly Necromancer Pugsley Fat Bike

My Surly Necromancer (AKA, Surly Black Ops Pugs, Surly Neck Romancer) weighed an incredible 41 pounds the day I brought it home from the shop—this is about six pounds over factory weight because I had a Shimano Alfine 8 Internal Geared Hub installed, along several other upgrades. The bike came with 82mm wide Surly Rolling Darryl rims that weigh 1030 grams each (33.3 ounces). Last week we swapped out those rims for Rolling Darryl rims with cutouts and that took off six ounces per rim. These cutouts now only reduce the weight of the rim, but they also allow you to install a colored rim strip. I used the Surly PVC RIm Strip—they call the color red, but it is actually burgundy. To add a little more color to the rims I had them install red anodized spoke nipples.

Surly Rolling Darryl Rims

My Pugsley came with rather heavy 1.3mm inner tubes that weigh about one pound each, so we switched these out for lighter 1.0 mm tubes (Surly Toobs). In the summer I use Slime in my Fat Bike tires and this adds eight ounces to each tire, but have finally decided that this is not necessary when riding in the snow (I hope).

Surly Rolling Darryl Rims

Thanks to the incredible effort of the owner of the local bike shop I was finally able to get a pair of 45NRTH Dillinger winter tires, the first-ever studded Fat Bike tire. These tires have an aggressive tread pattern and 240 lightweight aluminum-carbide studs. I haven’t had a chance to use them in the snow yet, but I can tell you that they have an amazing grip in the mud. Due to their business practices 45NRTH is one of my least favorite companies in the world, but this tire looks and feels great (I will publish a full review after Chicago gets some snow this year).

45NRTH Dillinger Snow Tire

This trip to the bike shop helped my Pugsley shed 3.5 pounds—that doesn’t sound like a lot, but you can really tell the difference when climbing a hill. As I said in an article last year, once you start customizing a bike it is hard to stop until you run out of cash. When the guys at the bike shop were ringing up my sale I asked them how much their average new bike sells for at the shop—well, I topped that number by about $40 with just this upgrade. Therefore, I am officially finished customizing my Pugsley—at least for today.

35 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on December 17, 2012 in Fat Bikes, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, mtb, pugsley, snow, surly, winter

Surly Pugsley: The Ultimate Beach Cruiser

30 May

The Surly Pugsley is one of the most versatile bicycles on the market today. Most people buy a Fat Bike so they can play in the snow, but when summer comes they quickly find out it is also a great bike for off-road trails. However, if you own a Fat Bike and are fortunate enough to live near a beach you only need to spend a few hours playing in the sand and to appreciate the fact that Fat Bikes are the most awesome beach cruisers ever made!

Surly Pugsley Necromancer Is A Great Beach Cruiser

My Surly Pugsley Necromancer On The Shores Of Lake Michigan

This past Sunday afternoon the temperature in the Chicago area topped 90 degrees and since I live close to Lake Michigan I took my Pugsley out for ride on the beach. Using the stock 3.8″ Surly Larry tires on the front and 3.7″ Surly Endomorph tires on the back (often called the Larry/Endo combo) I lowered the tire pressure down to 5 psi and was able to maintain a steady 11 MPH speed while on the beach (with a maximum speed of over 24 MPH). The major downside to running at such low tire pressure is that if you have to leave the beach your bike is going to feel like is has two flat tires, and turning the bike requires a lot more effort. However, once you are on the sand you will probably enjoy the ride more than any other form of cycling you have ever experienced.

Just like riding a Fat Bike in the snow, momentum is everything! Since most beaches are very flat once you get up to cruising speed you probably won’t have to shift gears until you want to stop or get off the beach. I presume that Lake Michigan is like most other large bodies of water, i.e., the sand closest to the water is the easiest to ride on since it is firmer (having been compacted by the waves). Between the parking lot and the waterline the sand on a beach is usually very soft and difficult to ride on—but once you get next to the water you can really fly!

