Just before I started this build, my left hip began hurting. After an MRI I found that I have a torn labrum (cartilage lining of the hip socket). This was likely a leftover effect from an accident in which I was involved in August of 2009 (I was hit by a car on my commute to work). As such, I’ve been unable to get in as much time on the bike as I’d like, but I’ve gotten in a good 20+ hours so far. The following is my opinion:

The "near-final" build.

On my commute, there is a section of the road’s shoulder from which workers cut out 4 18” slices (roughly a foot apart) and subsequently repaved them. This, as you may imagine, provided me with a bit of a spine jolt on my old aluminum frame. I rode with 28c tires and even switched up to my 35c cross tires, but no matter the combination, I just ended up avoiding that section of the road at all costs. Not so on the smoothie. The first time I took it out (without my tubeless setup), I hit it with reckless abandon and guess what? No spine jolt. None. As a matter of fact, I barely noticed it and was able to just pedal right over it (heretofore, something completely unachievable). After installing the tubeless setup, it was even better. Minor bumps in the road are literally soaked up and the cracks in the road, which were responsible for so much vibration and numbness in the past, are not felt at all. It’s quite strange really, I see them and expect a rattle when I cross over them, but get nothing. Frankly, it’s astonishing. I run the tires at 90psi and the ride, lower rolling resistance (most rolling resistance on a bike comes from friction between the tube and tire), cornering grip, and overall performance did nothing short of change the way I think of road tires.

Road Tubeless. Adding more smooth to the Smoothie.

The bike responds briskly when I get out of the saddle. I can feel a small bit of “spring” over my aluminum bike, but the power transfer is certainly NOT lacking. One review I read while researching the frame said it’s as if the bike propels you uphill when climbing. Interestingly, I agree. The frame is laterally stiff in all the right places and while riding, I note only a VERY minimal amount of flex in the bottom bracket.

As far as distance riding goes, I cannot speak for anything over about 30 miles; however, I can say that after long rides, I feel more “fresh” than I did on my aluminum steed after having ridden the exact same rides. This may also have to do with the Specialized Toupe Team saddle. Its ti rails and flex tuned design makes for a remarkably comfortable ride.

I'm no champ but the saddle sure is nice.

What about weight? Well, as weight figures into the overall picture of the ride of a bike, I decided to write about it here. As of now, the bike weighs 19lbs. Keep in mind the only carbon part of this bike is the fork. I should also note that I have a full pound of pedals on the bike. After removing these and replacing them with something more appropriate, I’ll shave another half pound. Future plans include upgrading the wheelset to pair of Fulcrum Racing 3 2-Way wheels and possibly a drivetrain upgrade. Between the two, I’d shave another pound and a half. Folks, given the right components, one could easy have a 17lb steel road bike. Keep in mind that UCI standards limit pro bikes to 15 lbs (6.8kg). When it comes down to it, that’s not bad; not bad at all. Strong, durable, relatively-light, and long-lasting. What else could one ask for in an affordable road machine?

Cockpit view.

In short, as far as the ride is concerned, I have absolutely NO complaints about this bike. The Smoothie definitely lives up to its name. Frankly, at such low price-point, the ride cannot be beat.

Up next: The final review.

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As soon as she came out of the box, I knew the pictures from the Soma website didn’t do the paint justice. The pearlescence glimmered subtly in the sun. Pictures were taken and more pictures were taken. This would be my first steel bike since half a life ago when I rode and raced BMX. Back then, aluminum was just coming into its own; steel, it seemed, was on its way out.

Check out that pearlescence.

Along with my frame came the stash of parts needed to build her up, I was only missing a few key things (braze-on derailleur mount, downtube shift guides, and some tools to face the headtube and bottom bracket). Luckily for me the local bicycle collective had to tools to chase and face the bottom bracket, but as they didn’t have anything with which to face the head tube, I took the frame to Salt Lake City Bicycle Company for final prep. With the head tube faced and headset cups pressed, I set out to continue the build. Unfortunately, that’d be brought to a quick halt.

The headtube on my model is not badged, just painted.

Tange steel baby.

