Surly Karate Monkey as SS with discs?

[Gooserider]

I'm going to thin out my bike collection and pare it down to two bikes. I'm
going to keep my Gunnar, which is a triple with fenders and barcons, and I'm
thinking about a singlespeed as an all-rounder town bike. I like a flat bar
in town, so I'm looking at the Surly KM. I've never owned a bike with discs,
and the KM has disc tabs. Anybody have one set up with 700c wheels and discs
as a singlespeed, or would discs be overkill?

 

[maxo]

Overkill? This is overkill:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/surly-rohloff/index.html



I've been looking at it myself along with the Surly LHT, and Soma
Smoothie.

Personally, I'd go for a nexus 8 on the back with cantis rear and disc
up front just to be contrary. Cool thing about that bike is that every
monster you ever dreamed of is possible.

Discs could be nice if you ride in sloppy weather. Don't know if you
can get a single speed disk hub (White Industries surely makes one),
but if you're going single speed vs. fixed--a spacered cassette hub
with single sprocket and a disc brake would be cheap and cheerful.

A set of Tektro linear pulls or cantis is cheaper and will stop just
fine too, but like you, I've never had a bike with discs, and would do
it for the visual elegance above any actual practical reasons.

 

[Mike Latondresse]

"Gooserider" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I'm going to thin out my bike collection and pare it down to two
> bikes. I'm going to keep my Gunnar, which is a triple with fenders
> and barcons, and I'm thinking about a singlespeed as an
> all-rounder town bike. I like a flat bar in town, so I'm looking
> at the Surly KM. I've never owned a bike with discs, and the KM
> has disc tabs. Anybody have one set up with 700c wheels and discs
> as a singlespeed, or would discs be overkill?
>
>
My son has and he uses it to commute in Vancouver where the disk is
somewhat useful in wet weather and saves rim wear. Downside is the
fork weighs a ton and I personally don't like his upright riding
position but he is a free ride guy asd used to it.

 

[Kurd]

"Gooserider" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm going to thin out my bike collection and pare it down to two bikes.
I'm
> going to keep my Gunnar, which is a triple with fenders and barcons, and
I'm
> thinking about a singlespeed as an all-rounder town bike. I like a flat
bar
> in town, so I'm looking at the Surly KM. I've never owned a bike with
discs,
> and the KM has disc tabs. Anybody have one set up with 700c wheels and
discs
> as a singlespeed, or would discs be overkill?
>
>
Guy who works very part time at our shop has a KM set up single-speed, Phil
Wood disc hubs, Avid mechanical disc brakes, Nito mustash bar, Brooks saddle
etc. He loves it now.

 

[Gooserider]

Now I just have to convince myself to thin the herd. Then I get to have the
fun of searching for just the right parts. I like the thrill of the hunt.

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On 13 Nov 2005 10:15:47 -0800, "maxo" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Personally, I'd go for a nexus 8 on the back with cantis rear and disc
>up front just to be contrary. Cool thing about that bike is that every
>monster you ever dreamed of is possible.
>
>Discs could be nice if you ride in sloppy weather. Don't know if you
>can get a single speed disk hub (White Industries surely makes one),
>but if you're going single speed vs. fixed--a spacered cassette hub
>with single sprocket and a disc brake would be cheap and cheerful.

Surly itself makes a disk SS hub.

>A set of Tektro linear pulls or cantis is cheaper and will stop just
>fine too, but like you, I've never had a bike with discs, and would do
>it for the visual elegance above any actual practical reasons.

I really like the Pugsley concept, just for being so *different*. Complete
it with Large Marge rims and those 3.7" tyres they're touting.

Jasper