If you are going to ride on the beach there are a few accessories that can make your ride a lot more enjoyable. If you want to use a seat bag I would strongly suggest the Topeak Wedge DryBag—it is waterproof and easy to clean. Since you probably carry a cell phone you need a JerseyBin Waterproof Cycling Pouch to keep the phone dry and away from the sand (you can still use the touchscreen on your phone while it is in the pouch). Mud fenders, like the SKS Grand M.O.M. oversized rear mudguard, will keep sand and water off the back of your jersey. On the other hand, I enjoy making a rooster tail while on the beach!

While riding in the loose sand I had to put a foot down several times (mainly due to pedestrians getting in my way), so I think the next time I ride on the beach I am going to take off my clipless pedals and go with the Odyssey JCPC Pedals instead (it’s what I use in the snow). Also, a pair of Lake MX235C Mountain Bike Shoes works well on the beach since it has screened drainage holes on the soles to let water out (if you put your foot down in the water). There are a few other things you will need to ride on the beach, such as: sunglasses, bug spray, and sunscreen.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I like to keep a nice coat of wax on my bikes. The wax not only makes your bike shine, but after a ride on the beach you can easily clean the sand off your bike with just the nozzle of an air compressor or soft brush.

If I could only have one bike there is no question it would be the Surly Pugsley! It is a pain if it you have to ride it on pavement, but a genuine pleasure to ride on snow, mud, sand and off-road trails. Pugsleys love to travel where other bikes dare not tread!

22 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on May 30, 2012 in Fat Bikes, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, mtb, pugsley, surly

Using Your Fat Bike As An Off-Road Trail Bike

25 Apr

This past winter a lot of cyclists in the Upper Midwest bought Fat Bikes with the intention of spending many hours riding in the snow. In fact, the long-range weather forecast for the Chicago area called for “the worst winter in a generation.” As it turned out, this past winter was the mildest in modern history and we didn’t get to spend much time on the snow at all. However, that doesn’t mean you have to hang up your Fat Bike and wait for next winter! Fat Bikes are a blast to ride on off-road trails.

Surly Necromancer Pugsley Black Ops Neck Romancer

My Surly Necromancer Pugsley On The Des Plaines River Trail

Fat Bikes, like the Surly Pugsley and the Salsa Mukluk, are best known for their wide tires. The standard Surly Pugsley has 65mm wide rims, and the rims on the Surly Moonlander are 100mm wide. My Surly Necromancer Pugsley has 85mm wide rims and the tires are 4″ wide. In the winter you normally run tires like this at extremely low pressure (between 5 and 10 psi) which helps the tires “float” over packed snow, and in the summer you can ride over sand on the beach with ease (OK, maybe ease is not the right word, but you can do it with a smile on your face).

The major downside of Fat Bikes is their weight—my customized Pugsley weighs in at 42 pounds (not counting the seat bag and water bottles). As most cyclists know, heavy bikes are usually slower than lighter bikes (which is why roadies love carbon fiber bikes).

Even though I bought my Pugsley for winter riding, I’ve put more miles on it this spring on off-road trails than I did this past winter in the snow. While I have two other mountain bikes, the Pugsley is just plain fun to ride on the trails! It is never going to match the speed of my Gary Fisher Big Sur, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in comfort.

Yesterday I took the Pugsley out for a ride on the Des Plaines River Trail in northeastern Illinois. The trail follows the Des Plaines River and is pretty flat. The crushed-gravel trail is shared by hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. In most places the trail is smooth, but in areas with heavy equestrian traffic the trail is very bumpy due to the hoof marks left by the horses. Also, the lowlands often have standing water and long stretches of mud.

I inflated the tires on the Pugs to 15 psi (that’s high for a Fat Bike) and rode for 68 miles on the trail. My average speed was only about 1 MPH slower than it would have been with my other mountain bikes, but this was the most enjoyable off-road ride I’ve ever had! The wide tires on the Pugs soaked up every bump on the trail and I never had to slow down while riding through mud, sand, loose gravel, or standing water. While the 42 pounds of steel in the Pugs makes me dread long climbs, there is no other bike in the world I’d rather have on a long descent.

