Back in the Chihuahuan Desert: Bikepacking in Big Bend
February 15, 2012
There’s a whole load of material I need to catch up with on the blog front… so I’ll start with a recent bikepacking trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas.
Texas?
Yes, in an apparent act of teleportation, I’ve disappeared in a puff of smoke from the lush, rainforested Pacific North West, only to pop up again in a vast, brittle-dry desert on the other side of the country. In reality, getting there took many an hour and a meldley of transportation: a 12 hour rideshare from Portland to San Francisco, a 6 hour bus to LA, a 17 hour train ride to Albuquerque, rounded off with 11 long hours by car to the Mexican border…
I first heard about Big Bend on my original ride south; so named for the enormous arc carved by the mighty Rio Grande on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Although the National Park is well known for its grand vistas and dramatic canyons, its the neighbouring State Park that holds most interest for mountain bikers. Previously a working ranch, it was acquired as recently as 1988, and is laced with mile upon mile of roughly hewn dirt roads, as well as enough rock-strewn singletrack for several days of epic exploration.
Similarly, I’m afraid this is destined to be an epically long post. It took such a long time to get there, I figured it was worth a few extra pictures…
Welcome to big sky, Western Texas. This passing freight train, tugging an endless tail of cargo across the high desert, reminded me of the role played by the railroad in 19th century frontier history. Border skirmishes continue to wage on today, albeit in a different form. What little traffic there is seems primarily made up of Border Patrol trucks, scouring the area for illegal Mexican immigrants, with regular manned inspection points checking for drugs.
A mural in Alpine depicting the Rio Grande, which flows from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. Since 1948 - following the US invasion of Mexico - a stretch of this 1900 mile river has formed the border between Texas and Chihuahua. In the sprawl of El Paso a massive, foreboding fence divides the two nations. Down in remote Big Bend, it looks like it would be as easy as wading across the river to cross into Mexico.
To break up the journey we paused in Marfa, once a railroad water stop, and now a popular hangout with New York hipsters. Cavernous gallery spaces occupy almost every streetcorner in this Texan backwater. The most notable is the famous Chinati Foundation, the catylist for the emergence of this now thriving oasis of art and culture. Nearby Alpine and Marathon are other small settlements with an increasingly liberal, artistic feel.
Texas heat is best tempered by ice tea. Ordering from this trendy little cafe involved walking through the old fashioned Tumbleweed Laundromat, where NPR was playing on the radio.
Marfa. Home to characterful residents.
Big Bend takes some determination to reach. Pushing on through the night, we past the border town of Presidio and camped beside the Rio Grande, literally a stone's throw from Mexico. By morning we'd reached Lajitas, marked by this unexpectedly swanky, Wild West-themed resort and golf course. Even if you're not packing your irons, be sure to indulge in a cinnamon roll at the adjoining bakery.
At last. Time to stretch out stiffened limbs and prep the bikes in the Texas sun for our 4 day, lightweight loop of Big Bend Ranch.
Desert sustenance.
Supplemented with trail munchies. With the window on my new framebag, it's easy to keep a tab on how many there are left...
Our steeds, ready to roll. The nerdy might have noted that one of the two is sporting unusually large wheels. For now, I've swapped out my faithful Troll for its 29er brethren, an Ogre, on loan from the kind folks at Surly. More on this big wheeled monster in a future post...
Big Bend Ranch State Park is crammed with tracks of all shapes and sizes. Surfaces range from fast, well-graded doubletrack...
... to rough, rolling, baby-head strewn jeep trails...
There's plenty of well-groomed singletrack too...
... with fun, twisting trails to negotiate.
The overlying theme? Rugged solitude. We didn't see another soul the whole time we were in the park, except at Sauceda Ranger Station.
More often than not, these fellows were our companions, the characterful and rather phallic-looking rainbow cacti.
Or these little chaps, miniature barrel cacti.
Another Big Bend resident. Spindly, spikey occatillo, traditionally used to make fences.
Colourful opuntia - paddle cacti - that can turn a shade of burgundy in winter.
Whoah there. We come in peace.
With so many thorny creations mining the trail, it's a good idea to run sealant in your tyres, either in the inner tubes or by going tubeless.
Carrying plenty of spare tubes and a stash of patches is recommended...
Big Bend Ranch is a land of ancient, extinct volcanos and steep sides canyons. Crazy rock formations abound.
Taking a break near the Rincon Trailhead.
... and back on the road once more.
The view down the valley from Pilla Montoya, into the Mexican mountains beyond...
The trail past Papalote Encino, a back route to Sauceda Ranger Station.
On the whole, the park is easy to navigate. A few abandonned signposts had our brows furrowed for a few moments.
A GPS would be useful, but we were fine relying on the park's detailed topographical map, a highlighter and a compass.
