this week I am getting a Surly Karate Monkey
when asked how I selected the Karate Monkey (aka KM)
I answered this
as a taller rider I had been interested in the notion
of a 29 inch wheel since it was first introduced
not unlike a longer snowboard
I had always felt that it was odd that while I was
6'4" tall and riding a skateboard there was some guy
zipping past me on the same size board standing tall
at 5'4".
so why as a taller cyclist would I use the same wheel size as someone significantly shorter than me
there are a variety of wheel sizes for children
the sizes vary as the child grows taller
but for some reason this stops when a child is tall enough to stand over an adult size frame
why did they stop making taller wheel sizes for taller people?
even with the 26 inch standard mountainbike wheel I had always wanted a 180mm crank arm
but was too cheap
and with this size bike
there is no arguement
with a higher bottom bracket the clearance should not be an issue
so I shopped around
and was attrached to the versatility of the karate
monkey
as I not only like to ride bikes
but I also like to work on them
although my skills are weak
there is still great joy in riding a bike with some
personality that you built or crafted
(the KM has a horizontal drop out, which is vital for a true single speed, and entirely neccessary with fixed gear (just as with a track bike)
then with the taller wheel size this bike makes a great cross bike
and also has a deraileur hanger
thus allowing for the bike to morph into a geared bike
then there is price
it seemed more reasonable to me
some say "steel is real"
but it was as much cost as anything else
drawn to both the affordability and the functionality
getting the bike this week
will definitely let you know how it feels
my old quasi single speed is too small and the parts
are worn and tired and so is my back
this may be the first bike that actually fits me
when asked how I selected the Karate Monkey (aka KM)
I answered this
as a taller rider I had been interested in the notion
of a 29 inch wheel since it was first introduced
not unlike a longer snowboard
I had always felt that it was odd that while I was
6'4" tall and riding a skateboard there was some guy
zipping past me on the same size board standing tall
at 5'4".
so why as a taller cyclist would I use the same wheel size as someone significantly shorter than me
there are a variety of wheel sizes for children
the sizes vary as the child grows taller
but for some reason this stops when a child is tall enough to stand over an adult size frame
why did they stop making taller wheel sizes for taller people?
even with the 26 inch standard mountainbike wheel I had always wanted a 180mm crank arm
but was too cheap
and with this size bike
there is no arguement
with a higher bottom bracket the clearance should not be an issue
so I shopped around
and was attrached to the versatility of the karate
monkey
as I not only like to ride bikes
but I also like to work on them
although my skills are weak
there is still great joy in riding a bike with some
personality that you built or crafted
(the KM has a horizontal drop out, which is vital for a true single speed, and entirely neccessary with fixed gear (just as with a track bike)
then with the taller wheel size this bike makes a great cross bike
and also has a deraileur hanger
thus allowing for the bike to morph into a geared bike
then there is price
it seemed more reasonable to me
some say "steel is real"
but it was as much cost as anything else
drawn to both the affordability and the functionality
getting the bike this week
will definitely let you know how it feels
my old quasi single speed is too small and the parts
are worn and tired and so is my back
this may be the first bike that actually fits me