Stop me buying a Karate Monkey!

So, throw a Longitude in the mix (forget bouncers and go plus) and then buy your full sus gnarpoon instead, and then soon get buyer’s regrets on the commute and wish you bought a KM, and so then sell gnarpoon at loss, buy KM after all, and then wish you’d bought two used bikes because you can’t really afford the new bike/s that you want and, but look I have parts lying about. Welcome to my world 😉

Ha ha! This is extremely familiar to me!! 🤣🤣

Fair Q, and I’ve never ridden one, just liked the look of it and thought the forks would bring the weight down. But then I read a review* of the 2019 Beyond+ ADV and it seems that 2 and half grand buys a build that comes in around the same weight as a stock -build Genesis Longitude, which comes in at less than half that price (Less than half again for barely-used examples.

I wouldn’t argue it’s worth 2x the price, but the Bombtrack does look significantly better than the Genesis to me (and I’ve always had a thing for Genesis bikes). It’s running proper 29+ next to the Longitude’s skinny 27+ tyres, and it’s still nearly a kg lighter. Plus it comes with Jones bars, which cost a fair bit.

And has the Longitude got a dropper unfriendly 27.2mm seat tube?

I saw one on the Beyond+ in the flesh recently and it is rather nice…

^ Fair point/ish I wasn’t perfectly comparing like for like, ie my Longitude is Mk1 (29+)

Genesis stock build tested at 13kg
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/genesis-longitude-review/?image=1&type=gallery&gallery=0&embedded_slideshow=0

Last years BB+ADV tested

At 13.6kg, it’s definitely not a lightweight bike for its asking price…

https://off.road.cc/content/review/bikes/bombtrack-beyond-adv-review-3253

The 2020 comparison of both bikes as listed shows about 700g going on the Longitude and same amount offthe BB+ADV. Soooo..they better be some very good carbon forks for that 700g per £1500 ! I think it would be fair to assume that the higher build spec on the BB ADV+ would be making up some (half?) of the 700g weight savings? I don’t really think there is a difference when you account for the fact they are both really 30lb bikes give or take depending on build/1x vs 2x

But you got me on the 27.2MM seatpost size 😝
And the Jones bars. I got the On Ones and saved enough for some decent mudguards and a front light!

Is the longitude boost (or half boost) I thought the forks were 100mm for some reason but can’t find the spacing on the latest frame.

Ah, probably 100mm(it’s QR), of course. Back in my box I go. for more quiet senior moments…

The Surly Long Haul Trucker has always bemused me. Again weirdly expensive for such a basic bike. You could just buy an 80’s Dawes Galaxy at a car boot sale and have pretty well the same bike.

The Surly Long Haul Trucker has always bemused me

To understand the brilliance of the LHT you need to make it carry as much weight as possible and give it some abuse and then be amazed with just how well it rides and how much hammer it takes.

Not sure a 40 year old dawes galaxy could take the same. I’m sure the km is built just as well as a LHT

Yea, you’re right there should really be much less in it cash wise, though I am surprised the weight difference is so small, unless 29+ really is that much heavier than 27+.

And the Jones bars. I got the On Ones and saved enough for some decent mudguards and a front light!

They’re a daft price… if I was buying the Bombtrack I’d probably sell the Loops and buy the On One copies and a Brand-x dropper with the cash…

walleater
The Surly Long Haul Trucker has always bemused me. Again weirdly expensive for such a basic bike. You could just buy an 80’s Dawes Galaxy at a car boot sale and have pretty well the same bike.

But that’s the beauty of a well built steel bike. If it has been looked after, you’re just a coat of new paint away from having it as good as new.

The point of the Surly is that in 2, 5, 10 years time it will still be a good bike (assuming basic care). That gives plenty time to amortise its cost. Most Surly owners hang on to their bikes.

Say you keep the frame 3 years and then throw it away, then it’s cost you £0.73 per day. That’s cheaper than the daily sprinkles on a hipster coffee (and you won’t be throwing it away 🙂 ).

Better still, buy one secondhand because the frame will be just as good.

One of my friends has one and it’s now got quite a few years on it. It still looks good and it’s had quite a battering offroad as well as some reasonable tours.

As far as the KM is concerned, the same can be said. It’s a decent bike and is the sort of thing you buy as a keeper.

There’s quite a few other decent steel bikes out there as well though. For example, in KM territory is the Singular Swift or Gryphon.

It’s weird that a company hasn’t just copied the Surly frames and then sold them cheaper than the Surly equivalent, after all a basic cro-molly frame can’t be expensive to build.

Do we have a list of Karate Monkey alternatives then?

Sonder Frontier
Genesis Tarn
Genesis Longitude
On One Scandal
On One Bootzipper
Stooge Mk 1, 2, 3, 4
Singular Swift

I dont think any of those are 29 x 3″ capable. Some not even 27.5 x 2.8″

Better list Here but some USA only.

Big Brother

I dont think any of those are 29 x 3″ capable. Some not even 27.5 x 2.8″

The tyre clearance for a Karate Monkey is:
27.5 x 3.0”
29 x 2.5″

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/karate_monkey

It’s the Krampus that does 29+

Oops my bad ☺