BistaPoy

So finally, after a year of scrimping and saving I'm ready to build up an no-compromise ride. I know they're apples and oranges, but I've narrowed down my choices to two frames: the soma Delancey and BMW gangsta. I'll mostly be riding around northeast cities (Boston, NY, New Haven, Dover), doing a lot of commuting and occasionally racing at the track.

Soma Delancey:


-$795 frame and fork
-Tange butted round tubing
-seaweed green paint
-Lugged
-Made in Taiwan
-no complete option


Brooklyn Machine Works Gangsta:


-$775 frame and fork
-butted Tange/us aero-profile/us round tubing mix
-choice of any primary color w/custom options
-TIG welded
-Made in Brooklyn
-"custom" completes available


I'm half set on the Delancey because the geometry is standard and the lugs look pretty OK for an Taiwanese frame. I've never ridden one compltete but the geometry is "sport road" which I'm totally down with. I know it's silly, but the major setback is that the frame comes in that green, which doesn't make me hot and bothered. I'll probably get it repainted which will add at least another $100 to the toal purchase. Also, I would probably get a new fork. The delancey fork just doesn't look like it fits the flow of the bike. It's too narrow at the tips or something.

I'm seriously considering the BMW because my friend rode the orange bike in SF during the NACC and said the geometry was incredible- both comfortable and fast. I'm heading to NYC next week so I think I'll drop by the BMW factory to try one out. A big plus is that I have a ton of color options, and when I Emailed them they said that I can have any custom color powdercoat (no wet paint) for $50 extra. Plus, I can get velocity deep-Vs match powdercoated for $140 extra (including the rims!). They also have a sercivce where I give them my dream build sheet, then they source all the parts and build up the bike. The downside is that there is a $75 assembly fee. It would be cool if they could just box up all the parts and let me build it myself without the labor fee.

That's another draw of the delancey. They don't have a complete option so I can order the frame and build the bike up bit by bit as I collect parts. OMG please help. I've been mincing over bike decisions for such a long time, and now that I have it narrowed down I can't make up my mind at all. Any real world experiences would be greatly appeciated.


ps. the build will be mostly high end: Phil hubs, Sugino Grand Mighty Cranks, Thomson, NItto, etc.

Igneous Faction

I'm like a moth to a candle when it comes to shiny lugs.

freeskihp

NO WAY!

seriously though, there is no need for grand mightys unless you are racing seriously, they are not that big of a step up for us laypeople from the 75s. ~$1000 is a lot of component money to invest in straight gauge tubes and a goofy ass geo.

consider a bob jackson if you are serious about droppin' cash

Sizzle-Chest

even when they're made in taiwan? the soma looks better but i would never buy something built in taiwan over an american frame.

BistaPoy

haha, I was just excited since it seems like powdercoating has skyrocketed in price as of late. According to BMW the tubing is tange butted in places. As for the grand mightys, I just like the color tis' all. As for the bob jackson, I've seen a handfull in person and I just don't like the "look". I'd prefer the soma.

freeskihp

you have shot down all my points, congratulations. The delancy looks like a great frame. For the looks the BMW kind of reminds me of a bigwheel. An advantage of the soma is that you could run a brake.

as for the color of the grand mightys, you can get sugino 75 cranks ano'd any color you want by thousands of painters, for not that much monies.

crushkilldstroy

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I really don't like the BMW. If it were me, I'd save up a little bit more and get a Rivendell Quickbeam, but I'm kind of stuck in old man land nowadays.

Momentum

The fork on the BMW bothers me. There's no functional reason for so much clearance and it makes it impossible to use a brake. That's fine if you riding in a city, but as soon as you decide to use your bike for something else (longer road rides, mini tours) then it will suck.

dudezor

^Word.
When I first saw it I thought there was a 650c in there.

Aldone

I really can't immagine two more different frames

The Soma is old style, traditional geo, lugs while the BMW is a MTBsh compact frame with suspension corrected fork.

sohi

HAHA..good one. ever heard of long shen?
But yeah buying that BMW is a nice gesture since you also support a workshop for the
dumb & blind.

luckycat

You sure the bmw is made here? I know a lot, if not all, of their stuff is being made overseas now. Also, it only comes in one size right?

SamHouston

I'm riding a compact frame, it's not so ugly as all that. Then again I don't have the seat a foot higher than the bars, that's a big part of what's making those ugly, I think.

dijos

If I were you, I'd see if I could see them in person. If it were my money, it would be That soma. Lugs, love the color, better tubing.

BistaPoy

Exactly. But that's when I'll bust out my roadbike
The funny thing is that I'm currently riding a 3rensho frame that doesn't fit me well, and while it's been fun riding around on standard tight track geometry, I just want something different. Japan, Tiawan, America,I'm all over the place.

Luckycat, are you sure? The website claims the frames are made in brooklyn. Soma states on their website the frames are US designed, made overseas.

I'm going to check out the Gangsta this week, does anyone know of a place in NYC that stocks the delancey?

Aeroplane

BMW only has the park frames made in Taiwan, just about everything else is basically custom. So, only one size in that you can only get it in exactly the size you want.

No comparison in the quality department, the BMW is a sweet, stiff and light ride, and you can talk to the guys who make it. I rode that orange one, and it's pretty freaking hot. Steering isn't as super-twitchy as a typical track bike, but it works on the track. If you want to run a brake it's not a good choice, but that's the only reason I can see to not get it.

There is a guy who welds for them on this board, but I won't out him... he'll probably speak up if he sees the thread.

dylandom

austin who owns the orange bmw runs a brake on it. i've seen it. the clearence is stupid but then again i don't build frames and i have no idea why they did it. the bmw are awsome, great guys but it will get expensive building that up. they really are apples and oranges. i'd get the soma and if years down the line u get the custome bug, look at the bmw again.

barba

I don't care for the Brooklyn.

dudezor

I had a look on the BMW site outa curiosity and it said that the frame and fork were designed to allow for barspins with 700c wheels, which was something I suspected. I guess it's a street trick track bike at heart.

It also said that only two frame sizes were available. 50 and 56 I think. Maybe they would do custom sizing though, I dunno. And brake adapters are currently under development.

luckycat

Kind of weird, their site lists the park bike as being made in the US. I heard from a certain shop in brooklyn that used to carry their stuff that just about everything they make is taiwan now, but I have no idea how true that is. Same shop also told me that Doc is gone...

Also, the site lists two sizes for the gangsta, 40 & 46cm. But maybe you're right about the custom sizing if they are still building them on Powers st. I still don't like it, which bums me out as I've always been a fan of the BMW stuff.

brooklyn

i heard that BMW is designing another frame/fork which has less clearance for the fork.

deathhare

That BMW geometry is hideous.
Making it look good seems like the easy part. If they cant even handle that part....

jodypolk

no offense, but who would seriously consider a 775 for a frameset that only comes in 2 sizes, uses more or less schwag tubing and is designed with barspins in mind?

exfreewheeler

The Soma Delancey is sweet. I saw a frame up close and that green is awesome. I like green either way, except for that flourescent crap.

jodypolk

lol, i quoted myself somehow!