Whats a SOMA
 

I just picked up a bike made by a jap company called Soma, competition model. It looks like a nice find with derailers shifter and crank being shimano 600 and brakes and levers suntour superbee. Does any one know anything about this bike company or what years thay were making bikes like this

Decent, but short-lived brand from the late '70s.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/japan

Sheldon "A Friend Of Mine Used To Sell Those" Brown

No affiliation with the modern US firm then? What year did the current US-based SOMA company begin operations?

Sorry that this isn't strictly relevant to your question, but I would advise avoiding abbreviating "Japanese" as "Jap" seeing as that is generally taken as a slur these days. It certainly doesn't sound very polite.

Nice bikes. I have two of them. Take a look at them.

For some more info on the brand check out this link.

J B

tolfan must be a cracker.

Troll. :rolleyes:

Jap has been seen as an offensive term to many for a great many years. "Nip" is the preferred abbreviation.

:D Ah, yes. One of my favorite movies.

The Dude: Walter, the chinaman who peed on my rug, I can't go give him a bill, so what the ____ are you talking about?

Walter Sobchak: What the ____are you talking about? The chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.

:o ya ok I'm a cracker from the big city living in amish country with a black girlfriend. I'm so out of the race thing here I forgot Jap was out.I would not want to be ofensive to my new bike , I know it has feelings. Wait is my girlfriend black or African American or just a Woman of Color?:)

Not sure but the U.S. SOMA is San Francisco-based, in the South of Market area - hence the name.:)

Not to stir the pot, but I often see "jap" used in many english (uk) automotive magazines when describing performance cars from Japan. Max Speed, Retro Cars, and Banzai are just a few titles that I have seen the term thrown around. While I'm not totally comfortable with the term, I guess the offense is regionally based.

Would Brit be a bad thing to say? Japan-jap Britain-brit?

Indeed. In countries where they have thicker skin, it's not a big deal. I bought recycled car parts in Australia at Jap Auto Parts. Then again, in Oz, everything is shortened.