S O M A f e e d

2012 Saga

2012-01-31T15:40:00.000-08:00

Alright kiddos. You've all been very patient. For those of you who have been waiting, the new green Soma Sagas are here and ready to ship. They look lovely, don’t they? For those of you who aren't already enamored with this bike, let me give you some background. We introduced the Saga a couple years ago now and it's all ready been ridden pretty much all over the world. The Saga was intended

Bikemas at Soma!

2012-01-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hello Girls and Boys! We just received a big shipment from Tange in Taiwan and we got some neat stuff to brag about. Here's the brand new Soma Roundwise drop bar. It's a classic style drop that would look nice on everything from your vintage road bike to your full carbon track bike. It's a nice understated silver finish with a comfy roundish bend. Check out the stylin lazer etched logo!

Seattle taking back the streets!

2012-01-31T08:46:00.000-08:00

The Zlog fam is keeping it fresh in the Northwest. Ride on homies. Drop Bars Not Bombs from ZLOG on Vimeo.

2012-01-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

We'll be sending out some saddles (Ensho, Okami, and Kyudo) and Soma posters for this event in Tempe, AZ, the first qualifier. Best of luck to all the teams and safe travel.

Soma Tradesman Cargo Bike Built Up

2012-01-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

More shots at http://www.flickr.com/photos/somafab/ Build courtesy of American Cyclery. Shown with "Eagle" bar prototype. We will be adding more real estate to the area in front of the weld to allow fitting levers there.

Meet Freebird Velo's New Bike, Mabel!

2012-01-10T15:43:00.001-08:00

Jennie who blogs and screen-prints t-shirt under the moniker FreeBirdVelo just sent us pics of her newly completed ivory [color retired for 2012, sorry] Double Cross. What caught our eye first were the custom panniers by VeniceVelo. She writes: "Thank you for making such an amazing, affordable product. I haven't ridden steel since my first Mtn bike 20 some years ago and it's awesome to

RIDER PROFILE: Ben Evans

2011-12-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

Road to the Peruvian Andes. Photo: Jeremy Jensen Ben Stuart Evans caught our attention when he sent us some breathtaking photos (shot by his riding partner Jeremy Jensen) of his epic trip riding from Oaxaca, Mexico to Caraz, Peru. They estimated to have ridden 3000 miles and gained a total of 50,000 vertical feet. They did these all on fixed gear bikes – Ben on his 2006 fiery red Soma Rush.

Soma San Marcos Frames Back In Stock

2011-12-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

Build from FreeRange Cycles (Seattle) from the first run. Our main distributor Merry Sales has all sizes in stock. They will be shipping backorders this week to shops and other distributors. Thanks for everyone's patience. The San Marcos is our sport touring frame set featuring Rivendell lugs and designed by the man behind Rivendell Bicycle Works, Grant Petersen. New to the Soma Shop.

Xinjiang Traffic Jam

2011-12-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

e Eleanor Moseman and her Soma Saga made their way into the city of Urumqi this week -- in Xinjiang Province in Western China. And she shared this video on her Facebook page. (Gets more interesting at the 50s mark)The place is generally very arid so I am surprised to see all the snow. You may remember this is the place with all the riots a couple years back between the native Uighurs and

Winning Entries for our Anniversary Photo Contest

2011-12-07T15:03:00.001-08:00

Mamuang Thai House names his Buena Vista "Cha Yen". This won the "Staff Pick" award. He has chosen a Soma Lauterwasser Bar as his prize. A big thank you to all to submitted entries. You all will receive one our 10th Anniversary Posters. We must also thank those who helped vote for our winners. We enjoyed seeing all the awesome photos and the interesting bike builds. Bum

Stumptown Coffee Rules

2011-12-01T12:04:00.001-08:00

Thank you Stumptown Coffee Roasters for the thoughtful anniversary gift!!! They sent us some of their Hair Bender, which brings together coffees from three major producing regions (Indonesia, Latin America and East Africa) to provide the individual components of this complex sweet and savory blend which yields flavors of milk chocolate, caramel, jasmine, meyer lemon, apricot and pineapple.

SF Bicycle Coalition's Winterfest - Dec. 4th!

