Do you find that the Krampus is favorable to the Ogre for touring/bikepacking? I would think the Ogre would be a bit more versatile, am I correct? Also, my fiancé is looking for a bike to do some bikepacking, I immediately thought of the troll as she is 5’4″, do you feel that is a good choice? It is amazing how Surly can make so many bikes and make me want them all! Already have a Cross Check, Pugsley, Ogre and now a Troll….. Dylan.
Agreed, I can’t think of a Surly I wouldn’t be happy to own. Affordability and versatility: it’s a cool combination. Still, as there’s some inevitable overlap between models, it can make figuring out what’s best for your needs a bit confusing.
This is my take on your question. For one reason or the other, I tend to differentiate between bikepacking and touring, even though the former falls under the umbrella of the latter. In my mind, the term bikepacking leans towards multi-day rides that involve a generous helping of singletrack and/or dirt roads. The terrain tends to be more challenging, making a lighter (and rack-less) rig more suitable – the kind you can shoulder if need me. Think Arizona Trail or Colorado Trail (Bikepacking.net is packed with inspirational routes in the US). The cool thing about bikepacking is that pretty much any cross country mountain bike will work – steel, aluminium, carbon, whatever bike you already you own.
So for this kind of riding, I’d say the Krampus is fantastic – it’s a real blast to ride. The lack of carrier eyelets ceases to be an issue, as lightweight bikepacking soft bags are all you need. In any case, panniers clatter around, throw off the weight balance, weigh more or just get in the way. One thing to bear in mind though is that a Krampus, shod with 3in Knard tyres, runs a tight chain clearance – the neatest way of circumventing this is by running an internal geared hub. I’ve also modified mine to take four (yes four!) water bottles on the fork, and one under the downtube. I find it a neater solution than hose clamps.
Note though that the geometry on the Krampus is lower slung, slacker and more trail orientated than the Ogre – again, I don’t see this as an issue for bikepacking. 3″ Knards are wonderfully comfortable for all day riding, even if they come at the cost of some extra heft. Also, I like the Krampus’ high bottom bracket. It’s great for minimising pedal strike over rocky terrain, and it means running smaller diameter 29er tyres isn’t an issue either. Even with 29×2.3s, BB height is still a touch higher than the Ogre. Again, these details aren’t what you’d look for in a traditional touring bike – but I think lightweight bikepacking throws out a lot of those old rulebooks (have a look at the more traditionally drawn Long Hail Trucker, and you’ll see how different bottom brackets can be).
Conversely, I see the Ogre as more of a jack-of-all-trades. I love the way it rides as a cross country mountain bike. I’m as happy ‘touring’ on it (be it paved or dirt) with panniers as ‘bikepacking’ with soft bags. It will ‘only’ take a 2.4in tyre, but even a 2.4 run tubeless and at low pressure can be surprisingly comfortable without suspension. After all, 2.4in is still a big tyre! The riding position is different from that of the Krampus. With its shorter top tube and longer stem, I feel more in the middle of the bike: all things being equal, I prefer this geometry for longer distances. As you say, the Ogre’s more versatile too, complete as it is with all the required braze-ons and eyelets. Commuting steed in the week. Singletrack slayer at the weekends. And… you can even run fenders…
Re your fiancé. I’m going to go ahead and suggest – although I know plenty of shorter guys and gals who love their 29ers and the way they roll – that at 5’4″, your partner is better off with a Troll, particularly if touring is its intended use. There’s a broad range of sizes – down to a 14in. The Troll can be run with or without suspension, Vs or discs. It has all the bits you need to travel with or without racks (like water bottle mounts on the forks), Rohloff or otherwise. With the same geometry as the 1×1, I think it rides great on singletrack too. She could most likely get away with a lighter frame than the Troll, but at least it can handle a knock or two.
Out on tour though, there’s an advantage to running similar wheel sizes in terms of spares.
Hope this helps!
My modified Krampus. Great fun for lightly loaded bikepacking.
Jack of All Trades Ogre.
Troll. Fun times on singletrack too.
Disclosure: Although Surly have supported me over the last couple of years with bits to play with, I ride their bikes first and foremost because I think they build thoughtful, affordable frames. In the past I’ve been a happy Surly customer, having purchased the cargo-hauling Big Dummy and the Long Haul Trucker distance machine.