If you are thinking about buying a Fat Bike, don’t wait till next winter! Fat Bikes can put a smile on your face all year-long. Where other bikes have to slow down your Fat Bike speeds up.

28 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on April 25, 2012 in Fat Bikes, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, mtb, pugsley, surly

Surly Jethro Tule 15mm Offset Box Wrench

20 Apr

If you own a fixed gear bike or have a Shimano Alfine Internal Geared Hub then you need a 15mm box wrench to remove the nuts on your bolt-off hub so you can repair a tire. Unfortunately, standard length 15mm box wrenches are too heavy to carry in your seat bag and the shorter cycling-specific wrenches usually hurt your hands when you try to use them. Surly, the maker of great bikes like the 1×1, Steamroller, Karate Monkey, and Pugsley, has a great 15mm offset box wrench for you—the Surly Jethro Tule.

Surly Jethro Tule 15mm Offset Box Wrench

The Surly Jethro Tule is made of highly polished stainless-steel and has a double-sided 15mm offset box wrench on one end with a bottle opener on the other. Sitting above the bottle opener is a spoon-shaped area that allows you to apply a lot more leverage than you can with traditional short wrenches. The offset design of the wrench makes it easy to reach inside recessed dropouts without fear of scraping your knuckles when the axle nuts loosen.

A large box wrench (like the ones you have in your garage) can apply a lot more torque than you will ever be able to get with the Jethro Tule. I would suggest you always use the Jethro Tule when installing or removing your wheels—that way you know you will be able to match the torque when you have to remove a tire the next time you get a flat.

The Jethro Tule does not have a carrying case, so to keep it from clanging with the other metal items in my saddle bag I just took a 5″ piece of an old inner tube and closed one end with tire patch cement. The Jethro Tule fits perfectly in this case and the seat bag stays quiet.

The Surly Jethro Tule retails for around $30 and if your local bike shop does not have it in stock they can order it for you. As mentioned above, the Jethro Tule has a bottle opener that some people love to use for a post-ride drink. That is kind of funny because I’ve never seen a carton of chocolate milk that needed a bottle opener!

1 Comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on April 20, 2012 in Bicycle Repair, Fat Bikes, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, pugsley, surly, tools

SKS Grand M.O.M. MTB Oversized Rear Mudguard

09 Mar

If you own a Fat Bike like a Surly Pugsley or the Salsa Mukluk then you probably know what it is like to finish a ride covered with mud from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. Being covered with snow is not as bad since it is a lot easier to clean up than mud. We get dirty not because we love playing in the mud so much, but we really don’t have any choice. Until someone makes fenders that will give decent coverage over a 4″ wide tire we are going to get dirty. In the mean time, unless your make your own fenders, the SKS Grand M.O.M. MTB Oversized Mudguard Rear Bicycle Fender is probably the best rear fender you are going to find.

SKS Grand M.O.M. MTB Oversized Mudguard Rear Bicycle Fender

SKS Grand M.O.M. MTB Oversized Rear Mudguard

The SKS Grand M.O.M. fender is 19″ long by 4″ wide (and in one spot it narrows to only 3.5″ wide). While this fender is perfect for either a 26″ or 29″ mountain bike, it is still a bit narrow for a true Fat Bike. However, it does a decent job at stopping the mud from being thrown all over your back. This fender should fit on just about any mountain bike and you can put it on or take it off in just a couple of seconds. It has a quick-release power strap that will secure it tightly to nearly any size seat tube, and it is adjustable to just about any angle your bike needs. This fender is made of plastic and weights only 182g.

If you are looking for something to keep your bottom bracket and crank sprockets clean, then you can attach a SKS Mud-X light dirtboard to your down tube. The SKS Mud-X attaches to your down tube with rubber fasteners and includes two foamed rubber pads to avoid scratches and twisting. The SKS Mud-X is 12″ long by 5″ wide and only weights 90g.

