Looking at new bikes, and keep coming back to these. I’m definitely a wheels on the ground rider, and want to do a bit more bikepacking/touring.

I’m sure I could probably buy a frame and spec my own bits, but I like the look of the Jones bars, thumbies, rigid, and BIG tyres. And I fancy a Surly.

Anyone got one, or a 29+ bike, and what’s the ride like?

Or will I be ridiculed and want to cry because it’s not a 650b?

Has no-one got one or ridden one? 🙁

Can’t comment on the ECR but…

I have a 29+ Knard in the front of my swift and loving it…!

I have also backed the rooster project so will be going full 29+, I think it is definitely the way to go, especially now there are sensible rims such as dually’s and new tyres are coming from Maxxis and Vee Rubber.

I like the knard, it flies along and the grip is sensational but when it gets wet muddy and claggy it is not the best.

Some great reviews out there..

http://www.pedalingnowhere.com/gear/bike-touring-surly-ecr-1000-km-impressions-build-specs/#.U3XWd_ldX8g

http://twentynineinches.com/2013/09/22/interbike-%E2%80%9913-ride-impressions-surly-ecr/

Get hold of Steve Makin.. he’s in the process of speccing one up.

Keep Pedalling in Manchester have one.

And I’m very tempted..

HELLO 🙂

I have one, and ridden it quite a way. Did oplymouth to Minehead last week on it (in the rain and wind).

I liked it a lot, everyone else asked why ( i don’t know i liked the look of it).

Things to note..

BB is low, so very stable when loaded, but is prone to pedal strikes in rocky bits and water pipe steps need thinking about.

THe tyre to chain clearance is tight. Surly say you have to run their offset double or others have used middleburns with road spiders. I used a standard SRAM double and with a bit of fiddling with the wheel alignemnt in the dropouts got a rub free solution with still plenty of mud clearance.

Other than than i found the ride great, tyre pressure around the 15 psi mark give a bit of give. On road sections you can get intop a bit of a bouncy rhythm but that just makes it funny.

Small boys love it

Most people ask why..

I bought mine as F&F and wheels from CTBM one Friday night after a few too many beers 🙂 No regrets though, it gets ridden more than my horsethief 🙂

Oh and the fat tyres don’t fit in bike racks too well, so thats a bit of a pain.

Do it, by the sounds of it your riding will suit it brilliantly…

here it is after its soujourn across dartmoor and exmoor

That looks absolutely epic.

I don’t really want one, but I wish I needed one. 🙂

i didn’t need one but i wanted it 🙂

Steelsreal. What bags are you using?

Steelsreal, that looks brilliant.

See also: http://northernwalker.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/surly-ecr-xxl-listen-up-tall-folks/

Excellent, some opinions and experiences, thanks!

Steelsreal, that does look ace. Had wondered about clearance but looks like its OK.

We have a Krampus demo bike and it is fantastic fun to ride.

I’ve only had a short ride on the ECR but from that, and looking at the details, I think it would be an awesome bike for bikepacking/touring but not as good for singletrack or for use as a “normal” MTB.

It ought to be possible to sort out a demo ride on one if you wanted to.

Cheers drovercycles, I live in Oxfordshire so might be a bit far for a test ride.

Interested to hear why you don’t think it’d be great as a normal mtb though? By the way, I am actually interested rather than “STW interested” ie I don’t agree and want to argue 😉

Charlie might have one in Swanage………..

Thank you all, I am very pleased with how it turned out…thought I may get some comments on my Sigg drink set up but none…marvelous.

The bags are alpkit, and they are very good, can get their 13 litre dry bag in the tail pack with room to spare, so only needed an 8 on the kanga harness, which when i got it thought “this is a bit weird it’ll never work” but the pack and map pocket stayed put even on the rockiest descents. Which i thought it handled quite well to be honest. I was torn between the Krampus and ECR but thought what the heck and it has already got me searching my next multi day adventure…

Southampton to St austell could be a wheeze 🙂

Like you I like to keep my wheels on the ground and after 325 miles on my Travers Angus/Rudy Fat in the last few weeks, although no bivi nights out as yet, but I’m loving the speed and comfort of my 29er+. It’s lighter than the ECR and Krampus to boot but with no fork mounting points.