After procuring and installing the downtube cable guides and sliding my 27.2mm Thomson seatpost into the seat tube, I grabbed a hex wrench to tighten the seatpost binder bolt and…nothing. I gave it a slightly stronger wrenching and…nothing. I tried to back the bolt out and…nothing. It appeared the binder bolt was…well…bound. I tried to back it out a little bit more (even placing a second hex wrench in the anchoring side to make sure the bolt didn’t turn) and after some considerable torque, the bolt spun. Great I thought; or, at least I thought until I looked to see that the “keyed” portion of the anchor insert had spun, taking a large chunk of paint AND metal with it. As you might imagine, I nearly freaked.

I was SOOOO not happy about this.

After looking closely, I realized the binder bolt would have to be gently hacked out. So, I grabbed the saw and embarked on some delicate work. Eventually, the binder bolt was removed and I was left…well…infuriated.

I immediately shot an email off to Soma and waited. And waited. And WAITED! As this happened on a Thursday night, I thought maybe I’d hear back late Friday. I’ve emailed various companies before (including Salsa, a sizable company) and received replies within a day. Not so with Soma. Even WITH the Memorial Day weekend, it took four business days to get a reply. As you can imagine, I was quite happy, but after a brief read, became even more infuriated. Not only were my questions not answered (is the damage able to be worked around? What size is the binder bolt?), my wrenching skills were questioned (“You are aware you can’t remove it from the left side?”). I replied immediately and again…waited. When I started to write this, it had been two full business days without a reply and as it was a Friday, I assumed I wouldn’t hear until at LEAST Monday. I now had everything to build the bike, but was held up because of a faulty bolt. I was NOT happy, but continued on with what I could. I should note, Soma lists on their site that it can take up to 5 business days for a reply. While this disclaimer is made, such a long turnaround is ridiculous in my opinion.

In my attempt to slide my rear wheel into the dropouts, I realized that the paint on the frame has been applied quite thickly. Thick to the point that the axel wouldn’t just slide into the dropout easily. It didn’t need to be finessed, no, it didn’t require a little muscle, it took a LOT of muscle. I lightly sanded the interior of the dropout and eventually, the wheel slid into place. I assume that, over time, this process will become easier.

After nearly three weeks of sparse communication with Soma, I finally received the replacement binder bolt from them. Build on. Errr…Maybe not.

Was it the overspray on the threads or were the threads not tapped correctly in the first place? I’m not sure, but no matter how many times I tired to start the thread, the rear derailleur would not feed into the hanger. I had a bolt form a single-speed tensioner which I attempted to thread from the front and the rear of the hanger without luck. Unfortunately, this required yet ANOTHER trip to the LBS. Once right-hand, size-ten chase later, the derailleur later, the build was back on.

Installing the bottom bracket, I immediately realized there was a problem. After getting the cranks installed and tightened down, I noted that that would barely turn. After some digging around, I discovered the bolt that holds the cable guide under the bottom bracket was interfering with the plastic spacer that keeps the SRAM GXP bearings clean within the bottom bracket shell. I used a presta valve nut to act as a spacer, tightened it all down and, viola! Smooth spinning cranks.

Presta valve nuts can be so handy (and cool looking).

From this point forward, the build was pretty much much flawless and smooth. I measured and cut cable housing, set the already-mounted the shifters, fed the shifter and brake cables, tuned the cable tension on the brakes, applied the bar tape, installed the rear derailleur, tensioned derailleur cables, installed the chain (with a KMC 10-speed reusable connecting link), tuned shifting, greased headset bearings, cut the fork’s steer tube, installed the star-fangled nut, adjusted saddle height and angle, and double-checked bolt torque on everything. Boom, finally, after over three weeks, there it was: a sexy, rideable, relatively-light, steel road bike. I should note: I am 6′ even and have an inseam of just over 32″. I ordered a 58cm frame and with a 90mm stem and 75mm reach bar, it fits me perfectly. I know this works well with my body, so I’m not generalizing here, but a 58 seams perfect for someone 6′ to 6’1″.

Part II, the ride review, is coming up soon.

Update 7/23/2010
Two weeks after this write-up, I was adjusting the saddle height on my Smoothie and guess what? The binder-bolt bound again. Frankly, these bolts are shit. I greased the second bolt well and it still bound. I’m going to be completely frank: I think this is a horrible design by Soma. I’d rather have a non-integrated setup. This has been the worst part of this bike. I now have a VERY ugly binder-bolt temporarily in place and it looks horrible. I’ll update again as I get a more solid fix worked out.

