Surly Karate Monkey Frameset
Surly says:
Years ago the Karate Monkey helped start the 29” wheel movement and, as time’s gone by, many companies – Surly included – have experimented with even more wheel sizes.
With so many different types and sizes of tires now on the market, riders have begun to understand the effect that tire width has on overall wheel diameter, and with ample tire clearance, you can see the benefits of multiple wheel sizes all on one bike. 27 tires have the same rolling diameter as a 29” wheel, yet you get all the traction and floatation benefits of extra-wide knobbies. And that’s just the tires.
The Surly Karate Monkey Frameset has recently gotten a make over that includes the addition of features like internal dropper post routing, a new tubeset that uses the same trumpet tubes found on our Instigator 2.0, and a slight tweak in geometry that is more progressive and trail-oriented. The Karate Monkey uses a horizontal dropout with a derailleur hanger that features Gnot-Boost spacing, which gives the rider the ability to run any kind of mountain bike hub they choose. 10 x 135mm QR, 12 x 142, or 12 x 148 Boost™ will all work in the Karate Monkey frame. The frame uses a 44mm headtube for broad fork compatibility and is ED coated for an added layer of internal protection. If, at any point, you decide you want to throw on some skinny meats, standard 29” wheels and tires can be swapped in with no issue. If you want to round-house kick some trail right in the face, the Karate Monkey is your sled.
Tubing
Surly 4130 CroMoly Steel ‘Natch tubing
Rear Dropouts
Horizontal slotted with derailleur hanger; Surly “Gnot Boost” 135, 142, or 148mm hub spacing compatibility, threaded fender eyelets
Brake Compatibility
51mm I.S. disc caliper mounts, 180mm max rotor size
Braze-ons/extras
Dual bottle-mounts on XS and S, three bottle-mounts on M–XL, dropper post routing, rack and fender mounts
Seatpost diameter
30.9mm
Seatpost clamp diameter
33.1mm (Surly stainless included)
Headtube
44mm
Front Derailleur
34.9mm, high direct-mount (adapter included)
Bottom bracket shell
73mm
Chainring Clearance
32t Boost 1x, 24/36t Boost 2x, 28t 1x, 24/34t 2x
Tire Clearance
27.5 x 3.0˝ and 29 x 2.5˝, individual tire and rim combos affect tire clearance
Fork
140mm travel suspension fork compatible (547mm A-to-C max)