Cape To Kapp: Peculiarities

Teresie Hommersand grew up near Stavanger, a city known as the oil capital of Norway. She remembers eating supper every evening off plates with the logo of the national oil and gas company on them. Somehow she became the "green sheep" of the family. She has lived in Uganda, Oregon, and Australia. Learn more about her 13,700 km ride going from South Africa to Norway and her charity crowdfunding campaign on her Facebook page and Instagram.
(This is her fourth journal entry for us)

When traveling in a country different to one's own, certain things one come across might seem peculiar - to say the least. When cycling, because you meet people you most likely otherwise would not meet and travel on roads you otherwise would not find yourself on, one is likely to discover more things that make one scratch one's head, laugh out loud or get chills down the spine...

For instance, the other day a conversation topic turned to names. What do people call their kids in Malawi? I don't find strange names like Gift, Precious, Memory, Admire and the likes, but what I learned is that there's a new trend in what to name kids - namely after new technologies. 

Now, you have kids running around called Machine, Internet,  or Headset! My absolute favorite is Missed Call!! Although Call Me Back comes pretty close too!

Another thing that may to many seem weird or incomprehensible is the level of superstition that exists in some of these countries. I was reminded of it one late evening, sitting on a cement porch, 40km short of the border between Zambia and Malawi.

That afternoon I 'pulled in' at a Maize depot, asking if I could pitch my tent for the night. It was a first for the guys working there, but they said "Yes. Of course!" The security guard that was going to be there that night showed me where to erect my tent and invited me to join him for dinner. 

"No. Thank you." I said.  

He insisted, saying I should save my pasta and can of baked beans for the next day. Even though I really wanted my delicious carbs and protein (mmmm), there was something about this man that made me feel like I could not say no. So, when the sun had set and everything was covered by the dark, I found myself eating nshima and eggs (with a bit of a crunch) on his cement porch in the flickering candlelight. We talked about everything and anything. He told me I had just missed one of the biggest traditional celebrations in the country– a festival where people from all over– the president included– come to see... The Masked Men's Dance. 

"When they put on their masks," my host told me, "they take on a different persona. They become animals."

But this is not the only time these men wear masks he continued. They are part of a group, a group that recruits members in the rural villages. Boys between the age of 12 and 15. They are being taken away for months at a time, schooled in the rules of the group at a remote graveyard. Why? Because the kids that do not graduate end up six feet under. Here they are  introduced to black magic. Seeing men being cut 'bleed' honey and buzzing bees. Putting fellow aspiring graduates in a bag. Tying it and beating it with a stick until it's red. Opening the bag and seeing their friend jump out without a bruise. Certainly no blood. 

There are rules for which roads people are allowed to use. If they find someone on one of the roads that people are not suppose to be travelling on, they will take them  and make them part of the group - that is if you know you're not suppose to be travelling on this road. But what about if you don't know? Like me? When I'm cycling? My host said that these people are both good and bad. Good in the sense that they won't do anything to you, if you are not aware of being on the 'wrong' road. They will even help you along.

It's a secret group. No one is suppose to know who its members are. They do not address each other by name or refer to each other in a way that means that they know who the others are. And here I am sitting alone with this guy, whose telling me all this, only able to see the white in his eyes and his teeth in the weak light from the candle. Then he leans in,  looks me in the eyes  and says "I am one of them". I suspected it all along. There was something about him. 

'You're not suppose to tell meeee!' I jokingly exclaimed. 

Then he laughed and took it back, leaving a bit of uncertainty with regards to the truth... The next day, as I got back on my Soma Saga, he wished me a safe trip... Needless to say, I never saw him again, or any masked men...

Cape to Kapp: Notes from a Very Tired Cyclist

Teresie Hommersand grew up near Stavanger, a city known as the oil capital of Norway. She remembers eating supper every evening off plates with the logo of the national oil and gas company on them. Somehow she became the "green sheep" of the family. She has lived in Uganda, Oregon, and Australia. She currently resides in South Africa.  Learn more about her 13,700 km ride going from South Africa to Norway and her charity crowdfunding campaign on her Facebook page and Instagram.
(This is her third journal entry for us)

Powering through Zambia is rough. It's one hill after the other. Extremely hot. Often windy and always blowing from the front. I was doing 100km each day on my Soma Saga weighing in about 45kg with all my gear. Although physically challenging, it was the kids that got to me...