Riding the dreaded wash. Although the trails regularly dip down and climb out of sandy arroyos - dry river beds - with careful routeplanning and lightweight packing, there's little pushing involved. Trails like the Rincon Loop stay high and skirt round the worst of the Fresno Canyon, the main offender for energy-sapping sand.
Somewhat surprisingly for this swathe of the Chihuahuan Desert, sourcing water isn't a major issue. There are a couple of reliable springs in the park, as well as several water towers positioned in strategic locations. It's always worth checking with the ranger station for the latest on what's dry and what's not.
We carried iodine tabs, boiling water for dinner.
Old Madrid House, where a clump of cottonwoods marked a welcome spring.
Weather-wise, winter is generally a great time to visit Big Bend. Time your trip a little later, March to April, and you might even experience the flowering of desert cacti.
Still, the temperatures fluctuated enough to require a full compliment of layers - we read it can change by as much as 40 degrees. As usual, Nancy styles it up out on the trail.
In fact, a couple of days were particularly cold and blustery. A 50mph wind whipped through the valley, so we secured the tarp to anything and everything we could find.
There are secluded campsites dotted throughout the park. The charge is a very reasonable $5 a site - which gets you a fire pit and a bench - or you can wild camp in designated zones for $3.
Although a traditional rack and pannier setup is fine for the many miles of jeep trails, a bikepacking style rig is the best option for singletrack attacks. Pack light, as some of the trails can be rocky and awkward in places, and require the odd carry. Here's Nancy's Troll, with Porcelain Rocket bags, plus extra water bottles mounted to her front shock. Suspension was welcome on some of the rougher trails.
Tacking advantage of the Ogre's rock-munching, 29er wheelset, I stuck with a rigid fork, allowing me to mount two Salsa Anything cages to its eyelets. These lightweight cages are perfect for a Thermarest or groundsheet, though you need to be extra careful when laying the bike down.
Travel light. No panniers required.
Makes those awkward little pushes a touch easier...
More big, open spaces as we head out on the Oso Loop. The park isn't as flat as it looks here, with elevations ranging from 2300 to 4500 ft.
And more quirky little rainbow cacti watching us go by.
Sublime camping at Mexicano 2.
Another round of instant porridge for breakfast. Yum.
And another bikepacking staple. Almond butter, lacquered on to bagels and smothered with honey. The cyclist's alternative to jet fuel.
The ride back out onto the Madrid Falls Road after a star-clustered night.
Heading back towards Fresno Canyon.
A couple of cold, overcast and windy days had us wrapped up in all our layers. But as soon as the winter sun popped out, it was shorts and T shirt weather. This was the Texas we'd come for.
And so was this. Sweet serpentine singletrack on Government Trail.
One last loop around the rollercoasting Contrabando Dome Trail, in an area once mined for precious quicksilver - later known as mercury.
And then... time to bid 'gracias y adios' to the Chihuahuan Desert.
The Lowdown
Getting there:
It’s a long drive down to Big Bend. If you’re heading from New Mexico, the trail network around El Paso – out of Chuck Heinrich Park – is a good way to break up the journey. We travelled down via Marfa and Presidio, and back through Alpine. Gas gets increasingly expensive as you head further off the beaten track. We also signed up with Craiglist, and found ourselves an unusual passenger for half the journey to the border. Kevin was deaf and had no knowledge of Spanish, yet had set himself the task of reaching Peru in four days….
Getting to Big Bend on public transport isn’t possible. The nearest Amtrack station is at Alpine, but as it’s not manned, bike boxes can’t be unloaded there. A notch up on the luxury scale, we met one couple who had flown into Sauceda Ranger Station’s tiny dirt airstrip in a kit plane, and rented Cannondale mtbs to explore once there…
Our loop:
We rode the 3-4 day loop described on page 60 of the free Big Bend Ranch Biking Guide. The weather took a turn for the worse, so sadly we had to forgo the Solitario Loop and content ourselves with riding singletrack around Sauceda.
The trails have been developed since the guide’s publication. We used the Rincon Loop to avoid the worst of the wash that characterises the Fresno Canyon. We linked in the excellent Government Road singletrack when heading south, picking it up past Madrid House – it’s a real highlight. Allow yourself time to ride some of the many other fun singletrack spurs, like Controband Dome loop, as you ride in and out of East Controbando Trailhead. They’re all great fun.
If you prefer to ride your bike rather than spend too much time carrying/pushing it, it’s well worth contacting the park for the latest info on the state of the trails – what’s rideable and what isn’t. Mountain biking is being actively encouraged, so the area is developing quickly. Thanks Dan and Barrett for your enthusiasm and help!
Gear:
We tackled this loop aboard Surly steeds, a Troll and Ogre, filling the inner tubes with sealant. Our kitlist included the usual lightweight packlist, highlights of which were a Black Diamond Mega Light tarp (customised by Blackpaw Wilderness Designs with extra guy points) and a Clickstand denatured alcohol cookset. We carried our kit with Porcelain Rocket framebags – mine is actually from my Troll, but it just squeezes into the Ogre’s frame. I used a pair of Salsa Anything Cages for a little extra capacity.
