On Second Thought

Somewhere along the way when my decisions with the Soma Smoothie build took a turn toward a classic style one part just didn't belong any more. The carbon forks were keeping the bicycle from totally embracing the look of years gone by. What the Smoothie really needed to complete its vintage aesthetic was steel forks. The change will add many more grams to the overall weight but the difference will not concern me, I'm not racing in the Tour. I'm actually quite excited about this development and even more anxious now for the final result. Another mind changer had to do with the nature of the material of carbon parts. Odds may be in my favor that the forks will not break, but I still don't want to tempt fate considering the price I will have to pay in flesh alone in the event of carbon failure. Even if the forks were to merely crack, not breaking completely and sparing me from gruesome injury, they would still be compromised and need to be replaced. In comparison, steel provides piece of mind. Steel is resilient. Steel is reparable. Steel is real.

So what to do then with the Profile Design Silencer SL fork I already have? Craigslist. Don't want to end up with two forks for one bike so I gotta sell before I buy again. I listed the fork and a week came and went with no responses. I listed it again and the very next day I got an inquiry. Another day later it was sold. I took a minor hit in recouping my money, but that's par for the course in these cases. The buyer turned out to be a 16-year old guy who showed up at my door with a scale in hand. It's safe to say this kid was a complete bike geek, and I mean that with sincerity. The way he thought out loud about the carbon fork and it's addition to his bicycle in run-on sentences. His preoccupation with verifying the weight of the fork on his digital scale, never averting his eyes from the matter at hand while we talked. Our interaction was both fascinating and strange. If you've witnessed or encountered fanatics of Magic the Gathering, or comics, or Star Trek, and their enthusiasm for their love of these things you get the idea. Except for this young man it was bicycles. I was kinda proud to be contributing to his passion. This sort of zeal for beloved pastimes that is equally endearing, amusing, admirable and troubling is the reason why the Comic Book Guy is my favorite Simpsons character.

Within a matter of a few days of the Craigslist sale I had ordered and received a new Tange chromoly steel fork with lugged crown. Thank you Soma! This baby was intended to pair with my Smoothie frame, down to the sparkly pearl white paint. The sleek blades of the fork compliment the traditional tube sizes of the frame, whereas the fat blades of the carbon fork were disproportionate and it looked mismatched. The correlating color scheme is an important improvement as well. An interesting note in finding the fork on the Soma Fab website is it is not listed under the "Forks" section, but rather in the "Frames" section as an option with the pearl white Smoothie frame. I guess that makes sense being this particular fork was intended for a particular frame of a particular color, but then if I'm looking for a fork I would intuitively go to the forks section, not frames. I just so happened to be browsing the frames section and discovered the fork by dumb luck. Anyhow this whole situation played out how I had hoped it would and I am on track to finishing a sweet bike build. I'd like to continue this paragraph so that it extends to the bottom of the photo on the left because that's just how my mind works, but I'm out of thoughts on this subject.

Smoothe Arrival: Soma Smoothie

A few days ago the Soma Smoothie frame was dropped at my doorstep via UPS. There was excitement in the air as I whisked the box inside to open it. The dog was as anxious as I to see what await inside, poking her snout at the top as if to say, "What could it be? Hurry!" The back order period was about twice as long as projected, but that's OK because I don't have all the components yet to build up the bike completely. First impressions? It's quite light, I was surprised when I picked up the box for the first time. The finish is lovely, the metal-flake pearl white shimmers beautifully in the sunlight. The joint welds are pretty good. For a $300 frame I wouldn't expect them to be much neater than they are. The frame design is practical - rear rack braze-ons allow for the option of touring, functional with its agile and somewhat aggressive geometry making for some quick riding, and aesthetically attractive. General opinion is I got myself a good quality frame most likely worth every penny of its selling price. I'm looking forward to putting this baby on the road.

Ground Zero: A Soma Smoothie

The initial part, the foundation of the bike...the frame. Over the past few months I've spent hours of research on the web, perused numerous models in shops, and engaged in conversations with other enthusiasts. The selection process has been a thoughtful one balanced with just the right amount of instinct. Considering the various materials comprising frames these days I quickly decided steel is the one for me. Simple, traditional, durable, beautiful. Having recently heard that the cost of steel is jumping I decided now is a good time get that fundamental piece in place. Craftsmanship is of course very important, yet financial constraints limit my choices. Sigh, the ideal choice of a custom frame will have to wait for another day.

My selection focused on the small-to-mid sized manufacturers who offer quality designed and built frames at a price point that fits my budget. Knowing that there are a number of quality bicycle companies in the US and Canada making, if not specializing in, steel frames - Salsa, Surly, Soma, Kona to name a few - I made the conscientious decision to patronize these bike manufacturers. To buy local. I'm under no impression that these bikes are North American made, they are of course made in Taiwan or China. That's just the reality of the world economy these days. Still, I take pride in buying domestic. There are European manufacturers that produce a top notch product. Some of these brands have been revered for decades and some simply en vogue just for their European association. Despite their quality the fact remains that I am drawn to the domestic companies which also have the important advantage of affordability.

Upon first sight I was always attracted to the Soma frames. They meet the craftsmanship requirement and then some with their attention to detail. The lugged frames like the Speedster are just plain lovely capturing the elegance of the traditional steel frame with a contemporary design. The non-lugged frames have very clean joints and an excellent quality finish. Unfortunately the Speedster was outside my price range by a few hundred dollars. But the Smoothie and Smoothie ES fit the part. After a back-and-forth comparison of the two models I decided I'd be happier with the more agile Smoothie. The semi-compact geometry of the frame is what gives it its aggressive nature. I find that to be an exciting feature that will bring a real thrill factor to riding. I'm not going to use this bike for hardcore racing, though I still want something quick and responsive. The rack braze-ons at the rear subtract some from the speedy visual aesthetic of the frame, but then they allow for the option of converting the bike for touring in the future. On the subject of aesthictics I freely admit I like nice looking things. The pearl white finish of the frame is sweet and conveys the idea of light and nimble. And the Soma fiery sun logo is just plain cool - not a deciding factor, but still adds to the affection for the bike. Another non-factor attribute: Soma is West Coast (San Francisco). Being a life-long West Coastie I feel an immediate bond with this brand.

The word on Soma frames is they are solid quality and very well made. I'm confident that I am getting an excellent product for my money. I've ordered one Smoothie in pearl white (other colors available as of this posting are sea blue and forest green) through a company online and should be receiving it in a few weeks when they've restocked in my size. Once I have the frame I will update the blog with photos. As this blog progresses I will be updating a composite picture of the bike as each part is added. I welcome comments and suggestions on the component selection and building process of the bike.