2011-11-28T16:07:00.001-08:00

There's nothing mini about SFBC's Winterfest fundraiser bash which normally draws over 1500 bike lovers under one roof.....nothing except for the chance to bid on a Soma Mini Velo bike (a co-donation between us and American Cyclery. Also available is a Soma Double Cross frame donated by Citizen Chain. Great deals on early bird tickets. Get your tickets early--they're cheaper and and

Help Select the Winners in Our Photo Contest

2011-11-22T09:38:00.001-08:00

Do it before you are in your tryptophan coma. Do it before you are waiting in line on Black Friday (or while you are waiting). Fellow cyclists need your vote in our 10th Anniversary Photo Contest We selected about 30 or so entries and posted them to Facebook. You have the power to vote and help select the winners. Vote for up to 5 of your favorites. Fifty folks get our Soma 10th anniversary

SSCXWC '11

2011-11-21T12:45:00.001-08:00

Watch more video of Chris Jones on cyclingdirt.org

Tenth Anniversary Sale Benefits SFBC

2011-11-16T22:31:00.001-08:00

Get started on your holiday shopping this week at The Soma Shop and do some good at the same time. Save on not only Soma goods, but MKS, Nitto, Pake and other brands on the shop. Some current programs and projects supported by the SFBC Education Fund include: Connecting the City Campaign Free Urban Bicycle Education classes & "how to ride a bike" workshops for adults "Freedom from Training

Bicycling Magazine Reviews Our Mixte

2011-11-11T10:25:00.001-08:00

Sorry I don't have a larger photo.See page 74 on Dec. issue. We sent Matt at Bicycling a Buena Vista back in August. They put together a really knock-out build with with our 3-Speed II Bars, Yamada saddle, IRD Defiant Triple Cranks, New Xpress skinwalls, Deco rack and EuroTrip fenders. This is what Matt had to say.... While I admire the beauty of many cruisers and town bikes, some feel

Soma Frame News for 2012

2011-11-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

So what is being updated for 2012 you ask? - Double Cross: Our best selling frame gets a new color. The new Gun Metal Blue is not a traditionally classy as the Ivory, but the matte blue is neutral enough to go with a honey brown Brooks saddles as well as a variety of bar tape colors. - Double Cross DC: The disc model with removable cantilever bosses will again be given old school downtube

New Products on the Soma Shop

2011-11-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Gran Compe GC-999 Cantilever Brake (by Dia-Compe) In addition to its sharp looks, it has an unique height adjustment feature allows for more adjustment this type of design usually allows - Wide profile design - Lightweight forged arms - CNC-machined barrel adjuster - Dia-Compe OP-12 brown brake shoes - 167g per wheel - Includes cable hanger and straddle wire The new Sugino COOL

Update: Fund Raiser for Japan

2011-10-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Our Fundraiser For Japan through the Soma Shop and also from sales to our other distributors, we were able to donate over $11,000 to The Soma City Earthquake Disaster Orphan Scholarship Fund. Thanks to all our customers who helped out. The city of Soma is one of the most damaged cities because of three major factors. The earthquake caused huge areas of land to sink into the sea, the

Supermarket Street Sweep Poster

2011-10-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

We love sponsoring the Supermarket Street Sweep not only because it benefits a worthy local charity, but because the event isn't just about who is the fastest. You'll see it's got a good vibe for all cycling lovers. Enter for a chance to win a SOMA TRADESMAN: This year we are throwing down one of our new build-it-yourself cargo frames, the Tradesman. (A apt prize since a cargo race is one

Soma Anniversary Photo Contest

2011-10-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Soma is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year and we want to take this time to learn more about who our fans are and what they do with their Soma's. So we are doing our first photo contest. Fifty(50) entries of our choosing will get a copy of our 10th anniversary poster when it is printed. (We like lots of winners.) We will pick 25 or so of the ones we like best and post them on Facebook

Job Openings

2011-10-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Our "parent" company, The Merry Sales Co. is hiring for some entry level positions. Small company vibe, year-round bicycling weather, just south of the great city of San Francisco, and easy access to some of the highest gas prices in the country.

Checking out the Pumpkin Fest

2011-10-16T23:34:00.001-07:00

What else is better than stuffing yourself silly full of pumpkin pies?Seeing humongous pumpkins weighing almost a ton. They're like pumpkins on steroids. Only in America, where the pumpkins are overweight too!This weekend we checked out the Pumpkin Festival at Half Moon Bay, about 20 minutes away from San Francisco without traffic. It's quite a gem in a mostly urban Peninsula as it is the only

Getting ready for 'cross season

2011-10-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Alrighty! Time to bust out those fat knobby tires for training. Pilarcitos Bay Area Super Prestige Series is coming up soon and the first race is going to be at Candlestick Park on October 23. Hopefully we get more rain this season to make those racers suffer through a muddy course just like last year’s final race of the series at Cayote Point. Soma Doublecross getting a facial and a

The Pick Up Artist Makes a Special Appearance at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

2011-10-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

What’s not to like when bikes, beers, and music are combined altogether at Golden Gate Park?This weekend was the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and we at Soma came over to show off the Pick Up Artist prototype... and enjoy some beers and music. We rode to the park from the BART station and joined a “peloton” of regular folks heading the same way we were. It was nice to see so many cyclists

Soma Fabrications Marks 10th Anniversary

2011-09-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Soma Fabrications began with a discussion between Jim Porter of Merry Sales and Bradley Woehl of American Cyclery back in early 2000. Bradley observed that there were almost no more steel bikes out in the market, especially bikes that could be adapted easily for urban use. He had spoken with big brand bicycle sales reps about bringing back steel, but his requests fell on deaf ears. Eventually

