bmounce

I am new to bikes and going to test drive both the bikes listed in the Title. I am choosing single speed for a specific reason...I don't want to deal with cheap components for my first bike. That is why I am getting a single speed and since my budget is around $500 it all makes sense. I am just hoping that I can get some expert opinions before I test drive both them...thank you.

Raiden

Just by a quick look at the two bikes, the Soho is hands-down the better bike. Better cranks, better brakes, chainguard, better seatpost/saddle, and just better looking, IMO.

Edit: It looks like the Soho is around $100 more expensive, but I think that $100 is invested in the right places.

ichitz

i test rode a soho last year. Not bad. But I think I did some research online and ppl said that it starts to fail after a couple months. I can't really remember what failed now, but do a google search of the Trek Soho and see. Maybe trek fixed those issue too. Iono.

JoaiM3

Are you referring to the Trek Soho or Trek Soho S? I have a Trek Soho S that I'm trying to sell and I find it extremely durable and a joy to ride. It has a very smooth and quiet ride. Definitely go for it.

ichitz

oh i think it was the Soho S. Cool. I only test rode one and listened to a bunch of anonymous ppl off the internet. But if you own one and liked it i'm sure it's a worthy buy at $500.

TejanoTrackie 

The Gary Fischer is a joke at that price. CroMo frame, steel cranks with fixed chainring. I wouldn't give $200 for that POS.

mconlonx

The Soho S will be right around $500; the Gritty City should be less, around $400.

Gritty is more cmx oriented, with BMX parts all over the thing. Soho S is more langsterish, urban, aluminum framed FG/SS. Get the Gritty and you got some leftover $$$ for whatever you want or need; it would be a stretch to get a Soho S for that money.

Gritty, 20": 26.5 lbs (woah!)
Soho S, 20": 22.0 lbs

You doing mad tricks and beating the heck out of your bike? Gritty
You just riding around the city? Soho S

Gritty comes with freewheel plus fixed cog and lockring; Soho S comes with freewheel only--flip flop hub if you want to add your own cog/lockring, but you'll have to pay more now or later to go fixed. Neither come with foot retention, so if you are going fixed on either you'll need toe clips and straps as well.

bmounce

I want to let everyone know that I decided to get the Trek SOHO S.

The Gary Fisher Gritty rode like a BMX bike on road tires and a road frame. The ratio of the gear was also very short. I was not too impressed on the weight of the bike also, it seemed very heavy for a single speed bike.

The Trek SOHO S was to my liking. I was impressed by the smooth ride of the bike. Also the gear ratio seemed perfect for my experiance with single speeds. The handbars are very comfortable and the grips make my hands happy. The biggest difference that I noticed was the weight on this bike, it is quite light. I did decided to add fenders on it and I think it makes it look a little bit sleeker. The only thing that I am a little sad about is that it does not come with a flip flop rear wheel so that I can ride it fixed if I please. I just thought that it would be interesting to ride fixed once and a while. Does anyone know what it would take to add that to the rear wheel?

Raiden

Your attachment isn't working right.

If the wheel is single-sided, you'll need a second, rear wheel, with a track hub.

oldfolksmashers

You'll need a fixed cog and a lockring. I swapped the 17 for a 16 on my Soho and find it a better fit.

For reference, the hubs on the Soho S are Formula Fix/Fix with a freewheel.

Raiden

He did just say his hub was not two-sided- then again, there's another thread currently at the top of this forum that began in a similar way....

muckymucky

wtf get the kilo!

Ultomato

where did u get the weights from?

ichitz

this.
u need another rear wheel. Find a wheel with a hub that runs fixed/free. Put a freewheel on the free end. A track cog with a lockring on the fixed end. Done.

oldfolksmashers

Regardless, the wheel isn't single sided, it's a Formula Fix-Fix as I stated before.

John Gap

I, too, tested both but went with the Gritty. It won the pros and cons battle... at the time. I figured; OK, so the gearing is whack, but a simple chainring would fix that right up. oh my noobishness. The whole BMX thing is a royal pain.
So here I am asking for advice before buying.
Can this 46t sprocket fit on the Gritty? I know the details state that it's specifically for 1-piece cranksets, and I have a 3-piece... but would it still work?
I really don't want to have to change the entire crankset just for the benefit of the flip-flop hub and comfortable geometry... or maybe I do.

Probably shoulda gone with the Soho S.
Help.

Raiden

I suggest asking the Mechanic or BMX section of the forum for the speediest answer.

Edit: My mistake; thought this was the Commuting forum for a second. Someone in SS/FG should know your hardware well enough....

kingfish254

How are you liking your Soho S? I just picked one up at a yard sale for only $110! Took it for a quick spin and it seems like a super bike.

mconlonx

Bikes we had in the shop; Park digital bike scale. True weights from bikes off the floor, measured on a reliable scale.

If you're thinking Trek and cheaper single-speed, they're coming out with a new model in 2011, the Earl:



Can't see it real well in the photo, but that's a twin top-tube design, the seatstays coming up from the rear dropout, welded onto either side of the seatpost, continuing up to the headtube. Various reinforcement cross pieces along the top between the tubes for stiffness and brake cable routing. MSRP should be right around $400. I got one on order, should be in next week...

Gritty is coming in Trek-badged now. The clear coat over steel frame treatment is interesting--you can see the brass brazing at the fork and rear dropouts. ...also where they ground away the welded-on Fisher logos at the seat- and headtubes.

mconlonx

Pretty sure (maybe 90% sure) that sprocket would work, but we sold the one gritty we had in stock, so I can't check out the crank assembly.

mconlonx

Got myself an Earl, same as the black one pictured above. Slightly heavy... about 28 lbs. Shocked that it is heavier than the Gritty. Sweet bike, though. The wheels might be crap. No support at the front lower edge of the chainguard, so it rattles at the slightest road irregularity, i.e. it has to go. Brake levers are one-bolt with hinge construction, so if you go fixed and don't like them, you can take them off real easy. Love the twin top tube, designed to take a U-lock in between for ease of taking some security with you.

Actually... it's not quite mine yet. They are available through Trek, but not in the NJ warehouse yet, so boss-man didn't want to order any. So I ordered one anyway. Paid cost, I'm putting it on the sales floor, telling boss-man that it will sell within two weeks, and if it does, he needs to order heavy on this model. So, if it doesn't sell, I've already bought it...

...two weeks will also give me time to build up a SA S2C wheel for it...