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We reported the release of the Midnight Special only a month ago and not only did Surly have the bikes ready for immediate release, we would have one of the first on UK shores for a review!
Pork Pie
As the Midnight Special is a road bike its first test would be the Camaudax Cambridge Porkpie 200, a 200km round trip from Cambridge to Melton Mowbray. All my audax rides to date have been on an alloy bike with 700 x 28c tyres, so how would a steel frame with 650b x 47c fare?
First impressions are good. The inevitable heft test tells you it isn’t a feather weight but a spin around the block also tells you it doesn’t feel heavy to ride.
Taking to tarmac with only 35psi in your tyres sounds crazy, but the increased volume supports the bike and rider and any additional drag seems negligible when you aren’t sprinting for KOMs. That extra volume and the slender steel frame also combine to create one of the most instantly comfortable bikes I’ve ridden.
With the post-winter roads suffering from freeze thaw cracks and pot holes, the road plus tyres do a remarkable job in smoothing out the bumps.
With 200km already covered together, I’m keen to see how the Midnight Special copes with my daily commute and also with some mixed-surface riding. Surly claim that the Midnight Special will accommodate up to 2.35″ MTB treads so it would be rude not to see if it really does…
Not quite halfway! The Midnight Special takes a rest in Bulwick.
For more information on all things Surly and the Midnight Special, head on over to surlybikes.com
Last modified: 28th March 2018
