Surly Midnight Special Bike Build: Go Anywhere Road Bike
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ค. 2024
- Thanks for watching my Surly Midnight Special bike build.
I used to love my Trek Alpha 1.1 (AKA Air Wolf), but I was beginning to hate it. It’s only good at one thing, and that’s riding on perfectly smooth tarmac, and there’s not a lot of that where I live. Not only that, it’s the wrong size and it’s too fragile. So in this video, we’re going to do something about that.
Components Used:
Shimano Tiagra ST-4700-L Left Shifter
Shimano Tiagra ST-4700-R Right Shifter
Shimano Tiagra FC-4700 50-34T Crankset with 170mm arms
Shimano Tiagra BB-RS500 Bottom Bracket
Shimano Tiagra RD-4700-GS Medium Cage Rear Derailleur
Shimano Tiagra FD-4700-B 2x Front Derailleur
Easton EA50 AX Handlebar
Thomson Elite X4 0 degree stemPanaracer Gravel King SK 27.5x1.9
WTB Speedterra i25 rims
Fizik Tempo Microtex Classic
KMC X10 Chain
TRP Spyre Flat Mount Brakes
Watch my Budget Road Bike Build: • Budget Road Bike Build...
Mineshaft explore: • Wheal Peevor Mineshaft...
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Gravel bikes are better road bikes for most people. Your build is fantastic.
Thank you! Yeah, I think you’re probably right. The type of riding I do is definitely more suited to a gravel bike anyway
friendly suggestions! (nice build)
-Not sure you're meant to put thread locker on the BB. Water and moisture ingress can seize that shell to the threads and make it even harder to come out. I live in Florida and we make sure to grease everything because of the humidity. Would just hate to see you struggle to take that out in a year or so.
-maybe you will or did but; put some clear 3m or whatever tape over the exposed metal bits. You don't want a hole to rust through your frame!
-in my experience with these kinds of steel gravel bikes; wider= better. MS' can fit a 2.25 I think? Maybe try that out. It's so much more fun!
-lower the gearing. a 50/38 is kind wild and probably a little overgeared for a bike that heavy. maybe you're stronger than I, tho. Just feel that 1x works best for stuff like this.
anyways, I just felt those ideas would help. Cheers pal
Try using SPDs instead of the road shoe-clips. way more comfortable, double sided clip in, and you can walk normally since they are recessed ;)
Thanks! I’ll give those a try
@@TheSlowworms I put Crankbrothers Candy on my steel ghetto gravel and it is perfect for it.
Thank you for your video. You are so down to earth and relatable. I enjoyed it all throughout. The midnight looks rad mate! I got a gorilla monsoon , a similar steel frame and love it more than my other “fancier “ bikes. 👍🏽
Thank you! I’m loving it. I love the Gorilla Monsoon too! 😂 I think they were announced at the same time. If I had endless money I would love to get one, especially because they’re shutting up shop. I want to at least try one at some point 😆
What’s it like to ride?
Definitely try TUFO tires, their gravel line is pretty amazing! Me personally have Thundero 40mm, so fast and comfy
Beautiful bike. My daily commuter is a steel gravel bike that I built up earlier this year. I'm running 700c wheels with 36C Michelin Power Adventure tires running at 60psi as most/all of my riding is on road, and they're very quick on the road as the centre of the tire is basically slick. Really comfy, and confidence inspiring in the wet and less than perfect road conditions too. If you're not using the big ring up front, you might consider converting to a 1x setup. I personally use a 42t front 11 speed 11-46 rear with a Shimano GRX 812 rear derailleur and Sensah Team Pro shifters, and it works great. For me, since my bike is a commuter, fenders are a must since I ride in all weather, but they do come off in the summer (along with my rear rack) as I'm a teacher and so don't need to commute then.
Thanks Luke! Yeah, I’m thinking I’ll do the same as you with the mudguards. Someone else suggested using a GRX rear derailleur with my Tiagra shifters and going 1x so I might give that a go.
What bike do you have?
I bought a stock MS right before the pandemic in 2020. Have since installed a carbon fork and a set of 700c wheels. It handles really well and I can see it being something I will keep as long as I'm still able to ride. I love the classic look with the horizontal top tube.
Nice! The carbon fork seems to be quite a common upgrade. Does it make a big difference?
@@TheSlowworms I feel it livens up the front end and it certainly reduces the weight. I was surprised on how heavy the stock fork was when my service guy handed it to me. The It also makes the bike look really aggressive if you slam the stem :)
That’s really cool. Does it affect the comfort at all?
