agobel

I recently picked up this 1979 Soma Competition on Craigslist. I knew the seller's claim that the bike only needed "a good cleaning" was a gross exaggeration. It was in pretty severe disrepair, but it still spoke to me somehow, so I set out to bring it back to life. This was my first road bike project, so I've tried to avoid cutting corners. Incidentally, I'm very happy with how the bike's turned out so far, and the project has been quite a learning experience. I referred to the forums almost constantly for cleaning, tuning, and repair advice, so I thought I'd share my pictures and process as a way of saying thanks. Thanks!


The bike is equipped with Shimano 600 Arabesque components which I found inexplicably classy. The decades of caked gunk, grease & grit I found less classy.


All the components cleaned up miraculously well with some help from Simple Green. Brakes were then lightly re-greased.
Components full size: https://lh6.ggpht.com/_kxxy0kAj7Ls/TM...A/IMG_0572.JPG


Yay, gunk free! The rear derailer was lightly re-greased.



Soma Headbadge


Reads "Champion No. 2 - Chromemolyboen Steel - Butted Tubes - Tange Industries, Ltd"


"Kuwahara Cycle" headset bits sparkling


Chrome dropouts are also stamped "Kuwahara".


Before & after 2 hour oxalic acid bath. This rust was severe, so unfortunately, the pitted texture remained. The rust, however, was gone. I got this stuff at Sherwin Williams (where they call it wood bleach crystals). If you are dealing with rust, I can't imagine a more effective solution.


Aaaaaand the fruits of my labor. Inverted "North Road" style cruiser bars provided a much preferred riding posture for me.
Final full sze: https://lh4.ggpht.com/_kxxy0kAj7Ls/TM...I/IMG_0619.JPG


Front end close up
Front end full size: https://lh6.ggpht.com/_kxxy0kAj7Ls/TM...s/IMG_0621.JPG

BluesDaddy

Very nice!

mkeller234

My favorite part of those frames is the extremely loooong points on the lugs.

cyclodan

Pretty sweet bike...but why no rear brake?

junkfoodjunkie

Yes!! I agree, I like the lugs.

-Jake

RobbieTunes

I traded an Ironman frame and bunch of parts for a nearly identical Soma, right down to the group and color. It had a Brooks B17 on it. I put a rear rack on it and cleaned it up, and the first person to come by had to have it.

He's ridden it as his main transportion now for 3 years, and has graduated college, keeping the bike. The bike has been 100% reliable, and last summer, we went through it completely and repacked every bearing. After lube, adjustment, and some new red wrap, it's still solid.

I'd love to get another and go through it.

agobel

A couple of reasons, actually. I was experimenting with three different handlebar configurations & two types of levers, so everything was still tentative until quite recently. Secondly, I was so excited to ride when the bike was finally finished that I hopped on and didn't worry about it. I haven't really missed it yet, to tell you the truth. I also need new cable housing, so that's ahead of mounting the brake on my to do list.

The first hit of my self-conscious Googling is worth mentioning, however. Penny for your thoughts? https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html#rearuse

agobel

Me too! They definitely add to the overall aesthetic appeal of the bike for me. Further, I feel like whatever artistry they lend to the frame compliments the arabesque designs on the componentry. Though many people might find the engravings chintzy or tacky, I really do think they're classy. Maybe I'm just babbling like a fool in love...

agobel

That's a great story, Robbie. I'd definitely prefer a Brooks saddle, but it's hard to knock the red leather Selle Italia. My bike was unfortunately neglected for many years, so a total overhaul was required, but like I said, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty. I repacked the hubs and headset. The bottom bracket needed replaced; not a big deal. There is one problem I couldn't rectify through cleaning, lube or adjustment, though. The freehub "engages" more than a few degrees late (sometimes 1/4 turn, sometimes more) which leads me to believe its ratcheting mechanism may be on its last pawl. I've scoured eBay and CL since learning this, but a replacement splined UG 6-speed is apparently a rare beast. Here's what it looks like: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#uniglide-old

mkeller234

I lusted after the Shimano 600 Arabeque group for a while. Then I got one of the rear derailleurs that looked new... but to me sort of looked cheap compared to others of the same era. I wasn't crazy about the bulky pulley cage design on it either.

Still, it is pretty neat. I like what you have done with the bike.