Typically, I would be coming up a hill, super tired and out of breath. Then the Mzungu (white person) alarm would go off. A kid would spot me and start screaming this word, "my favourite", over and over again from the top of his or her lungs - letting everyone in the whole village know who had just arrived. Kids would then come running from all sides, some sounding like they were having a fit when they saw me, joining the --by this point-- horde of kids screaming on repeat: 'HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU?' It doesn't matter if you say "Hi", wave or ignore them. They keep going, each one wanting your attention. Runnning after you, sometimes holding on to your bike. While this is all happening, you also have to mind the traffic. Trucks weighing tons shoot past you, expecting you to get off the road, threatening to flatten you if you do not. Under these circumstances, I found it very difficult to take my hand off the handlebar and wave and give someone a heartfelt smile. I felt like an object. An amusement. A circus animal. For the first time since I started cycling, I felt lonely.

"again have I been reminded of the importance of connecting with people in order to be happy"

Notes from a not so tired cyclist:

When you are as exhausted as above, everything looks different. In the moment, you don't have enough energy to remind yourself that this attention is not coming from a bad place. They are kids. They are curious. They see you as something positive. Funny how you end up cursing them and even wanting to shout 'shut the fuck up!'. Sometimes I did. Silently. I've heard of other cyclists' various methods for how to deal with this. My favourite is perhaps one guy that pretended to be retarded. I laughed until I cried when he demonstrated it for me, visualizing how the kids got a fright and ran in all possible directions to get away. It might not be politically correct, but if you are desperate...?

I don't want to give Zambia a bad rep. I am positive that if you take the time to get to know the people and not just power through, you will have amazing experiences! For me Zambia is one of two countries in Africa that I am choosing not to spend much time in, in an attempt to find the right balance between enjoying what is along the way and making decent distance on the saddle. I learned quite a lot about myself from this whole experience, and again have I been reminded of the importance of connecting with people in order to be happy. This time, it was learned the hard way;-)

Cape to Kapp: My Savior on the Salt Flats

Teresie Hommersand grew up near Stavanger, a city known as the oil capital of Norway. She remembers eating supper every evening off plates with the logo of the national oil and gas company on them. Somehow she became the "green sheep" of the family. She has lived in Uganda, Oregon, and Australia. She currently resides in South Africa. We did not sponsor her the Soma Saga DC she is riding, but will be donating to the charities she is trying to bring awareness to. Learn more about her 13,700 km ride going from South Africa to Norway and her charity crowdfunding campaign on her Facebook page and Instagram.

I am so sad!! I don't have any pictures or videos of Morekisi, my saviour from the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana - one of the world's largest salt pans [salt flats].

On day one of crossing the pans on my Soma Saga, I broke rule #1: Always carry enough water!! I thought I was in the clear. By my estimation, I would have enough from the last village to the first veterinary gate on the pan. Pierre 'The Pan Rat' and I had agreed that he would drop water for me there. However, when I got to the edge of the pans I had two mouthfuls of water left and no certainty with regards to how far it was to my next 'watering hole'. It was five in the afternoon. The sun would set in an hour. There were dozens of tracks leading onto the pan in all directions. Do I choose the one that seems to be the most travelled? I could be just 30 minutes away from water. But if I'm not, I might get stuck out on the pan with no water overnight. I assumed the likelihood of the next day encountering one of the about five vehicles that daily cross the pans is greater at the edge than out on the pans. If I didn't meet anyone, I could always cycle and push the 43 kg bicycle back across the sandy tracks to the village - although not very tempting. I decided to stay put. My life wasn't immediately threatened– it was just gonna be a very uncomfortable night and possibly following day, with no water and little food. My pasta doesn't cook in dry air.

Just as I was considering what the most strategic place for my tent would be with regards to attracting possible 'four wheeled' travellers passing by, I saw movement on the horizon. Is that a person? ..... ? ..... it looks like it..... ! 

"Hello!!!" I shouted, waved my arms above my head and rang my bicycle bell for the first time on the trip. 

