Soma = crap
 

So, if anyone out there is thinking about getting a Soma Rush frame or a Soma track cog, be warned: You Get What You Pay For.

I've been using Soma cogs for the last year or so, with no problems, but the last three I bought were garbage. The first wore out very fast, in about three months. The replacement I bought for it seemed to be poorly made, like the teeth were too far apart, so the chain would slide back and forth on the cog. I was running this on a Surly hub, and when I tried to put it on my Phil hub, it wouldn't even thread on. I went and bought yet another cog, and the teeth were okay but after I installed it, there were tiny slivers of metal behind it, from the hub threads. I'm kinda stuck with it for now, it's the only thing I can get in 17t right now. Seems everyone and their dog is buying up the track parts. I'm still waiting for the new Surly or Phil cogs...

The main reason I bought a Soma Rush was because you can run a rear brake. I figured this would be handy for long road rides or if for some crazy reason I decided to go single speed. Well, the rear brake bridge was brazed on so crooked, that the brake pads only make contact at one corner, rendering the rear brake completely useless - I guess until the pads wore down enough to make total contact. And the fork is also brazed crooked, so the brake doesn't line up and pulls the rim to one side, which over time has caused the spokes on one side of the wheel to de-tension.

I've seen a few Soma frames from previous years, and they looked great, well made, etc. Whoever they source their stuff from now must be cutting corners. Ah, it feels good to rant. I'm going to go ride my sloppily constructed bike now, I guess...

i can't find an 18t eai or duraace cog anywhere either. eai told my lbs they were done with production till next season. sucks. what do they think, people use these things on a track?

hey, have you tried contacting soma about this? i don't whether or not soma's products are ultimately crappy or not, but it's possible that you've just had some bad luck with a few products that slipped through quality control. i don't think they're so massive of a shop to not be concerned about keeping customers happy.

the issues with the cogs could be because maybe you're trying to use it with a worn chain? and the issue with your brakes, from how you described it sounds more like sloppy brake installation. have you taken it to a shop to have it looked at, or are you just spouting off?

especially with the front, did you ever consider loosening the brake bolt and turning the caliper by hand so both pads contact the rim at the same time? because that's usually how that problem is solved. and in the rear, are you using the correct type of brake bolt? i think the brake bridge on the somas use a recessed bolt, and if you're trying to use a regular through-bolt and nut, it could cause that issue. it could also be that you're using a crappy brake that wasn't manufactured correctly.

if you have already taken it to a shop and had it confirmed that you did, indeed get a lemon, why don't you just call up soma and work something out with them. i'm sure their warranty covers manufacturing defects.

I've got a soma doublecross frame that's been rock-solid. It's from 2001, though, so quality control might've slipped.

You talked to anyone at soma about it?

If this is true, that's too bad. I've been looking at Soma cogs. Anyone have the same experiences?

I feel another thread turnaround coming, like the velocity incident. If we learned one lesson, it's that instead of complaining on BF, go to the source (soma). Also, you should hope the people at soma are as cool as john black from velocity. Definitely consult them first before throwing down that slander. I have no beef with soma, nor do I hold them in any abnormally high regard, but seriously, there are people behind these businesses who do care most of the time. They didn't get to where they are by making inferior products. If you met half the people from any company, be it Phil, Velocity, IRO, DW, etc, you would be really impressed by these guys. So, good luck contacting them, and make it a friendly email or call, not a hateful one. The results will yield, trust.

Harris and American Cyclery both show EAI in stock.

I don't believe Dura Ace come in an 18.

houseoftrack.com has EAI cogs with the free, and rather prompt, shipping.

looking at my Rush's fork I can't really see how the brake could possibly be brazed crooked. The hole is right in the crown component, which isn't brazed on... it's kind of forged in. but anythings possible I guess. I'm interested in how you know your rear wheel is straight and the braze on is crooked? are you measuring distance from the chainstays in the front? Did you measure the brake mount's position on the front and rear or did you decide that they are crooked based on the way the brakes worked?

for the brakes to be as far off as you descibe the setup would have to be *very* far off -- no? As for the cog I'm not sure why you'd buy a soma cog anyway when you could get any number of proven brands at the same price. My LBS has a wide array of Dura Ace and other brands and there's also business cycles.

And most importantly: have you contacted Soma? Because if you haven't and you are just reporting your experience with a frame on this board as 'Soma is crap' then you're not doing any good for anyone.

That's where I got mine, and they ship free to canada, but I'm rather unsure about the prompt shipping, unless 5 weeks and a series of unrelated answers from 3 people in the shop seems like prompt to you.

how bout some pics?

Sounds to me like you don't know how to set up brakes, crooked frame bits or not.

No, really, the brake bridge is crooked. It's plain to see even without the brake installed. And yes, I know how to set up brakes. I'm not going to bother contacting Soma, I've got a custom frame in the works now...

ok, game plan. i pay for shipping and you just send me the frame.

damn, jamey... beat me to it.

If I get a bad product, the first people I call are the company that made it! Give them an honest chance to make good on their product, since humans are humans and sometimes mistakes are made. If they don't make good, then don't buy their stuff again. Its that easy.

I've got a soma cog on my beater fixie (bought because it was cheap, of course), and the machining is good, and the threads were clean and smooth. I mean, its still a 'budget' cog, but it seems like a basic quality product. If it wasn't, I wouldn't just whine about it on the forum, I'd call 'em up.

I just wish Chris King made their King Kogs in a track cog... Those things are machined works of art. :D

peace,
sam

Not anymore.

m.

"No, really, the brake bridge is crooked. It's plain to see even without the brake installed. And yes, I know how to set up brakes. I'm not going to bother contacting Soma, I've got a custom frame in the works now..."

i wish i had that kind of money to not even care if i bought a new frame and it wasn't proper....
this whole slander is very suspect... too incredible to believe, can you provide pictures of any of this? a cog that was forged improperly so it doesn't even run on a standard chain????

The Soma cogs are CNC'd and then chrome plated. They're a little stiff mating with the chain out of the box, but so are DX cogs that are stamped and chromed.

All Soma frames have lifetime guarantees against defects. I guess you could call me a Soma fanboy, but they have a good reputation with many of the riders in my area. I saw a full Ultegra Smoothie the other day, so that frame's brake bridges must have been straight.

Yeah, that kind of money would be great! I'm so poor that if I pay more than 3$ for something and it isn't right I talk to the seller/manufacturer. If I bought an entire bike frame and it wasn't right, you better believe I'd try to get it fixed. Sure would be nice to just have money spraying out my butt though, then I could just toss it into the corner and get something else.

peace,
sam

Yeah, but think of the papercuts.

haha pwned!

not enough time to call Soma but enough time to post. i'm not convinced. i've not had any experiences that point to soma as superhero level support people like iro, but I called them with questions and they were totally responsive and very helpful. but then i don't run a rear brake. I'm still having trouble seeing how the front brake hole could be off. if you said your fork was deformed or something I could follow, but since the fork has a crown I simply can't see how you would make that call without precise measurement.

perhaps they don't know where quebec is. recently ordered on Sunday and had my cog on Tuesday. bummer about the eai deal. hopefully phil will have their offering up soon.