Maps:
A topo map can be purchased at the ranger stations in Sauceda and Lajitas for $6.
Handy links:
The main Texas Parks and Wildlife site for Big Bend Ranch State Park can be found here.
We found this trip report at Bikepacking.net a particularly useful and inspiring font of information. Check out the video too. The main site is an excellent resource for lightweight, dirt road biking.
An excellent, free pdf of many of the trails can be found here.
Fees:
It’s $3 dollars per day to be in the park. Camping is $3-5 dollars, depending on the type of site. There are free hot showers in Sauceda Ranger Station, plus free wifi. You might be lucky and get cell coverage there too. If you want more pampering, there are rooms and dorm beds ($35) in a beautiful, former hunting lodge.
Supplies:
The border town of Presidio is the last spot with a large grocery store. Lajitas has the basics. Sauceda Ranger Station has a drinks machine and a few candies. With advance notice, the hostel can cook up food.
Next time…
With a few more days, I’d love to have ridden out and back from Presidio to Lajitas, via a 27 mile gravel road to Sauceda. Better still, it would be a real adventure to link up Big Bend State Ranch with Big Bend National Park. Although there’s currently no access to singletrack in the National Park, there are plenty of jeep tracks to explore. A possible resupply point would be Terlingua, where there’s also a bikeshop, Desert Sports, most likely a good source of information on the area.
Short days and long nights: a brief stint in the Pacific North West.
January 27, 2012
It might seem like I’ve lost some of my southerly focus… Over the last few weeks, I’ve been bouncing around the Pacific North West, visiting friends and acquiring a new US visa – with plans to perhaps stall my onward travels until after the North American Handbuilt Bike Show.
To be honest, the depths of winter probably isn’t the best time to be biking the infamously wet northern reaches of the Pacific Coast. Short days and long nights make life under a tarp a frigid and lonely existence. Then there’s the rain, which falls hard and steady, and the accompanying damp air, persistent and lingering… Perhaps I’m getting carried away, or I’ve gone soft in Arizona and California, and now I’m just grumbling too much. Certainly, the conditions I experienced were positively mild compared to this incredible northerly ride, and won’t discourage me from returning for a more thorough exploration – when daylight hours are longer. With further detective work, it could well be that a web of forest tracks would make an enticing alternative to the more mainstream – and busy – Pacific Coast Highway, so often used to link Canada to Mexico. I’ll be back one day for sure.
In any case, whatever time of the year, the natural beauty of the Pacific North West is undeniable. The coastal, temperate rainforest is an enchanting world straight from the pages of a fairytale. There’s a sense of ancient wisdom. Sitka Spruce, Hemlock and Redwoods grow thick and tall; their voices might well be heard in the deep, resonant creaking that carries in the wind. They tower so high it makes my neck sore to look up at them, casting dappled light shows through intermingling branches.
Down below on the forest floor, any hope for sunshine is smothered by a tight canopy of tree tops. Branches are dressed in lichen, and a fabric of moss embalms fallen trees. Bizarre epiphytes find their homes in nooks and crannies, and ferns sprout from a sea of green mulch. When the air isn’t heavy with drizzle, it’s a still, eery and a timeless place.
During my brief stay in Victoria, British Colombia, I made the most of a cold but dry snap to explore a small corner of Vancouver Island: Juan de Fuca National Park. Here, the rainforest creeps right down to the seashore. Raging surf draws hardy, wetsuit-clad surfers the length of this beautiful coastline and you can see the US' Olympic Mountains across the waters.
A totem pole at Port Renfrew, carved in Western Red Cedar, the provincial tree of the BC First Nations People.
Typical Pacific North Coast scenery; wild, abandoned, unspoilt.
In Botany Bay, lichen hangs like tufts of hair from the trees, absorbing moisture from the air. Rather than being a parasite, it produces its own food through photosynthesis.
Over these weeks, I've whittled my gear down to the bare minimum, and left excess baggage in Los Angeles. Here's the Surly Troll, sporting a full Porcelain Rocket framekit. My latest setup evolution is a pair of 120g Salsa Anything Cages that have added extra capacity, without undue weight.
These adaptable cages can be hose clamped around suspension forks, and are perfect for light, bulky items, like a Thermarest. Incidentally, many Salsa and Surly rigid forks these days are sporting triple eyelets, especially for the Anythings.
This two-nighter was also a chance to test out my new Porcelain Rocket framepack, with its extra wide flare.
My ride took me from Port Renfrew through balding mountains to Lake Cowichan. I'd hoped this logging route would be gravel, but it had been paved in recent years. Enticing tracks turned off in every direction. With a GPS and a stash of food, there's a world of off-pavement exploration to be experienced out here.
