# Surly Ogre Custom Build



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

On New Year's eve I received the last component (chain) for the Surly Ogre I have been building up since summer. On New Year's day I was able to get it out, bed the brakes and see how everything worked.

I am super happy with the results.

I have not ridden a full ridged for some time and I was a little concerned about it especially coming off of a relatively new Trek Stache 7 with 3" tires. It is a really soft setup.

However, my test ride put all concerns to bed. The frame geometry, and components I chose were specifically set up for a guy my size (6'6", 250lbs with a 38 inch inseam).

Todays ride proved that everything not only worked but were perfect for a guy my size.

I can't take all the credit. Conner with Trek bikes in Flower Mound built up the wheel set and did the final dial in of the shifting and brakes which I am very grateful for. He really helped me out here as this is the first bike I have put together in a long time.

Here is the build list and a few pictures.

Frame
Frame & fork - 2020 Surly Ogre
Headset - Crane Creek 40
Stem - ProMax 4 bolt, 31.8, 90mm
Bottom Bracket - Shimano BB-MT800
Seat Collar - Surly
Seatpost - Race Face Ride XC
Seat - Surfac CIS Rx seat off of Stache
Handlebars - Surly Moloko
Grips - DMR Deathgrip Grips

Drivetrain
Crank - Shimano Devore SLX 175mm Crank
Shimano 32t chainring
Shimano SLX derailleur
Shimano XT Shifter 12 speed
Pedals - OneUp
Shimano XTR 12 speed chain

Brakes
Brake Levers & Brakes - Shimano SLX 7120 dual piston

Wheel Set
Wheels - Velocity Cliffhanger 29 rims
Hubs - Shimano Deore rear
Shutter Precision Dynamo Front
Cassette - Shamino SLX 10-50 12 Speed
Brake Rotors - Shimano Centerline - 180/160mm front & rear)
Tires - Surly Extra Terrestrial 29x2.5" 60TPI Slate-wall Tubeless


----------



## 1spd1way (Jun 30, 2006)

Really nice job. Great build!


----------



## geofharries (Jun 2, 2006)

That's awesome. 6'6" with a 38 inch inseam is a really hard size to fit on most every bike, or at least those which are not custom-made. I presume you bought the XXL frame?

It's wild that even with legs that long, there's so little of your seat post sticking out and the Ogre looks perfectly proportioned.

Congrats on the new ride. Gotta love a black Surly.


----------



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

geofharries said:


> That's awesome. 6'6" with a 38 inch inseam is a really hard size to fit on most every bike, or at least those which are not custom-made. I presume you bought the XXL frame?
> 
> It's wild that even with legs that long, there's so little of your seat post sticking out and the Ogre looks perfectly proportioned.
> 
> Congrats on the new ride. Gotta love a black Surly.


Yea, it is a challenge for sure and yes an XXL frame.

With the longer cranks I get about the right extension, but I am still playing with the seat height.


----------



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

I am, after setting it all up probably going to change the grips to a 150mm grip length to cover from the levers to the end of the grips. Thinking I will try ESI Chunky XL’s. 

I am also considering going to a Selle Anatomica H2 seat as well. I am going to ride this seat for a while and I have another here to try. However, the current setup is pretty comfortable. 

If you have experience with the Selle let me know.


----------



## toadmeister (Sep 24, 2017)

Great build. I’m doing a similar Salsa Fargo build with Shimano SLX 1x12 and flat bars, either Moloko or Jones. I’m also a Clydesdale at 6’4” 270# with 34” inseam.

Question on the Moloko bars: do you use the front horns at all? Are they well positioned to streatch out or to tuck a bit from the wind?

Also, I’ll be using a Brooks C-17 (rubber ) with the cut-out. I have Brooks leather on my other bikes and love them


----------



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

toadmeister said:


> Great build. I'm doing a similar Salsa Fargo build with Shimano SLX 1x12 and flat bars, either Moloko or Jones. I'm also a Clydesdale at 6'4" 270# with 34" inseam.
> 
> Question on the Moloko bars: do you use the front horns at all? Are they well positioned to streatch out or to tuck a bit from the wind?
> 
> Also, I'll be using a Brooks C-17 (rubber ) with the cut-out. I have Brooks leather on my other bikes and love them


Check out whatbar.com to see the difference. I really like the Moloko and yes the upper bar ends are great to stretch out on. The Jones bend is much more pronounced and I felt it was too much.The Moloko's are just right and provide a lot of hand position options.

I was all in on a B17, but read good things on the Selle.


----------



## toadmeister (Sep 24, 2017)

RatBikeRod said:


> Check out whatbar.com to see the difference. I really like the Moloko and yes the upper bar ends are great to stretch out on. The Jones bend is much more pronounced and I felt it was too much.The Moloko's are just right and provide a lot of hand position options.
> 
> I was all in on a B17, but read good things on the Selle.


Yeah, I've been to that web page, it's good. Feeling it in my hands is another thing of course.

I like my Jones bar in my Fatbike but am ready for a change for my Fargo.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


----------



## Johnny Chicken Bones (Jul 13, 2005)

Nice Ogre. Pretty much the perfect bike. When the zombies come- you’ll just need ammo and peanut butter. Your transit is taken care of!
Where will it take you? Any trips or rides you are hoping to do?

