byrd48

Hi,
I was looking at the Soma Saga frameset today, particularly intrigued by the fact that they offer a 26 inch wheel size up to 54cm frame size. One thing they mention in the description is that it rides "better when loaded". Most of my riding is commuting with saddle bags and I'm normally carrying 7 - 30 pounds. But I'm curious about this performing better when loaded. Exactly how bad would this bike ride not loaded? I commute about 50 - 75 miles per week and I enjoy a more upright riding position with the ability to stretch out to the drops for stretches (but my lower back doesn't like that for too long). I typically like to ride a bike before I buy it, but considering this is a frameset purchase, that's not an option. For a non-performance rider like myself, would I really notice any tangible deficiencies riding this bike 'unloaded'?
Thanks in advance,
Jon

bikemig 

I don't have a Saga but I've owned my share of touring bikes. A bike that is designed right (and I happen to like Soma bikes) will ride well, period. What a touring bike does is that it will ride well under a load as well whereas other bikes may be twitchy under a similar load. So I wouldn't sweat it; just ride the bike with or without a load.

grolby

A well-designed touring bike is designed to ride smoothly and handle predictably with 10-30 lbs of gear at each end. To do this, the frame has to be made stiffer. The result is that the bike may feel a bit harsh when you ride it unloaded. Handling will be unaffected. Load it up and the ride will smooth out very nicely.

In the old days, there was less of an effort made to stiffen up a touring frame, so some of the bikes got pretty floppy when loaded down with gear. They rode beautifully when unloaded, but could get a little unwieldy when headed down, say, a curvy descent when loaded up. Not that they were dangerous, but the stiffer frames feel more surefooted. The trade off is that you give up a little bit of ride quality when you aren't hauling a bunch of gear. I'm not sure how the Saga would feel compared to your current bike, and I'm not sure anyone here can tell you for sure, but it's designed for loaded touring, and might be a bit much for the lower amount of weight you carry. With 30 lbs, it would probably feel great.