Where the forest hadn't been cleared, I strained to see much further than a few metres through thick groves of deadfall trees, ferns and moss on either side of the road.
In Lake Cawichan, I turned off pavement to join a 122km section of the Trans Canada Trail. When this project is finished, it will cover 16 500km of inter-connected trails from coast to coast.
As always, it felt good to be away from traffic, even if this former converted railway trail could have done with the odd turn here and there...
Four railway trestle bridges span gaping chasms along the route, the last of which was only renovated last year.
Each affords views of clear, torrid waters and lush forest far below. Too cold for a dip at this time of the year, though...
Almost claustrophobic in places, parts of the trail run straight as an arrow...
... along - appropriately enough for Canada in winter - a bed of frozen Maple leaves.
I camped on my second night at the foot of the most impressive of these, the 188m Kinsol Trestle, built in 1920. Back then, the railway was used to transport old growth timber.
Home for the night. A perfect spot, beside the Koksilah River, that some walkers had told me about.
That night, my entire wardrobe doubled up as pijamas. A single skin tarp doesn't provide much insulation and by morning, everything was frozen solid, including me, my water bottles and my food.
Loading up the bike again, with claw-fingered hands. Running such a light setup makes hiking down to inaccesible spots far easier than lugging a bike with a trailer or panniers.
I put my extra wide framepack to good use, stuffing it with a few days of provisions. I'd overlooked the fact that Vancouver Island has the highest concentration of bears and cougars in BC, and forgotten to bring any cord to hang my food...
Shrouded behind a veil of mist, the warming beams of sunshine took a couple of hours to finally thaw me out.
Finding uses for my framepacks's see-through sleeve.
Crossing the glassy Saanich inlet, from Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay. Budget traveller's take note. Buy your ticket in advance at Thrifty's supermarket for a two dollar discount.
From here, the Lochside Trail runs parallel to the Salish Sea, all the way to Victoria. It passes by Roy, dedicated to the farmers of Blenkinsop Valley.
I made it back to Scott and Naomi's just in time to grab my stuff and hop on the ferry to the Olympic Peninsula's Port Angeles, over the pond in the US.
Taking the shortcut south... As it happened, Caleb, with whom I'd rideshared north from California, was also headed back down the coast. I caught up with his art-packed Audi in Portland, for the 12 hour, night drive to San Francisco...
Links:
For affordable, social and relatively eco-friendly travel across the US, try ridesharing sites such as Craigs List, Zim Ride and Ride Joy.
Bike light with a finely crafted set of Porcelain Rocket framebags.
Salsa’s Anything Cages will carry, well, just about anything.
Porcelain Rocket: the making of a framebag
January 7, 2012
Somewhat at odds with my original plans, I now find myself in Victoria, the capital city of British Colombia that’s situated, a little confusingly, on Vancouver Island – not to be mistaken with nearby Vancouver, which isn’t…
What, back in Canada?
Er, yep. For now.
There’s a reason for my about turn, and it’s that I’ve decided to prolong my stay in North America. But for this, I’ll need to renew my US visa. In my usual style, this was a last minute decision, so with only a few days left before it expired, a helping hand was required to cover the 900 mile, triple-state traverse to the Canadian border. Enter the virtual bulletin board of Craigslist, where 75 bucks in gas money earned me a rideshare all the way to Port Angeles, a lonely harbour set dramatically at the foot of the Olympic Mountains. From there, it was just a short hop across the Salish Sea, from Washington’s Olympic peninsula to British Colombia, on a ferry that neatly depositing me in downtown Victoria.
From past experience, it seems that unusual company is all but guaranteed when ridesharing: on this occasion, the 20 hour road trip was shared with a chainsmoking student of Tibetan Buddhism, a girl with green hair, a Deadhead and, of course, my dismembered bicycle squeezed into the trunk of the Audi wagon. The journey itself proved interminably long but largely uneventful, most likely because it involved four wheels and a motor, rather than two and a pair of legs.
Still, making such an odyssey north did have other benefits. For one, it introduced me to the Pacific North West – a land of ancient, towering redwoods, giant ferns, moss-draped rainforests and, being the middle of winter, permadrizzle. It’s also given me the chance connect again with Scott and Naomi, who have moved to Victoria since I last stayed with them in Banff – back when they replenished me with food in readiness for the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, over two years ago.
During this time, Scott has begun a new business: Porcelain Rocket, fabricators of custom bicycle framebags. Just to recap, stowing gear within the frame of a bicycle makes great use of space and centers weight, allowing for a lighter, rack and pannier-less setup and more technical riding prowess. With the advent of this style of kit available commercially, dirt road touring, or bikepacking, as it’s becoming known, has been flourishing.
In fact, Scott’s distinctive rocket patches have festooned my muddy gear over the last 18 months, as he’s been kind enough to send me various prototypes to use and abuse. Which, in turn, has introduced me to a new world of more remote and challenging mountain bike travels.