SKS Mud-X on the down tube

While both of these mudguards are easy to clean once you get home, there is an easy way to keep mud from sticking to your fenders in the first place—just coat the bottom of the fenders with PAM no-stick cooking spray before you go out for a ride. The PAM will wear off after every ride, but it does an incredible job of keeping the mud and/or snow from sticking to your fenders!

The SKS Grand M.O.M. mudguard retails for $30, and the SKS Mud-X sells for only $9. You should be able to pick these up at your local bike shop—if they don’t have them in stock they can easily order them for you. If all else fails, you can always order them from Amazon.com.

Surly Nate Tires For Fat Bike Fun In The Snow And Mud

06 Feb

One of the most highly coveted cycling products this year has been the Surly Nate Tire for Fat Bikes. If you are one of those guys who rides your bike in your basement on a trainer all winter, well, you can skip this article. However, if you own a Fat Bike and love playing in the snow and mud, the Surly Nate tire might end up being one of your favorite cycling purchases of all time.

Surly Nate Tires

Both the Surly Pugsley and the Surly Necromancer Pugs come stock with 3.8″ Surly Larry tires on the front and 3.7″ Surly Endomorph tires on the back (often called the Larry/Endo combo). These tires are great for folks who are lucky enough to ride on groomed snowmobile trails and hard packed (consolidated) snow. Those of use who ride on loose and unconsolidated snow usually find this tire combination somewhat lacking—the Larry in the front is prone to washouts (especially if the path is off-camber) and the Endomorph in the rear often loses its grip in loose snow.

The Surly Nate tire has a large and aggressive knobby tread pattern that offers unbelievable traction in unconsolidated snow. While these massive tires have more rolling resistance than other fat tires, I’ve still been able to get my Pugs up to over 20 MPH on the pavement. I’ve also been able to cut a trail through five inches of fresh snow without any trouble—even on off-camber sections of the trail. In addition, I’ve been able to climb snow-covered hills while standing up out of the saddle—something I could never do with the Larry/Endo combo.

The Surly Nate is available with either 27 tpi or 120 tpi (threads per inch). Higher tpi tires are usually lighter, more supple and more expensive. Lower tpi tires are generally heavier, more durable and offer better flat-resistance. The 120 tpi Nate weighs around 1500 grams, while the 27 tpi version weighs a bit over 1700 grams. The 120 tpi Nate is available with either a wire or Kevlar bead.

Due to an unseasonably warm winter I’ve spent more time on my Surly Pugsley Necromancer in the mud than I have in the snow this year. The first time I rode with the Nates was on a 35 degree day on an off-road trail that had snow and ice in the shady areas and several inches of mud and standing water in the areas exposed to direct sunlight. When I started my ride I could see the tracks left by a mountain biker who had started out on the trail before me that day—the tracks turned around after about 30 feet! However, I was able to ride for over 30 miles on this muddy trail and my Nates didn’t slip a single time (but they did throw a lot of mud).

Surly Nate Tires after riding in the mud

Surly Nate Tires After Playing In The Mud

I do need to warn about one of the side effects of these tires. If you go out for a nice ride in the melting snow and mud with a pair of Nates you are going to come home covered from head to toe in mud. You will then find yourself standing out in your snow-covered backyard with a water hose and scrub brush trying to clean your bike. Your neighbors will never understand the smile on your face. In fact, I am not certain of its source myself. Does the smile come as a result of the fun you had on the ride, or from thinking about those poor guys riding their trainers in the basement because the weather is “too bad to ride in”?

The 27 tpi Surly Nate tire retails for around $80, and the 120 tpi version is around $120. You should be able to find these tires in the Men’s Department of your local bike shop. This tire is made in China by Innova.

Once you get your hands on the Surly Nate tire, make sure you look for the Easter Egg (hidden message) just above the bead of the tire. In case you can’t find it, it says, “Deep Fried Meat Fueled Natepocalypse.” I am not sure of the best way to translate this into English.