Ron D Swan Brand New Panniers

2011-09-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ron D Swan posted a photo of our Buena Vista mixte that they used at the Ausbike tradeshow in Melbourne to display their stylish panniers. I don't believe they are available outside of Australia yet. Much of the materials they use in their products are would-be discards from other companies. So you are getting a product that not only looks good, but made by a company that is environmentally

More Cargo Bike News

2011-09-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

The "Pick Up Artist" prototype working its mojo Last week we finally announced the imminent release of the Tradesman cargo frameset, but we hinted there would be more cargo news to come. The last couple of months we have testing a new design that was developed with Tange Design (the tubing maker, but they also design frames now). It would be classified as a “front loader” design if we

Adventure Cyclist Reviews The Soma Saga

2011-09-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

Adventure Cyclist, the magazine of the Adventure Cycling Association, looked us up one day late last year hoping to review a Saga frameset. We were unfortunately out of the size their guest reviewer Patrick O'Grady needed. We eventually got him a frame and some parts in the spring. We were happy to have Patrick be the tester, since he and his wife both own Double Cross's [purchased at

New Website

2011-09-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

Our brand spankin' new website is finally up. Just in time to mark our 10th anniversary.A redesign was long overdue as most of you would probably agree.It still has some bugs (like controlling which images come up first in the 'Frames' section) but I think you'll find it a lot easier to browse. It also allows us to post reviews on the same page as the frame model. (Product reviews up til

Introducing the Soma Tradesman Cargo Frameset

2011-09-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

Prototype #2 We at Soma have been quietly exploring making cargo bikes for a while now. Soma has always first and foremost been about practical transportation and cargo bikes are definitely practical. Our first attempt is along the traditional English "baker bike" design --- which we are calling the Tradesman. It is designed for personal hauling rather than industrial use. Should handle

48 x 15 - New Urban Bike Mag Outta Shanghai

2011-08-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Who would've thought that a city that's been doing the "bicycle as transportation" thing longer and definitely bigger than any city in the U.S. would choose now to come out with a urban cycling magazine; especially with cars taking off as they are there. This is a new China, still Communist, but with where many urbanites have money to spend and the youth have time to develop a love for riding.

Saga of Two Sagas

2011-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Taken at 5100 meters (that over 15,000 ft) above sea level What are the chances of two Soma Saga owners meeting each other on their own solo tours on a remote road on the Sichuan(China)-Tibet border??? The world is a huge place. We've made less than 999 Sagas in total I believe. I'd say it's pretty darn impossible. Our favorite American expat in China, Eleanor Moseman is in the middle of a

New Product: Soma Hwy One Road Bar

2011-08-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Maybe we are just tired of making townie bars and track bars. Maybe we just wanted to make the ideal bar our road frame customers, who for the most part aren't racers. Whatever the reason, we've gone and made our first road drop bar. The Hwy One has got a compact bend that's come into popularity in recent years. The shallow drop makes it more natural-feeling to ride in the drops. The bend

Mini Velo Love

2011-08-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

One of my friends in Japan forwarded this video of Mini Love, a mini-velo and folding bike festival that happened this past June. For those who keep asking "what niche does it fill" or "why do I need one" a look at this video will show that the people of Japan are long past asking questions like that of the mini velo. It is embraced as part of bikedom. Young people love them... especially

Hang tight for NEW website!

2011-07-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are trying to visit our website (or anyone else who stumbles across this message while perusing SOMAfeed..) you may have (definitely) noticed something is afoot. Today we are in the process of making our new website live!!! So what might seem bad initially is actually very exciting! We apologize for the inconvenience, if you need information right now check out the SomaFab

Back In Stock Items! Plus San Marcos News

2011-07-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let shops and consumers alike some items that have out for a long time are back in stock:- Double Cross frame in ivory (middle sizes)- Double Cross DC frames (middle sizes)- Saga Touring frames- Crystal Polypropylene Water Bottles (BPA-free)- Urban Cross Levers- Torpedo Front LampsWe also got in a small shipment of Soma San Marcos frame set (designed for Soma by Rivendell

Greeting from "Shangri-La" Nearly 3700 Meters Up

2011-06-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Eleanor's Soma Saga in the mountain passes of YunnanOur gal Eleanor restarted her solo tour of China, Russia and Mongolia earlier this month.She posted the first photo on our FB wall with the comment."I was warned by the locals on this one...but I slaughtered those 1500+ meters."It was tough getting going at the high altitude, but she got to "Shangri-La" (not the fictional place from Lost

July 4th Weekend Means Quake City Rumble is Back

2011-06-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

This year Quake City Rumble is including a cargo race and a ladies/trans only race on Saturday, as well as a Bike Prom on Sunday. We will be donating something for the goodie bags.

