Comments on: Update: How the Surly Big Dummy Rides

By: Rick Riley

Rick Riley — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:11:11 +0000

Added the Big Dummy in December and now it’s my primary ride. It’s sturdy and compliant. I get a large measure of what I put into the bike readily converted to speed. I have fun going fast on the Big Dummy. It’s maneuverable even with the long wheelbase — it rides like my hardtail mountain bike but with a wider and longer back end. I don’t know about “dropping on and off curbs” and “ducking between cars” as mentioned in the article. I can handle a lot of different bikes on roads and trails but I never have seen the need to provide a dicey look to motorists while riding a bike in town — no profit in that. That said, I take the Big Dummy on easy trails and have no trouble at all. With the right tread, it will take many of the challenging trails here in Mendocino County as it rides like a tandem and those are not a big deal to manage either.
I have the Volpe but I will tour this year with the Big Dummy. I have racing bikes as well but they come out only for the special occasion now. I’m a working rider on Lamont, the Big Dummy!

By: Allie

Allie — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:22:03 +0000

All very interesting, and I like the design illustration – nice touch.

By: bathrooms

bathrooms — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:15:14 +0000

Great comment, love the design of the site too.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:03:43 +0000

Dave, I’d think a set of sideloaders on either the Big Dummy or an Xtracycle Free Radical-equipped ride should easily handle a couple wheelsets. Rope or bungees would probably do fine, depending on your roads.

I bet you could get three or four sets of wheels in one load if you built up a jig for them.

I carried my kid’s MTB wheels half-stuffed in the panniers, a bungee at the top to keep them from flopping around.

By: Dave Ornee

Dave Ornee — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:59:38 +0000

I am thinking of building a Big Dummy to act as a delivery bicycle. I need to deliver 26″, 650B, and 700C wheels from the Western Suburbs to Chicago.
Is there a good/secure way to carry a pair (or 4) wheels on the BD?
I have been using the METRA train, but schedules are not convenient and often need to coordinate with CTA + spend time wating for trains & busses.
Anyone out there every carried wheels as cargo???

By: Franklin

Franklin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:53:16 +0000

Xtracycle is too heavy. Give me a trailer any day. I may get one, But I only own one bike right now.

By: flatboarder

flatboarder — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:52:48 +0000

One more Big Dummy here, built up myself with strong wheels from Sapim Force spokes and Spank Subrosa rims, equipped with Schwalbe Fat Frank tires. No chain shifting, just an Alfine internal gear hub with 34/20 cogs. LED lights, dynamo hub. Sports bicycles parts. 19.5kg without the snap deck, that I will only mount to carry our kid.
I was surprised how easy and efficiently it rides, giving much riding fun while always feeling relaxed on it.
It is an everyday bicycle for me without any limits in usage. Commuting, carrying groceries, light mountain touring with kid and stuff, just riding around, touring. In the next months we will start for a several day trip through the mountains.
Check homepage for technical details in case. One thing I would like to recommend: if you are using disk brakes, be sure to cover the inner side of freeloader bag where it touches brake caliper, since at long downhills it would probably make the nylon melt otherwise.

BTW I do not feel some bow of frame when riding bumps mentioned in original post. Also there is no remarkable frame bending when riding uphill out of saddle in my opinion. Maybe the thick tires just absorb or hide it all, since they give quite a comfortable ride, although running lightly.

By: urbino

urbino — Sun, 11 May 2008 03:16:02 +0000

I have a new Volpe and have been riding an Xtracycle-equipped Electra Townie as my daily commute bike and grocery-getter for the past 6 mos. You just can’t beat the X (or BD) for utility, but an X-equipped bike (or BD) really is a truck, and trucks need big, strong motors to do what they do. Based on my experience, at least, an X isn’t quick and it is a load to haul up a hill, even when unloaded; it’s also a load to get started.

OTOH, like a truck, it’s unbelievably stable even when loaded. Also, the amount of weight you can load on it without it feeling ANY different is pretty remarkable. On my normal grocery runs, the ride home feels exactly like the ride to the store. And, of course, can you just grab a handful of bungees and go pick up 100 lbs. of groceries and dry goods of all shapes and sizes on your quickity-quick bike? No, you cannot. For that, you need a truck.

The Townie-X was the first bike I’d been on in 15 yrs. So when I got the Volpe a few weeks ago (which I pulled home with the X, btw), I couldn’t believe the difference. I mean, intellectually, I kinda knew what the difference would be, but I didn’t really get it until I was on the Volpe. It’s not coincidental that I’ve dubbed it “The Rocket.” I LOVE that thing.

Anyway, I hope some of that helps flesh out what the X/BD is like.

By: Surly Bee-anchi Lady

Surly Bee-anchi Lady — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:25:02 +0000

After riding my Big Dummy daily for the past week, I am very impressed with the ease in riding. For some reason it is much easier for me to climb out of the saddle than on my Volpe and I find myself doing this. I went on a “ladies’ ride” the other day, unloaded, and easily kept up with the ride leader who was riding a high-end road bike with a compact double. While San Antonio is not the hilliest place around, the ride did manage to cover all the neighborhood “hills.”

My biggest problem with the BD, being a small, 118-lb person, is getting it in and out of doorways, backing it into the garage, etc. It is a heavy bike and no way will I be lifting it off the ground to attempt a bus rack or anything like that. However, once it is rolling, I am quite pleased with it.

And my favorite thing, when I go grocery shopping I no longer have to think “I can’t get that now, I’m on my bike.” I am enjoying unrestricted grocery shopping and other errands as well. So far, I am mighty pleased with the BD.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:18:33 +0000

I’m still having a hard time seeing the correlation between this frame configuration and the drag some mention. I wonder if its more a function of the tires and pressures some people are running on these builds.

Thus far after about 600 miles on mine, my 24mi. RT commutes are at least as fast if not generally a touch faster than the rigid mtb turned commuter, using the same tires on both bikes (schwalbe marathon supremes).

The weight comparison between a sturdy commuter bike with rack, panniers is within a pound or two of an xtracycle/big dummy counterpart, the aerodynamic frontal profile doesn’t seem substantially different either way assuming same/similar wheels and tires.

Like I said earlier, on my build at least from day one doing the same commute I do every day of the year and have for years now, I was actually 1-2 minutes faster than the previous commuter with same tires, fenders, riding position.