Re: Well, I went and did it


G.T. wrote:
> Scott Gordo wrote:
> > G.T. wrote:
> >
> >>I ordered my 29"er, in green:
> >>
> >>http://store.somafab.com/sodocrcyfr.html
> >>
> >>In order to do this as cheaply as possible and to spread the cost out over
> >>time I'm going to keep an eye on Ebay, and check with friends and local
> >>stores for cheap parts. It's going to be awhile until it's totally built
> >>but hopefully once built it will last a lifetime. It will be my first 29er
> >>in over 11 years, and unlike my Trek 5000 this one will be off-roadable.
> >>
> >>Greg
> >
> >
> > Nice, but I would have gone with the Surly X-Check.
>
> This was my very close 2nd choice, I really had only two choices but
> they were neck and neck. I had other choices if I wanted to bump up a
> price level, like the Gunnar or a closeout 2004 IRD (perfect except they
> are now out of my size).
>
> > The long, horizontal rear dropouts make going fixie an easy option.
>
> I have long, horizontal rear dropouts on my Bontrager so a flip-flop hub
> is a possibility. But in general there's a thousand feet of elevation
> change between here and work, and except for a couple of miles on the
> main thoroughfare there's nothing but straight up or straight down here.
> I'm in the foothills of the San Gabriels, very steep, relatively young
> mountains. So, fixie is a low priority right now.
>
> > This is a
> > good thing. Just ask Corvus.
> > I was going to check measurements/angles but couldn't find any on the
> > Soma site.
>
> http://somafab.com/geometry03.html
>
> Pretty similar but now that you got me looking again you got me started
> on some buyer's remorse. The Surly can definitely run fatter tires.
>
> > I think the Surly's a touch more expensive until you consider that it
> > comes with the fork.
> >
>
> They're close enough in price range that price didn't come into this
> comparison.
>
> Greg
>
> --
> "All my time I spent in heaven
> Revelries of dance and wine
> Waking to the sound of laughter
> Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

I didn't mean to pee on your parade with my fixie fever, especially for
an on-offroad bike. The track Somas I've seen are nice frames. I'm just
livin' la vida sealevel with an occasional bridge to roll over, so
horizontal dropouts get me all hot and bothered. Besides, I think that
you can get a White Bros ENO in a fixed version. In fact:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/may/GeoffAlbert.htm
I've also heard complaints from some quarters regarding the tire width
available to the original Surly track bikes. They offered so much tire
clearance that people claimed they couldn't run standard narrow track
bbs/cranks/chainrings. Don't know if that applies at all to the
CrossCheck or the kind of parts you'd be using on it, I'm just saying.

/s

.

Loading