Tough Stuff
Bloomington-based Surly Bikes has raced ahead of the bike industry's trends by designing and manufacturing a line of sturdy, practical bicycles.
BY KEVIN FEATHERLY
In the 1950s, bicycles were for kids. American companies with names like Schwinn, Rollfast, and Columbia dominated the market. Back then, most bicycles had a single gear and a coaster brake. And the people who rode them rode them for transportation as much as they did for recreation. In the years that followed, the nature of bicycling changed tremendously. Bikes with derailleurs became de rigeur. Three speeds gave way to five and 10 speeds, and later, bikes with 27 gears or more. Bikes were for myriad specialized recreational uses: touring, motocross, mountain biking—just about everything except basic transportation.
Now, the pendulum looks to be swinging back. More and more bikers are seeking simplicity in their rides, and the giants of the bike industry have been responding by turning out simple bicycles with one gear; flexible handlebar placement options; and tough, road-holding tires. As it turns out, Surly Bikes, a small, Bloomington-based manufacturer, has been well ahead of the trend's curve.
The company makes a variety of complete bikes and bike frames, including single-speed models, bikes that can handle icy and snowy conditions, and bikes for long-distance riding. And in defiance of the industry's trend toward lightweight aluminum frames, all of the bikes are made out of tough, TIG-welded, cromoly steel, and designed with an eye on practicality. To wit, one of its models, the Pugsley, sports massive 3.7-inch-wide tires, and is designed to plow easily through snow. Another, the Big Dummy, features an extended rear wheelbase that allows a user to mount a large rack on the back of the bike and carry loads of 100 lbs. or more.
Andy Corson, Surly's head marketing person, says his company's bikes are designed for hardcore bikers, people who look at their bicycles as a basic mode of transportation as well as a way to get through rough terrain and cover long distances. For these riders, biking is more than just a recreational dalliance. "There is a breed of biker I call the ‘shop rat,'" he says. "That's the person who loves bikes, works in a bike shop, uses his or her bike as daily transportation, but doesn't necessarily make a lot of money. We wanted to make a good bike that bike store employees could afford.
"The shop rats gave us our foothold," he adds. "The rats told other [bike shop] employees about us, and they in turn told their customers."
Surly Bikes got its start in 1999 as a division of Quality Bike Products Inc. (QBP) of Bloomington, a major U.S. bike and bike parts distributor. Surly has only five full-time employees; their responsibilities are to design and market the bicycles. The bikes themselves are manufactured overseas and are warehoused and distributed by QBP. The privately held company does not release revenue figures but states that growth has been steady and constant.
The people at Surly Bikes believe their products make the world a better place. "We have a philosophy that bikes have a positive effect on people's lives," says Corson. "To that end, we will continue to produce good stuff that even experienced riders can appreciate and that will still be affordable."