Hozan Rim Polishing Pad, for safe braking!

2011-06-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

We all lube our chain regularly to go faster, but is there any routine maintenance for braking performance? This little block from Hozan will drastically improve your brake performance by polishing your rim surface. Constructed with foamed NBR copolymer-rubber mixed with sintered aluminum dust to be gentle on your rims while refreshing your braking surface. A must-have item for any regular rider

Salt Lake City's Velo Weekend is THIS Weekend

2011-06-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Velo City Bags presents VELO WEEKEND! A whole weekend of bike events: Critical Mass, Tall Bike Jousting, Alley Cat, Trick Comp and Sprints! Registration is $20 and gets you a t-shirt, automatic entry into alley cat, trick comp, sprints and raffle, along with lots of other goodies from our sponsors. Go to http://veloweekend.com/ and register now.We are sending out pairs of our heavy duty (but

Bicycle Time's Completed Review of the Soma Buena Vista

2011-06-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Karl of Bicycle Times posted a "first look" review on their website a few months ago. The final review is published in Bicycle Times #11. We would be lying if we weren't a little concerned since we couldn't size him for the frame since he's in Pittsburgh and he admitted he's never ridden a mixte.PDF file of the article is in Product Reviews page of this blog.Some pull quotes for those with short

Coming Soon: Soma's New Porteur Rack

2011-06-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

We left the MP3 player at home for our weekend ride.Instead we loaded up an old radio one of us had collectingdust in the garage --- onto a prototype of our Porteur Rack.(Click on images to +)The rack has a 12 x 14.2" platform. The "fence" shownhere is an optional attachment.Rack is height adjustable and mounts to the axle,but there is a workaround if you want to attach it tothe fork tip

Gaga Oo La La.. Lady Gaga Talks Why She Loves Riding In The City

2011-05-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hope I'm not stealing Cyclelicious' thunder by posting this. That's where I usually get my celebrity bike news. The buyer at one of our distributors, Hawley, spotted this last night."Looks like she has a brass Crane Bell, maybe." he wrote. Funny, at the end she goes "Yea, I'm Gaga. Ring-Ring!(imitating a bike bell). The part she talks about riding her bike in NYC is at the 38m:45s mark. She and

Where Are You in the Silly Bike Commuter Food Chain?

2011-05-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

ScootersRoadies with shaved legs* Proper rapid singlespeeds (real men, messengers, tarty shiny fixies)* Roadies with hairy legs* Faux singlespeeds (fakengers, dirty/functional bikes, silly eggbeater gears)* Touring bikes (mudguards)* Fast hybrids* MTBs on skinnies* MTBs on knobblies Bromptons/collapsing bikes MTB full-sus on knobblies Shoppers Shoppers with wicker basketsElectric bikes Silly

This is a public service announcement..

2011-05-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

sponsored by the good folks at Do the Wiggle"bike route to the stars"!. Calling all you Bay Area cyclists, this Sunday at Duboce and Steiner (Wiggle launchpad) at 2pm, a motley(think tree bikes with speakers and bubble spewing bikes) crew is gathering to shoot a PSA promoting The Wiggle. They are calling for more cyclists, you too could be a star on the small screen! Come to support The Wiggle,

Facebook Users: We Are Migrating from a Group Page to a Fan Page

2011-05-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

We are currently migrating from the Group format to a Fan Page format.Facebook prefers pages of brands to be on a Fan Page. Also the group format was not designed to have hundreds of members. So they are going to "archive" the Soma Users Group "in the coming months". As you know when you become a fan the posts we make on our page automatically appear on your wall. If that gets annoying, you can

Whatcha think?

2011-05-13T09:47:00.001-07:00

Our friends at IRD just sent us this 50.4 BCD TA/Campy-inspired retro-crank. The chainring sizes are 53/39. The chainline is 43.5mm and the BB axle length is 115mm. We're thinking about carrying them in the SOMA store..would they tickle your fancy?

Lovely Bicycle! Samples Our Mixte

2011-05-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Velouria, author behind the popular Lovely Bicycle! blog reviews the Buena Vista built by Somervillain for his wife. It is a classy build with some unique parts choices for sure. In-depth review...check it out.Photo by Somervillain

2nd Saturday Sprints

2011-05-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to be supporting this new monthly local event.Second Saturday Sprints is a monthly race started by Martin Galvan, Rene Lopez and Errol Sabinano. We are all roommates in the Mission District of San Francisco and like to ride bikes. These races will be held every second saturday of the month. We just wanted to get people together to have fun and to share their love of cycling

Red Bull Ride + Style Report

2011-05-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

Josh Boothby The Red Bull Ride + Style was a fixed gear event like no other I've been to. Sure there was racing and trick comps, sure there were bikes, bikes everywhere of all shapes and colors. But since Red Bull picked Justin Herman Plaza, it drew a very diverse crowd. Some fans were new to riding fixed gear and never heard of any of the competing athletes at all. Many were not cyclists at

