Surly’s new Bridge Club bridges gap between dirt and road touring
Originally posted on April 2, 2018 at 17:02 pmYup, pun intended. Sorry.
But in all seriousness, this new bike from Surly is designed to be somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades, a blend of the brand’s dirt and road touring models that is meant to handle a variety of surfaces, loaded or unloaded, and offer a platform that is adaptable to a variety of riding levels and styles.
The Bridge Club takes most of its geometry cues from the Troll and Ogre with a slightly lower bottom bracket than either of those models to make it feel more stable on the road while still providing ample clearance for many dirt trails. This bike was designed around a 27.5 x 2.4 inch wheel size, but can fit a 27.5 x 2.8 or 700 x 47c, so there are plenty of options available no matter what you want to do with it.
The Bridge Club frame is steel of course, designed around 138mm Gnot Boost QR hubs and will accommodate either 135 mm or 141 mm hubs.
This bike aims to offer all the features found on fully-loaded touring bikes like the ECR but simplify them to not seem so daunting to a beginner rider or someone who just wants to dabble in touring. It still has more braze-ons than the average bike, with double water bottle mounts on all but the XS size, three-pack mounts on the fork and front and rear rack and fender mounts. However, it does not have full Rohloff capabilities like the Troll and some of Surly’s other touring models.
Its parts kit includes a low-geared SRAM 2×10 drivetrain (36/24t crankset and 11-40 cassette), Promax mechanical disc brakes with SRAM levers, Salsa Bend bars and WTB STPi29 rims and Ridder 27.5 x 2.4 inch tires. Check out more info on specs and geometry here.
The Bridge Club also offers an attainable price point at $1,200 for a complete bike. It’s great for riders who want to dabble in touring and bikepacking and multisport outdoors enthusiasts who want a lot of versatility for their money. The Bridge Club is now available at a number of dealers throughout the nation. Find out where and learn more about this bike on Surly’s website.