Note: These are not reviews but are simple ride impressions based on the demo tech set-up. All bikes were ridden on the Bootleg Canyon demo loop. Keep in mind that a short ride is not a review, but merely gives us, (and you out there), some idea of what we’re looking at here.
Surly Krampus: by Guitar Ted
Twenty Nine Plus. That’s what Surly calls the newest platform for mountain biking here which is embodied in the sparkly green powder coat of the Krampus. When this bicycle was announced last summer at Saddle Drive, (a dealer only event), it raised quite a stir. Much has been written about this already, so I’ll just touch upon the salient points briefly.
The Krampus is based upon the same rim diameter, (700c/622ISO), as 29″ers are, but since the Knard tire fitted is so big, (claimed 3″ wide), and voluminous, it makes the wheels approximately 30.5″ in diameter, thus 29+. These wheels also feature 50mm wide rims dubbed “Rabbit Hole” rims which are cut out for lighter weight. The frame is steel, of course, and the bike is fully rigid. Basically, you could think of the Krampus as a Karate Monkey on steroids.
. In typical Surly fashion, I was summarily doused with water shot from a child’s water cannon upon my arrival at their demo tent to check out the Karmpus for a ride. Of course, the fact that it was nearly 100°F and there was no shade only made that a pleasurable experience, albeit a surprising one! (Thanks Eric!)
Would the Krampus be as surprising, yet pleasurable? The larger than life “29+” wheels shod with very rounded “Knard” 3.0” tires were said to be a lot of fun by others. Their overall diameter was definitely noticeable when looking at the bike, but not as discernible to me after mounting the size Large demo. If anything, I did feel a bit more “on top of” this rig than “in the bike”, if that makes any sense.
Not much room here for all that is going on.
The Knard’s width was noticeable, and so was the high crowning effect their casings have. You get a narrower contact patch to roll straight forward on, but Surly claims the profile works with the carefully designed tread pattern to give better traction in corners. In as far as those claims go, my impressions are there is something to this.
Final Impression: The Krampus has traction in spades, covers loose, rough grounds in a smoother fashion than any rigid 29”er I have thrown a leg over, carries speed quite nicely, and climbs without a glaring fault that I noticed. I will say that the Large felt a bit long in the top tube than older Surly’s of the same size, so you may want to check into that if this is on your wish list.
The Krampus will also easily fit 29”er wheels and tires, so this isn’t a “one trick pony”. The frame will accept a 120mm travel suspension fork, and retain the intended geometry, although the Knard/Rabbit Hole combo wouldn’t fit into any currently available unmodified suspension fork. 
(So- don’t do that, okay?) The “bass boat” green sparkle is as amazingly cool as folks have claimed. But the bottom line here is spelled out in one word: FUN.
p.s.: Our European correspondent, c_g, already has one of these and is testing it. Look for his review to be posted here soon.
Thanks! Looking forward to a more in depth review.
I may have to get one of these.
I loved my ride on one, tried to get them to have one fall off the truck near stg
What kind of uber-low pressure were you running in those big tires to smooth out the ride?
@Kosmo: The Surly guy that helped me out said they were pumped up higher than he would normally ride them, but the rocks/terrain of Bootleg Canyon demanded a higher psi to keep folks demoing the bikes from flatting.
I didn’t ask for specifics, but I did think the tires could have gone lower in air pressure than they were set at. No matter- the bike was gripping and flying down the trail anyway.
Hopefully c_g will be able to comment more specifically on this in his review of the Krampus.
So what does the bike ride like? Did I miss that part?
The real question is this a total “game changer”? The Karate Monkey and other early 29′r opened MTB’rs to the 29′r concept, will the Krumpus be the same…in 5 years will we be talking about skinny tired 29′rs like we talk about 26′rs now?
Will the Krumpus remain a niche bike, like fat bikes are now, a worthy addition to a full stable.
Can the the Knards be set-up tubeless? Who makes tubes that wide? Do the heavier wheels feel heavy? Must take even longer to get them going on acceleration?
Any plans for WTB or other to offer different rubber choices?
Thanks for the report!
@Bob McBob: Must have, maybe re-read the last two paragraphs?
It’s a very smooth, fun bike that will surprise a lot of folks and disappoint others.
@Yogi: I think you are looking for something here the Krampus isn’t. Yes- there is something to the slightly larger diameter and bigger volume tires. I think a lot of folks will enjoy this bike as a fun diversion, and like many of Surly’s bikes, it is an empty canvas that riders will paint their own individual interpretations of what the Krampus can be on.
Tubeless: Surly has not ever sold a tubeless rated tire.
Wheels: I didn’t notice any detrimental effects due to weight.
Tire Choices: I haven’t heard of any plans by other companies to offer tires this big. I would suspect Surly may be where you’ll see a different choice in the future.
GT: Yes, ETT lengths on the Krampus look long. How tall are you and what ETT do you usually prefer? Looking for a bit of sizing info should I decide to order up one of these from the LBS.
@Pulsepro: I am 6’1″ and I typically will like a 24.3 to 24.5″ top tube length. Of course, other factors of the bike also affect this, but there you go.