Yes! I think he or she heard me! I started walking towards the silhouette that now seemed to have changed direction and was now heading towards me. We were getting closer to each other. Hi!! Hello! Am I happy to see you!! :-D

And there, I had met Morekisi, a 17 year old boy living alone out on his family's cattle post, looking after his parents farm while the rest of his family was living in town. This is not at all uncommon in Botswana. In this dry, salty, and seemingly inhospitable area he was taking care of cattle, goats, chickens, and now me. The first thing we did after we got to his compound, his clay and straw hut, was to walk to the borehole with a large empty bucket each. On way there, he showed me a snake he had killed the day before and hung up in a tree – a warning to other snakes! On the way back we had to take breaks carrying the heavy buckets of water, quietly admiring the setting sun. A huge, glowing red ball in-between the trees. I was so happy.

The water made me a little unwell. If you're not used to the salt levels in the water out here that can happen. It was anyway better than no water! And how could I not have a good time cooking on the bonfire, under the stars, talking with Morekisi and listening to local tunes that came from the solar powered radio in the neighbouring clay hut, all in the middle of nowhere. We really connected, Morekisi and I. We both just laughed and smiled around the fire the whole evening. He taught me Tswana. Metsi = Water. Mathata = Problem. We both agreed we liked dancing 'too much'. Both of us just kept on putting more wood on the fire, not wanting to go to bed.

The next day, he took me back to the edge of the pans, showed me the tracks to the veterinary gate, and we said our goodbyes. There, at the beginning of the salt pans, where the vastness that lays before you fills you with awe, respect and excitement. I'll never see him again, but I really hope he will always know how special our meeting was for me. Although I'm cycling alone, this trip is all about the people I meet. And now I'm all teary.

New Soma Saga Framsets and Classic Curve Forks

We've been sold out of Saga framesets for a while, but I'm happy to announce that the first batch of 2015 Sagas has arrived!

Pictured with this frameset are the new Suzue aftermarket touring wheels. These are the same wheels we use with the Saga Complete bikes, and feature sealed bearing high flange hubs and polished, eyeleted rims. 700c disc, 700c road and 650b road options are also in stock as of this posting.

The only major change we've made this years was to include our V2 Classic Curve forks in matching british racing green. These are now standard with all Saga Framesets.

The other dimensions, and braze ons remain the same as previous years.

If you can't tell from the logo, these tires are the new Soma Cazadero Mixed Terrain tires. We have both 700c and 650b options in black or skinwall in stock now.

The Classic Curve forks are similar to our new Champs Elysees forks, however they feature the same amount of offset as the original Saga forks, so the handling will not be affected by this change.

For those waiting on the next run of complete bikes, we expect them to arrive in late October.

We also have some new Classic Curve Canti aftermarket forks that just arrived. These feature the mini rack eyelets we've been adding to many of our other fork models.

For the first time we're also offering the Classic Curve in a black version. This will look really good with the New Albion Privateers, as well as many other bikes that are out there.

 These will all be available via the Soma Store soon, but if you can't wait just call your local Soma Dealer and ask them to place a special order with our distributor in SF.

Tanaka Decaleur and Ostrich F-104N Handlebar Bag

As a followup to our recent post about the Champs Elysees mini racks, I though I would make a post to show how it can actually be used.

Here you see the Saga complete bike equipped with the Ostrich F-104N handlebar bag, a smaller version of their best selling randonneur bag. These are slightly narrower which is ideal for bikes with higher trail geometry.

The bag can either be attached directly to the bars using the included leather straps or to a decaleur as pictured.

 When mounting the bag directly to the bars or to a stem mounted decaleur you need to make sure the bars are set at the proper height so that the bag sits low enough to be supported by the rack platform. For larger bikes you'll need a taller bag to make this work.

The Tanaka Decaleur pictured here allows for vertical adjustment to fit different size head tubes and bags. By rotating the cylinder back as pictured, you can increase the tension on the bracket pins to keep the bag from jumping up when riding over unpaved or poorly maintained roads. When the bag is lifted off the rack the tension is released and the bracket slides smoothly free of the cylinder.

For more technical offroad riding it's wise to strap the bag to the decaleur and the rack.

The Ostrich bags include a nylon quick release strap and an additional leather strap like the ones for the handlebars. I recommend using the quick release around the bracket and the leather around the rack tombstone. The bag can also be mounted on the bottom, but mounting it to the tombstone works better to prevent the bag from bouncing when the bag is empty or lightly loaded.

An issue I've encounter with some steerer tube mounted decaleurs is that they have a tendency to get pulled to the side by the weight of the bag. The Tanaka Decaleur addresses this by using a locking headset spacer to clamp it in place. The design is based on a seatpost clamp, so it's very secure.

They can also be mounted to bikes with 1" thread less steer tubes or quill stems using the appropriate width shims.

