Surly Karate Monkey XS

The Karate Monkey was one of the first production 29ers. It put the 29˝ platform in front of a lot of people at a price within reach of many a bike nerd. Since then, 29” has become a full-blown category, with entire bike companies dedicated to the platform. In contrast to the old standard 26” wheels, 29˝ wheels have unique benefits: delivering increased traction, smoothing out terrain, carrying inertia, and generally fitting tall riders better.

The Karate Monkey helped set the standard for 29er geometry. While its tucked-in rear wheel keeps it nimble and maneuverable, its lack of shifting componentry keeps the bike simple — and the rider filled with a cathartic rage.

With a frame and fork made of custom-designed Surly CroMoly “’Natch” steel, the Karate Monkey delivers a resilient, lively, durable ride. The Karate Monkey frame has recently been updated to include 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 spaced to what we call Gnot-Boost spacing. 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.