The brief

Ian wanted a daily commuter which was robust enough to handle anything, including bad weather. He also didn't want to have to worry about taking lights on and off. (A specific requirement, for sure, but one we had an answer for.)

The bike

We started with a stock Surly Ogre because the bones were exactly right for Ian's needs.

But how do you have set-and-forget lights? By building a dynamo setup. We rebuilt the front wheel to include a dynamo hub, and connected it to a Busch and Muller headlight and AXA tail light. The lights were permanently wired to the bike, and the hub took care of charging then, giving Ian one less thing to worry about.

To get the Ogre all-weather-ready, we fitted a set of SKS guards, our go-to choice for quality and durability.

Ian often goes touring, so a Surly Nice Rack was added for its enormous cargo-carrying capabilities.

Finally, a little indulgence to finish things off: a set of lightweight-yet-bombproof Syntace Number Nine pedals.

This Ogre was now ready to ride, no matter what the weather was doing.

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