Have you ever thought to yourself, “Self, the Surly Steamroller and the Surly Cross-Check should mate like a stallion and a mare.” Wonder no longer, because the guys and gals down at Surly just made it happen. The result, a red headed step-child named Ella ready for any kind of abuse you can dish out. The Ella takes the sleek and simple style of the Steamroller and combines it with the utility and comfort of the Cross-check. The Ella has a more relaxed front end than the Steamroller and a more aggressive rear triangle than the Cross-Check, giving it that Jack be nimble jack be quick feel. The Ella is earmarked as a single-speed, make no mistake about it. She’s sporting: 700c wheels, canti-bosses, the Surly FFF chain stays, and plenty of room for fenders, without any of those extra braze-ons needed for gears. The folks at Surly told me that Ella was inspired by Minneapolis winters, but you don’t have to stop there, it makes a great Single Speed cyclo-cross bike or a rugged commuter. I got a sneak peak at Ella this weekend and she’s naked as a j-bird in the limited edition clear coat finish. See more of Ella at SurlyBikes.com/Ella
