Question for troll ogre and lht owners

[SteveJfromtheSwitch]

hey folks
i have a dedicated dual suspension 29er for my serious mountain bike riding stuff.

i also have a Troll set up as off road tourer/fun bike. i also have LHT set up as full on tourer but is also my daily commuter ( i commute 200km a week).

my question is, have i got a duplication of form/function bikes in the LHT and Troll, should i have just built an Ogre with fenders/racks and 2 sets of tyres?

this is my LHT


this is my Troll


and sometimes it looks like this


should i just buy an Ogre frame, get a set of fenders to suit and move a selection of the parts of both my LHT and Troll to the ogre?

Racks will fit, just need new fenders. Get a dedicated set of off road tyres , remove racks and fenders for when i want to hit the dirt?

thoughts?

[seat_boy]

While conceptually I like the idea of a dual purpose bike, in reality I find it a PITA to move tires and fenders from dirt to road. Much more convenient to have a dedicated commuter and a dedicated trail bike.

If you like how your LHT is set up, then keep it that, and make the Troll your alternate to your full sus mtb.

[mattbryant2]

Why an Ogre and not your Troll? Your Troll in the first picture looks ready for anything. I will also say I've never found a tire of any size as nice for multi-use riding as those 2.0 Marathon Extremes you're running.

FWIW, I replaced a Long Haul Trucker and my SS 29er with an Ogre as an all-purpose bike. I don't miss the Trucker, but I do miss not changing tires and installing/uninstalling fenders twice a week. At least it forces me to give my bike the attention it deserves.

[SteveJfromtheSwitch]

hey there
thanks for the replies. i hear what you're saying on the Troll, i just wish it was a 29er though. i do most of my riding/touring on the road so the larger wheel diameter would suit better.

[solomon707]

I've done up to 60 road miles on my Troll... with 2.35" Big Apples and front and rear racks. I commute 17 miles round trip on it every day. Granted, I'm rarely in a hurry. I think if you choose a saner tire, the Ogre would be able to fill both roles. In fact, I regularly drop the psi in my tires and take the Troll on light (fire road) dirt.

[LostBoyScout]

You could do it all on an Ogre, but you have twice the awesome.

Also it's worth noting that your bike components will last longer on each since you're splitting your riding between them. So in the long term, considering maintenance costs and resale of each, you're probably not much worse off at all for having 2 - provided storage space isn't a problem.

Also may I note, good bike quiver.

[sasquatch rides a SS]

Have you thought about a 650b wheelset for the troll? That would give you the larger diameter tire you want without buying a new bike. I'm not sure about tire options, but I know companies are making more and more. You can also fit a 700c road wheelset and tires on the troll. Have the 26" set for offroad and a 700c disc wheelset for commuting. There's many ways to go if you want to keep your current bike.

[Saddle Up]

I had a KM, a Troll and a LHT all at the same time. I put 650b wheels and tires on the Troll and it made the KM obsolete overnight. The KM is sold without any regrets. I've now moved the 650b wheels over to the LHT. I really like the ability to swap parts between the LHT and the Troll

If I had to start all over and choose two out of the three, I'd choose the Troll and LHT everytime. I wonder how the Troll would do with 700 x 45c tires?, I wonder?....

[sasquatch rides a SS]

I really want to purchase the new purple troll and make it a 3x9, 650b do anything, go anywhere bike...I can't though

[dfltroll]

Why not put drop bars on the LHT to mix it up a bit? I've been using 48cm Nitto Noodles on mine since I got it in Summer 2011. It's a wide bar even for my wide frame but does feel good. That said, I have two other bars with drop bars and so am thinking of putting an Open Bar on the LHT at some point just to try it out.

Sometimes the versatility of Surly bikes makes them harder to set-up.

[SteveJfromtheSwitch]

thanks for the replys fellas, yes drops on the LHT might be a good idea actually. certainly does seperate the bikes somewhat

[CS2]

I really want to purchase the new purple troll and make it a 3x9, 650b do anything, go anywhere bike...I can't though

Time to sell some toys. I do like the looks of the purple frame Troll. Finally somebody at Surly got the idea that color is good.

[bolandjd]

Steve,

Nice looking bikes.

I own an LHT that I swap between slick tires/fenders and knobbies/no fenders. I just leave the rack on all the time. While swapping tires works okay, it can be a PITA and in the perfect world where I have lots of money, I would rather just have another bike. And actually, for the way I use my Trucker, I might prefer a Fargo or an Ogre anyway. But neither was available when I bought my bike.

Anyway, I think you should just hold what you got unless you need to reduce the quiver. And even then, your Troll can take 700c or 650b wheels and do just about everything that the KM/Ogre can do. Maybe a second wheelset and some clip-on fenders for the Troll are all you need?

[XJaredX]

I do concur with the benefits of having both the Troll AND LHT, but with that said, I replaced my LHT with an Ogre and have not regretted it for a second. My Ogre usually sports 2.3" Big Apples and is easily as fast, if not faster, than my LHT was on Marathon Extremes in 40mm. Plus it is a lot more comfortable to ride when the pavement ends.

[Saddle Up]

...when the pavement ends, you nailed it..., what's the priority for the bike? I like riding the Troll on dirt, I like riding the LHT searching for dirt.

[Saddle Up]

and sometimes it looks like this

thoughts?

This looks like fun, it's going places the LHT can only dream about.

[SteveJfromtheSwitch]

i think my questions have been answered

i pulled the trigger on some drop bars and bar ends for the LHT. The Troll is my "spare bike" + off road overnight camping bike (or more). I may move it on, but only to replace it with an Ogre, built specifically for off-road duties.
I have a touring buddy of mine whos been wanting me to go away with him way inland where the LHT can't go and my heart tells me a 29er might be the go (maybe), still undecided on that bit though.

[dickyelsdon]

Im in a similar situation as you, Full-sus 29er (spearfish), LHT and a Surly Instigator for knocking about on when i dont want to wear out the fancy bits on the 29er.

Id love a Troll or Ogre for the ability to tow my trailer easily and rigid bike-packing, but in reality the Spearfish is the perfect 'packing bike and the LHT/instigator tow the trailer fine as is. I have no plans to go hub-gear so the slotted dropouts would do nothing but add bother.

I could switch the LHT for an Ogre but it would need slicks to make the commute use viable and that would make it no more suitable for offroad then the LHT is now. Stick nobbies or semi's on and the commute becomes a chore (at least for me, not blessed with commute options). I think ill end up with a Ogre/Troll eventually but not until ive moved to a house with more bike space!

[LostBoyScout]

If swapping tires is too cumbersome you could build a second (cheap) wheelset for commuting tires and just swap the wheels out - 3 minute job instead of 15!

I'm about to build a multi-purpose Ogre with similar plans

[SteveJfromtheSwitch]

i've got no problems swapping tyres

i'll think on the trol/ogre swap plan, bought some cheap drops on ebay last nite so just need my other bits to arrive and i'll swap the cockpit over.