We’re coming up to the 2025 Melburn Roobaix on June 29th. To commemorate the social ride and bike party’s 20th anniversary, FYXO got to work on a pair of stunning Surly Karate Monkey builds. Read on for words and photos by Andy White himself…
Monkey Business Surly Karate Monkey
Nothing like a pair of monkeys to keep you on your tippy toes! The ‘Barbie’ pink ‘Trail Breaker’ is my own Karate Monkey, with parts that have migrated from frame to frame over the past few years. Once ‘Organic Eggplant’ in colour, I rebirthed it in the colour of my favourite track bike at the same time my kids’ ‘Bridge Club’ was getting a custom powder coat.
My own personal bike is a ‘best of’ playlist of things I like in bike. Simple and uncomplicated. Smooth and reliable headset and dropper from Wolf Tooth, Thomson cockpit, SRAM level stoppers, carbon hoops, tan wall treads by Teravail, SALT BMX chromed cranks with a Profile chainwheel, bottom bracket and a Profile GDH (Gun Drilled Hollow) 19mm spindle in 6.875″ to suit external Euro BBs. It’s also available in 6″ and other lengths to suit various MTB or track bike setups.
About the Cranks
The BMX crank setup was influenced equally by two friends, Gonz – who had a set of Profile cranks on a Paconi track bike – which also had Phil Wood high flange hubs to Open Pros with TITANIUM spokes, a Cinelli Pinocchio stem, just thinking of it has me standing in the street outside his house drooling. The second was Jamie of Skingrowsback. We were both bike couriers in London; he had a black VETO track frame, ridden to within an inch of its life, covered in stickers, which he also had BMX cranks on. Both bikes looked tough, but with opposing aesthetics. One bling, one punk!
I scored the XTR trail pedals for my bike on the Bazaar for an absolute song. I had them penned for my future Prova – but that is still a few years away. The limited-edition Levi’s denim Cambium was a gift from a friend, but enough about my bike.
THE SPECIAL Surly is Calling!
I’m not here to educate anyone on the musical style or cultural influence of ‘The Specials’, merely to showcase a build that I was asked to add the final brush strokes to with custom decals. The owner was introduced to the band via his siblings in his teens, and playing it on his Dad’s high-end hi-fi. Growing up surfside in Sydney, the rude boy fashion was popular with surfers and skaters, and if you haven’t listened to Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘Hallelujah’ already, you will certainly acknowledge that the music from our teens and early 20s holds an almost eternal influence on us.
Icons on THE SURLY were pulled from the typography, symbolism, and style of The Specials, which features a design element ubiquitous with speed – the checkered flag!
It was only after giving the owner a preview of the bike that I had a brain fart of adding a band of checkers to the rear hub. Simple, stylish and speedy! The Chris King MTB30 has been reviewed by the Radavist previously and is peerless. Chris (King), if you’re reading this – feel free to add this to your line-up of delicious hubs as a limited edition drop.
MUSA Parts
Though The Specials are from the UK, the Surly is dripping with MUSA parts from other brands heavily influenced by music and culture. Paul Component Box Car stem is front and centre, with their trick brake levers, trickling down to the Klamper calipers through Yokozuna housing. A Thomson Trail carbon handlebar and Masterpiece post also add to the rhythm section on this build.
The Paul Components cranks are just stunning. Classic in design, beautifully machined and industriously anodised so they won’t fade in the sun. Bolted to them in a Wolf Tooth Chainring, who also provide the pedals, titanium cage, ergo grips and bar ends.
Down the back is a Wheels Manufacturing SOLO XD driver to allow conversion of XD drivers to singlespeed. I’ve been thrashing mine for over a year now and love it. It’s been flawless and so easy to install.
An Izumi chain joins the chainring to the cog, ready for all the torque you can muster.
As the sun fell, and someone patted my dog (out of shot), the light changes mesmerised me into a meditative state, recapturing components that now looked different. Finally, it dropped behind the clouds, and the songs stopped playing.
Look out for this bike on the cobbles of Melburn Roobaix – which is celebrating 20 years of existence. It’ll be on display at Off Course Bike Shop in the lead up!
Build Spec:
- Surly Karate Monkey frame/fork
- Chris King Headset
- Chris King 27.5 MTN30 wheelset
- Thomson Carbon Trail Handlebars
- Thomson Masterpiece Post
- Wolf Tooth ERGO grips
- Wolf Tooth bar ends
- Wolf Tooth Ti Bidon Cage
- Wolf Tooth Chainring
- Paul Component brake levers
- Paul Component Klamper brake calipers
Paul Component Cranks - Paul Component Boxcar Stem
- Yokozuna brake housing
- Izumi Chain
- Wheels Manufacturing SOLO XD driver
- Teravail EHLINE 27.5 x 2.5
- Surly chain tensioner
- TANGE Bottom Bracket
- Brooks Cambium C17 saddle
- Quad Lock stem cap mount
- FYXO stylin’
Look out for these bikes on the cobbles of Melburn Roobaix – which is celebrating 20 years of existence. It’ll be on display at Off Course Bike Shop in the lead up!
We’d like to thank all of you who submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared here at The Radavist. The response has been incredible and we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and your Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait. Thanks!