Three Fixed Gear Events in SF This Weekend

2011-04-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

MashSF is putting two events including the Twin Peaks Time Trial on Sunday (which includes a race for geared bikes, too) And who can forget the high profile Red Bull Ride+Style event this Saturday. This all happening in the city which I first spied a One Less Fixie sticker 6 years ago. If the collective passion for fixed gear is losing steam, it is doing it very slowly. The "rage" of fixed gear

New Soma Saddles

2011-04-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

We have released two more saddles inspired by Italian classics (sorry if that sounds like an Olive Garden reference). Each are available in smooth black or white, or black micro-suede synthetic covers and have satin finish CrMo rails.The Yamada features a full roundish profile on top, medium depth firm padding, and some brass accents. Euro-looks without Euro-trashing your wallet. 150mm x

New Rider's Collective Issue is Out

2011-04-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Rider's Collective, the webzine that samples some of the best cycling blogs, tips, reviews, and photographs from the web (done with the blessings of the authors) just sent a link to their "year in pictures" issue. A nice lunch time diversion. Please visit.(Photo by Dave Min taken in Bolivia)

Shorty Fatz Frame With Soma Condorina Bar

2011-04-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dennis from Fixed Gear Gallery sent us this pic of a custom Shorty Fatz (now POPS Fabrication) 8-series frame he's testing. He was must've noticed how the lines of our Italian cafe racer- inspired bar complemented the unique-looking frame and asked us for one. Look for the review soon.All their POPS frames are fillet-brazed in San Jose, CA.

Dealer Spotlight: Hoopdriver Bikes

2011-04-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hoopdriver in lovely Toronto, Canada only started stocking Soma Fabrications last year and the shop itself will only be celebrating anniversary no. 2 this April 25. Happy Anniversary, Martin!Hoopdriver Bicycles is sees itself as providing bicycles, parts and accessories that are functional, smart, durable and attractive.They make a special effort to also source and stock unique products that

Two Fixed Gear Events for Easter Weekend

2011-04-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Two cycling events in San Francisco worth checking out this weekend....First is the Macaframa race and reception benefiting the fund for injured bicycle messengers. That is tonight.The second event, which celebrates that original brakeless fixed gear machine, the Big Wheel. The event known as BYOBW (Bring Your Own Big Wheel) has contestants doing some serious hill bombing on Big Wheels. (2010

Yep.

2011-04-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, we've gone n' dunnit! Made our hardened CrMo Anti-Jack mini U-Locks in WHITE.For those who are going to raise a fuss, go ahead — we love to fill up our comment section.

Celebrating "Rush" on the Boob Tube

2011-04-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

The NYC messenger reality series "Triple Rush" premieres tonight on the Travel Channel as if you didn't know already. I think it's gotten just as much press as "Premium Rush" if not more.To celebrate the premiere, the SomaFab shop is offering a not-to-be-repeated killer deal on the slick black Soma Rush fixed gear frame. For the next three days, most likely you won't find a cheaper price on the

Soma Looking For Folks to Run New Bamboo Bike Venture

2011-04-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

That would've made a good April Fool's headline.The truth is we are still into our love affair with steel, but if you aspire to be in the bike biz there is an true opportunity for enterprising, motivated, and talented individuals to get in on the starting up of a new bamboo bicycle brand.I find this project inspiring, because I love to see underdog ventures like this catch fire and hope they

Curved for Comfort

2011-04-07T17:03:00.001-07:00

Modern steel forks are generally incredibly stiff and not as comfortable as older designs (especially those trendy straight blade ones). "But stiff forks make for better for handling!" you say. To which I respond, "What if you can have the comfort without sacrificing hardly anything in the handling department?"... You then fall speechless to the ground and kiss my feet.. The same thinking

Bike to School Day

2011-04-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 7, will be San Francisco's third annual Bike To School Day. The above video shows how many kids participated from Monroe Elementary School last year.Record turnout is expected, thanks in part to a tripling in size of the citywide San Francisco Safe Routes to School program, which organizes the event.

Read Wend For Free

2011-04-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite articles are on cyclo-cross came out this magazine. It is also awesome for whetting your cross-cultural wanderlust.Did you know you can read Wend magazine–from the very first issue to the most brand-spanking new–online, for free? But if you’re not already signed up to read Wend digitally, this is the week to do so–because in addition to getting the green, guiltless pleasure

American Cyclery Tent Sale - This Weekend!

2011-03-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you already know the San Francisco shop with the most Soma stuff is American Cyclery.They are having their annual tent sale this weekend. Check it out if you are in town.We are having a spectacular bicycle tent and sidewalk sale. We have purchased some very interesting bicycles, frames, parts and accessories from all over the world. For this one weekend only they are on sale.

