The Surly Bridge Club

[@ryancarbray9430]

This is the best Bridge Club review on KZbin. Well done!

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Ryan Carbray I appreciate that. Thank you!

[@Bubbleb2]

"Be nice, work hard, ride bikes, play music when you can." Sounds like you were speaking from my heart. Great philosophy on life. Ride On and Play On!!!

[@waterboxer87]

I love my Bridge Club. I ride it exclusively offroad. Its big 2.4 tires roll over hardpack, float past loose sand, absorb the bumps from rocky trails, and glide over gravel. I've equipped it with a rack, handlebar bag, and three water bottle cages. I use my Surly to keep fit. My rides range from 10 to 30 miles, all over desert terrain. It is a joy to ride.

[@bosanderspublictheology]

Just got a used BC and am thrilled to find this video to learn the background.

[@silentbenton]

I love my Bridge Club, it carries me all over Kansas City and wherever I take it!

[@ChristopherBitchins]

KC❤️

[@Migsfigs]

Just bought a 2023 today. Siked to get out there on it.

[@torstenoakes]

Something I recently found out -- the color is named "Illegal Smile" after the John Prine song of the same name, which is well worth a listen if you like country-ish music, or maybe even if you don't.

[@bikesandbeyond618]

Chris, this video was one that helped seal the deal on my decision to buy a Bridge Club this year. Enjoying it - just need to get out of mid Illinois and go some place warmer to ride it more....

[@mattbyam4407]

Chris. I agree with you on the Extraterrestrial tires! I happened to come into possession of of a pair of 700 X 41s that I’ve been using on my Atlantis. Really nice tires!! Keep up the good work on the videos.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Matt Byam Thanks Matt!

[@WildlandExplorer]

I just built myself a late 2023 / early 2024 "whipped butter" Bridge Club. Here's an interesting update - the fork now has regular 4-pack mounts (not angled). Which, this is just perfect to go along with the trend of micro panniers that attach directly to the fork (Ortlieb Fork Pack, et al). This was a pleasant surprise when I took delivery of the frameset. Gnot Boost 138 QR is weird. But it works fine - wheel builds are easy. Build a boost 148 rear wheel and a regular QR front wheel -- but go with a hub maker like DT Swiss, I9 or Speed Tuned, that has interchangeable thru axle to QR 135 endcaps. Using the endcaps results in a QR 141 wheel - this maxes your tire clearance on the bridge club. Works great. I couldn't be happier.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Enjoy!

[@sedricmalonejr]

" But Chris I'm not gonna ride...."! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@peterwilliamson4296]

A 32 front ring and 51 tooth big cassette ring gives an amazing climbing gear.

[@tico78742]

Thanks for the review. I keep going back and forth between the Bridge Club, KM, and even considered the Lowside. Already have a Wednesday and a commuter. The Wednesday isn’t much fun on pavement.

[@bruin4937]

Great video, Chris - thank you! You are so right - I've got a handful of bikes in my garage that my wife would love for me to replace with just 1 bike, and that just might be the 700c Bridge Club.

[@peterbaskind9872]

This may be my next build - that is, after the build I have been working on (buying components one-by-one) since Halloween. It’s cheaper, of course, to buy a complete bike. I’m just not thrilled with the stock choices. A 30T chain ring just ain’t enough. I’m picky about brakes. And a bike without a Brooks saddle? What am I? An animal?! So, maybe this summer. 1x. Shimano disc brakes (I have a set of lightly used Deore hydros). It would be a fun project.

[@davidlancaster7063]

Good vid man. Thanks 🙏

[@StarEssences]

I really like this bike. If things turn around for me, I'll sell my current used bike and buy the Surly Bridge Club and do some slight adjustments and additions to my personal liking. Also, as for an all terrain touring bike a person can get the 27.5 bike and just place narrower tires on it and there you have an all terrain bicycle with also those that are equipped with a double crankset - sweet!

[@santi9359]

Love your review. Would love to see a Ghost Grappler review.

[@Hards80]

Keep these reviews of sensible adventurous bikes coming! Since you have a unique position of selling both Riv & Surly. How bout a review of one of the Clem's and compare it to the Bridge Club since they overlap quite a bit in their intended purposes and relative price point in their respective ranges.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

That's a great idea. I'll try to knock that out next week. Thanks!

