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.
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