@@TheSlowworms it depends on if it's a full carbon or it has a metal steerer. The cheaper Trek Domane Alu bikes have a carbon blade setup with aluminium steerer and it's pretty much just like an Aluminium fork, seeing as the bit that flexes the most is the steerer. The Jamis Renegade models have a full carbon fork with thick blades plus triple mounts on each side , I got one off a damaged bike where the frame was squashed . It made a huge difference in comfort over the stock MS steel fork.
really enjoyed the video and beautiful bike. love the color.
Thanks Bruce!
Lovely build! Hope for many happy miles
Thanks!
Nice job. I've got a Midnight Special, It's a joy to ride.
Thank you! I love riding mine too! What colour do you have?
@@TheSlowworms I got the black one a few months back. I picked up some halo GXR 650b tyres on sale which roll quite fast. They are 47mm and I run them at about 30psi. If you have any paint chips on that frame you could try and source some vinyl wrap in the closest colour match you can find and cut out a small piece to cover them over.
Nice! I don’t think anybody has said a pressure below 40psi yet 😂
@@TheSlowworms I have a Ribble CGR with 38mm wide tyres on I run them at 40.
Oh, I meant nobody has said a pressure above 40psi. I just had a look at the Ribble, it looks nice!
Bike looks awesome btw love the color with the tan walls
Thanks!
I have the exact same bike. Same color in a size 50. I run SPD pedals and specialized Pathfinder Pro 650b x48 tires tubeless run at around 35psi with hunt carbon wheelset. I'm 5'7", 150lbs. I also have a hunt 700c wheel set but prefer the 650 b. They may be a little slower but I feel more planted and comfortable. Definitely more fun and makes the bike more of an all-around ride which is how Surly markets it. At one time I had a whiskey carbon Fork. It was lighter but not as comfortable as the surly fork that I went back to and will keep on the bike. The Savings in weight was negligible and to be honest not noticeable. Money I wish I wouldn't have spent. In other words don't try to make it a lightweight racing bike. If that's what you want go buy a lightweight carbon whip . Have fun! Cheers
Love it! Wish I could get that colour. I really enjoyed watching that build. I'm building this exact bike this year. I work at a LBS, so I'm lucky... kinda :P I plan on using Vittoria terreno dry 650b x 47mm. I'm older so Redshift has some stuff I like too.Thank you so much
Thanks! Cool! Are you planning on documenting the build on TH-cam or Insta or anything? Does your bike shop stock Surly’s?
@@TheSlowworms No plans to document... but now hmmmm. When I say "I'm building", what I should say is the mechanics are building and I'm paying. We do/did. This year has been tough so they haven't purchased this years Surly's, yet. I really do hope your lovin' your MS. And look forward to future Slowworms
Send me photos of it on Instagram if you get a chance! Ah, sorry to hear it’s been tough, I’m sure things will pick up soon though 🤞
Thanks, yeah I love it!
I use Shimano PD-EH500 pedals on my gravel bike. Clips on one side for performance, grippy flats on the other for casual riding. Awesome bike, I really want one myself!
Ah, they look perfect. That’s really helpful, thanks very much. Thanks, I absolutely love it! 😄
Really nice colour. Coming from the mountainbike world my Surly is my first road/gravel bike. It is so much fun. I prefer it over my other bikes.
Love it! its such cool bike, I have one and I have downtube friction shifters on it and I use Hutchinson Sector 32mm at 80PSI and it is very comfortable and hardly gets punctures on the crappy welsh backroads that I commute on all year round.
Thank you! It sounds like you have similar conditions to me so I’m glad to hear it’s working for you. That is so cool that you have downtime shifters. Have you got any pictures of the bike?
Good video!
great vid! personally i think you should definitely go 1x and put a deore rear mech on so you can keep your levers. i dont think the deore has a clutch on it but i never had issues doing something similar on my cx bike. hopenthis helps
I ride an Ibis Hakka with 40mm all-purpose gravel tires. Good for when the ride is 5/45/50 singletrack/gravel/road. Semi slicks are nicer if you almost never touch anything like muddy/rocky singletrack or road a lot of road (but I have an all-road bike for those rides).
Nice build though! Color and everything looks great, very proper.
Thank you! Do you know what brand the tyres are? I just had a look at the Ibis and it looks really cool! I love the chain stays
I'd definitely change out the crankset to have lower gearing. The chainline on that road crank probably has a 43.5 chainline and wider GRX chainline will likely suit the rear spacing of that frame. This bike is definitely heavier than what you had previously and that's where the lower gearing will feel more comfortable getting the bike up to speed.
