What started as an exploration into a sale of Surly on the Off Course website has ended in a custom Midnight Special build. The main reason for this decision was wanting a steel bike that could ‘do-it-all’ for commuting and maybe bikepacking in future. My goal was to explore more, which led me to test-ride the stock Midnight Special that was on sale, I felt like I wanted something that could be my own rather than just an off-the-shelf bike. Build and photos courtesy of Off Course!

Build

Frame

50cm Midnight Special in Fool’s Gold - pretty rare to see. I chose the Midnight Special because it’s a steel bike with the look of an old school race bike, but with clearance for wide tyres, 700c x 42mm and 650b x 60mm. It has a great smooth ride that is pretty responsive when putting down the power and I don’t feel like it lacks much in that department compared to my Focus Paralane. 54cm felt a bit too large, and based off Reddit comments it seems like people my height went for the 50cm. Turns out this is a more aggressive geometry, even in the smaller size compared to my 54cm Focus Paralane. After some time on the bike, I’m getting used to the riding position. Eventually I might try getting a bike fit but after some tweaks I’m riding pain-free on 2+ hour rides.

Groupset

Scored a full GRX820 groupset that came off a Cannondale SuperX Carbon bike that was getting SRAM put on it for a cyclocross race. This meant I got a great deal on a high-level groupset that had been installed on a bike but never ridden. This included:

• Shimano GRX820 - 2x12
• 48-31T, 170mm cranks
• 11-34T Ultegra cassette
• RT-CL800 160mm C/Lock rotors
• SMR60 bottom bracket

This setup is an upgrade over the stock Surly Midnight Special 2x12 105 groupset which would have been more road-oriented. The GRX adds a clutch which adds tension to the chain reducing the chance of the chain coming off on bumpy terrain, and easier gearing for hills.

Saddle, Seatpost and Cockpit

The seatpost and cockpit are all from the Ritchey comp lineup, which matches the theme with light grey branding logos against matte black. These are good value, don’t weigh too much and look great. The saddle is by Fabric and one I took from my old bike. It came with the prior purchase and works well for me.

Bartape

Grepp bartape in Ultimate Grey. This is a cloth bartape that is washable and re-usable. It doesn’t have as much padding as regular rubber/cork bartape but adds a nice point of difference and suits an all-road and gravel bike well. The grey is a super light in colour and adds a nice pop of contrast to the bike.

Pedals

Simworks Tiny Bubbly flat pedals for my day-to-day commute. I was looking for pedals on the smaller side, that had a more modern and refined look. These spin great, feel great and look great although the one downside is things can get a bit slippery when there’s any moisture involved. They’re perfect for everyday riding but now I’ve done some more longer distance rides, and bumpier ride on gravel and single track, I can see the benefit in a clipless system.

Tyres

Rene Herse Barlow Pass 38mm. Tossed up between this and Panaracer Gravelking Semi Slicks. Rene Herse tyres are known for their fast rolling performance and suppleness, making them suitable for of different kinds of terrain. Initially thought I’d be doing 80/20 road/gravel riding split but that is more like a 50/50 split at the moment so the Gravelkings may have been the better choice! In future I could get a pair of 650b wheels and put on some proper wide and knobbly tyres if my gravel adventures continued to get a bit more serious. That’s another benefit of the frame.

Bottle Cages

Minoura bottle cages in silver that match up with the bartape and Ritchey branding. This is a well-priced option. I could upgrade these to something fancier, but $50+ for a titanium bottle cage seems a bit much!