Surly Karate Monkey vs Surly Krampus Rigid
Both published charts held against each other, on the specs that decide what the bike carries.
The short answer
The Karate Monkey takes bottle positions and price; the Krampus Rigid takes tire clearance. Which matters more is your route, not a scoreboard.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them, so it cannot drift from the table. Every figure is the manufacturer's; nobody here has ridden either bike.
Where they differ
4 of the 7 things we can compare come out differently. The rest are close enough not to decide anything.
Widest published tire
12mm more on the Krampus Rigid on 700c / 29inThe frame figure, not the fork's — forks are routinely cut for more rubber than the rear triangle, and compared only on a wheel size both frames publish. Loaded, tire width is also seat-pack clearance: a big tire and a sagging pack compete for the same space.
Frame bottle positions
2 more on the Karate MonkeyThe maximum the maker publishes across sizes. Worth knowing before you buy a frame bag, because a full-frame bag covers most of them.
Chainstay
12mm longer on the Krampus RigidThe gap between seat tube and rear axle, which a rack, panniers and your heels all share. Longer is more room for a load; shorter is a more compact bike. Which you want is a preference, not a winner.
From
$150 between themManufacturer's cheapest complete build. Every spec above belongs to the frame and does not change between builds of the same model, so the cheapest build of the right frame is usually the right answer.
Side by side
Including the rows where the two are level, because a spec that doesn't separate them is still a spec you might be checking.
| Surly Karate Monkey | Surly Krampus Rigid | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame bag space | 1644 cm² | 1644 cm² |
| Widest published tire | 64mm on 700c / 29in, 76mm on 650b / 27.5in | 76mm on 700c / 29in |
| Rear rack | Not published | Not published |
| Fork cargo mounts | Published | Published |
| Frame bottle positions | 3 | 1 |
| Chainstay | 423mm | 435mm |
| From | $1,849 | $1,999 |
| Sizes | 5 | 4 |
| Frame | 4130 Chromoly, Natch tubing, double-butted main triangle | 4130 Chromoly steel |
Drawn to scale
Largest published size of each, built from the charts rather than illustrated. The front triangle is the part that decides frame bag fit.
