Today, almost everyone has run into a pocket bike. Many people may guess its a toy, and many individuals may see it as a lifelike motorbike, just more small-scale. The truth is, pocket cycles and Premium Pocket Cycles are really simple machines of a sport that has been spanning the US for years.

They are easily built with an aluminum or steel framing and will be a fun and sleek style of cycle. They are not unbelievably high-speed, but will have speed enough to get up mounds and deliver a lot of fun. There is heaps of fun to be had with these wonderful little machines.

American experienced their basic glimpse of pocket bikes just a few years ago. They were brought here from Italy and cost upwards of $3000 a bike. That is what really restrained the sport from developing here in the U.S. While some observed these pocket bikes groovy and intriguing, not many people were willful to purchase a mini bike for virtually the price of a real motorbike.

Some pocket bikes are run on gasolineand many on electricity. Gas models are faster than the electric bikes. If the bikes are for a minor individual the electrical might be a good thought. The electric models have there own battery charger and you merely put them on the battery charger overnight. Pocket bikes were very overpriced when they first came out but costs have dropped off a lot.

Luckily for us today, there are different manufacturers that have took the principals pioneered and tested by these particular producers and applied them to the bikes and super bikes you see today. Costs have subsisting reduced, and more technologically advanced constructing plants have further driven reduced costs. However, some manufacturers also reduced the quality of the parts and motor that goes into a bike.

By Philip L Holbrook

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If you’ve ever dreamed of setting off on a bike trip with all of your camping gear then you’ve been bitten by the touring bug. While you can do this on almost any bike, a specialty touring bike like the Surly long Haul Trucker (LHT) makes everything so much easier. You don’t go to the Indy 500 in a pick up truck and you would help your friend move in your 2 seater sports coupe. Bikes are the same way.

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is special purpose touring bike that will also do able duty as a commuter and grocery getter. Built from tough cromoly steel, the frame and fork are designed to take a beating. This is the kind of toughness you need if you get many miles from civilization. Quality steel is the best option for a touring bike as it has the properties of high fatigue resistance, impact resistance and great ride quality. As is the case with all Surly frames the welds are very clean and the finish is very durable. The color options aren’t fancy but that’s not what they are going for. Surly is all about function over fashion. Depending on your taste, the clean, utilitarian look is very attractive in it’s own right. The LHT is at home crossing Canada or getting lost on the back roads of a third world country.

The geometry is optimized to be a stable ride with a heavy load. Long chain stays increase stability and give you more heal clearance if you are running extra large panniers. Laid back geometry and a long headtube create a fit that is comfortable for all day riding, day after day. There is a lot of tire clearance so you can bigger tires for more grip and comfort if you are on rough dirt roads and trails. It has cantilever mounts so you can run either cantilever brakes or v-brakes but be sure to mate the brake with the right brake lever.

Beyond the geometry and construction, what makes the Long Haul Trucker stand out is the details:

It’s has front and rear braze-ons for racks and fenders.
3 Water bottle cage mounts.
Beefy drop-outs to resist wheel twist and bent derailleur hangers.
Standard sizing for all parts such as seatpost, bottom bracket and headset.
A spare spoke holder on the non-drive side chainstay.
Studs on the frame so you can run downtube shifters, barcons or integrated shifter brake levers.
When it comes to the actual ride, the Long Haul Trucker likes to hold a straight line. It turns when you want it to but it doesn’t require a lot of attention to keep it tracking straight. You would think it would be hard to handle a bike with 60 lbs of gear on it but the LHT handles beautifully full loaded. The ride quality is very smooth even over the roughest road. But on the downside, this stability comes at a price. Even unloaded, this isn’t a fast bike. It wasn’t designed to be but if you hop on it after riding your road bike it will feel like a bus. It covers the miles efficiently enough but doesn’t feel fast.

My only complaint about the Long Haul Trucker is the lack of disc brake option. While not something you would want when touring in less developed countries due to the availability of parts it would be a nice option for touring in North America and Europe.

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is available as a complete bike or frameset to be built how ever you like. All sizes are now available with 26″ wheel option. 56 cm frames and above are also available to fit 700c wheels. The option for matching wheel sizes at different frame sizes is of appeal to people like a married couple for touring together. While the frame sizes may be different, having the same wheel size means you only have to carry one sized inner tube or spare tire.

If you want a great performing touring bike at a reasonable price, the Surly Long Haul Trucker is one of the best options. Built from the ground up for the job, the LHT is a beast of burden that won’t let you down.

By Winston Endall

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