I ride a 2008 42cm Surly Long Haul Trucker, or LHT, bought from stock and modified to suit my body. This is the smallest of the LHT frames Surly makes, and I’ve often written about my bike. As a result, I get a lot of letters from folks who want to know something more of my vital measurements. What’s my height? My standover measure? My reach? All this is in aid of wondering if the 42cm LHT would fit them, or their girlfriend or wife, or boyfriend or husband. So this is for all of you shorter folks who all wonder the same thing. I’ll begin with a photograph of my bike just before a short tour:

You can open an enlargement in a new window by clicking this link. The top tube of my LHT slopes down from head tube to seat tube, meaning that the standover measure differs along its length. The red line shows the standover height just ahead of the saddle nose, and the blue line shows the height near … Continue reading »

Despite an early brush with death on an icy ski slope, I still enjoy a fast downhill run on two wheels. Not everyone does. There’s good reason for this. Speedy descents are dangerous, even for pros. But what goes up must come down. Unless you limit your rides to the salt flats, sooner or later you’ll find yourself facing the first of many long, steep drops, and since these can’t be avoided, you might as well make the best of them. Staying on the road at speed is Job One. Here’s how to get on the right side of the odds:

Keep your bike in good condition. A steep downhill is no place to discover that your brakes are losing their grip. And a front-wheel blowout almost guarantees a hard landing, so check your bike over before each ride, and keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressure. Make sure no clothing or cargo is flapping around in the breeze either. Nothing brings a bike down faster than something tangled in the spokes.

Never … Continue reading »