No Dice

What we have here is a very nice lugged steel fork with a polished crown. It is part of the Soma Stanyan frame and fork set. I saw this on the Soma Fabrications website and thought it would be a very nice alternative to the full carbon fork over which I am having second thoughts. Knowing it is made for the Stanyan frame I sent off an email to Soma anyhow inquiring if the fork can be purchased individually. It doesn't hurt to ask. Here is my inquiry verbatim:

  To Whom It May Concern,

   I'd really love to have the polished, lugged fork that comes with the 
  Stanyan frame for my Smoothie. Do you sell that fork separately?

  Kevy

A few days later I received a response from Soma which was simply one sentence:

  Sorry we don't right now.

Well, that certainly answered my question.

Busted!

This is not a photo of a bike I own. This image is taken from the entertaining blog Busted Carbon which showcases cases of carbon failure in events of crashes, flying debris or even simple JRA (just riding along) scenarios. This picture and the many others at Busted Carbon illustrate why I will not have a carbon frame. I never want to be on a bike when the frame snaps like that. The odds are in your favor that it will not happen, but still if and when it does pray to your God that you come out of it in one piece. This damage isn't repairable. At least not worth your efforts to repair. As is testified to by some of the owners of these frames, the manufacturer isn't so willing to replace the frame either. Good chance you could be SOL. A steel frame will endure most of the crash and smash situations it's carbon cousin wont. I haven't been 100% on the carbon fork I bought for my Soma Smoothie, and seeing some of the examples at Busted Carbon has me closer to opting for a steel fork instead. The weight difference between the two doesn't mean much to me. The lack of options in a 1-1/8" threadless steel fork is the problem.

It Wasn't Supposed To Be Like This

This bottom bracket is where I make the major compromise on the Soma Smoothie build. The pre-built bikes on the sales floor of the local dealership require a variety of compromises. They will have some good components, but not the ones I prefer. Hence this whole bike build thing. Faced with my extremely tight budget for this project I just might have to cut a corner somewhere. Ironically (or is it coincidentally?), those pre-builts are great for a tight budget. The Record crankset I bought came with a complementary Token brand bottom bracket which seems will do the job just fine, but I've had designs on a much higher quality option like a Phil Wood or Campy Record. Something that will turn like butter and turn, and turn, and turn for a long time. For the time being though this little brick will have to suffice. Now I'm no weight weenie but this is clearly a heavy sucker, weighing in at 213g (.47lbs). Initially, I don't think I'll be effected much by the extra weight, but I will eventually be relieved to have the inevitable upgrade. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a piece of crap. On second thought it is probably worth the money to at least invest in a higher quality BB, not top of the line necessarily, but better than this. Could save me some grief.

Something Askew: Shimano Dura Ace Skewers

Am I the only one who would spend weeks searching for just the right skewers? I guess most would just take the first acceptable option. But since I have the time to be picky, I will. My reasoning is as simple as I just wanted something classic looking. And as with all the other parts I've selected for the Soma Smoothie I didn't want to end up with a choice with which I wasn't absolutely satisfied. There are many nice skewers on the market designed to be pretty, practical and functional, but nothing really captured my longing for old-school-ish aesthetic than the Shimano Dura-Ace with its updated version of the skewers that your daddy and grand-daddy had on their wheels. They're sleek, shiny and understated. The problem I came up against was they are one of the more expensive products of their kind. With a little patience though I was able to secure a rear skewer and then a couple of weeks later completed the set with a front companion, both new, and both on eBay for half the retail price. Done deal and I'm very satisfied with the result.

Totally Not Tubular

What a dry spell since my last blog post! You really gotta be motivated with ideas and subject matter to write about in order to keep a well maintained blog. If you're not producing a couple of entries per week the search engines wont even recognize your blog. The purpose of this exercise has been to journal the process of building a new bicycle from square one, piece by piece, and record my thoughts and experiences throughout. And what could make following my chronicle of the venture interesting is the fact that I've never done this before. That is build a bicycle from the ground up...but also keep a blog as well. It's been a challenge though authoring a worthwhile read when the bicycle build is so drawn out and having not much to write about in the meantime.

Entering into the wheel phase of the Soma Smoothie build I had the opportunity to choose tubular tires over clinchers, which I've ridden on my whole life. Those who have tubulars will say there is a noticeable difference in ride quality. They will praise their superiority. Despite this there are good reasons to go with clinchers. To begin with, I am a recreational rider. I doubt the improvement in quality of ride will benefit me much. The performance level of tubulars is appropriate for professionals and avid racers, not really this "soul rider". Second, when I have a flat on the road somewhere far from home I'd much rather have the relative ease of an inner tube change than be faced with the uncertainty of whether or not a sealant will hold up in a tubular tire, or riding the rest of the way home with a replacement tire held on by what ever glue is remaining from the original. I'm sure one day I'll have a second set of wheels and learn of the joys and frustrations of tubulars, until then my primary, singular set of wheels will have clinchers.

Visions Of Dancing On The Pedals

Considering the drawn out manner in which the Soma Smoothie build is coming along I would probably be a good candidate to head up an airliner project at Boeing. The fact is the excess money I have to put into the bike isn't exactly abundant and there are periods, like currently, where I have to devote every single one of my dollars to other expenses and financial responsibilities. O, to be wealthy. But then if I were loaded with cash I could throw down for a dream machine at any moment and just wouldn't appreciate it nearly as much. When this rig is up and running it will be my ride for life. Or something like that. The longer the process, the more meaning there is in the experience

The Hubub Is All About: White Industries H2/H3 Hubs

 

It's too bad they are a couple of the least visible parts on the bike because these White Industries H2 and H3 hubs sure are gorgeous. This kind of bling needs to be on display where it can be easily admired. To say the design and craftsmanship is beautiful would be understated, but then maybe understatement is most appropriate to reflect their simple beauty. A few weeks back I ordered two H2 hubs - one front, one rear. To my surprise what I received was one H2 front hub and one H3 rear hub. A little research revealed that the freehub body of the H3 is an updated design to accommodate the Campagnolo 11-speed systems. A nice convenience for me if I ever replace the 10-speed drive train with an 11. Holding one of these in the hand, they are light - the front is reportedly 97g and rear is 252g. The White Industries rear hub is one of a few brands known for a characteristic noise when it spins. The ratcheting sound of the spinning freehub is not as loud as a Chris King hornet's nest, but it is distinctly louder than most. I'm curious to hear it buzz when I have the Soma Smoothie out on the road.