What’s the rear seat cradle? Seat pack of some sort?

I have ample miles on several pairs of Molokos. I sugggest their (or whoever’s) little handlebar bag.
I do use the front horns now and then. But mostly at the end of those long arduous days I tend to rest my hands just in front of the brake levers. Sort of at the junction of the bar that routes thru your stem. Very comfy.

The horns? Sure, now And then. Enough that I don’t need to chop them off, but not always.
That odd road section to get me to food, then back on the trail- I use them then. Time trial a short section to keep the show rolling.

-JCB


----------



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

Johnny Chicken Bones said:


> Nice Ogre. Pretty much the perfect bike. When the zombies come- you'll just need ammo and peanut butter. Your transit is taken care of!
> Where will it take you? Any trips or rides you are hoping to do?
> 
> What's the rear seat cradle? Seat pack of some sort?
> ...


Yes, I have plans to take it to Big Bend and a few national parks for bikepacking trips. I am trying to do more on the Ogre than on my motorcycle both for health reasons and practical. I want to plan trips this next year but I am waiting on Big Agnes's to get my tent repaired and back to me.

The seat rack is a Portland Designs Brindle Rack. I wanted something like this to be able to simply load it with different size dry bags depending on the trip. So I have multiple sizes and can stack them on it depending on how far I am going. I did this so that I could use the same dry bags on my bicycle or my motorcycle. I have moved to a stackable system on both and much prefer it. I am trying to go very minimal on it all.

Yes, I have a Moloko bag on order, that was my next planned purchase.

I am trying to decide if I like the seat I have on it or want to try either a Brooks B17 or C17, or maybe a Selle Anatomica. I will have to wait until I sell something off to fund that purchase though.

This whole process of building the Ogre was to help me along the road to not having so much. I currently have multiple motorcycles and multiple bicycles. It is me focusing upon a more minimalistic view of life.


----------



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

On hand positions on the Moloko I am finding, much like Johnny Chicken Bones, that I spend most of my time (so far) on the main grips. The “horns” make a nice rest point on longer stretches of flat road. I too tend to rest my hands right at the crook next to my controls. I have ordered a set of longer ESI Chunky grips to fill the entire space on the bar ends. I got them in Ogre green LOL. I should have them this week. 

Overall the setup of this bike has improved my comfort level significantly. I am quickly finding I can ride much further without the fatigue I was feeling on the Stache.


----------



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

It is snowing and nasty today so I thought I would post a few more pictures and an update. Sorry about the locational quality of the images (ie my garage as the backdrop).

I swapped the DeathGrip grips for a set of ESI Chunky XL's that I cut to length, in Ogre Green of course! I also got my Moloko handlebar bag in this week and it is now added along with a really poor upper bar wrap job (I need to get better at that.

I also decided to try out a Brooks C17 Cambium and actually found a good deal on Amazon on it. I moved the Blackburn frame bag from the Stache 7 over. For now I have plenty of storage and I can add up to 15 liter dry bags to the rear rack as needed. This will be my kit for now.

I only have been able to ride it about half a dozen times since the 1st, but overall I am loving it. Rolls so much smoother than the Stache on the Extraterrestrials! However, the first time I got out of the saddle to push up a steep hill the back wheel went sideways on me. The skewer was not tight enough. Took me a bit to get it back in place and the brake rotor was bent slightly and rubbing. After getting home I tried to straighten it on the bike but the next few rides there was a constant sound coming from it.

So yesterday I broke it all down and got the rotor on a flat surface to make sure it was straight. For all intents and purposes it looked ok. But every time I put it bad in place it would either not rotate or rub. So I went to work on the caliper. It is the first time I messed with the 4 bolt alignment, as it was working fine until the sideways event. I realized that it must have gotten moved some when that happened so I futzed with it for about half an hour and finally got it to a place where it was not rubbing and was working properly. Took it out that afternoon and it is back to perfect, no sound at all from it ... and it stops me which is a plus.

I know there are a lot better bikes out there and much more expensive components. However, for me and my budget this is (much like some guns I own) more bike than I will need for the foreseeable future.

I think the biggest quandary for me now is whether or not to keep the Stache. I see the value of the front fork suspension and big 3.0 tires for trails, and maybe I should keep it for that alone and mainly use the Ogre for its intended touring, city riding and bikepacking. To be honest I do not see me using the Stache near as much, but do I get down to one bike? I have had this quandary on my motorcycles for years, and am finally in the process of selling my 2nd motorcycle as I really only ride my primary BMW R1200GSA because it does everything I want to do perfectly. Probably the same can be said for the Ogre over the Stache.

Any thoughts on keeping the Stache?


----------



## 45crash (Jun 7, 2007)

Great build! I’m doing something similar with my Karate Monkey. Only one motorcycle????Ive tried.....no luck....CRF250L and a V Strom...I’m down to 2 bicycles-Pugsley and the KMonkey....keep the Stache


----------



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

45crash said:


> Great build! I'm doing something similar with my Karate Monkey. Only one motorcycle????Ive tried.....no luck....CRF250L and a V Strom...I'm down to 2 bicycles-Pugsley and the KMonkey....keep the Stache


Definitely leaning that way.

Yea, the bikes got to be too much upkeep, even with me doing the majority of the work.

I just found that the BMW R1200 did everything I wanted to do well.


----------

