Surly has a well deserved reputation for steel frames, practical design, and bikes that hold up to real riding. They’re versatile, durable, and easy to live with — which is exactly why we build so many of them here at Comrade Cycles in Chicago.
Surly’s tagline, “Make It Your Own,” lines up perfectly with how we approach bikes. Whether you want a stock Surly that’s ready to roll or a custom build tuned to your routes and riding style, we can help you land on the right setup.
This page covers some of the Surly models we work with most:
Stock vs. Custom Surly Builds
Surly’s stock builds are genuinely good: durable parts, smart gearing, and setups that work for most riders. If you need a bike today, or you want something simple and reliable, a stock Surly is a great option. We can tailor a stock build to better suit your needs if you’re not looking for full custom. Think flashes of color, dialed in fit, or upgraded wheels.
But if you want a bike that is truly your own — your body, your terrain, your cargo, your riding habits — a custom Surly build might be the way to go. Same frame, same Surly DNA, but built around your specific needs.
Custom builds let you choose:
- gearing for Chicago streets, gravel, or loaded touring
- tires that match your riding
- bars and contact points that fit your body
- racks, fenders, and bags that work
- wheels built for durability or speed
Midnight Special
The Midnight Special is Surly’s all‑road platform — fast on pavement, smooth on rough streets, and confident on gravel. It’s the bike for riders who want steel comfort without giving up efficiency.
What it’s good at
- Chicago pavement (good and bad)
- Mixed‑surface rides or group rides
- Fast commuting
- Light touring and overnighters
Why go custom
A custom Midnight Special lets you dial in gearing, tires, cockpit, and wheels so the bike feels right every day, not just “close enough” out of the box.
Straggler
The Straggler has always been Surly’s do‑everything bike — a steel commuter/gravel/touring hybrid that handles abuse and still feels good rolling home. After nearly a decade with the same frame design, Surly finally updated it, and the new version fixes some outdated limitations of the old one while keeping the attitude that made it a shop favorite.
What’s new
The redesign brings the Straggler into the modern era:
- Thru‑axles for better stiffness and handling
- Flat‑mount brakes
- 44 mm head tube for modern fork options
- Internal dropper routing
- Lower bottom bracket and more standover
- 50 mm tire clearance on 700c
- 650b or 700c depending on frame size
It’s still the same versatile, unpretentious Surly — just more capable on rough surfaces and more confident under load.
What it’s good at
- Year‑round commuting
- Unpaved bike trails and mixed‑surface rides
- Dirt shortcuts and detours
- Cargo setups
- Riders who want one bike that covers a lot of ground
Stock vs. custom
The stock Straggler is a great ready‑to‑ride option. But the frame really comes alive as a custom build, where gearing, tires, cockpit, and cargo setups match your riding. A custom Straggler will be the bike you reach for every day.
Preamble
The Preamble is Surly’s most affordable frame — simple, steel, and surprisingly capable. It’s a commuter, a fitness bike, a light gravel bike, or a starter touring rig.
What it’s good at
- Commuting
- Fitness rides
- Light gravel
- Riders who want Surly quality at a lower price
Why go custom
The Preamble responds well to upgrades: better wheels, better tires, better cockpit, and gearing that matches your riding. A custom Preamble punches way above its price point.
Karate Monkey
The Karate Monkey is Surly’s legendary do‑everything mountain bike — singletrack, bikepacking, winter riding, and general chaos.
What it’s good at
- Trail riding
- Bikepacking
- 29″ or 27.5+ setups
- Riders who want a steel MTB that can take a beating
- A pavement eating monster for folks sick of potholes eating their wheels
Ogre
The Ogre is the “ride anywhere, carry anything” Surly. It’s a cargo‑friendly, go‑anywhere platform that works for commuting, touring, and dirt exploration.
What it’s good at
- Heavy-duty touring
- Dirt roads and rough surfaces
- Racks, cages, and full cargo setups
- Kooky world tour builds (Rohloff? Sure!)
- Riders who want maximum versatility
Bridge Club
The Bridge Club is Surly’s all‑terrain touring bike — simple, capable, and ready for anything from city errands to dirt touring.
What it’s good at
- Mixed‑surface rides
- Light touring
- Everyday city riding
- Riders who want a simple, durable bike
Preamble
The Preamble is Surly’s most affordable frame — simple, steel, and surprisingly capable. It’s a commuter, a fitness bike, a light gravel bike, or a starter touring rig.
What it’s good at
- Commuting
- Fitness rides
- Light gravel
- Riders who want Surly quality at a lower price
Why go custom
The Preamble responds well to upgrades: better wheels, better tires, better cockpit, and gearing that matches your riding. A custom Preamble punches way above its price point.
Which Surly Is Right for You?
Pavement with some gravel + touring
- Midnight Special
- Straggler
- Preamble
- Bridge Club
Rugged touring or bikepacking
- Ogre
- Karate Monkey
- Bridge Club
Mountain biking + bikepacking
- Karate Monkey
How a Surly Build Works at Comrade
1. Conversation
We start with how you ride, what you carry, and what you want the bike to feel like.
2. Frame choice
We help you pick the Surly that fits your riding — not just the one that’s in stock somewhere.
3. Parts spec
We build a parts list that matches your routes, your terrain, and your body.
4. Build + handoff
We assemble it in-house, dial it in, and send you out the door with a bike that’s ready for real riding.
Ready to Make It Your Own?
Whether you want a stock Surly that’s ready to roll or a custom build that’s uniquely yours, we can help you land on the right frame and build it into something that feels perfect from day one.
If you’re searching for Surly bikes in Chicago, custom Surly builds, or trying to figure out which Surly fits your riding, this is a solid place to start.