Surly Troll and LHT discontinued. Their forks presumably too

[Titiritero]

Surly has recently announced the discontinuation of those models, and another 2. But relevant to this forum might be the likely discontinuation of their forks as upgrades. Many retro mtbs have been saved thanks to a Troll or LHT fork replacement.

The Disk Trucker will remain in production, but as the name says it is a disk only fork (and since this year with thru-axle, no quick release)

 

[Tootyred]

Re:

I had a long email discussion with surly earlier this year as i was trying to find a 64cm lht with cantilevers.

Yes they are dumping the cantilever in favour of disc throughout. Reading between the lines, the upshot is that its far cheaper for them to do as multiple wheel sizes fit the same stock item.

They tried to tell me it came from feedback from touring folk. I then held up my " bull" card and pointed out that no serious traveler is going to take discs into anywhere other than a first world county as compatibility, supply of spares and ease of damage would be a major issue. It all went quiet.

So my vote is for Richard at Oxford bike works. Yes a couple of hundred more, but made to measure and whatever colour you like.......not just grandpas thermos....or whatever! Bloody hipsters!

 

[Holiocornolio]

Of all the modern innovations I rue, the thru axle is the one that makes me scratch my head the most. It's the industry's single most effective step towards obsoleting the beating heart of every single bike that pre existed it's development

 

[greencat]

I just about get thru axles for front suspension, but rear non-suspension frames? Any gains have to be really marginal.

 

[legrandefromage]

Its so you can buy more, in fact, buy more now...

Buy more!

Why aren't you buying??!! BUY!!!

...and be happy

 

[mattr]

Re: Re:

They tried to tell me it came from feedback from touring folk.

Which really means, no one is buying them, so why the hell stock/manufacture them.

no serious traveler is going to take discs into anywhere other than a first world county as compatibility, supply of spares and ease of damage would be a major issue. It all went quiet.

Mechanical discs are pretty much bomb proof these days, probably more damage tolerant and durable than rim brakes, and more powerful. Spares is basically a couple of sets of pads, cables you can get anywhere. Discs you can hammer flat (and they tend to be more damage tolerant than rims anyway.)

 

[Duxuk]

In the good old days our rims were lucky to see 9 months before they split due to brake wear. OK, touring you're not likely to be hammering the brakes in mud but I do feel that disc are a major step forwards. Don't mention external bottom brackets, though. It makes my blood boil! Cartridge BBs lasted way longer.

 

[mattr]

Really? I used to get 12 months (racing) out of cartridge bottom brackets, i now get, er, about 12 months out of an external one.......

 

[hamster]

Re: Re:

Mechanical discs are pretty much bomb proof these days, probably more damage tolerant and durable than rim brakes, and more powerful. Spares is basically a couple of sets of pads, cables you can get anywhere. Discs you can hammer flat (and they tend to be more damage tolerant than rims anyway.)

Hmm, so when I fly with a bike I have to remove the discs to avoid damage. I don't fancy chucking a disc-braked bike on top of a bus in some out of the way place either.
Absolutely fine for touring France or Germany, not sure about further afield.

Now, that is indeed fine for 90% of customers - but not everyone. Even touring in the US, there is an awful lot of nothingness between places.

 

[greencat]

Really? I used to get 12 months (racing) out of cartridge bottom brackets, i now get, er, about 12 months out of an external one.......

Agreed - alignment/facing seems to be more critical with external ones though. Some frames of mine seem to chew through external bottom brackets like a squirrel on acorns. Others are perfectly fine.