I think gearing really should be more customizable - depending on bike type and terrain. Where I am at, a fast hard road ride will average 17 mph due to lots of urban spaces (stop and go) and hill repeats so it makes no sense to have a top gear that will allow me to ride 30+ mph at a reasonable RPM. Also, having smaller chainrings will mean you use more of your cassette's higher gears that remain mostly unused on most bikes.
KMC chains are good, they're slightly noisier and don't shift as well as Shimano chains, but they seem to last at least as long.
Congrats on the bike - steel is the best material for all around riding IMO and Surly's have a great steel feel to them.
I think I’m gonna try a GRX rear derailleur, crankset and a wider range cassette. Either that or maybe a full Microshift Sword chainset and I sell the Tiagra bits.
I’m with you on the gear customisation. I’ve hadn’t even thought of it before but you’re right and it would be so cool if a manufacturer let you properly customise your gearing.
Thanks!
Liked this format of story with bike build. Love the bike. Am very interested with the tyre situation. I am using your exact tyre and finding them to be quite fast (at 27psi front). What's the new tyre? Is it faster? If you make a video out of it, i'll definitely watch it.
Very nice build! You don't see many of the red ones and it's nice to see one done right. I've had a Hot Mayo for 5+ years and it's been through a lot (including me crashing it a few times.) You can easily go down to 30psi on those tires, maybe 35 on the back. I use mudguards and I think they look fine, although better without them. And I use an Ortlieb quick release rack, because it's my commuting bike. Again, looks better without... Gruppo-wise, I have the stock SRAM Rival 22, which was their standard in 2018. It's always done me fine on gravel or road. As you've discovered, it's not the most nimble on the hills, but I mostly have no complaints. I used to have a Dedaciai steel Kona Kapu that flew up hills, but I wouldn't take it some of the places I've taken the MS. I covet a Fairlight, either the Secan or the Strael, but until I win the lottery or decide to obliterate my savings account, there aren't a lot of things that would replace the MS at the price, and anyway, it still makes me smile every time I hop on it, which is a lot. So I wish you many happy miles!
Thank you! I’m glad to hear you’ve had it for a while and you still like it.
I’ll have a look at that rack. Do you just put your bag in that rather than on your back? I like the look of the Ortlieb backpacks as well.
I’m with you with Fairdale. Their bikes are so nice. Have you seen the Brothers Cycles Kepler or the All City Gorilla Monsoon. I love them all!
Swap your crankset out for the GRX600 one and you’ll be perfect. I have a Tiagra/GRX group on two of my bikes and it works flawlessly. Those gear ratios will get you everywhere. 👍🏼
Thanks! So you didn’t change your cassette?
Looking good fella 👍
Oooh 50 psi does seem a little high tbh. Im running 700/40 Pirelli Adventure. 36r 32f and I'm 85kg. Makes the bike feel nice and "fun" . I've tried a wide range of pressure and any higher just feels wrong.
Your tyres are fine for what you need, don't upgrade until they're wirn out. Experiment with lower pressure and you'll eventually find what's right for you.
Thank you! Yeah, not a single person has said a pressure lower than 40psi so far 😂
What are the Pirelli Adventure tyres like? Are they folding?
@@TheSlowworms Yes, they're folding. Fast enough on tarmac and good enough off road too, set up tubeless.
I think tyre pressure is a personal thing. As you're probably aware, there are plenty of online tools out there to use. I found the Silca tyre pressure calculator handy to get a base setting, then I just went gradually lower until I found the sweet spot.
I always use flat pedals with my builds to avoid falling over at traffic lights, as for a tyre choice i have just got some schwalbe hurricanes for my bike they have a smooth bit in the middle for road and nobbles on the sides if i was going to do some light gravel paths seem to roll really well 👌
tire suggestion, specialized pathfinder pros in 38s seem like a perfect all rounder for me where I can go fast but still hit some dirt if I drop the tire pressure. Currently running around 45 psi for road and for offroad I do about 30
I’ve just had a look and they look really cool! Really slick in the middle and really knobbly on the outside Thanks for the suggestion.
Single sided SPD clips. Gravelking SS+ 35 good for road and gravel but not gnarly gnarly gravel. But 700c for sure.
Thanks! SPD’s seem to be a popular choice 😄
Nice build! Ive recently started to use my gravel bike as a roadie, i currently run gravelking SS 43mm tires which are quick on and off the road. Would definitely recommend! Also of your looking at group sets maybe check out the new shimano CUES stuff as it seems to be pretty cheap.