While I’ve been out riding, Scott’s been honing his sewing skills… And he’s got pretty good…
Welcome to Porcelain Rocket, aka the Cave. A trained ceramic artist, and something of a rocket when out on his bicycle, Scott's unusual but aptly-named business has quietly grown within the bowels of a ramshackle Art Deco home, which itself is in midst of DIY upheaval.
The first step to building a framebag is to draw out a pattern of the bicycle frame in question, marking on details such as water bottle mounts and cable bosses. Inevitably each pattern is different, depending on the bicycle manufacturer, the frame's size, and the material it's made from.
The pattern is then cut out and laid over the fabric, its tracing forming the main panels of the framebag.
Depending on intended use and aesthetic whims, there are various fabrics and colours to choose from, from the burliest of Corduras for expedition riding to lightest of modern packclothes for ultra endurance racing.
Snip snip snip. Steadier hands than mine.
Just in case I might have had aspirations to rustle up my own framebag, I was told in no uncertain words that each pair of scissors has its own purpose. Of the four, these are the fabric shears. Woe betide anyone who confuses them with the snippers for cutting plastic.
Work begins by lamplight...
Scott's machines are all second hand - this one is an old straight stitcher from the '70s. His bartacker came out of the Dallas Cowboy's uniform shop - unfortunately not the Cheerleaders'.
Vrroooom, vrooom...
Time for some zips. These fellas are known as 'Number 10s', and they're the big daddies of the zip world.
One side completed. This one has a dual compartment and is built with extra tough fabric.
Each panel is lined with a piece of foam, to help provide structure and protect innards. Although these black and white shots don't show it, this particular liner is actually a tasteful shade of Hot Pink...
Take 5. Kaboom calls for a break.
Then it's back to the sewing machine to work on the other side, which features a shallow map sleeve and a see-through storage compartment.
This done, the spine of the bag is then traced out onto a ballistics fabric, chosen for its high abrasion resistance.
Velcro strips are sewn in, to secure the bag in place within the frame.
Each one is carefully positioned to avoid cable bosses and stops, which have been marked out by the frame's pattern.
Back to the machine once more...
Sewing in the main construction stitch - suddenly, it's starting to take shape.
Corner and intricate stitches require working the machine manually.
The framebag's still inside out, but almost there. Note the massive, padded flair at the front for extra storage capacity.
Excess fabric falls to the ground as the bag is trimmed, and then finished with seam ribbon.
And last but not least, the moment of truth: the 'rabbit out of the hat trick'. Scott grapples with the framebag to turn it the right way round.
Framepack builder cradles finished product. Job done.
A final splash of colour... The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. It's a perfect fit!
Notes:
For more details on Scott’s fantastic work, check out Porcelain Rocket and his Flickr page.
The images were taken using a Micro Four Thirds Lumix GH2, with 28 and 40mm pancake primes, at 800-1600 ISO. Scott’s little sweatshop is all but devoid of light, especially away from the work lamps, so I processed the images into black and light using Lightroom.
Faithful steeds
December 9, 2011
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
‘Homeward’ bound.
September 23, 2011
The surgeon’s waved the green flag. One more visit to the specialist awaits. Lungs seem to be expanding and contracting in the way they should, bar a little percussive rattliness here and there. In any case, they’re functioning well enough for me to take advantage of the British Airways sale and book a flight back to the Americas.
My plan is to return to Ecuador to pick up where I left off. Despite my unhurried progress on my original journey south, plenty of stones were left unturned. I’ll be making the most of the journey back (and saving some cash in the process) by flying via Denver, Colorado, in the first week of October. I’m allowing some time to plug a gap in the Great Divide Mountain Bike route I tackled in 2009 – Steamboat Springs to Grants NM – before I was forced off course by by a little snow… Although I’m earlier in the year this time, I’m not as early as I’d hoped. October in Colorado can be a time of pristine skies and fall colours, or the unleashing of the first of its winter storms. We shall see which I’m lucky enough to get.
With two weeks to go by departure, I’m simplifying again: whittling down kit and prepping my bike. It’s all too easy to to accumulate, even after just a few months in a fixed abode. Living out of just a few panniers again will feel good.
I’m also doing my best to claw some of my lost fitness. Last Saturday, it was a ride in the beautiful Black Mountains, Wales. Tuesday, a tour around Banksy’s Bristol with the Bicycle Festival. Yesterday evening, a singletrack night loop of my local woodland trails, Ashton Court. A day ride to Clevedon’s Victorian pier awaits on Sunday.
The reality of returning to South America is starting to sink in. It feels like I still have a million things to do, but I’m excited at the idea of being back on the road soon…
My training ground. Not quite like the Rockies or the Andes. The Troll, Mule and a mural in Stockes Croft, Bristol.
