The Steamroller was launched by Surly back in 2000 and now makes a return in a limited edition.
The robust steel frameset comes with 38mm tyre clearance and made the Steamroller a popular choice for a fixie for messenger and general around-town use back in the day.
While the original was designed without brake cable stops, Surly has moved with the times and has added stops so it’s easier to kit your bike out with brakes.
Smoother than whiskey
We're not sure when Surly stopped selling the Steamroller, but it was still around in 2017, when former staffer Jack Luke reviewed the 4130 TIG welded steel bike with its lugged fork in its flat bar fixie glory. Even then, it came with brakes front and back, although the ‘Drink More Water Yellow’ frame colour wasn’t the match for Anxious Lavender. Jack reckoned it looked better in the flesh than it sounds.
Jack squeezed 33mm Specialized Terra Pro tyres between the bike’s Tektro brake callipers and headed off on a mud-clogged gravelcross sportive. At the time, there were no cable stops for the brakes, which didn’t improve things.
The Steamroller still ranks as one of his all-time favourite rides though and is described by Surly as
“versatile, simple, and smoother than a swig of whiskey in winter on all sorts of terrain”.
Frameset only
The resurrected Steamroller will be sold as a frameset only and available in limited quantities. Surly looks to be expecting significant demand, as it’s given a 9:00 a.m. Central Time launch time on 23 June, suggesting that the frameset could sell out quickly.
The Surly Steamroller frameset is priced at $699. Here's a link if you want one.
