Soma Smoothie

Time for a "man blog" diversion. Why not? It's that time of year where we are all distracted from the shop, office, or what-have-you by the allure of the outdoors and it's specific, or general call to each of us. In my case: bike lust.
For a number of years I have wanted to replace an older road bike that didn't exactly fit me nor was quite geared towards the kind of riding I've been leaning to.
I had not been able to justify replacing it because I certainly do not make much for money and that I have hardly touched it for the last few years due to working myself ragged. After a hopeful barter with a bike rep fell through, I couldn't wait any longer. The bug had already bit. I decided to attempt what I like to call "a working man's bike build" with the good folk of the Angry Catfish behind the build.

Enter the Smoothie frame set from Soma Fabrications. Soma is a bicycle frame and parts manufacturer based in San Francisco who focuses on durability, and ride-ability at an approachable price. Being from Minneapolis one might ask "What about the likes of Surly or All City frames?" I would say that the tubing and geometry is worth the bit more than the Surly but to get a real appreciable step up I would need to spend at least twice that of the Soma.
At a price point of $550 for frame and fork (plus the $50 or so for professional chase and face), one cannot expect the world, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fit and finish of the frame exceeded my expectations with clean welds (to my eye), the clean white paint with a beautiful light pearl coat, subtle detail around the updated branding (a very welcome update), and so on. The fittings for racks and fenders are thoughtful but I would rather be without them. It would be nice if they had the option without them on this, their "race" frame.

Aesthetically I wanted to utilize the steel frame with its semi compact geometry to achieve a "vintage-modern" machine. One of course could make ties to the furniture and wood work I do.
For me this means clean, mainly silver/alloy components. I was a bit surprised at the limited amount of products that fit the bill! I had to do some searching but I came out with some good stuff.

Part of the reason I spent less on the frame was so that I could invest more into wheels and some more over looked parts that really do count such as the headset, saddle, and tires. These are the parts that can make or break your ride. When you are confident and comfortable you simply perform and feel better.

The Soma Soothie is certainly no feather weight by today's race standards, nor is it the most responsive frame on the market. However, it is a great bang for the buck. The frame comes into its own at speed. The modern race geometry delivers power and handling while the steel keeps me comfortable. Investing in the ride as a whole makes this a solid and confident machine uniquely tailored to my riding and aesthetic style, and budget.
For a person like me what it comes down to is riding, and wanting to ride more. I'm itching for another opportunity to get some miles behind me.