Surly Pacer Frameset 2011

Every once in awhile you stumble upon something you didn't go looking for and never expected to find but it ends up putting a smile on your face. Like, when you are looking through your record collection and find a copy of William Shatner's classic album "The Transformed Man", that you thought your mother had sold in a garage sale while you were off workin' on your big brain at college. Stuff like that.

A similar experience is in store for you the first time you throw your leg over our Pacer frameset and get it up to speed on the open road. It isn't the fastest or lightest bike you'll ever ride, but then again, it isn't trying to be. This frame was designed as an all-day bike, which means comfort and reliability. The 4130 TIG-welded frame and brazed fork are designed to take the edge off the bumps and cracks in the road, but remain laterally stiff for those out-of-the-saddle sprints and climbs.

The Pacer also isn't trying to be the most fashionable bike on the coffee shop circuit, but our new color and freshly changed graphics add a classic styling to this frame that just might turn a few heads for how unrevolutionary it is. The understated beauty of this bike allows you to ride it without worrying what you look like. Lycra full team kit? Sure. Cutoff jeans, sleeveless tee and sandals? Absolutely! GrrAnimals? Whatever. Heck, you could even show up sporting purple tyres and not look out of place. Everyone is welcome here.

Though vertical compliance is definitely a goal when designing a frame, tyre clearance is just as important. The casings of your tyres flex before your frame and fork do, and wide tyres generally flex more than narrow ones, giving you a softer ride. Wide tyres can be faster than skinnies on a lot of surfaces that you will encounter on your rig. So, the Pacer was designed to accept 700 x 28 tyres with fenders or 700 x 32 tyres without.

The Pacer is spec'd with a 1-1/8" threadless fork because of the wide selection of headsets and stems available to accommodate it. Like most Surly frames, this one uses commonly available components: 27.2mm seatpost, 68mm bottom bracket, 130mm rear hub... basically, items that you might have lying around, waiting for a chance to be used. We recommend using standard-reach (47-57mm) brakes, but most short reach (40-50mm) fit.

The durability and versatility of the Pacer make it an ideal commuter, day-tripper, and vehicle for exploration. The frame is offered in 9 sizes (42-62cm), so there should be a Pacer that fits you.