Surly Bikes is known for versatile steel bikes. As the company name might suggest, its tendency is against trends. The website looks as if its typewritten, the bikes are all steel with rack and fender braze-ons everywhere, the paint schemes monochrome and when skinny tires were in, Surly’s bikes were wide with the first fat bike, the Pugsley.
The Surly Midnight Special is a new model from the Minneapolis builder of versatile utilitarian bikes. It is a “road plus” bike meant for taking the bike on roads—any roads—for all day-adventures. On display at Sea Otter was a bike that was custom-built for a Surly employee from the frameset up, with a few upgrades versus the stock spec.
Surly displayed a custom build of its new $1,800 Midnight Special Road Plus bike. Surly Midnight Special Road Plus Bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine
The Whiskey Parts Co. carbon fork and wheels with Teravail 650b x 47mm Rampart tires and the single chain ring with the Rival 1 clutch rear derailleur are customizations. The bike comes stock with a Rival 22 drivetrain and WTB Horizon tires.
The Midnight Special is ED coated double butted chromoly for the three main tubes and TIG welded with geometry similar to a ’cross bike. The top tube is longer than the seat tube, so it is best to fit the bike using the effective top tube measurement. The headtube angle is 72.5-73 degrees for the middle of the size range, and chainstays are 42.5mm with a 6.5cm bottom bracket drop.
The steel frame has a flat mount disc brake at the rear lugged dropout. Surly Midnight Special Road Plus Bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine
The bike comes stock with 650b x 47mm WTB Horizon Road Plus tires, and the frame fits up to a 650b x 60mm or 700c x 42mm tire. If you buy the Midnight Special as a complete bike, it has a SRAM Rival 22 drivetrain with TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes flat mounted to the frame. The stock fork is steel and, as you would expect from Surly, is compatible with racks and fenders like the frame. There are three bottle mounts total on the Midnight Special.
Surly likes to leave room for wide tires. The Midnight Special was on display with Road Plus 650b x 47mm Teravail Rampart tires. Surly Midnight Special Road Plus Bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine
The frame and fork are $625 USD and the complete bike is $1,799.
Surly tends to not follow trends, and here, includes downtube shifter bosses. Surly Midnight Special Road Plus Bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine
More info: surlybikes.com
See what’s new this year with our coverage of the 2018 Sea Otter trade show.