Steelsreal, thanks for posting about how well your ECR works on a trip such as Plymouth to Minehead and that you look forward to the Southampton to St Austell section as well.

I have backed the Rooster project, and I had been thinking that doing the South West Way, Poole to Minehead would be a fantastic trip, but was pretty unsure if it was suitable with a bike and if walkers would be a constant nag with their disapproval of a bike on the paths.

Would be quite a trip, 600 miles of magnificent coastal scenery, and a morning, mid-day and evening sea swim to cool down and refresh.

I had a feeling 29+ could be just right for bikepacking a coastal route, so good to know it works.

Cheers drovercycles, I live in Oxfordshire so might be a bit far for a test ride.

Interested to hear why you don’t think it’d be great as a normal mtb though?

Caveat – I’ve only ridden one for 5 mins around the car park although I’ve ridden a fair amount on the Krampus.

Main thing is just my first gut impression. Maybe partly the bars, which I loved – and would have if I was going to be touring/bikepacking – but I didn’t think they’d be that great for general MTB use (though I’m sure others would disagree on that).

The ECR is (compared with the Krampus) a little shorter, and a little taller in the head tube, so the riding position is a little more upright and relaxed (especially with the bars).

I might feel differently if (when!) I get a chance to ride one properly…

I have something in sampling. Drawings signed off. It’s pretty daft. Quite unlike anything else out there and I’m really excited.

Sounds interesting Brant. Any more hints?

I’ve got two coming for testing of “proof of concept”.
It’s a while from production. But did come about, in part, due to a comment on a thread on here!

Cool, if you want someone slow to test them give us a shout 😉

Let me guess, drop bar 29er+ long tail with integrated Podsac frame bags? Like an off-road Big Dummy?

No

650+

🙂

It’s funny. I have two really stupid bikes in dev just now, and combined they are sort of close to the Salsa on the homepage, but different.

Let’s hear it for stupid bikes in any form )

ECR by Steve J Makin, on Flickr

ECR by Steve J Makin, on Flickr

ECR by Steve J Makin, on Flickr

ECR by Steve J Makin, on Flickr

ECR by Steve J Makin, on Flickr

Brand new ECR with Rholoff rear hub, Exposure dyno front hub.

I’m quite surprised by the difference in ride between this and the Krampus, much more stable, especially no hands riding, after 30 miles on dirt tracks this afternoon I agree with the comments above about this not being as suitable for mountainbiking as the Krampus, the Krampus wants to go, the ECR is happy tot trundle along…

pretty much what Surly say 😉

Nice. Seen the Cinq5 shifters for Rohloff + drops?

Anything similar in the pipeline from you Jameso?

yeah, just seeing how it works with woodchippers before committing, having said that where the shifter is works fine

I’m not sure if they’d be any better on drops tbh, shifts from one place is good.

colonel wax, no, I don’t work on bikes in that area. Shame in a way as I do a lot of that sort of thing these days but has its benefits, I like having a bike that’s not work-related. Or hardly ‘work’ actually, more like a bike I have no urge to faff around with.. no new stuff to jump onto, just ride for riding’s sake.

Hmm…

Not an ECR, but I have a Krampus. Just took it round 80km at HOTS this weekend, and it was marvellous. The 29+ platform is a great idea for long days in the saddle.

Not an ECR, but I have a Krampus. Just took it round 80km at HOTS this weekend, and it was marvellous. The 29+ platform is a great idea for long days in the saddle.

and i was the one chatting to you about my ECR, see its up there /\

I almost need both a krampus and an ecr, swap the frames for whatever suits…

or is that extravagant???