Meet Ralph Lauren's newest model: The Soma Double Cross DC

2011-03-21T11:11:00.001-07:00

photo c/o Citizen Chain CycleryWe just got word that our good friends at Citizen Chain Cyclery in San Francisco recently built up a Soma Double Cross DC for the Ralph Lauren store downtown for their window display highlighting luxury sportswear (yes..LUXURY). The guild lines mostly concerned color--luckily we coordinated... Thanks Citizen Chain, it looks gorgeous!! Can't wait to see it for myself

Click To Enbiggen

2011-03-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

Just added a slew of photos to our Flickr stream.Some stolen off our Facebook group. Others are owner submissions. Here are a few.See more here and here."Retroscool's" Juice 29er w/ Titec H-bars and Surly Larry front tireJeff's Stanyan, which replaced a big brand aluminum road bike.Wishes he replaced it sooner.Soma ES from Dream Cycle.Soma Double Cross from Dream Cycle. These are NOT custom

Spring has sprung(so we've heard)!!!

2011-03-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

Birds LOVE this frame!! (I don't want any comments saying it's for the birds...)The word from chillier regions is that many of our riders are finally experiencing a spring thaw!! How exciting! I hope you all are polishing your steeds and taking to the roads! In San Francisco, the season is also beginning to bloom! We've got some exciting events coming this weekend!! Pizza, Music and Bikes! Oh my!

Bicycle Times Magazine: First Impressions on the Buena Vista

2011-03-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Karl Rosengarth, gear editor at Bicycle Times has been reviewing a Buena Vista for three months now. He shared his first impressions back in January, but we forgot to re-post it. Please check it out HERE.The build is also sporting a number of other Soma goods including New Xpress tires, Euro Trip fenders, Ensho saddle and Sparrow 560 bars. Oh...can't forget this.... he also has our "Burrito

Second Coming of the Soma B-Side

2011-03-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

Only MD and LG sizes available now.The 650b MTB platform has not taken the mountain bikedom by storm. Are we surprised? Not really. Even back in 2007, we never thought or hoped it would supplant either of the more established tire sizes. We felt it had its place as the "happy medium".... a tire size that would be ride ideal for some riders... mainly those who felt (in their opinion) 29ers were a

Happy Friday

2011-03-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

We actually got some news to make this a Happy Friday.Mike Hardy, the guy who was hit by a car AND got his Soma Rush stolen while the paramedics were attending to his shattered knee, has recovered enough to do a little riding. See more pictures of his new Rush on the BBG Kansas City fixed-gear team blog. Thanks David!

Soul Cycler's Soma Saga Review

2011-03-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

"Greetings from Lake Tahoe! I've been home for about a week trying to decompress, and re-orient, after my 2,374-mile bicycle tour across India (From north to south.) There is alot to say, and right now, little time to say it. I've got another article due for the paper up here, I've just got back some sample chapter material returned from my editor for my book.Anyway, there are several reasons I

More NAHBS: Independent Fabrications' Caffeine Racer Mixte

2011-03-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

Independent Fabrications showed off a spectacular mixte at the North American Handbuilt Bike Show. It was built for company owner Gary Smith's wife Toni. Inspired by the cafe racer movement in motorbikes, this Barracuda Purple and black checkerboard beauty features an 8 speed internal hub, Phil-centric BB, a carbon and aluminum disk brake fork, Paul racer brakes in the rear, a dynamo powered

Soma's tweeting!

2011-03-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Now you can troll the internet with us on our very own twitter!

Soma's Oxford handlebar featured on NAHBS Best Lugged Frame!!

2011-02-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

picture c/o the NAHBS websiteMy boss Jim and Bradley of American Cyclery went on a little trip to the NAHBS this weekend (lucky bastards). They came back with a tales of revelry, in awe of all the great work they saw. Most exciting was the amount of Soma products they spotted!!(pics to come..promise!)This gorgeous bike built by Bilenky Cycle Works won Best Lugged Frame. Here's the skinny: "Brett

IRD Defiant Cranks (Triples/Doubles) In The House

2011-02-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

Interloc Racing Design (IRD) is company that started out in the mid-80's doing the mountain bike components, however recently they are better known for their 11-34 road cassettes, quality freewheels and other knick-knacks that larger manufacturers don't care to make anymore.When we visited American Cyclery back in November, they had a test sample of one of these Defiant "Touring Triples" on a

Soma Love + Back in Stock = Happy Tuesday

2011-02-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

We receive lots of emails from Soma customers, we revel in all of the praise Soma gets (its MOSTLY praise). And while we love you all equally, occasionally we get love so exceptional that we feel compelled to share it. This is one of those instances (duh!). We received this email from Tyson last week:"Dear Soma,I just recently put to rest on of your hemp messenger bags. It had been plastered to