5 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on February 6, 2012 in Bicycle Tires, Fat Bikes, Product Reviews, Winter Cycling

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, pugsley, surly, tires

Odyssey JCPC Pedal For Fat Bikes And Winter Cycling

04 Jan

Throughout most of the year I ride with clipless pedals on all of my bikes. I use Look Keo 2 cleats on my road bikes and Crank Brothers Egg Beaters on my mountain bikes. The Egg Beaters are great for riding in mud and sand, but I’ve had the cleats on my shoes clog up while riding in heavy snow and slush (usually after I had to get off the bike and push). When I got my new Surly Necromancer Pugsley a few weeks ago I decided to try a new pedal and the guys at the local bike shop suggested the Odyssey JCPC Pedal.

Odyssey JCPC Pedal For Fat Bikes And Winter Cyclists

Odyssey JCPC Pedal For Winter Cycling

The body of the Odyssey JCPC Pedal is made of an injection-molded fiber reinforced polymer composite that is extremely durable. This pedal is heavy by road bike standards, weighing in at a little over 8 ounces per pedal. However, these pedals shed mud, snow, sand and slush better than anything I’ve tried. The metal pins on this pedal are like superglue for your shoes—I’ve not had my feet slip a bit with these pedals. In fact, I liked these pedals so much a bought a second pair for my old ice bike (a mountain bike with steel studded tires). In case you are wondering, I’ve not noticed any damage done to my cycling shoes as a result of the pins on this pedal.

These pedals are available is several colors, including the standard Black, White and the just introduced Red, Blue and Ocean Blue. If you are the artistic sort you can mix the colors—just take the pedals apart and you can have Red on one side and White on the other. The pedal comes apart by removing 16 metal pins with a 3mm hex. This might seem rather frivolous, but since you can also use these pedals with the metal pins on just one side you could use the different color to easily identify which side has the pins poking through. Personally, I would not suggest riding with pins on just one side since you lose a good bit of traction when you ride without the metal pins under your shoes.

The Odyssey JCPC Pedal retails for around $35. If your local bike shop does not carry them you can find them at numerous places online.

4 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on January 4, 2012 in Fat Bikes, Product Reviews, Winter Cycling

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, mtb, pedals, pugsley, surly

Surly Necromancer Pugsley (Black Ops Pug)

14 Dec

It was nearly four months ago that Surly announced several new fat bike products, including the Surly Necromancer Pug (formerly known by the much cooler Black Ops Pug name and also by the horrible Neck Romancer name). After one look at the Necromancer I knew I had to have one, so I asked the folks at the local bike shop, Zion Cyclery in Zion, Illinois to order one for me. Surly seriously underestimated the demand for this bike and for a while it looked like I wasn’t going to be able to get one till next March. Fortunately, Mary Daisy, one of the owners of Zion Cyclery, worked tirelessly to make sure I got my new bike and it finally arrived yesterday.

My New Surly Necromancer Pugsley (Black Ops Pug)

To call the new Surly Necromancer Pug a “work of art” would be an understatement! Nearly the entire bike is black, including the rims and spokes. The Necromancer has 82mm-wide single-wall Rolling Darryl rims, a Shimano drivetrain and a Mr. Whirly offset double 22/36 crankset. The front tire is a Surly Larry (3.8″) and the rear tire is a Surly Endomorph (3.7″).

Since December is not exactly the busiest time of the year for bike shops in the Chicago area, I asked the folks at Zion Cyclery if I could be present for the build. I had no part in putting the bike together—I was just there to photograph the blessed event. While the Necromancer is one rugged fat bike straight out of the box, I wanted to make a few changes to transform the bike from rugged to nearly invincible. The crew at Zion Cyclery spent a lot of time preparing a list of options for me and we ended up with one of the coolest bikes you will ever see!

Grant at Zion Cyclery working on the front fork

The standard Necromancer comes with Avid BB7 cable actuated brakes, and these were replaced with Avid Elixir 3 Hydraulic Disc Brakes and a Shimano SM-RT53 Disc Rotor. Since I plan on riding this bike in a lot of snow, mud and dirt the standard derailleur cables were replaced with a Gore Ride On Sealed Low Friction Cable System. These cables have an uninterrupted housing so they are completely sealed from the elements (it also means I don’t have to worry about oiling the cables after a ride in the rain).

