So Blue: 2016 Buena Vista

We may have went overboard with the blue for 2016. But when the boss was concerned over "taking risks" with colors, what choice do we have? (We may have picked a fun color in 2014 that didn't go over so well).
The usually go-to color, black just isn't a good color for mixtes.
We just finished doing a few years of white.
Red and silver? No thanks.

"Wait, how about blue. Blue is a 'safe' color. It's calming. Lots of people like it or at least don't have strong feelings against it. Look at all the people wearing blue jeans." Different versions of this conversation happened while discussing different models.

So we ended up choosing blue for this year's Buena Vista, the ES road frame, the Sandworm fat bike frame and the yet to be unveiled Saga touring frame. Different shades and intensities of blues, but blue nonetheless. So if your favorite color is blue, this is a great year for you to get a Soma.

We call this blue, Tiburon Blue. Tiburon is a bayside town in Marin County. "Tiburon" means "shark" in Espanol.
The color reminds us of how the SF bay looks a sunny midday. It's a color that should appeal
to both women and men, if they have good taste. : )

Build was by American Cyclery for a client who either had her previous mixte stolen or damaged, Forget which.

More Rosebud Builds

Some more build pictures from Rosebud.

This one was build up for Cheryl Waters (incidentally my favorite DJ). If you don't listen to the Mid Day Show on KEXP you probably have horrible taste in music.

Another classy white and gold build with some serious color coordination.

Sram bar end shifters on thumbie mounts.

Reinforced fender bridge.

BQ style Honjo Daruma install.

M.A.P. light bracket.

Soma Buena Vista Fashion Shoot Photos

We are quite happy to see Iva Jean Clothing showing off a Buena Vista mixte bike in the latest promotion of their upcoming line. Iva Jean made a splash in the cycling world with chic tailored clothing that looked great at the office and functioned well on a bike. Her new line of minimalistic, versatile staples will be sewn in Seattle.

The previous line had been funded personally, through a line of credit from a fellow bike enthusiast, and a 2013 Kickstarter Campaign. In order to grow Iva Jean, they need your support.
Your contributions will fund:

• Sourcing and purchase of fabric and product hardware
• Production of six new styles including the City Legging, City Trouser, Raglan Short and Long Sleeve, Racer Tank and Tunic
• Continued development of new garments.

Please check out her Kickstarter page for the details and support them if you are so enticed. 
(Soma did not provide this bike for the shoot. The Buena Vista happens to be Iva Jean creative director, Anna DeOtte Kaufman's personal ride. It was built by Back Alley Bike Repair in Seattle. For 2014, the BV is available to bike shops as a frame set or complete bike.)

3 Happy UK Soma Bicycle Belles

I wrote to you a few years ago trying to buy a Soma Mixte frame. You didn't sell to the UK then. I kept thinking of ways to get a  frame here then discovered last year that you were supplying James at Fine-ADC in Edinburgh. So here are the results:  not only me (in yellow) but mother and sister too. We get stopped and asked where we got our bikes. We are all delighted with them. Everyone should have one Soma Mixte frame road bike.

Elizabeth,

Denham,

United Kingdom

More 650b Tire Pictures

Ok, just to reiterate, yes the Grand Randonneurs are in stock. No, they're not available through the Soma Store yet. They will be soon, but our dealers have first crack at them. So if you want one and you don't already have one on back order, get in touch with your favorite bike shop and ask them to place an order on your behalf. Boulder Bicycle can also help you out if you don't have a dealer in your area.

www.somafab.com/dealers

If you are a dealer and you can't find your shop on the list, shoot us an email and we'll get you added.

Some folks have asked us to post pictures of the new tires set up on a bike, so I have done just that. Came out looking really good.

Buena Vista 650b and new Grand Randonneur Tires!

It's been a pretty exciting day at Soma HQ. First off, the Grand Randonneurs are back in stock. We got a decent number, but they may sell out pretty quickly.

If you haven't seen them already, Soma is now offering the Buena Vista Mixte as a 650b complete bike. I built this one up with a few special parts that don't come on the standard build.

I swapped the stock black tires for some cream Soma New Xpress 650Bs and traded the Moustache II bars for a set of the Ahearne x M.A.P. bars.

