The folks over at North Central Cyclery are conducting a poll. Here’s what they have to say:

 
It’s almost time for Surly to release their new colors for 2010ish, so we’re going to take a shot at guessing what color they’re going to release for the Long Haul Trucker.

 
We’ve put [up] our color guesses …. Vote for our picks or submit your own. In true Surly fashion, you need a ridiculous descriptor for the color for it to be considered a decent submission.

 
Want to submit your quess? Then go to the NCC “Surly LHT Color Betting Pool” page and put in your two cents’ worth. I’ve done so myself. There’s a prize for the winner, after all! But I only entered the poll once, after considering these possibilities, beginning with “Road Rash Red”:

 

 
If you’ve read about my little capsize, you’ll understand why this color popped to mind right away. Too negative? Then how about calling it Lanterne Rouge Red. The Lanterne Rouge is, after all, an honored position in the Tour de France. But when I thought more about it, I remembered the LHT’s notorious Cherry Red color of a few years back. Anyway, maybe red’s too flashy for the LHT. Though there is another bright color which would be a classy choice, Eddy Merckx Orange:

 

 
Yeah, you’re right. Not the LHT’s style. Petra (my LHT’s name) isn’t bred to be a racer, she’s bred for comfort, so we’ll leave orange aside even if The Cannibal rode orange to win so many races. Next I thought of one of Outside Up North’s colors, which I’ll call Outside Brick:

 

 
Nahhh, the folks at Surly will not go for it, though it is a nice understated color. Too much like Beef Gravy Brown, one of the choices for the Cross Check. So what next? Maybe Thunderstorm Tungsten:

 

 
I like that. Put up in a matte finish, it’d be understated, while suggesting seriousness of purpose, taking the road by storm. Not bad, not bad at all. But maybe not. Still, I do like it. On the other hand, there’s a lot to be said for Ninja Black:

 

 
It’s hard to go wrong with black. Black doesn’t glow in the dark, or show off, or scream for attention. Just the sort of color you want in a touring and utility bike. Yep, that’s the color I’ll vote for. What about you? Go cast your vote. What have you got to lose?

 

 
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