Soma Frame Prize Finally Gets Claimed

2011-02-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

Over a year ago in the winter of 2009, Patrick Wilson won a raffle put on by two guys who needed money for their bike tour (wekeepgoing.com). He made known he wanted a Soma Stanyan lugged frame(guys got good taste). But he never gave them an address where to send them and subsequent e-mails went unanswered.Who wins a big raffle prize, but doesn't claim it?Here's the "perfectly good explanation":

Sycip Featured In Wired Magazine

2011-02-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

There's are pretty nice article on frame-builder and friend, Jeremy Sycip in Wired Magazine this month. Called "Frame of Mind: Inside the Art of Building Handmade Bikes", its worth checking it out even if you aren't in the market for a bad-ass custom frame. Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com

The Mini Velo has arrived!

2011-02-09T12:48:00.001-08:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.bodycambria, li.bodycambria, div.bodycambria { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: 120%; font-size: 9pt; font-family: Cambria; color: black; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Meet the Mini Velo, Soma’s newest bicycle. It’s a

The Condorina, a cafe-racer style handlebar for your bicycle

2011-02-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

Given that this handlebar was inspired by Italian motociclettas, I traveled to North Beach, the Italian neighborhood of San Francisco, to capture its sophisticated beauty. It has a very European feel: narrow streets, motorcycles, cafes and small shops with a lovely park in the center. So yes, here's the Condorina enjoying a North Beach espresso..Here's the whole handlebar, motorcycles

Friday fotofunfest(a sneak peak of what's to come)

2011-01-28T16:41:00.001-08:00

Today we spend the day with the talented and affable photographer Matt Washburn, lavishing attention on our beautiful frames. Our friends at American Cyclery built up some lovely bikes: a Double Cross, Rush and the new Mini Velo.. Look for these shots on our website, flickr, and in some fine publications in the near future!! Happy weekend peoples!!!

Introducing the one, the ONLY: Soma Quill-inator

2011-01-28T11:25:00.001-08:00

We're often approached by customers who have a Nitto or Cinelli quill stem and can't use it because their fork is threadless. We mulled over this for a while..and came up with the design for the product that has been dubbed "The Quill-inator". Our friends over at Tange-Seiki in Japan are responsible for the production.TA-DA, the new Soma Quill-inator! It allows the use of a quill stem on any

Now in the works at Soma: A frame designed for horses

2011-01-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

artist: Dan ButtonGotcha!!--although you, fair reader, are probably too intelligent to fall for something this ridiculous. This blog was brought to my attention this afternoon: Horses with Hands Riding a Bike . Its purpose, as far as I can tell, is to make us all aware of how hard it is to draw this scenario. It invites blog visitors to make a go of it and send it in. Hopefully this doesn't

Nitto B808AA: Tough as nails, adaptable as a (insert urban predator here)

2011-01-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

New from Nitto, a handlebar that can be used in conjunction with both a 22.2mm BMX stem and a 25.4mm stem! How is that possible? How can that be? It's all in the shim folks, with the power of the shim this handlebar can transcend the limitations of mortal handlebars(I wish I had a shim..not fair).Besides the fact that the B808AA can be used with two stem sizes, its suuuper sturdy. Weighing in at

Sugino throws its hat in the 2x10 arena

2011-01-19T12:54:00.001-08:00

The Sugino ZX801D MTB CrankPictures don't do these cranks justice, they are gorgeous!Sugino's new CompactPlus+System adds some competition to a market that is currently dominated by SRAM and Shimano. Pictured above is the Sugino ZX801D MTB crank, we've also got the OX801D Compact Road crank...but we'll get to that later.The Sugino ZX801D MTB Crank, our specs:Its crank spider uses a more common

The inaugural San Francisco Bike Party

2011-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

photo c/o a friendFor three years now, San Francisco bike culture has been nipping at the heels of our neighbors in the East Bay and San Jose and that ain't right... Now, thanks to the work of some seemingly anonymous, tireless souls, San Francisco has its own Bike Party!!The first ride took place last Friday. Beginning at Giants Stadium in Soma (yay Soma) it leisurely made its way through the

Copper is the new Black

2011-01-11T14:32:00.000-08:00

Check out this gorgeous new Tanaka Copper waterbottle cage! We just added them to the store and are super excited about them. We've been seeing lots of copper accessories/components recently--if you're looking for parts to match with your copper railed/riveted saddle you've got plenty of options. We already have MKS Copper pedals in the GR-9, Track and Road models and we just added a copper

Holidays in India

2011-01-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

India has been getting a lot more negative publicity these past couple of years with every season an "Amazing Race" couple commenting on the smell and the crowds. And of course all the business of outsourcing these days, which is more an issue of U.S. corporations rather than the people of India (in this writer's opinion).India is still an incredible place to visit as Rick Gunn (soulcycler.com)

Benotto "Cello-Tape" is Back!