I liked how it came out but it was missing a set of fenders. Luckily, we just got in the first run of Tanaka 650b fenders for the Grand Randonneurs. They're powder coated to match the GR, but I think they look really nice with the cream Soma tires.

Plenty of clearance for 50mm fenders on the Buena Vista. The new Tanakas come pre drilled, and use 2 bolt stay clamps to make them easier to install and simple to adjust. One benefit of this style clamp is that it allows the stay to be in direct contact with the fender blade, so there's no risk of cracking at the bolt hole.

Just as I was finishing off this post Adrian came in from the warehouse and told me that another shipment arrived from Japan. Obviously I had to investigate, and to my delight I learned that our long awaited 650b tires had arrived.

The Grand Randonneur tire is the lightest 42mm tire on the market at just 300g. They use Panracer's lightest casing and the same supple rubber compound found in our other tires.

The tread pattern is minimal, featuring a slick center contact area and recessed radial ribs on the sides.

These tire are so light you'll think you're holding a road tire, but they're a true 42mm wide.

As we know, a low pressure tire will have better grip the more rubber is in contact with the pavement. The Grand Randonneur tires has no diagonal ridges to increase grip and reduce drag.

The sidewalls feature a special coating to prevent sun damage.

We realized that the extra light tires weren't going to be appropriate for some of the riding we like to do, so a heavier duty option is also available.

These feature a thicker tread and reinforced sidewalls to prevent cuts and tears.

The rolling resistance these tires offer is really unparalleled by anything on the market.

It's safe to say 650b is here to stay, and we're really pleased we're able to offer the state of the art in this category. We think these really raise the bar for what a high volume tire is capable of.

650b Buena Vista Build from 21st Ave. in PDX

Heya Soma folks,

Just wanted to share this Buena Vista we built for someone last month.  She wanted the smoothest thing around for a future kid-carrier and I think we got there with a 650b Buena Vista. 1x10, Brooks, PDW, Velo Orange yada yada we think it looks real nice. Hope you do to.

Best of Everything,

Nick Wood

Thanks Nick! Looks like comfy ride!

Soma Buena Vista from Toronto

Darren from Dream Cycle in Vancouver just sent us these pictures of this excellent Soma Buena Vista they built up for a customer in Toronto.

They built this bike at the request of their customers brother who lives in Vancouver. Some nice points on this build include the brass Tanaka fenders, leather saddle and grips, skinwall tires, a Shimano internal gear hub and Dynamo powered headlight.

If you're in the Vancouver area and looking for a custom built Soma be sure to check out Dream Cycle.

http://www.dream-cycle.com/

Buena Vista from Carytown Bicycle Co.

Here's a great build from Carytown Bicycle Co. in Richmond VA. Check out the video of the build they posted to their site.

http://carytownbicyclecompany.com/2012/01/sarahs-soma-buena-vista/

Bicycling Magazine Reviews Our Mixte

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 frustratingly sluggish. Meanwhile, speedier townies seem to sacrifice the good looks or loungelike comfort I consider essential. The Buena Vista bridges these gaps. It's essentially a road bike that's easy to throw a leg over, thanks to the mixte design. The Tange Infinity steel frame and fork and the high-volume tires ride smoothly on all but the roughest roads. The frame accommodates a range of components; I built mine with a mustache bar and a three-by-eight-speed drivetrain using down-tube shifters for a retro vibe. A drop bar and integrated shifters would look equally at home and would make the bike suitable for longer rides. A number of attachment points let you outfit fenders (it accepts up to 28c tires with fenders; 33c without) and racks, which I took advantage of, easily carrying light loads around town.

Lovely Bicycle! Samples Our Mixte

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

Dealer Spotlight: Hoopdriver Bikes

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 are difficult to find elsewhere. They carry a number of touring, randonneuring and commuting bicycles. They recently built a number of gorgeous Somas that we want to share with you. Click here to view his Flickr sets of these bikes and others.


Soma Stanyan 58cm with EneCiclo tires 28c tires


Soma Double Cross 54cm with NOS blue Mavic Open Pro rims
and King headset


Soma Buena Vista with Sturmey-Archer 3-speed
hubs, Dia-Compe reverse levers, and VO fenders