Frame mods – enlightening the Troll
August 17, 2011
Being able to carry a lot of water is handy. For instance, I needed to haul up to 10 litres riding across the Sonoran desert on the Arizona Trail, and in Mexican Sierra Madre, most of the camp spots in the mountains were bone dry.
In my Surly Troll review a couple of posts back, I mentioned a couple of wish-list modifications, the icing on the cake to hone this burly and versatile mountain bike into my ideal dirt road, long distance tourer. But seeing as my frame was sent to me by Surly for testing purposes, I couldn’t exactly go and fire up the welding torch (or rather, ask friend and expert framebuilder Robin Mather to). So, I ended up cheekily emailing them to see if I might make a couple of tweaks to their property.
The response was an enthusiastic ‘go for it!’
More bottle
There wasn’t much to do. I only really wanted eyelets below the downtube to carry an extra water bottle. Most dedicated touring frames feature these, and it’s something I find really useful. Even if temperatures don’t demand that level of fluid guzzling during the day, it’s useful to fill up when I’m close to finding a camping spot.
At the moment I’m running a framebag, so bottles within the frame itself aren’t an issue. But seeing as I was in the workshop, I also asked Robin to add a third eyelet on the top of the downtube. This will give me more water cage placement possibilities for the likes of a Topeak Modula Cage XL, or the option of running one of Salsa’s versatile Anything Cages at some point.
If I’d had the rigid fork to hand, I might have gone completely eyelet-happy and had some added there too, a la Salsa Fargo. But I’m running suspension at the moment, so that will have to wait for another day.
Oh, and…
Making these changes will inevitably void your frame’s warranty. Although they’re straightforward enough to carry out, make sure you have them administered by someone who knows what they’re doing.
Think hard about the placement of this extra bottle. Position it low for stability, but make the cage sits above the chainrings to reduce the chance of it getting snagged when tackling rocky terrain. Allow extra space if you intend to run one a larter Topeak, BBB or Minoura’s cage, which extend lower than normal. If you are, make sure the top of a 1.5 litre bottle has plenty of clearance with a rigid fork (and potential mudguards), as well as with suspension that’s under compression.
Before you start…
Lastly, I should add that there are ways of getting round this issue without resorting to surgery by using zip ties, something like this or bottle cages designed for frames without eyelets. Hose clamps are a good option too. But this is certainly a more secure solution, and makes an easy, useful addition to a frame that’s due for a respray.
Framebag and wheels removed, Robin marks the spot where the torture will begin. I look on nervously.
A steadier hand than mine... This third hole will be ideal for carrying 1.5 litre water bottles, or Salsa's Anything Cage.
Out comes the file, to smooth the edges of the poor, punctured tube...
... in preparation for the Rivnut eyelets that will be screwed into place.
The tube is warmed, and some brazed dribbled around the nuts to stop them from spinning.
Blotches of soot are wiped off...
And with a little polishing, the Troll has a third eye - or inner eye, in yogic chakra terms (is the Troll now enlightened?). For now, I've painted over the wound with some red oxide, but in time I'll try and match the Troll's distinctive Agent Orange...
Job done, I pitched the 'mid on Robin's lusciously soft lawn that night, and the bike was ready to ride home the next morning. I've been really enjoying the massive floor space and height in this tarp; it weighs just over a kilo, yet sleeps two in luxury and four at a squeeze. Despite its flaws, I'm tempted to take it back with me to South America - my abilities to sew in a flap of mosquito netting round the base will be the deciding factor.
On my way back, I swung by Cadence Bikes in Bath, who had a Topeak Modula XL bike cage in stock. Perfect fit. I can now carry an extra 1.5 litres of water and drink to my heart's content.
A big thanks to Robin Mather, frame builder extraordinaire. Click here to gaze upon some of the most beautifully crafted bicycles you can lay your hands on…
The bicycle you choose to ride on a long journey is always an important matter, worthy of much pondering, head-scratching and debate. After all, we’re talking about your mechanical soul mate, the companion with whom you’ll be sharing the best of times, and the worst of times…
I’ve now clocked up a few thousand kilometres on the Surly Troll, in several guises – traditional front and rear panniers, framebag, suspension and rigid – so figured it was time pen this report. The Troll and I have journeyed together fully laden, and often on dirt roads, from Costa Rica to Ecuador. More recently, it’s reintroduced me to my local Bristolian singletrack, and I’ve now tried it in bikepacking getup on the beautiful but distinctly un-Latin American Devon Coast to Coast.
Troll Talk
I prefer the path less travelled and the Troll fulfills almost everything I seek in a mountain bike tourer. It ticks a lot of boxes: a burly chromo frame, suspension corrected geometry, 26in wheels, a choice of V brakes or discs, front and rear racks eyelets, room for fat tyres and provision to run derailleurs or a Rohloff internally geared hub. All of which are great for both practical reasons and for peace of mind, particularly if your travels veer you beyond Europe or North America. Blown a tyre sidewall? Even a Colombian hardware store can unearth you a replacement to get you riding again. Problem with your discs? V brakes will tied you through and scrub speed down the steepest Andean descents. Worried about issues with the Rohloff? Cheap derailleurs can always be sourced for those infamously cobbled Ecuadorian climbs.
