pedestrian cyclistWhat's going on with this handlebars? 😱
I generally have the feeling that Surly is falling out of fashion lately? They're still making nice steel frames, and are an important name for many touring cyclists. But I've got the impression that their marketing and some product choices aren't as flashy as it were? But might just be that there are more competitors now than 10 years ago?
PS: Not judging anyone for how they make their bike fit. But if a manufacturer puts such high rise bar and long stem on product photos, one has to wonder about it. If that's the setup for the size of person they intend the frame, why not make the frame a different geometry.
😀🚲@odoruhako drops splayed out to the sides?
Alexander@odoruhako same ones as on the Surlt DT iI bought 3 or 4 years ago. They do look a bit ugly but I find them very comfortable.
Sieva 🚴🚇🏙️🌹@odoruhako I guess these are drops for the most upright position. They almost never look “right”.
@odoruhako The original Trucker did not look sexy either, imo the 2026 one looks better.
https://surlybikes.com/products/long_haul_trucker_2007
https://surlybikes.com/products/long_haul_trucker_2007
@Anibyl It didn't look sexy, true. But still better to me. Of course, I don't have a picture from that perspective for the old one:
https://bikepacking.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-surly-disc-trucker_1.jpg
Here the long stem, and the rise of the bar makes it look as if someone tried to fit a "too small" frame.
@odoruhako I think our perception of what looks good is skewed with the prevalence of sports bikes. I rode a road bike with a steerer extender, and toured on a Disc Trucker; they didn't look great, but helped me (my back mostly) on long rides.
NateI've seen different types of drop bars that add rise. Some do it by having _two_ bars across the top, one that gets clamped in the stem, and one above it to give it a more "natural" look. See the Red Shift take on it: https://redshiftsports.com/products/top-shelf-handlebar-system
This reduces the amount of rise the stem would need, or the length of steertube above the headset to get the handlebars to a comfortable height. Some people (not me) disparage high reaching stems or lots of steertube-above-headset.
@Anibyl @odoruhako Given the two options, the Surly Truckstop, or the Top Shelf bar from Red Shift, I prefer the look of the Top Shelf, and, it gives you a better place to mount $stuff.