Curt at Zion Cyclery making a few adjustments on my Surly Necromancer Pugsley

Kurt at Zion Cyclery making a few adjustments

The biggest (and most expensive) change was deleting the stock Shimano Deore rear derailleur and 9-speed cassette for a Shimano Alfine 8-Speed Internal Hub, coupled with a sealed Shimano Alfine Shifting Lever. This change meant they also had to install a Shimano Alfine Chain Tensioner. The internal hub might be considered a luxury item, but if you spend much time in deep snow you will appreciate how much abuse a premium-level component group can offer.

Shimano Alfine SG-S501 8-Speed Internal Hub

Shimano Alfine 8-Speed Internal Hub

Several other minor changes were also made on my new Necromancer. The standard handlebar grips were replaced with Ergon GC-2 grips. Since this bike does not ship with pedals, I chose to put Odyssey JC PC Pedals on (at least for the winter). I’ll probably switch the Odyssey pedals out for Crank Brother Egg Beater pedals once the snow melts.

Everything on this bike is solid black, except for the disc brake rotor, chain and bolts. I didn’t change the chain, but all 24 of the silver water bottle bolts (yep, the Necromancer has 24 braze-ons) were replaced with solid black Origin8 Alloy Bottle Cage Bolts. Unlike the standard Pugsely, the Necromancer has braze-ons on the front fork so you can put a water bottle cage on each side (plus space for a bottle cage on both the down tube and seat tube). The inside of the bike was coated with Boeshield T-9 to give it a bit of added rust protection. Finally, since I ride in an area that is full of broken glass I asked the shop to put 8-ounces of Slime in each inner tube (if you’ve ever had to change a tube when the wind-chill temperature is -20 degrees Fahrenheit you will understand).

In case you are interested, after the customization this bike weighs in at 41 pounds. That is a lot more than my carbon fiber Trek Madone, but I don’t plan on racing anyone with my Necromancer (except maybe over a few miles of single-track in deep snow).

The Surly Necromancer Pug has suggested list price of $1850. The Shimano Alfine Internal Hub and associated parts was around $450. Once you start customizing a bike it is kind of hard to stop until you run out of cash. While the changes I made could not be considered a necessity, they will make operating the bike in inclement weather a lot more enjoyable.

Cyclists have a tendency to either love or hate their local bike shop. In my case I have to say I love it! I’ve purchased my last five bikes at Zion Cyclery and I have never been tempted to try to find a better price at another bike shop. Their prices are fair, they treat their customers well and their mechanics are the best I’ve ever seen. Over the past few years Zion, Illinois has lost a lot of locally owned businesses—some due to the bad economy, others due to poor management. Don and Mary Daisy have owned Zion Cyclery since 1981 and their son Chris is in the process of taking over. Their business was built the old-fashioned way—hard work, customer service and honest business practices. If you live in northeastern Illinois or southeastern Wisconsin you really need to pay these folks a visit before you buy your next bike.

45 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on December 14, 2011 in Fat Bikes, Product Reviews, Winter Cycling

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, pugsley, surly

All Seasons Cyclist

Tag Archives: pugsley

A New Surly Pugsley Lands In Lviv, Ukraine

New Surly Pugsley Destined For Ukraine

Surly Rolling Darryl Rims (Putting My Surly Pugsley Fat Bike On A Diet)

Surly Pugsley: The Ultimate Beach Cruiser

Using Your Fat Bike As An Off-Road Trail Bike

Surly Jethro Tule 15mm Offset Box Wrench

SKS Grand M.O.M. MTB Oversized Rear Mudguard

Surly Nate Tires For Fat Bike Fun In The Snow And Mud

Odyssey JCPC Pedal For Fat Bikes And Winter Cycling

Surly Necromancer Pugsley (Black Ops Pug)

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