My 2001 Baked Bean Brown Steamroller

I bought this frame back in 2021 from an acquaintance I know from the bike shop, and I've been using it primarily for commuting/cruising ever since. I originally had other plans for it, but I didn't realized the stock forks on these first generation Steamrollers don't have the same clearance as the current ones until I took a closer look at it. It's been a fun frame, though, and it's currently my only fixed gear setup with 700c wheels.

Frame: Surly Steamroller 59cm

Headset: Shimano 105
Handlebar: Nitto For Shred 650mm
Wrap: Cannondale KnurlTack
Stem: Tioga T-bone 105mm 17°
Seatpost: Zoom Alloy 20mm offset
Saddle: Selle Italia Turbo
Crankset: Sugino RD2
Chainring: Dimension 42t
Chain: KMC Z1eHX Narrow
Cog: Surly 19t 3/32"
Tires: Rene Herse Steilacoom
Wheelset: Mavic Ellipse

Stock Fork Back on My Steamroller

I cut the steerer tube down and put the stock fork back on my Steamroller. After spending a lot of time recently on my Jedan, my Steamroller started feeling a little twitchy by comparison, especially while on thick, loose gravel. The Whisky No.7 RD+ fork has an offset that's 7mm longer than the stock fork, increasing the quickness of the steering. It never really bothered me before, but I realized that I like the feel of slower steering on the rough stuff, and there seems to be a lot of it this time of year. The Whisky fork will end up on another one of my bikes soon enough, or maybe back on this one.
 

Out Here in Gravel Country

The trail was awful, but the gravel roads were in great shape. Nice and tacky with almost no slop (Nebo had some slop on the south end). Nebo: 6/10, Coats: 9/10, Howard Orchard: 8/10.

Gloomy Afternoon on the River

I probably wouldn't have gone for a ride if I wasn't trying to stay in shape for Mid South, but I am, so I did. Cold, windy, and gray is my least favorite weather combo. The trail was solid, though, and the tailwind on the way back was a lot of fun.

How It Started vs How It's Going

Five years ago I had the idea of building a Surly Steamroller with 650Bx47 tires after seeing someone's bike with WTB Horizons on it (it was either a Kona Rove or Sutra). I didn't know if the tires would fit in the Steamroller or not, so I sent an email to Surly's customer service. This is the response I got:

Thanks for the message. The Steam roller does not have the proper clearance to make running a 650x47 tire safety. The largest we can recommend is a 700x38 or 700x 32 with fenders. I hope this helps.

Bummer. Well, I kept thinking about it over the course of that year, and by the time fall came around, I decided I wanted to try it out anyway. Here's how it turned out:

First photo of the completed build (taken in October 2018).

Frame: Surly Steamroller 59cm

Fork: Surly Steamroller

Headset: FSA Orbit DL
Handlebar: Zipp Service Course SL80 40cm
Wrap: Zipp Service Course
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL 100mm +/-6 degree
Seatpost: Zipp Service Course SL 20mm offset
Saddle: Your Air Camel
Crankset: SRAM Omnium
Chain: KMC Z410
Cog: All-City Standard 17t
Tires: WTB Byway 650Bx47
Rims: Velocity Aileron 650B
Hubs: e*thirteen Chubs
Spokes: DT Swiss Champion

And here it is over 11,000 miles later:

Most recent picture (taken in January 2023).

Frame: Surly Steamroller 59cm
Fork: Whisky No.7 RD+

Headset: FSA Orbit DL
Handlebar: Sim Works 4 GSC Smog Cutter Handlebar 53cm
Wrap: fizik Tempo Bondcush 3mm Soft
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL 120mm +/-17 degree
Seatpost: Zipp Service Course SL 20mm offset
Saddle: Your Air Camel
Crankset: Rotor Track 3D24
Chainring: Rotor 46t
Chain: KMC Z1eHX Wide
Cog: All-City Standard 17t
Tires: Challenge Gravel Grinder 650Bx46
Rims: Zipp 303 Firecrest 650B
Hubs: Harmony Composites
Spokes: DT Swiss Aero Comp

I think it turned out okay. Here's to another 11,000 miles.

Sloppy Ride With Ragsdale Yesterday

Fun ride, but the trail was pretty soft and sticky in a ton of spots. Good training for Mid South, though.

Testing aarn SRAM 3-Bolt Track Spider Prototype

For the last few months I've been fortunate enough to test a (possible) new product from aarn. It's a spider that's compatible with SRAM 3-bolt road cranks that allows you to use a 144 BCD chainrings on them, and it's offset to give you a ~41mm chainline. After putting over 500 miles on it without any issues, I took the crank off to check the torque on the bolts. Everything was holding strong and has been holding strong since. Definitely something to keep on your radar, especially if you have a SRAM road crank in your spare parts bin.

New Bike: Maverick Jedan

Here's the latest addition to my stable, the Maverick Jedan. This bike has been so much fun to ride. I really like the feel of the longer chainstays and higher bottom bracket so far. I built it up about a month ago and haven't ridden any of my other bikes since (not including my brown Steamroller that I commute on). Full build specs after the photos.

Frame: Maverick Jedan XL

Headset: Neco OEM
Handlebar: Zipp Service Course SL88 40cm
Wrap: Walnut Studiolo Sew-on Leather
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL 120mm +/-6 degree
Seatpost: Zipp Service Course SL 20mm offset
Saddle: Selle Italia Turbo
Crankset: SRAM Omnium
Chainring: AARN 47t
Chain: KMC Z1eHX Wide
Cog: All-City Standard 18t
Tires: Teravail Cannonball 650Bx47
Rims: Mavic XM119 27.5
Hubs: Suzue Pro Max
Spokes: DT Swiss Champion

Looking forward to putting many miles on it.