Written by:
Liam E.
Last updated:
Aug 08, 20
The Surly Steamroller is a simple, durable, well finished, and affordable bike. It handles potholes, urban trails, and back alleys well, making it the perfect commuter bike.
Durability. The bike's 4130 CroMoly steel frame makes it a sturdy bicycle that will last for years.
Low maintenance. The Surly Steamroller doesn't have gears or suspensions. So taking care of it won't cost you too much money or time. Once you lubricate the chain, check the brakes, and tire pressure, you're good to go.
Affordable. The Steamroller isn't an expensive bike, making it ideal if you don't have a big budget to spend on a bicycle.
Single Speed. The lack of gears makes riding more challenging. However, the difficulty can make you a better ride because you learn how to use raw power to ride over different terrain.
The bike has limited color options.
The Surly Steamroller is a simple, durable, well finished, and affordable bike. It handles potholes, urban trails, and back alleys well, making it the perfect commuter bike.
The bike’s continental contact tires have good grip in mixed terrain and move fast on the road. The steel frame, as we have mentioned, makes riding the Surly Steamroller more comfortable.
The bicycle’s fork allows you to install different tire sizes. Therefore, you can change the tires for better control and traction depending on where you ride the bike.
The flat handlebar helps you maintain an upright position when cycling, which is a more comfortable riding position. If you’re used to bikes with several gears that make going uphill easy, be prepared to sweat it out when riding this single speed bike. How fast you pedal will determine whether you get up a hill or stop and push the bike to the top.
You can mount a bottle on the bike’s seat tube, so you don’t die of thirst during long rides.
The Surly Steamroller is a basic bike. That means you shouldn’t expect much from it in terms of performance.
The Surly Steamroller doesn’t have the most amazing specs like Roval CLX 50 wheels, disc brakes, full suspension, etc. For such specs, you would have to look at bikes from a premium bicycle company like Specialized.
However, Steamroller is an excellent first bike to buy. It doesn’t cost much and has low maintenance. So until you can splash money on your bike, we believe the Steamroller will do just fine for your daily commute.
Surly 4130 CroMoly steel
4130 CroMoly, lugged and brazed flat crown that is drilled to accept a standard mid-reach (47–57mm) caliper brake. It has clearance for 700c x 38mm tires
68mm wide, threaded English 1.37" x 24t
Lida, 18t, 3/32"
Tektro R539
Alex Adventurer 2
Continental Contact Sport
Dimension Arc
Surly HL
ProMax SP-2010
WTB Volt Sport
Cane Creek Custom 5
KMC Z610H
The Surly Steamroller is a simple, durable, well finished, and affordable bike. It handles potholes, urban trails, and back alleys well, making it the perfect commuter bike.