While I was on my most recent adventure in Boone, I got a call from David at River Mill Cycles in Hillsborough NC to follow up on a Surly Bridge Club that I was interested in ordering. We hashed out some details on what I wanted to do with the build, and I settled on the stock kit, but swapped out the default tires (knobbier trail-friendlier tires) for something that would be a better option on road and gravel (see the one on the left).

A week later, the bike was ready for pickup yesterday (Sunday May 10), and I drove up to grab it. The tires hadn’t been swapped out yet, so I took a brief excursion to the Wooden Nickel for an afternoon beer. The bike was ready by the time I got back.

Of course I was eager to get on this thing and give it a whirl, so I decided to ride it to Carrboro this morning to work at the old house that we’re still fixing up to rent out in the future. Mondays are a gym day with my friend Ed. Ed lives at an apartment complex between the houses, so I got to swing by his place for a little lifting to. An avid biker himself, he’s given me a lot of input and advice in making this purchase. He’s also just been a really great friend lately, and has given me a lot of support in general, so I was excited to show off the result and talk about some trips that I’d like to take next.

It was a beautiful morning, and I was really looking forward to making the rest of my trip over to Carrboro. The bike did not disappoint. The gearing is smooth, and the range is impressive. Uphills are significantly easier in the lightest gears, and the weather was perfect for a comfortable morning ride on the Bolin Creek Trail that runs from the University Mall area in Chapel Hill all the way to some neighborhoods just north of Carrboro.

I still need to buy some peripherals for the bike. I’ve got lights and a kickstand on order, and should be able to attach those when I return home today. Ed has been talking to me about some rack and panier options, and I’m leaning towards an option he suggested from Old Man Mountain.

Once I’m set up for a little bit of light travel with gear, I plan to take a trip to Damascus and Abingdon VA to try this thing out on the Virginia Creeper Trail. The portion between Abingdon and Damascus is about 17 miles each way and relatively easy, so it should be a great opportunity to start in Damascus, spend a night by bike in Abingdon home of the historic Barter Theater – and then return to Damascus to drive back. Be on the lookout for a post about that in the hopefully near future! In the meantime, I’ll probably explore the American Tobacco Trail and take it for some rides out in Greensboro in the weeks to come. I’m excited about this.