Back in July, I was dispatched to Utah for a mission, to document and photograph, Surly’s new fat-bike. I was also headed there to attend the Quality Bicycle Products, western dealer round-up, called Saddle Drive. After I shot a slew of photos of the new Salsa’s, I met my contact, John Fleck (special ops edition) in the Needles Lodge for a short briefing on the features of project ‘Wednesday’. Afterwards, Fleck instructed me to pull my truck to the rear of the service pavilion, where I met him at a gun-metal grey, unmarked, company van. It was there, in broad daylight, I took possession of the ‘package’.
All of the secrecy was due to the fact that Surly wasn’t going to release project Wednesday on the general public until Eurobike (about a month later). So I’ve had ample time to prepare this report, that will introduce many of you, to the newest member of the Surly family, That other Gomez’s daughter, Wednesday.
Wednesday has a 170mm spaced, symmetrical steel frame with a 150mm spaced (Bluto Ready) rigid symmetrical steel fork in a simply. splendid, robin’s egg blue finish. My test bike, came void of any decals (sleeper mode), but our Amigos from Surly supplied us with the super-glam, studio photographs of the Wednesday, with the complete ‘rally sport trim package’, during our compulsory, mission debriefing. Wednesday comes ready to bikepack with braze on’s galore and cable guides for internally geared hubs and a dropper post…That’s in addition to being set up for more traditional derailleur or singlespeed drive trains.
The Surly track style drops mean that Spinner can make his Wednesday a singlespeed, just how he likes it! The Wednesday comes with real genuine Surly Nate tires mounted on (NEW!) My Other Brother Daryl (MOBD) tubeless ready rims. Check out the new rims HERE. Jules, from Surly, told us that the Wed. could handle up to a 4.6 inch tire. The geometry of Wednesday leans towards the Surly Krampus school of thought according to both John and Andy Skoglund, the bike’s designer. You get all of that rad-ness and versatility for an MSRP of $1,499.
I took the new Surly Wednesday down to the Pineview Reservoir for a test spin on some local Ogden singletrack. I also got out for a trail and beach ride at the Antelope Island State Park out in the Great Salt Lake. Wednesday handled the singletrack very well. The Nates have amazing traction (I haven’t ridden Nates very much before). I think I might want a pair!
The ride of the Wednesday, felt very similar to my Krampus…just a super fun and solid fatty. The beach and trail ride out on Antelope Island was visually spectacular and the Wed. floated over the really soft (salt/sand?) just like it should. Like most bikes that are at this price point, there are some things that you might upgrade in time, like the saddle or grips, but I think that it’s the versatility of this bike that will make it an exceptional value. We’ll have more data centered on ride testing the Wednesday coming up, a little further on down the trail at www.fat-bike.com!
(click any photo to enlarge)
For more information about Surly visit www.surlybikes.com
Hump-day!
Will the Wednesday take a 29+ wheelset?
yes
$1500 MSRP? Is that a typo? ICT’s are $2399.
$1.499 MSRP
How is this different from the Pugsley?
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How it’s different from the Pugsley:
Centered 177mm vs 135mm offset rear spacing
Stronger frame, but not much heavier
Bluto compatible
Thru axle compatible
More ‘neutral’ MTB Geometry vs ‘classic’ XC Geo
Internal cable routing for a dropper post
Increased tire clearance— will fit 4.6″ tires on 80mm rims @ 445mm RC (10mm back in dropout)
435–455mm (Wed) vs 448-473mm (Pug) chainstay length
Longer Effective Top Tube measurement
Increased standover (shorter seat tubes, seat tube gusset)
How it’s different from the ICT:
177mm centered vs 197mm centered rear spacing
Cast Thru axle dropout vs MDS system
100mm threaded BB shell vs 132mm pressfit
Less tire clearance
Lighter, more traditional tubeset, smaller stays, more forgiving ride
Shorter Wheelbase (435mm vs 450 RC and 69 vs 68 HTA)
Internal Dropper Routing
Shorter Rigid Fork
Same standover, no seat tube gusset (slightly shorter seat tube)
looks like room for 27.5? somebody already asked about 29+…
yepp – B+ is smaller that 26 x 4
If it will take 4.6″ I am sure it will take 29+ many of the 170’s fit them just fine. This is a sweet ride especially if it it 177 thru axle.
Gomez hard to believe you have not been on Nate’s. Lucky readers and listeners have been sent several sets from you all. It is probably the best all around tire. It works on everything. I don’t remember which was first but this is same tread as Lou. Doesn’t roll as fast on asphalt, takes more effort on sand but takes single track, mud and leafy duff on top awesome. Makes sense that is why nearly all QBP fatbikes have these as OEM. The tread holds up amazing and set up tubeless no problem.
Wow this was really interesting. Head angle 68 with Bluto (That is just 0.5 less then my Instigator) and space for 4.8 on 80 mm rims. Wednesday might be just what i´m looking for.
What size is the bike shown?
Large
Gomez,
What would your advise be for someone who currently has a Pugs, and is looking to add either a Moonlander or a Wednesday?
I like the option to run bigger meat on the Wednesday, but feel like that bike is so similar to the Pugs already that there isn’t really any reason for it, but that a Moonlander would provide the same options as the Pugs, with the bigger meats on it.
Thoughts about that?
Thanks!
Andy
Andy, I’ve just ordered a Wednesday frame to build up using the Bonti 80mm Jackalope rims. They would not work comfortably on my Pug’s rear offset, so made a spending decision to add another bike to my lot. The Wed. could now be my winter training/race/adventure bike. Either way, it’s hard not to give Surly my $$$’s as I quite like their stuff. There’s already three of their babies in my care.
Will a clown shoe work on the front and rear?