In case you’ve missed the rumblings around the internet, Surly has discontinued the Troll, Pugsley, and Long Haul Trucker, three bikes that have have become legendary in touring circles over the years. Here are some details and a quick reflection…

Despite their distinct differences, Surly’s Long Haul Trucker, Troll, and Pugsley are all legendary in the touring world. On a personal note, my first Surly was a Long Haul Trucker. That decision was probably inspired by the fact that when you typed “touring bike” into the search bar back then (probably Yahoo!, or who knows, maybe even Ask Jeeves), a boatload of photos featuring gear-bedecked LHTs were usually the first to be found. Surly had that market cornered. Later in 2010, Surly expanded the concept of off-road touring with the Troll, a 26″ tire-shod rigid mountain bike made specifically for boundless dirt. The fat-tired Pugsley didn’t necessarily fit into Surly’s touring range at the time, but folks were starting to use it as such.

I’d assert that both the Troll and Pugsley made history in that regard. Cass Gilbert was plotting an atypical course through Central and South America on the Troll, on a primarily dirt-focused itinerary. And Joe Cruz was touring on more rugged than normal tracks on the Pugsley. Those two individual and their trips inspired a lot of people. I was certainly influenced by both of them and traded in the road-oriented LHT for the more dirt-worthy Troll prior to setting out on our first big trip…

  • Cass Gilbert's Troll
  • Joe Cruz Surly Pugsley
  • Surly Troll - Bikepacking setup, Panniers, Racks, Rohloff
From left to right: Cass Gilbert’s Troll; Joe Cruz and his Pugsley; Virginia’s Troll

Well, things change. Surly (quietly) made the announcement that marks the end of an era. All three of these bikes, the non-disc LHT, Troll, and Pugsley, have been discontinued. Here’s the statement from Surly from their blog post regarding inventory…

“All right, all right. We have some models going away. They would not have gone away so quickly though had we not seen the accelerated bike sales brought about by this pandemic. Regardless, let it be known that we have sold through most sizes in bikes and frames of the following models: Pack Rat; Long Haul Trucker; Troll; and Pugsley. These aren’t planned for reorder, meaning they are discontinued.”

Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route, TEMBR, Bikepacking
  • Route of Caravans, Morocco Traverse South

Fortunately, there’s still plenty of crossover in Surly’s bike range, and options like the Ogre, ECR, and Krampus remain intact. Plus, newer bikes like the Bridge Club and Disc Trucker continue Surly’s tradition of being at the forefront of great steel touring bikes…

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