This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from Kobkit in Bangkok, Thailand, who shares a surprising Surly Straggler build that visually summarizes his journey through the world of bikes. Learn a little about Kobkit and scope out his unconventional Straggler here…

Words and photos by Kobkit Thitithanawat

Hello, I’m Kobkit. I’m a freelance photographer, sometimes DJ, and a hack-job home mechanic from Bangkok, Thailand.

Surly Straggler

I got interested in bikes a couple of years back, then got even more interested in tinkering with them. I started with a fat bike with a fear of Bangkok’s potholes, then slowly moved down to skinny and skinnier tire sizes.

  • Surly Straggler
  • Surly Straggler
  • Surly Straggler

As for this new Straggler, I’ve been a fan of mountain bikes/ATBs with chonky tires since the beginning, but wanted to try a “faster” bike. The Midnight Special was on my list when this new frame dropped, with a slacker geometry and a statement that it can also take suspension forks. I’m pretty sure that’s meant to be for the bigger 700c-sized frames, but I gave the build a go.

Surly Straggler
  • Surly Straggler
  • Surly Straggler
  • Surly Straggler
  • Frame: 49cm Surly Straggler, 650B
  • Fork: Rockshox Rudy 40mm
  • Wheels: Zipp 303 Firecrest 650B
  • Tires: Panaracer Gravelking (SK front, SS rear)
  • Handlebars: Zipp Service Course XPLR
  • Headset: Cane Creek Forty
  • Crankset: Prowheel DMJ 160mm, SRAM 110 BCD spider, Veloci 40T ring
  • Pedals: MKS Gamma
  • Groupset: Microshift Sword/Advent X
  • Brakes: Growtac Equal
  • Saddle: Selle Royal SRX
  • Seatpost: KS Exaform dropper
  • Stem: Leader Bikes The Shield
  • Frame bags: Decathlon
  • Rear bags: ILE seat bag
  • Other accessories: Minoura bottle cage, Spurcycle Bell, Forager cable cherries

With this project, I was aiming to get a black 30mm Rudy fork, but the tan 40mm is the only one I could find here at the moment. It probably raises the front end a bit, but it made the bike a bit more comfy!

  • Surly Straggler
  • Surly Straggler
  • Surly Straggler

You can keep up with Kobkit on Instagram.

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