Nancy I have both been riding Surly Trolls, hardy little bikes I’d have no hesitation in recommending for unbeaten path travel.
I’m planning a rundown on kit and setup at some point. In the meantime, California has provided some colourful backdrops to show off our faithful steeds.
My Troll includes a well used Rohloff hub, a 2004 Marzocchi Mx Comp air/coil fork and Avid BB7 brakes. I have a Porcelain Rocket framebag, an Ortlieb bar bag, and I'm towing a Tout Terrain Mule suspended trailer - giving me plenty of capacity for food and kit.
Nancy's bike has derailleur gears, a Rock Shox Recon coil-sprung fork, Jeff Jones aluminium H-loop bars and Avid BB7 brakes. Her gear is carried courtesy of a full Porcelain Rocket bikepacking setup.
Some links:
Surly Troll – versatile steel frames ideal for unbeaten path travel
Porcelain Rocket – finely crafted, made-to-measure framebags for all your bikepacking needs
Tout Terrain Mule – high end, suspended trailer with a nifty built in kickstand
Rohloff Speedhub– luxury uber hub for big mile riding
They look like great bikes and needless to say stunning photographs! X
Great post! I have been watching you ride all over the Americas and am excited to see you in Riverside County. Southern California ca be an awful mess of exhaust and steel traps but it can be beautiful if you get away from all that. Enjoy your journey!
Thanks Philip. So far, the riding’s been great – we just followed the the Californian Hiking and Biking trail for a bit.
“I’m planning a rundown on kit and setup at some point.”
Looking forward to reading about your gear. I’m personally enjoying my Troll immensely as a daily commuter (ten months and 2,000 or so miles).