Surly Pacer

The Pacer sits in an interesting category of bicycle. These days, most road bikes are made of some material other than steel. The current zeitgeist of road bicycles and road bicycling generally tends to overlook things that are not screaming for attention like a spoiled child, and the Pacer is a bit of a loner. Pacer likes to put in the big miles and hang out in the country, way out in the country. Pacer cares not about the weather. It remains indifferent mile after mile, you just provide the propulsion and Pacer will handle the rest.

While the Pacer is not what most would consider a racing bicycle, it’s geometry easily identifies it as a laid back performer, capable of descending, cornering and handling right there with all the flashy guys. As with all Surly frames, it’s made from our proprietary, size specific, Surly 4130 CroMoly steel so it has a lively ride that won’t kick the absolute shit out of you for the duration of your ride.

This year we’ve changed the spec on the Pacer to be more in line with what we think this bike is capable of. We gave it a Shimano 105 group, which is squarely in the realm of performance road componentry, perfectly in line with the Pacer’s pedigree as a comfy, high-mileage, all day rider. It has clearance for tires up to 32mm wide to further smooth out the bumps in the road. If you like doing gigantic road rides, hauling ass and not getting beat up by your frame, you’ll think the Pacer was sent to you from on high. It also works well as a credit card tourer or light-duty commuting missile. Plus, unlike any sub two pound carbon fiber racer, it won’t break in two if you knock it over in the garage.