Troll owners?

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  • September 6, 2016 at 4:34 pm #918652
    EasyRider
    Participant

    Surly has updated the Troll, and I’m very tempted. An evening’s worth of googling and forum searching about the frame has me pretty confident it’s the one for me, but I’d be grateful if any current Troll owners out there would chime in with their pros and cons. My main hesistation is the rear-facing horizontal dropouts. Is changing a flat with those dropouts a total hassle, or no biggie? Is there other weirdness associated with a somewhat unconventional rear end? Another Trollish bike I should consider instead?

    A little background: I’m interested in the Troll to replace an older Trek mountain bike that is a size too small for me. I use my Trek as a daily commuter, pulling a trailer with a little one to preschool. Currently, the Trek is festooned with front and rear racks, a basket, fenders, cruiser handlebars and bar-end shifters. I’d plan to move all that junk to the Troll (or a worthy alternative) and strip down the Trek for the trail riding for which it was originally intended. The other limiting factor is my height. I’m 5’8″ and am sticking with 26″ wheels and rim brakes. I’ve grown weary of prowling Craigslist for a better fitting old mountain bike frame that is the equal to the one I now have.

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  • September 6, 2016 at 5:57 pm #1058500
    worktheweb
    Participant

    I have the Ogre (the 29’er version of the Troll) and I love it. The dropouts aren’t so much of a pain but they require you to change how you take the wheel on and off. Instead of moving the derailleur and jockey wheel around and out of the way while coming on from below, it is easier to come in above them to engage with the chain and slide the wheel forward. Definitely different, but doable.

    The other bits, like the Roholff compatibility don’t really get in the way. The Ogre is a hell of a lot of fun to ride and feels quicker than I thought it would — I’m not suffering from any slow down even though I went from 38c to 42c tires and the Ogre is beefier than its predecessor.

    The Jones H-Bars they come with are really great and allow you to switch up positions, I’d try them before you swap them out. They really are wide on the grips (like your cruiser bars — beforehand mine were more narrow), but I’ve gotten used to it and like the way it feels. I put Ergon Biokork GC1s on (designed for the more swept back position of bars like the Jones) and am still getting things dialed in, but I really enjoy the way they feel and the grippiness of the cork. Having the hand positions at the junction of the H and on the front really helps when you’ve got some serious headwinds to get into more of a tuck or if you just want to switch it up for your hands. The width of the grips also makes it feel like you’ve got nice leverage on climbs.

    Both of the bikes have a million braze-ons. Multiple water bottle cages and so many rack options. I’ve loaded the thing down pretty heavily and it never complained once.

    If the Troll handles like its big brother the Ogre, I’d swing by a shop and give it a try (I got mine from BicycleSpace, they have lots of Surly bikes to ride). It is a lot of fun.

    September 6, 2016 at 6:24 pm #1058505
    EasyRider
    Participant

    Thanks very much. Time for me to test ride the Troll. :D

    September 6, 2016 at 8:04 pm #1058510
    bentbike33
    Participant

    @EasyRider 145441 wrote:

    Thanks very much. Time for me to test ride the Troll. :D

    Be sure to take it to the north end of the MVT to ensure it feels at home on the Trollheim.

    September 6, 2016 at 8:15 pm #1058512
    EasyRider
    Participant

    Haha, of course!

    September 8, 2016 at 2:07 pm #1058642
    EasyRider
    Participant

    Bikenetic tells me the new Surly Trolls will be available in November. On paper I’m between a small (16″) and a medium (18″). The geometry is a bit different from the previous years’ models, but barely, so I’ll head over to the shop tomorrow to see if they’ve have a Troll or 1×1 in one of those sizes that I can try. If they don’t, are there any Troll or 1×1 owners out there that would be willing to take a spin on each other’s bikes for 5 minutes?

    September 28, 2016 at 1:57 pm #1056435
    EasyRider
    Participant

    Bump/last call … anyone with a Surly Troll that I could take for a quick spin to figure out which size is for me?

    September 28, 2016 at 2:46 pm #1056408
    ejwillis62
    Participant

    I have a surly troll. I am not sure what size it is, I am 5 foot 4 and it fits me. I would have to look to check the size, but you are free to try it out.

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