The Troll has carried my four overstuffed panniers with confidence – a bloated 35kgs worth of gear – be it on or off road. In fact, I was surprised by how well it does ride as a fully ladden machine, seeing as its tubeset is no beefier than Surly’s singlespeed frame, the 1×1. It feels reassuringly overbuilt, yet at the same time is definitely a fun bike to ride singletrack unladen.
The Troll comes as a frame and fork. Here it is in Ecuador. I live for dirt, and have found that with a rigid fork, a combination of panniers (Arkels) and a framepack (Porcelain Rocket) helps distribute weight on gnarly South American trails.
And here it is in the UK in lighter, 'bikepacking' mode, with everything I need for a few days camping. A Porcelain Rocket framebag, bar bag and seat pack keep the profile slim and the weight balanced. The Troll rides like a 'proper' mountain bike, so it's lots of fun on sinewy, technical trails.
And most recently, in trailer-pulling mode, hauling a Tout Terrain Mule.
Nitty Gritty
You can read the full manufacturer blurb here, along with all the spec and geometry details.
To those unversed in Surly’s range of inspiringly idiosyncratic bicycles, the Troll is basically a mountain bike frame built around 26in wheels, brazed and drilled with all the bits you need to load up and go touring – whether that be a night in the local woods, riding the Great Divide, or an epic journey across a continent.
This said, the Troll doesn’t aim to be a full-on expedition machine. Geometry and tubing wise, it’s effectively a 1×1 – Surly’s cult singlespeed – with the addition of front and rear rack mounts, plus a nifty dropout that allows detailleur, Rohloff hub or singlespeed use. But given how well it rides, I see it more as the unruly mountain biking cousin – ie massive tyre clearances and a suspension-ready geometry – of the Long Haul Trucker, their tried and tested touring frame. From what I’ve experienced, the Troll is just as capable for long distance travel.
Troll v LHT
So which is best for what? If paved roads and good quality gravel tracks are your staple diet on tour, you’re better off with a Trucker. It’s built for the heaviest of loads and from what I’ve seen, has become to go-to bike for those tackling the Panamerican Highway. But if you hanker after more challenging trails, envisage battling through muck and mud, and ride singletrack on your days off before visiting the local museum, then Troll is where it’s at. The fact that it isn’t designed to handle as much cargo shouldn’t be an issue, as by default, those heading offroad tend to pare down their kitlist.
Wheels: 26 v 29
I’m tall, and back home I ride a 29er mountain bike for a whole bunch of reasons, including the noticeably smoother ride – so much so that I rarely miss a suspension fork. But on a long tour, beyond Europe and North America, I still reluctantly stick to 26in wheels.
As much as anything, this is because I’ve struggled to find comparable wide volume 29er tyres that will last as long, or are built with loaded touring in mind. Everything I’ve tried to far has worn out too quick.
Added to this is the reassuring fact that traditional mountain bike inner tubes, tyres and rims can be found almost everywhere in the world. Even the smallest settlement, in the most remote folds of the Andes, can track down enough spares to keep you rolling. Conversely, touring-worthy 29er/700c hoops and tyres are all but impossible to come across.
So, unless you rely on getting spares shipped out – which takes logistical organisation, and can end up as an import tax nightmare – I think 26in wheels are still the way to go.
But… if you still want to take the 29er route – either you’re too hooked on their benefits, or you’re particularly long limbed and 26in bikes just feel ‘wrong’ – it looks like the Troll’s bigger wheeled brother, the Ogre, could be a good option. To be on the safe side, I’d recommend super tough Rigida Sputnik or Alesa Endeavour rims, even if you’re fitting disc brakes. Perhaps Schwalbe will release the new Marathon Mondial in a 29er flavour, in which case big wheels could become a real option for dirt road travel. I’d also add that if you can travel light enough – in a bikepacking style – you’ll save a lot of wear and tear on your wheels and tyres, which is another argument for riding a 29er.
Troll Tweaks?
Ok, so nothing’s perfect, and there’s a few changes I’d like to have seen to suit the kind of travelling I do. You can never carry enough water, so bottle eyelets below the downtube would have been welcome. Likewise, punching a few in the fork, a la Salsa Fargo, would have been great. And in a similar vein, a set of triple eyelets on top side of the downtube would allow adjustability in the placement of the bottle cage, including the ability to carry 1.5 litre bottles – as with Topeak’s Modula XL – or even one of Salsa’s Anything Cages. Long cages are incredibly popular amongst long distance tourers; unfortunately the position of the bottle mounts at the moment means most will interrupt the one on the seat tube.