2010-12-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

First a dainty piece of bicycle history pie about Benotto Bicycles. Started in Italy by the Benotto family, they moved to Mexico in the 80's (it's rumored romance sparked the move ooo-la-la). Benotto Handlebar Tape was THE handlebar tape to have on your bike in the 70's and 80's. It's plastic, light, shiny and comes in 14 colors!!! Get it if you are into the vintage look, get it if you want

Lauterwasser Handlebars Launched

2010-12-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

It is with great pleasure we are releasing an updated version of the racing bars that Olympic cyclist and cycling engineer Jack Lauterwasser hand-made in the 1930's. We received a few requests a couple of years ago to reproduce this bar design. We learned the originals were much sought after by collectors. With its unusual design, we knew right away if we wanted to do this right, we would need

Introducing the Soma Analog

2010-12-16T15:23:00.001-08:00

Click on image to zoom (+)Our new 26" wheel cross-country trail bike doesn't feature any never-thought-of-before pivot locations. It doesn't have any acronyms tacked to its name. Its tubes don't have fancy bloated shapes. BUT neither does it require a mechanical engineering degree to explain how exceptional a ride it can be. While most bikes flaunt their technology (being "digital"), we search to

Mission Block Party 2010:The Taco Bike, San Pancho Art Collective's new home(old morgue), free booze

2010-12-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

The Mission Holiday Block Party was last Friday! This meant the merchants of the Mission opened their doors until 10pm, offering free PBR, 2 buck chuck and killer deals. There were gallery openings, djs spinning, and of course bizarre elements of San Francisco bike culture.Our first stop as we made our way down Valencia Street was the Incline Gallery-new home to the San Pancho Art Collective(the

Steal One of our B-Side 650b MTB Frames

2010-12-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

Save over $100! We are closing out our remaining version 1 B-Side frames on the SomaFab Shop. It is a classy looking hardtail in a handsome Carmelized Orange paint job designed around the relatively new 650b wheel size, which is smack dab in between the conventional 26" and 29". Build it geared or single-speed. It is a nimble handling friend that rolls over roots, rock and big divots better than

Soma Double Bearing Headsets..durable and muy guapo.

2010-12-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

Conceived by Soma these headsets are a collaboration between us and KyotoLOCO (host of the world famous fixed gear festival). These headsets are super durable! Ideal for bike messengers(naturally), fixed gear freestylers and mountain bikes-any high impact riding. Made by Tange-Seiki, we've got 1" and 1 1/8" in black, white and silver. Here's a cutaway of the double row bearing in the lower

Doctor Says A Carbon Fiber Bike Is No Quicker Than Steel

2010-12-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

In the British Medical Journal a doctor reports that his 27-mile commute is not speeded up by his more expensive carbon race bike.Dr. Jeremy Groves rode his 20.9 lb. carbon framed bicycle over the same commuting route as his 29.75 lb. steel bicycle from January through July 2010. He found that the average difference in travel time was a little over 30 seconds.Please note this was not meant to be

Don't lose your boots, get Soma Deep Toe Clips!

2010-12-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

Protect your feet this winter, don't lose your boots whether they be wellie, snow, UGGs(just joking). Get yourself some Soma Deep Steel Toe Clips with a sexy chrome finish. We've got them with 2-gates or 4-gates in S/M or L/XL.

Dear Bicycle Times-bound Buena Vista: It was fun while it lasted

2010-12-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Dark, sleek, a touch frisky...we will miss youCheck out the Soma Eurotrip Fenders look nice over Soma New Xpress 700c's in Terra Cotta... The rear wheel is a Soma Iggy Wheel w/ Sturmey Archer Wide Ratio 8 speed hub. Needless to say this setup is perfect for wet winter weather...The Soma Electric Saddle in Dominatrix Black adds some edge. The cable routing is right hand to front brake; it's

Double Cross DC All Sizes: Back in Stock!

2010-12-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

Soma Double Cross DC Frames: ALL SIZES!

Chris Piascik All My Bikes Zine

2010-11-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

We are stoked when anyone purchases a Soma frame. We are especially happy when they immortalize them in art as Chris Piascik has.Check it...Full color, 28-page zine featuring illustrations of every bike I have ever owned. Since a young age I have been completely bike crazy, because of that I’ve had lots of different bikes of all shapes and sizes. Highlights include: General Hustler, Robinson

Cloak yourself in bicycles: Nitto Jerseys, Bicycle Painting T-Shirts!

2010-11-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

At a loss for what to buy bike-crazed grandma for the holidays? Looking for a classy wool jersey to outfit yourself on weekend rides? Look no further than our store, which is stocked with Nitto Wool Jerseys and 100% cotton tshirts(mens and womens sizes) featuring gorgeous oil paintings by bicycle artist Taliah Lempert Anyway you spin it, these are really great and we're very happy to be