[@K1989L]

The bridge club can take a rohloff hub with oem2 axle plate when you have the rohloff M5 adaper on the upper fender boss.

[@kgilliagorilla2761]

“It don’t cost very much, but it lasts a long while.”

[@jeffreypopp5060]

Hi Chris. Thank you for the review. Just purchased the 2023 SBC 700c and I love it. What kind of front chain ring and cranks do you have on yours in this video? Thinking I have to go slightly larger with my front chainring.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

That video was so long ago. I think I had put the White Ind single on it by then. I’m running a 40t chainring. There’s no climbing here. Beware: anything bigger than (I think) 38t needs to be offset so it doesn’t hit the chain stay.

[@jeffreypopp5060]

Awesome. Thank you. It came with a 30tooth. I will most likely try to just keep the stock FSA Comet crank set and just swap to a 34 or 36 tooth.

[@bellavia5]

The stock 34 chainring does seem pretty small.

[@ptotheatsign]

It definitely is. Probably good for touring, but I haven't loaded my BC up yet. I'm in the top gears most of the time, and I'm not in the best of shape right now, either ... mostly flat roads, though.

[@bellavia5]

@@ptotheatsign I hear you

[@Hards80]

Looks like Surly just updated the Bridge Club offroad version to 1x12 and hydro brakes as well as a new color. AND dropped the price to 1100.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Dustin Hardwick I could do w/out the hydro brakes but that red is HOT!

[@Hards80]

@@ThePsychicDerailleur I am overall loving Surly's color schemes this year. That red is one of my faves. That 1x12 giving ~18 - ~80 gear inches is a nice range too.

[@tjrioux3059]

What are the gearing teeth numbers? Thanks - I think the guts of a bke is the gearing unless there's a big weight (and sometimes other things) difference.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

tj Rioux Current bikes are as follows- 27.5 is 32T chain ring and 11-50 12spd cassette. 700 is 34T and 11-42 10 speed.

[@stevewalther2293]

I want to see the handlebars.

[@chrismosquad1056]

0:20 - Classic! 😎👍🏻

[@scotthanback4530]

Is it a quick realese bike

[@dengineering1465]

Are they still making the Illegal Smile 700c version? Desperate to find one in the Indianapolis area.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Everything is up in the air right now, but last I heard I.S. would be making a comeback. All the bikes however, again last I heard, we’re going to be 27.5.

[@dengineering1465]

@@ThePsychicDerailleur Ahh I see. Too bad. Well, obviously Surly is unique, do you have any recommendations for an at least somewhat similar bike that does the same job? I'm in the market for a year round commuter bike that can "do it all." Cheers.

[@franciscofigueroa6796]

Hello, great video ! which size is your Bridge Club ?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Thank you. It’s a MD.

[@laf733715]

i want to get a bridge cluba and put a bmx stem and handlebar. a do it all/grown up wheelie bike. is is possible? any thoughts?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Anything is possible but Lowside is that already.

[@laf733715]

@@ThePsychicDerailleur I want gears though

[@ptotheatsign]

So I've been following the Surly subreddit and people have been posting pix of 700c Bridge Clubs with 50mm gravel tires, even a 29 x 2.2"! Thoughts, Chris? You had mentioned adding a 27.5 wheelset for versatility, but if I could get 2-2.2" onto my 700c wheels, I think I'll try that first ... Why does Surly then say clearance is only 47mm, or whatever it is?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Stated clearance is 47, so 50 isn’t that much of a stretch. I don’t have any personal experience with this but 2.2 is 56mm. I can’t imagine that working.

[@jaimeramirez9058]

Can you fit 29 tires?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

It will take a narrower 700c tire, but it’s really optimized for the 650b.

[@mosheanidjar4642]

exelent video

[@kennoon7177]

Great review

[@writeondvdlee]

Thanks for the review. I really like my 700c Bridge Club but haven’t ridden too many other bikes. I did change my setup to have drop bars (46cm Salsa Cowchippers) and I have heard people recommend not to so this because it stretches out the rider. I do have a long torso though and I’m not as stretched out on this as on my cyclocross bike. I’m curious of your thoughts on how drop bars affect the handling of a bike? I really like how my Bridge Club handles with drops bit didn’t know if I was undermining its handling or capabilities by doing so. Thanks.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Normally on a bike like this you can’t get drop bars close enough. Sounds like you got that part sorted. I don’t see an issue other than that. It’s your bike. Do what you want!