The good news is that Surly’s 4130 chromo is easy renough to tinker with, and getting your local framebuilder to drill in some extra eyelets is a relatively quick and easy job. It’s one I eventually ended up getting done, thanks kindly to Robin Mather – more on this in the next post.
Take a few moments to get your head round this mind-boggling slot dropout, and you'll see how clever it is. I love a bike with versatility. The Troll can run derailleurs, a Rohloff Speedhub - a third bolt anchors the OEM2 plate in place - or slim down to singlespeed. The position of the disc brake tab allows a conventional rack to be teamed with Avid's mechanical BB7s.
Inevitably this versatility leads to a few compromises. Those opting for a Rohloff hub will find removing the wheel more fiddly than a frame with a Rohloff-specific dropout, especially on a cold, muddy day - the wheel needs to be toggled forward or to the side before you can unhook the chain. On the plus side, there's no moving parts - so no eccentric bottom bracket or sliders to cease or creak.
Rohloff users with find one of Surly's Tugnuts useful for lining up and securing the wheel, especially if you're using the quick release version of the hub rather than solid axle one. Note that you'll need an extra long rear skewer - the one pictured is actually for trailer-hauling duties, using an Extrawheel.
The Troll has provision for both V brakes and discs, and massive clearances all round. It's pictured here with 2in tyres.
Particularly useful in these situations...
A triangulated brace allows more top tube clearance and a stiffer frame, at the expense of internal space for a framebag. This extra top tube clearance has proved more handy than I was expecting, making hopping on and a fully laden bike a less unwieldy affair.
Note the details on this frame, including these unusual cable guides, designed to run three cables at once - the two Rohloff cables and a V brake, for instance. Unfortunately Rohloff users are abandoned along the seat stay, where the guides run out.
This said, I prefer the cleaner line of running the Rohloff cabling along the downtube and seat stays, as I think the shifting is a little lighter. The cables can easily be bunched together with a zip tie, sharing space with the disc brake hose.
The Troll comes with provision for two water mounts, unlike the more touring-specific Long Haul Trucker, which has three. I had an extra one drilled below the downtube, so I can use one of Topeak's Modula XL cages and carry a 1.5 litre bottle of water - perfect for topping up before camping at the end of the day. More info on these mods in the next post.
So, here’s what I like:
The rear disc tab is positioned between the seat and the chain stay, so you can run a standard rack and a mechanical disc brake. I’m using Avid BB7s with a Tubus rack on a 20in frame. There are no issues, other than the rack sitting relatively high.
Massive tyre clearances – I’ve been running 26×2.25 tyres with ample room to spare for tacky mud/donkey shit. Or even with mudguards. The Troll is rated to goliath 2.7s.
Highly adaptable frame thanks to slot dropout – derailleurs, singlespeed, Rohoff, whatever suits your preference or pocket.
Resilient – the tubing feels like it could take a knock or too, which is handy if you’re strapping it aboard a Guatemalan Chicken Bus.
‘Agent Orange’ may not be low key for stealth touring, but I like it. Certainly pops out in photos.
Reasonably priced – $495 gets you the frame and fork, though Brits might have to pay as much as £430.
And here’s what I’d like to have seen:
More eyelets! Even though the Troll doesn’t aim to be a true expedition machine, a couple on the underside of the downtube would really add to its long distance credentials. Bottle eyelets on the fork would be welcome too for bikepacking-style jaunts.
I’d have liked a slightly higher position of the bottle cage eyelets on the top side of the downtube, to be able to run one of Topeak or Minoura’s extra long cages with a standard bottle too on the seat tube.
The LHT now comes with the option of S&S couplings for air travel. Could the Troll be next?
My build
The Troll’s currently only available as a frameset, though a complete bike might be available at some point. Being the thoughtful people that they are, Surly have kept everything standard – no awkward seat post sizes to track down – which made for easy transfer of existing kit. In my case, I’m running one of Rohloff’s excellent, low maintenance Speedhubs, which has travelled with me from frame to frame over the last seven years. Hoops are courtesy of Rigida’s super tough Andras, specifically drilled for the Rohloff. Mine are also CSS coated, a process I’d highly recommend if you’re running V brakes. They simply refuse to wear, though now that I’ve shifted to mechanical disc brakes, the extra expense is no longer necessary. Other than that, I have fairly standard kit. A square taper bottom braket, basic Shimano cranks, an FSA headset and Avid BB7 brakes. I favour a handlebar with a more swept back position than most, and chanced upon Fatbacks’s titanium offering while in Anchorage, Alaska. I recently tried the cheaper Ragley Carnegie, also highly recommended. More on putting the bike together can be found here and in the gear section.
Final thoughts
The Troll has hungrily gulped down everything I’ve thrown at it. It suits the kind of touring I live for: offroad, following the unbeaten path. If this is also your style, it’s a beast that’s sure to befriend you.
Unleash the Troll. Take it across a continent...
Or just go bikepacking round your local woodland trails...