Thank you! Ah nice one, I’ve just had a look and those look pretty perfect. I’ve been looking at Teravail Rampart as well so it’s between those two.
I’m really interested in Cues and even that wide range 8 speed Essa groupset. It seems to be taking them forever to release the drop bar shifter for Cues though. Have you seen the Microshift Sword groupset? That looks really nice
@@TheSlowworms yeah I've seen the Microsoft sword group, looks decent! Definitely a few options for you out there for sure.
Yeah, it’s like in the last sort of year wide range gravel groupsets have finally started to become a bit affordable 👍
Great build video. Nice bike. Pedals you could go for mtb spd I would recommend ones that have a cage around foe more support as stops hot spots on feet for long rides. Pd m8020 / ultegra spd which are like a road pedal but use mtb spd cleats. You could use pd a540 shimano they have mtb spd one side and flat pedal other side. Best of both worlds then can wear normal shoes aswell as cleats very versatile. In terns of tyre pressure it's trail and error and personal to rider and bike weight riding condition s etc. I would try 25 to 30 then see how it feels and go up or down by 5 psi at a time to you like how it feels. Hope this helps . Let me know if I can help anymore. Cheers.
Thank you Paul! That’s really helpful. I’ve gone for 40psi and I’ve got some slick Teravail Rampart and it is feeling really fast and comfortable now. I’m gonna give 35psi a go as well just to see what that’s like. Any recommendations for shoes?
Three Surlys in the househould. CrossCheck, Orgre and a Troll. Platform pedals on all of the. Thousands of miles and smiles.
I like my Michelin Power Adventure quite a bit on my all roads bike (42 mm). I also have slick gravelkings (38mm, non sk) on my commuter bike and they’re great in wet conditions.
Thanks! Are those the Gravelking SS’s?
Might want to try some compressionless brake housing would improve the brake feel!
Yeah, this is gonna sound stupid but I did look into it and I thought it was a little pricey. Have you tried them before?
Nice build ! I plan on getting a midnight special frame soon, i was making a parts list, but I'm not sure what the correct headset would be. Mind me asking what headset you used?
Thanks
Greetings,
the bike turned out great. I like the paint.. and everything else :). English is not my mother language so I didn't catch or you didn't even say how tall you are and what is your frame size. I am in a similar situation, Surly MS is first on my list, but I am not able to try on the sizes. (EU). yours is 50cm!? great video and enjoy the ride..
Hello, thank you very much! I’m 5’6”. My frame is a 46cm. I spent ages comparing the geometry of my old Trek with the MS and reading Surly’s size recommendations to work out what size I wanted.
I have the same tires on my gravel bike, and I have them at about 25-35psi. Really plush. I'm 65kg though. Also you could try getting the Microshift Sword Groupset. The 2x version has a good range of gears in my opinion.
Oh wow, that’s like half the pressure 😂
Yeah I really really like the look of the sword stuff. I really like what Microshift are doing
@@TheSlowworms Yeah I go higher than 35 psi, it gets really jarring for me. Try to gradually decrease your psi and see what’s comfortable on the road and light gravel. My front tire is usually a bit softer too.
Road bikes with aggro geo and narrow tires is indeed not for everyone. My friend thought he'd love his road/cyclocross bike but ended up with sore back after a long ride. That surly will also last longer than any aluminum or carbon frame.
Yeah, I’m hoping it’ll last for decades if I look after it 🤞
SPD mountain bike clipless. I really like my Giro MTB shoes that have laces, pretty comfortable and walk around nearly like a normal shoe.
Ahhh ok, that’s really helpful thanks!
@@TheSlowworms no problem! I actually did a review of the shoes a couple of years ago. And as an update they're still going strong, just wore them yesterday for a ride and will again tomorrow in fact.
th-cam.com/video/WuXDxvdsXVA/w-d-xo.html
I’ve just given it a watch and had a look at some Giro shoes. I’m sold, thanks!
@@TheSlowworms nice!
Great build I have a group set on an older road bike and looking for a budget Allroad type frame to move it over to. On my gravel bike I’m running gravel kings SK’s 700/43c with 35ish psi in and they are fast enough on the road whilst being comfortable over gravel. I originally run flat shoes on my gravel bike but got fed up feeling like my foot wasn’t in the right place and sometimes being bounced off the pedal when shifting. Ended up with SPD’s and Lake MX169 which are super comfortable, and the only shoes I could find with a natural shaped toe box for my hobbit feet 🦶
Thank you! I’ll look into those shoes. SPD’s seem to be a popular choice as well so I think they might be the answer. I tried 40psi last night and it was a lot better. I think I was expecting it to bulge out a lot more at that sort of pressure but it was fine. I’m gonna give 35 a go as well
Schwalbe Super Moto 700x40 tires on my Norco Search.