On another note, three weeks ago I got the tubeless kit for my Mavic Aksium wheels. I left the stock rim strip on, used the Stans rim strip over it, installed the Hutchinson Intensive (25c) tires, added sealant and inflated. Let me just say this. I’ve ridden a number of different bikes from low-end aluminum steeds to high-end carbon machines. In my expereience, NOTHING beats the ride of tubeless on a steel-framed bicycle. Now, granted, I have not spent a tremendous amount of time on a tubular-equipped bicycle, but I will not digress. This combination of steel and tubeless (ran at 90psi) allows for much faster wheel spin-up, easier preservation of momentum, a nearly flat-proof setup, and a DAMNED FINE RIDE. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

Build and Review, Part II

Links:
Full set of build pics on Picasa (Updated 7/23/2010).

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1. The only thing over what one truly has control is oneself and one’s reaction to the surrounding world.
2. Most people spend too much time trying to control that which they cannot control, and little time – if any at all – controlling that which they can.
3. Happy people are not happy because of some gift or genetic benefit. At some point in their lives they have learned the skill of being happy, interpreting difficulty as challenge, and the art of acceptance.
4. Accepting something one cannot change does NOT translate to one agreeing with what cannot change.
5. Chris Velan puts it best when he sings “If there is nowhere that you fit in, maybe you are already where you belong.” I spent years running from who I knew I was, trying on different lives, before I realized I just didn’t want to accept who I long knew I was. Once I accepted myself, everything else fell right in place.
6. No amount of money is worth my health, happiness, and sanity.
7. For too long, I failed to see the beauty in the gifts other had given to me. Though I cannot change the past, I can – and will – be more cognizant and appreciative of the gifts I continue to receive from others.
8. Trust is both given and earned.
9. Relationships are about quality, not quantity and having 200+ virtual friends can never replace the value of a single real-life relationship.
10. Guilt is a useful emotion, but not when levied as a weapon.

Of course, this list isn’t complete. There are many things I’ve come to realize that I have yet to articulate into words. Regardless, one things remains: for the first time in almost half my life, I’m happy with who I am and confident in where I’m going and while I’m finally content, I will be forever vigilant of complacency and lazy thinking. My aspiration is (through those actions), to never again be caught in the trap of self-centered action and singular thinking. The progress I’ve made is progress I cannot afford to lose.

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Today is a miserable and cold day outside, I decided I needed a ride. Knowing I wouldn’t be around much this afternoon, I decided to get downstairs and pound out some distance on the rollers. As I began cranking away, I remembered I was only 22k from my goal; so I dropped a few gears and mashed down hard on the cranks. Inside, without wind resistance and shit road conditions, 22k isn’t much work, so it only took my all of about 40 minutes, but what a great 40 it was. With that goal in mind, the kilometers seemed to melt away and before I knew it, my goal had been reached (Cosmic Egg by Wolfmother also helped).

With the winter upon us, I’m not so sure I’ll be able to keep pounding out the miles. Frankly, though I have great winter gear, I’ve not been all that enthused about riding in the cold weather. While the rollers are a lot of fun, it’s just not the same as being outside. So, with that, I’ve renewed my commitment to riding at least once (though I’ll shoot for twice) each week. Here’s to thousands of more kilometers on one of man’s greatest creations.

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I was born in December and I know my first experience outside was one of snow, cold, and gray cloud cover. Old man winter kissed me on the forehead as I was brought into the world and welcomed me with open arms and a cold slap to the face. Despite the depression and gloomy feelings I often experience, winter holds some very familiar memories; memories of snow up to my little waist, snow days from school, Christmas, and tunneling through the huge piles of snow in my grandparents’ driveway.

This year, I have big plans for winter. I plan on continuing to commute to work on my bike twice a week and I almost have all the gear to do so. In addition to my winter commute, Friday morning mountain bike rides at Wheeler Farm are also in order. I also plan on picking up a pair of snow shoes for myself and taking my kids out into the snow white drift for their first experiences snowshoeing. I’d like to get my old snowboard into shape and haul that old board into the backcountry via snowshoe for some well-deserved powdery downhill. This year, rather than allowing him to pummel me again, I hope to offset the darkness of his coldness through the brightness of activity I remember from my youth. This year, I vow to make old man winter my partner again rather than allow him to continue on as my nemesis. This year, will be better.

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