Anybody out there ride a Soma Double Cross?
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Anybody out there ride a Soma Double Cross?
I'm thinking about getting a Soma Double Cross frame to build up as a do-most-things bike. Does anyone have one? How does it handle with a load?
Thanks.
Thanks.
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my housemate has one that she uses as a commuter. she seems happy with it and rides with panniers often.
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Check out the cyclocross posts and you will see more feedback on the Soma. I am thinking about getting one and using as a loaded tourer and commuter. Well thought out frames and nice tubing. Hard to go wrong for the price.
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I am building up my soma double cross with campi veloce parts. In the mean time I am using a friends parts and it is excellent. I have carried small loads and it handles well. Steel is real. The bike is great for city commuting and small to med. loads. The price is excellent.
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Well, I got it and it's half-way finished. This is, at least temporarily, gonna replace my T2000 for commuting and day-to-day riding.
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I recently became aware of the Soma (and they're in my neck of the woods). Looks like a great all-around bike for daily use. What type of drivetrain and wheels are you using?
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The crank is a Sugino XD600, 46/36/26 and deraillers are XTR rear and XT front. I have a couple of wheelsets that I'll use with this. One is Mavic Open Pros with old Shimano 600 hubs. The other is set are the touring wheels that I've been using - Mavic 517 rims (?) with cannondale omega hubs. I planning to run it with 8 cogs in the rear with a 12-32 cassette on the touring wheels and 11-28 on the lighter wheels. The shifters are Rivendell friction levers set up as bar-ends.
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Double Cross loaded
I've got a 54cm Double Cross -- the bike is a beast, it can definitely handle heavy loads -- it's also pretty stable with them (tho' not quite as long and low as e.g. the LHT). The main trick is getting the load on correctly (w/r/t the chainstays).
I wanted to build up my Double Cross as a loaded tourer, so I added a Tubus Logo rear rack which has a 2nd mounting position for panniers that's about 2" lower and rearward than the "normal" position. Using Ortlieb panneirs (which allow you to slide the mounting hooks all the way to one side of the pannier) and the rearward rack mounting position, I was able to mount the panniers with plenty of room to avoid heel strike (and the added bonus that the center of gravity for the rear panniers is slightly lower as well, helping stability).
So despite the Double Cross' somewhat short chainstay length (compared to "official" long-chainstay touring bikes like the LHT, Trek 520, or Atlantis), you can still fit a full complement of panniers on it with plenty of room left over for your feet.
The steel bike frame itself is plenty burly and seems to have no problem with heavy loads, once you get them properly attached... handling is stable...
I wanted to build up my Double Cross as a loaded tourer, so I added a Tubus Logo rear rack which has a 2nd mounting position for panniers that's about 2" lower and rearward than the "normal" position. Using Ortlieb panneirs (which allow you to slide the mounting hooks all the way to one side of the pannier) and the rearward rack mounting position, I was able to mount the panniers with plenty of room to avoid heel strike (and the added bonus that the center of gravity for the rear panniers is slightly lower as well, helping stability).
So despite the Double Cross' somewhat short chainstay length (compared to "official" long-chainstay touring bikes like the LHT, Trek 520, or Atlantis), you can still fit a full complement of panniers on it with plenty of room left over for your feet.
The steel bike frame itself is plenty burly and seems to have no problem with heavy loads, once you get them properly attached... handling is stable...
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The DoubleX has a longer Top Tube than the XCheck, Bianchi Volpe, Jamis Nova.. I actually found a LBS that had some in stock built up in various sizes. I have longer legs and a shorter torso so it didn't fit me, but ymmv. Living in SF, i really wanted to buy this frame, but the XCheck fit me better.
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I have a question for you cross check owners. Are the decals removable, or are they underneath the clear coat? I park my bike on the street in Chicago and I don't like logos and things giving people ideas.
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Originally Posted by djarard
I have a question for you cross check owners. Are the decals removable, or are they underneath the clear coat? I park my bike on the street in Chicago and I don't like logos and things giving people ideas.
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Try wrapping the logos with strips of old tubes and red and white reflective tape (trailer tape at the auto parts store) You'll been seen by motorists and you're bike will look like crap to thieves.
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Originally Posted by tacomee
Try wrapping the logos with strips of old tubes and red and white reflective tape (trailer tape at the auto parts store) You'll been seen by motorists and you're bike will look like crap to thieves.
I have a feeling that the Double Cross decals are not removable, but it'd hard to tell from photos I have seen.
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I am hoping to own one some day and will probably be my next bike. Like the fact they are now using Tange Prestige tubing. I can't say I know the difference between that and the Reynolds tubing they were using but my MB1 had Prestige and at the time, it was one of the better MTBs available.
There is a link at the SOMA sight about someone riding across Australia, or maybe further. I am sure it will work well for you. Let us know how you like it.
There is a link at the SOMA sight about someone riding across Australia, or maybe further. I am sure it will work well for you. Let us know how you like it.
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The decals are under the clearcoat, so not readily removeable.
I just finished a 2 week tour on my doublecross and was very happy with it. Because the frame is lighter than a specifically touring bike, I put more weight in the front panniers than usual and it did great.
I just finished a 2 week tour on my doublecross and was very happy with it. Because the frame is lighter than a specifically touring bike, I put more weight in the front panniers than usual and it did great.