Not gonna lie, the motocross like tread pattern had alot to do with the choice. But also, hard to find tires that large and wide that are not knobby gravel/mountain tires.
Ye Thomson stems are cool but better go for a carbon seatpost they much more comfy/better flex. Ritchey superlogic posts are very good and used you can get them for around 100$ ...
Flat pedals or mtb shoes with spd pedals
Thanks, I’m gonna give spd pedals a go 🙂
Definitely lower the pressure and ride again. 30-40 psi?
Thanks! I’ve gone for 40psi and bought new slicker tyres and it feels so much faster and more comfortable now
Using gravel king SS 38c by 700 in my gravel/road bike. 35 psi. Also have tiagra but upgraded to a grx rear derailleur 11-40 and grx crankset 46/30
That’s a good idea! Are you using the 10 speed GRX derailleur? Was it worth the upgrade?
Oh I’m way off with the tyre pressure then 😂
@@TheSlowworms Yup 10 speed so it works with the tiagra shifters. Part of me wishes I went with the 11 speed grx derailleur and swapped to 105 11 speed shifters. But this setup is rock solid and am very happy with it.
You’ve convinced me. I’m gonna keep my eye out. Thanks!
M6 stainless steel allen key bolts are under a fiver a pack from screwfix if you want rid of the rusty bolts
That’s a good idea, I’m actually going to do that. Not even pan heads just straight up Allen heads. I think that would look pretty cool
@@TheSlowworms nice to be of service mate
What’s the size of your midnight special frame?
it's beautiful and the only surly I want (I use on my Fargo 29x2,25 60 psi but I am a fat cyclist)
😂 thanks! I do love the look of the Fargo though. How does it ride?
@@TheSlowworms with a jones bar,a pelago front rack and a rear bagman carradice rack
@@TheSlowworms Very comfortable suitable only for off-road or light gravel on the road is a bit heavy (I have a steel surly fork)
Threadlock on the bb? Did someone recommend this to you?
Yeah, Calvin from Park Tool
@@TheSlowwormsI’ve never seen that. Is this a better abatement of creaking and unthreading than grease? I understand threadlock to work more like glue than might be desirable on a removable part.
@@mikeynon generally speaking, bottom brackets aren’t undone very often and you don’t want the possibility of them vibrating loose. I don’t know how much you know about this sort of thing so sorry if I’m teaching you how to suck eggs but you can get different strength threadlockers and they usually correspond to different colours. With the amount of blue threadlocker I’ve put on the bottom bracket, it wont take much more force than is usually required to undo it. The rule of thumb is if you want it to move put grease on it and if you don’t want it to move put threadlocker on it.
I'd always used geese too, but I'm open to improvement it if makes sense.
why did you put threadlocker on your threaded BB? never use that on a threaded BB, just grease.
alright, why?
@@TheSlowworms per the shimano book it says to use grease. It’s a component that you will service down the road. It also helps not seize up the threads. Thread locker doesn’t do that. If you grease it and torque it properly it won’t come loose. It’s not the end of the world to use it, but its not ideal
Hi do you find this bike heavy.?
Surlys are always heavy, if you want light go carbon. This is all around bike with a much lower price point.
Woah woah woah, I hope you're trolling, Threadlok on a bottom bracket? It's a disposable item, you don't need it stuck on in there. just use grease.
What do you think the blue stuff is that comes on a new bottom bracket?
The blue thread locker doesn’t make it stuck, it stops it from coming loose. Just because it’s a consumable doesn’t mean you don’t put thread locker on it.
@@TheSlowworms Most of the threadlok on most of bottom brackets are just white like light duty. Never seen blue threadlok on BB’s. Maybe Square tapered ones but not Hollowtech ones.
The white stuff still is a dry threadlocker apparently. If you skip 4 minute 12 seconds on this video he explains it
th-cam.com/video/xUtOeFJJycg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sNYXiCz8BsgeiIK2
As an engineer, I agree with him. If I don’t want something to undo then I’m going to try and prevent it. Like a spring washer, a nyloc nut or in this case a thread locker.
Did you hide some videos?
Yeah, well spotted. One about installing a seat post, another about converting a bottom bracket and another about installing new forks. I just felt like there wasn’t enough happening. Did you want them back up?
I'm looking for your new vd.
This I my new vid 😄
@@TheSlowworms Your's vd are alsome