RIP Surly?

[Blue Hills]

I remember when Surlys, particularly the Long Haul Trucker, were seen as good solid no nonsense frames and bikes to take on the world without any show - the choice of sensible folk who care not much/a jot for show or branding.

But prices seem to have shot through the roof the last few years - can't help but think some marketing whizz decided to monetize this "no brand no nonsense" as cool.

Is this the confirmation of this:

https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/acce...GRodCn5-lJJplEETZ-T4-nWrOyKiG8DhoCX0gQAvD_BwE

Similar objects sans branding are of course available for far less all over the damn place.

Ditto the bikes?
Never anything too special about them - just good old solid chromo?:

 

[Cycleops]

Never really saw the appeal of Surly. Just steel frames made in the Far East. Plenty of cheaper just as good alternatives. Maybe it was the names thought up by the marketing men?

 

[dan_bo]

Always fancied an original 1 x 1. Just looked 'right.

Like you say, can't see the point otherwise

 

[Randomnerd]

Glad this wasn't real news of their demise. Room in the market for outfits like this. If people want to pay premium or feel they need a silicone pint pot with a logo on it, why not?

Is this another "get your bike from a skip" thread?

I have a Pacer and it's a brilliant frame. I can single speed with it, Chuck on a ten speed derailleur for road or stick some knobblies on it for rough stuff. It's taken a load of hammer and never bends, just like chromoly should.

Perceived brexit effect is pushing at prices. Dealers are being forced by Surly to accept new terms and other markets are much more lucrative for them than UK.

Great machines. Clever marketing. I'd like to be a quid behind the blokes who dream it all up.

 

[Blue Hills]

Perceived brexit effect is pushing at prices.

The inexplicable boost to Surly prices pre-dated Brexit by a fair bit.
So no connection.

>>It's taken a load of hammer and never bends, just like chromoly should.
well yes, chromoly. No great mystery.

 

[Drago]

Surly are a division of QBP, who are roughly the equivalent of Madison over here. Like Madison have done in the past with Genesis (before selling the name on), QBP imports far eastern frames, slaps a made up brand name on them, and punts them out the other end. In that sense Surly is as real as Ronald McDonald, or Harley Benton (I'll let you google that one).

Now, theres nothing wrong with that at all, and in Surly's case they were putting out decent, workmanlike machines at a keen price. However, being a name pulled out of thin air (or a marketing man's anus) as something to stick on anonymous imported tinware Surly have no history or heritage to trade upon, so it does seem a litrle odd to be trying to punt out a load of lifestyle accessories at inflated prices.

 

[Blue Hills]

Just to clarify, I stress that I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with Surly frames. At all.
Just that I think there's no special qualities about them.
Personally, not on the long haul trucker, but many of their other frames, I was always dubious about their apparent fondness for horizontal dropouts.
Couldn't help but think that was rather more for their convenience than that of their riders.

 

[simon.r]

Always fancied an original 1 x 1. Just looked 'right.

Like you say, can't see the point otherwise

I had one of those many moons ago:

 

[dan_bo]

Nice. Plenty of seatpost there!

 

[Cycleops]

I think the frame was maybe a mite small!

 

[simon.r]

Nice. Plenty of seatpost there!

I think the frame was maybe a mite small!

That’s the problem with being tall and having disproportionally long legs / short torso

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I love my Surley :-)

 

[Brandane]

I love my Surley

Surely it's a Surly?

 

[palinurus]

I've got a Pacer, I expect I'll have it forever (I'm not going to break it). Got a good price on it built up as the LBS couldn't shift it- was built with a triple chainset when they were getting unpopular. Pretty heavy, also could do with more clearance to allow for mudguards and fatter tyres. Mine you can have one or the other. Finish is disappointing, esp. the plastic headbadge that came unstuck and fell off immediately.

Didn't really go for the brand though, it fitted what I wanted at the time and the price was right.

My LBS closed down . Now I sometimes go to Cycles UK- I guess that's my LBS now, but it's not as 'L'. I took it in once, they loved it in there- I've no idea why. I felt like giving it to them.

 

[MichaelW2]

The whole point of Surly is that they are not "special" bikes, they are reasonably good quality workaday do it all bikes that weigh as much as they need to and not much more.
QBP are to be congratulated on spotting a sizable gap in the marketplace and filling it.
The former reasonable price may be just history now as everything is getting more expensive.