[@rzamora45]

I’m leaning toward a 700c Bridge Club right now. I like the Sutra ltd but hard to find and $1k more. Sounds like you prefer the mechanical brake. I do too for repair in the field purposes. I’d be commuting 10 miles each way a few times a week and bike packing forest roads in California. I like not having a front shifter but do you think I should stick with the 2x for climbing? If not what 1x set up do you recommend?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Ruben, all the Bridge Clubs are 1x now, but it's pretty impossible to recommend gearing without knowing you, or the terrain you're riding. I would try the set up that comes with the bike first. No sense fixing something that isn't broken. Thanks for watching!

[@dunnenrb]

what is the chainring/crank you put on the 27.5?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

White Industries (G30 I think but I could be an M30) with a White Ind 40t chainring (offset).

[@SarathePit]

Loving the videos. I'm going to ride this bike loaded, front and rear. Do you now, is it laterally stiff? Or will it squiggle?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

I would say it depends on how much stuff you’re planning on packing.

[@SarathePit]

@@ThePsychicDerailleur 8-10 lbs up front, 8-lbs in the middle, along with a 200-lb old guy, and 15-20 lbs in rear panniers...that's my routine commuter carry. My Soma Wolverine flexes laterally, at the head tube and the rear stays, so it feels rather unstable...just curious if you've had experience loading the Bridge Club up a bit. It has gussets on the head tube to the down and seat tubes, which likely help, and is not double butted on the rear stays, which also likely helps. Any thoughts or insights...I'd appreciate! Thank you.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

@@SarathePit Never put that much weight on mine, but I can’t imagine you’re going to get flex out of that frame. You may get a smidge out of the wheels, but not the frame.

[@thatrocksong]

Is it possible to and would you recommend to put drop bars on that bike?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

thatrocksong My thinking is that it would be a challenge. It would require, at minimum, something like a Creemee stem (which you can see on my site).

[@birdcage6288]

Does the front bar can swap to flat bar style?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Yes. Although I don’t know why you would.

[@stewiegriffin8555]

Literally every surly model was sold out at every bike shop near me so I went with an all city super professional single speed. The guy at the bike shop told me basically all city is the same as surly because they are both made by the same manufacturer.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Same parent company. True. Not even close to being the same bike. Enjoy!

[@stewiegriffin8555]

@@ThePsychicDerailleur yes I know but the super professional single speed can switch from single to gears if I wanted to and can change tires to cx tires so I’m happy with my purchase. Plus your company was all sold out like every other company in the United States when it comes to surly bridge club or I would have definitely bought one! 😂

[@chrisE815]

BC vs Ogre? Pros and cons?

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Pretty sure I mentioned this in the video. It’s been so many years it’s hard to remember. BC is a touring bike that you can ride off road. Ogre is basically a mountain bike that you can tour on. Can’t make it any more simple than that.

[@MrTriked]

My experiences with hydraulic disk brakes has not been favorable. I'll be sticking with mechanical or even rim brakes.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Set up is crucial with hydro brakes, but I agree with you. I'd rather not fuss with them.

[@bruin4937]

@@ThePsychicDerailleur I once left my Stumjumper FSR with hydraulic disc brakes out under the sun for an hour, and when I returned both brakes were 100% locked. I couldn't go anywhere until they adequately cooled down. Such a hassle. Will eventually switch them out for mechanical disc brakes.

[@b75723]

Hello, could you say what is your height? The bike seems to be medium size? I am 5'9" with 32.5" inseam and have some thoughts about L

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

Булат Хошхоев I’m 5’10” but have pretty short legs. My bike is a MD. Remember that the larger bikes are going to have a longer top tube/reach. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@markconnelly6676]

old school

[@bimmerbent]

Can pull Bob Trailer, Right? Yes. More popular than Surly Trailer, historically. Quick Release Drops

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

K Broadbent Honestly, I don’t know.

[@TrizmMcwafflecone]

This bike kinda looks like a fargo.

[@ThePsychicDerailleur]

But rides nothing like a Fargo