Empowering The Bicycle Traveler

Touring Bike Components

In Defense of Bar-End Shifters

We are often asked why Surly specs bar-end shifters rather than integrated brake/shift levers on the Long Haul Trucker, Disc Trucker and Cross-Check.  This is a good question and one we thought warranted some explanation. When you walk into most bike shops, you'll most likely find that every single new bike with drop bars is fitted Read More

Touring and Trekking Tire Trends

At the 2014 Interbike trade show, it seemed to us that 27.5" (a 650b by any other name would ride as sweet), so called "29+" and fatbike tires are gaining traction with manufacturers and with consumers. As fans of the 29+ wheel/tire combo as on the Surly ECR we were excited about the number of Read More

Jones Bars

Journalism is a tough business. Those not involved don't understand the sacrifices reporters make in order to enlighten and entertain them. As an example, I could not get the wi-fi connection to work at the Woodland Empire brewery and I had to walk almost 200 feet to Pre-Funk tap room in order to find a Read More

Phil Wood Co.

The Bike Touring News store now has Phil Wood bottom brackets for your Long Haul Trucker (or even brand x touring bikes!) builds. Phil Wood has gained a reputation over the last 40 years or so for being the standard in durable, strong and serviceable bottom brackets. Here's a short pictorial guide Read More

Wheel Size- Myth and Theory

Every size of the Long Haul Trucker bicycle, from the tiny 46cm bike to the gargantuan 64cm bike is available with 26" wheels. 56cm and larger frames also come in 700c wheel versions while 54cm and smaller bikes only come with 26" wheels. Why do they do that? Why can't you buy a smaller bike Read More