The 104N comes pre drilled for a decaleur bracket, but the Tanaka Decaleurs also allow the bag to be attached to the bracket with the handlebar straps for added security. The Ostrich bags have an internal metal brace which the straps loop around.

We've tried these decaleurs with a few different bags including the Swift Industries Randonneur bags, and we've been very satisfied with their performance. As with all racks, it's important to check that all mounting hardware is tight before every ride. Installing the mounting screws using blue thread locker is a good policy. Also remember not to over load your handlebar bag to avoid wheel flop at slow speeds. Handlebar bags should always be secured either to the handlebars or a decaleur in addition to the rack. For heavy loads a Pourteur style rack such as the Soma or Gamoh models will be more stable, and distribute the weight across a larger platform. Another excellent option is the Wald 257GB basket rack which can be mounted to the handlebars and axles of most bikes.

Soma Champs Elysees Mini Racks

Many of you probably haven't seen these yet. It's a smaller version of the classic stainless front rack we introduced last year, designed to support a handlebar bag or small basket.

They mount to standard Nitto style eyelets, which come on a number of models from Rivendell, Rawland, Soma and many Japanese bicycles. P-clamps are also included for forks without braze-ons.

The platform angle is adjustable so you can keep it level on bikes with different head tube angles. There are various mounting points for a flashlight or dynamo headlight.

With many Dynamo lights it is necessary to orient the light upright so that the beam pattern is not distorted. For optimal positioning the light should be mounted in front of the bag/tire to avoid casting a shadow on the road.

This can be achieved a number of different ways, either by attaching the light bracket to the forward fender mount, with a M.A.P. fender bracket, or a Soma Wingmann mounted to either side. A disc brake spacer can be used to keep the fender blade in line with the tire when mounting directly to the forward tip.

If your fork only has eyelets at the dropouts, or you want to carry heavier loads, the full size Champs Elysees racks are another good option.

For those of you who've been waiting for news about the 65mm offset forks, they are now in production. We expect to receive the first batch in the next couple months.

(the production forks have a slightly larger bend radius)

2014 Frame News: Soma Saga Disc Touring

Our heavy duty touring frame finally gets the disc treatment. It took a little longer than we anticipated, but we didn't want to rush things "just to get it out there." Some folks think that a touring frame should be easier to design since it isn't built for competition, off-road use, or features fancy lugwork, but that just isn't true. Each frame project presents its own design challenges.

Photos are of the second prototype. The fork and chainstays have been redesigned. The dropouts are totally new and they have proved pretty stiff.

We expect the first batch to be ready mid-March 2014. Geometry is same as the current Saga. (The cantilever brake model Saga remains unchanged from 2013.)

2012 Saga

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 to be a heavier duty option for loaded touring, but it's so much more than that. You can build it up as a comfy rain bike with upright drop bars and fenders. Some light wheels make it feel pretty zippy. You can do Moustache bars and knobbies and have yourself a primo gravel masher. Pop a Soma Porteur rack on the front and Soma Oxford bars and you've got a solid urban utility bike. You can even trick it out with Honjo Fenders and a Nitto Randonneur bars, Guidonnet levers and knobs and a Nitto M12 rack and have yourself a pretty darn nifty bike for long day rides and brevets. So the question you have to ask yourself is why don’t you have one of these? Well I don’t have a good answer for you.

Saga of Two Sagas

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 10,000k trek though Mongolia, Russia and China. While in Litang in Southern China, she heard someone behind her speaking good English "You have my bike!" She reported on her Facebook page she ran into someone riding another Soma Saga bicycle. We didn't know who the gentleman was until a few weeks later. While they were riding in Sichuan many homes were still running on generators after the devastating earthquake a few years back. So instead of imposing on folks to juice up her laptop and phone, she opted to lose contact her friends for about 10 days. This concerned her boyfriend so much that he contacted us to see if we knew who she might have ran into. Of course we had no idea. We find out later that the guy on the other Saga was Brandon, who is from SF and had purchased from Pedal Revolution the original Saga prototype . OMG, right? The last (and first) time we had heard from him was in October when he sent us a photo from Guatemala.

The two are both making their way to Kashgar in the Xinjiang province way out in the western-most part of China. For you movie buffs, Kashgar was where the Kite Runner was filmed.

Eleanor is doing this ride for fun but also for charity. Learn more about what she is riding for here.