Charlie says... "I rode one of these from Dorset on the south coast of England, to Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands, one speed all the way, and then raced the one speed world champs. Whilst my knees, hygiene and hair could be criticised, the Monkey remained a good loyal and fun buddy. Very versatile, great value".
Surly say... "We’re not here to tell you that you need this bike. That’s not really our style. And anyway, you probably don’t need it. You probably have several bikes already. And yet, we hear from people all the time who tell us their other bikes sit gathering dust ever since they started riding a Karate Monkey. You’d be hard pressed to find a better riding, more durable, and more versatile 29er. Although even now in many places 29ers are still considered oddball, suspect, or downright alien, many people believe 29ers to be the best tool in the kit for riding singletrack, gravel, and a lot of other offroad conditions. Big wheels deliver greater traction than their 26" counterparts, they offer a better ground approach angle, which helps make uneven terrain more easily rideable, they hold inertia well, and they generally fit taller riders better than 26" bikes. The Karate Monkey’s been around for a while. It didn’t create the 29er category, but it helped bring it to the masses and set the standard for what a 29er could be."
A big wheeled butted Cr-Mo mountain bike frame (that can also cope with Cyclocross, commuting or touring… if you feel that way inclined.)
Careful Surly design, allows the Karate Monkey to handle like a Mountain bike (and not a tractor !).
Big wheels used to be for the fun fair…. now, with the Karate Monkey you can just stick to the fun factor!
-
Double butted Surly Cro-Mo tubing.
-
Surly cast horizontal dropouts.
-
Curved seat tube for shorter tail.
-
ISO disc mounts and removable canti pivots.
-
73mm BB, 135mm rear spacing.
-
Weight: 2.6Kg (18” frame only)
-
Suspension corrected, Unicrown, tapered straight blade Cr-Mo fork (1.2Kg) included.
More info @ http://surlybikes.com/frames/karate_monkey_frame/
