First Look: 2013 Surly Krampus

The bottom bracket is a standard 73mm, and the Krampus will be equipped with either Shimano SLX or ZEE 1x crankset and the Shadow PLUS rear derailleur (mine currently has the SLX) when it’s released in March. The frame will take a direct-mount front derailleur, but in order to get two chainrings going without chain/tire contact, Surly recommends using their customizable MWOD crankset in order to move the small chainring farther outboard. I’d recommend leaving it single-ring up front, but riders may want to swap the stock 39t chainring for mellower climbing gears. Rounding out the build are a 780mm Salsa Whammy Bar and a 70mm stem.

The Ride

Admittedly, my first few rides on the Krampus were not life changing. As I mentioned, I’ve spent very little time on hardtails in the past decade, and when factoring in a rigid fork, even with the huge tires, I was flailing.

After about two rides, however, my old-school techniques returned: I started looking at rigid bike lines rather than 6” bike lines, and things started to come together. It feels good to relax the deathgrip and rediscover old techniques.

I realize that one of the things I missed most about hardtails was their efficiency. I didn’t look at the chainring size until after my third ride, and was shocked to find it had 39 teeth. Even with the huge wheelset, the Krampus pedaled so efficiently that I assumed it was a 32t or 34t. The combination of traction, 29+ rollover-ability, and rigid bike efficiency allows the rider to charge up hills and loose rocky sections.

The Krampus also carries its speed quite well. There is a sweet spot of drivetrain input and wheelset rotational inertia that when reached feels like some sort of velo-nirvana. The bike just rolls and mobs overstuff without the necessity of constant power input.

I haven’t taken it on any huge alpine rides (and likely will never do so), but I have done numerous rides in the 1,600-foot climbing range and never wished for lower gears. On the higher end of things, the 39t ring allows for downright unsafe-feeling speeds, which is a beautiful thing. It’s hard to spin out the Krampus, but when you do, you will be laughing (and maybe crying on the inside a little).

Those Tires

Finding the perfect tire pressure is key for maximum Krampus performance and enjoyment. Unfortunately, the gauge on my floor pump is very unreliable, so I have been starting rides with a higher psi, and releasing a bit until things feel good. (There is definitely a digital pressure gauge in my near future.) I’d wager I still am running more pressure than most would, but I can’t stand squirmy tires, and I’ve been riding in fairly rocky places.

To that end, the tires have been great. I haven’t flatted in about 15 rides (keep in mind, I’m a downhill / all-mountain-ing kind of guy jumping on a very capable rigid bike), and despite their volume and width and the number of pointy rocks in this vicinity, the sidewalls look great.

The only thing I wanted to replace was the brakes. They are Avid BB7 cable driven brakes, which are OK, but some good hydro brakes would be killer.

Bottom Line

Thus far, I am enamored with the Krampus. I often find myself reaching past a fully pimped out Knolly Chilcotin to grab it for a ride, which makes me chuckle.

While pedaling out on some sandy, new Moab trail last week, I realized one of the reasons why I dig the Krampus so much: it brings back those good memories of rallying rigid bikes with canti brakes 20 years ago, but instead of steep angles, long stems, and terrible tires, I’m on a modern machine. It just inspires me to go ride something a little different.

Now that snow is finally falling here in Utah, I should get the chance to get it out on some snowy trails and see how it does, and I will be reporting back.