Banzai

An extensive search revealed some three year old threads with some disturbing posts about poor quality, inconsistency, etc. However, nothing like that recently...and I know how things can get blown up and/or exagerrated on a message board.

I'm obviously thinking about building one of these up. No, don't suggest the Surly Cross Check. Why? The Surly doesn't have disc mounts, and horizontal dropouts are dumb unless you're running single speed or an internal hub. As Richard Schwinn says, "horizontal dropouts were handy back when frames tended to get crooked. Nowadays we prefer to simply build them straight and keep them that way."

That, and the Soma is lighter, being made out of Tange Prestige. But I digress.

All this is for naught if they aren't turning out a well made product. So I want to know if anyone is riding one, and if it had nasty, ugly welds and crooked braze-ons, etc.

I don't like the lack of a replaceable derailler hanger. I broke a derailler hanger once, and I was darn glad it was replaceable.

While I'm at it...approximately how expensive is an S&S coupler conversion?

Barrettscv 

As much as I like my Soma Double Cross DC, get this if you want a travel bike: https://www.ritcheylogic.com/dyn_prodfamily.php?k=114348

Break Away Cross Frame w/ roller case


Ritchey heat treated, Cro/moly butted steel tubing

Full size bike can be split apart to fit into travel case

7 sizes 48-60cm (2cm increments)

Eyelets on rear drop outs for rack capacity

Carbon fork w/ alloy steer and Canti bosses

Case size: 8.5" W x 26.5"H x 31"L w/ wheels

Ritchey does not guarantee Airlines will not charge

5.9 lbs Frame/Fork (56cm)

Shimagnolo

I built one last fall. My quality complaints are all very minor:

- brake cable stop on top tube near seat tube slightly off-center.
- bottle cage fitting in seat tube slightly off-center, requiring slight bend of cage to center it.
- decal on right side of seat tube has a little wrinkle in it.

BTW the "Dark Green" is so dark that I had to take it outdoors in direct sunlight to determine it was not really black.

https://www.dim.com/~ryoder/SomaPhotos/

Barrettscv 

I have 2000 miles on my 2008 DC purchased in September. It's been nearly perfect;

Shimagnolo

Just *one* bottle cage?
Are you trying to cut back on your drinking?

Barrettscv 

I'm a weight weenie

Banzai

I've looked at that. However: no disc mounts. And I already have a fork. So I'm looking at $1300 for a frame and case. Not too bad.

Or $350 for a DC frame, $300 for a case (but maybe I can find a used one) and whatever an S&S conversion costs. Man, I wish Soma made a travel version of this, much like Surly makes the Traveler's Check.

Money wise it looks like almost a wash, depending on what the conversion costs, and what the availability of used cases is.

You're a very tall guy, aren't you.

Barrettscv 

Actually, I'm six feet even, the bike is a 60cm size.

Banzai

Must be the tall headtube, 'cuz it looks like a tall frame to me.

It's probably all perspective, since I generally ride a 50cm - 52cm frame, depending on make. In the Soma I'd need a 48cm; those Double Cross frames are a bit long in the top tube!

Lycc825

I ride about 80 miles a week. I've had the bike about 5months now. Best commuter i've had. Nothing really crooked. I don't use the canti mounts. I have Avid BB7 Road Disc Brakes. The derailleur is really strong. I once broke my SRAM Rival Derailleur once right by the bolt (I was in a really low gear going up a hill and a large but short stick got lodged in my derailleur) and the derailleur only slightly got bent. It was only a 5 min fix with a deraileur hanger alignment tool. Only think I didnt like was that the seat post binder is integrated with the frame and not separate.
Mine is a 54cm. I'm about 5'9" with 30-31" inseam.

Banzai

Lycc825:

That's pretty much what mine will be like. I'm running a similar setup: Avid BB7 road, Shimano 105 9 speed, LX hubs laced to Velocity VXC disc rims, all on a Nashbar "X" Frame. It's a nice frame, and I feel some guilt about possibly getting rid of it. At the same time, I'm very attracted to the steel Soma, and the thought of modding it with S&S couplers is very, very appealing to me.

Good words about the derailler hanger. Thanks. I didn't like the integrated seatpost binder idea either, but...oh well.

Cue

Lycc 825, what is the weight of your DC?

ginsoakedboy

As to the S&S conversion, check out the Bilenky website. They do a lot of S&S work, both new and conversions, and will have prices listed on the site.

Banzai

Do any of you guys have a close up picture of one of the main tube welds? I'd like to see one of those, if it's not too much trouble.

alfred mcdougal

I decided on a Double Cross DC frame. I'll post details here when I'm done building the bike.

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That is an awesome bike.

How did you find out which Avid posts to mount the brakes on? I ordered BB7s myself, but I was under the impression that the posts were sold separately from the brakes and I didn't want to buy any until I got the frame in order to take measurements.

MulliganAl

I see that Universal cycles has the Soma Double Cross Frame with a 15% discount but which fork would you buy that Universal sells?

Shimagnolo

Usually, where ever Soma frames are sold, they also sell steel IRD forks with matching paint.
e.g. here is the one to match the frame show in the earlier pics:

https://store.somafab.com/irdstblcxfof.html

Lycc825

For the Avid BB7 road brakes, I'm not sure what exactly alfred mcdougal is talking about, but I order a set of Avid BB7 road brakes for front and a set for rear. It already comes with the the brackets to mount to your frame and fork.

If you guys want, you can visit one my my websites I did for a class. I did the website as a review for the Doublecross.
https://students.washington.edu/lycc8...oj1/index.html
There are more pictures of the frame and such on the page.

Lycc825

I just weighed it. Fully loaded with full fenders, lights, pedals, seat bag; it weights just over 23 lbs.

bugly64

I really wish I would have bought a Soma Double Cross instead of my Surly Cross Check. NOT!

CCrew

BB7's come with the mounts for 2009. It's rotor dependent as to what mounts, then whether post or IS mount. The ones I just bought came with post and IS for the front, and IS for the rear all in the same package with the caliper and rotor.

scattered73

I got mine a year ago and really love it as far as the welds go they look clean to me.

alfred mcdougal

I just got done inspecting the frame and I have few criticisms.

1. I agree with Lycc825's criticism about the cable stops being to close to the cantilever hangers. Rub might occur. Some kind of plastic sheathing around the brake cable in that area will alleviate the problem.

2. The left cantilever hanger is approximately 2 - 3 degrees off center.

Other than that everything looks fine. The paint job is gorgeous. The welding is satisfactory; I didn't see any butts that concerned me. No dents or scratches. All of the cable stops were centered on the tubes and parallel with the tubes.

I'm not a frame builder, but I find the build satisfactory.

alfred mcdougal

..

Banzai

That's nice. But it is a heavier frame. And, as stated, for any applications save fixed gear/single speed, or internal hubs, horizontal dropouts are, well, dumb.

I have horizontal dropouts on my "vintage" ride. I hate them. I merely put up with them because they're part of the charm of an older bike.

And I run discs, which don't mix with horizontal dropouts. I moved to discs over cantilevers a while back, partly for the stopping power, partly just 'cuz they're cool, and mostly to keep my hearing.

I had my cantilevers set up right, toe'd correctly, got the nicest/latest/greatest kool-stop pads...and they screamed like banshees. Well, at least the front one did.