Jamis Aurora vs. Aurora Elite vs. Something Else

[xeney]

Rather than keep piggybacking on old threads I am going to start a new one and you smart people can help me out. I'm getting a new bike (as a reward to myself for having a baby, running a law practice from home without any childcare, going running every morning after the baby wakes up even though I am not managing to lose any weight and thus have no positive feedback coming my way whatsoever, and not killing anybody), and I have very specific wants and needs. I think the Jamis Aurora is the bike I want, but my husband has doubts so I am going to tell you what I want it for and get your feedback. How's that?

This bike is for pulling a baby trailer, first of all. My mother's group is starting a cycling club for moms and babies, and we'll be riding mostly on a paved trail near my house, but I would like to be able to use a dirt/gravel trail as a short cut to get to the paved trail. A couple of the other moms use cyclocross bikes for pulling their trailers because they like to go on dirt as well as pavement, and that seems pretty brilliant to me.

I live a couple of blocks from both paved and dirt/gravel bike trails so a bike that can handle both would be dandy. (I have a mountain bike but I really hate to ride it on pavement. None of my road bikes are suitable for dirt.) The dirt trail is mostly hard packed dirt but there are spots with fairly chunky gravel -- it's fine on a mountain bike but I'm not sure how it will work with the Aurora ... my husband thinks the Aurora Elite might be a better choice for that.

Ideally, what I would like is a road bike with relaxed geometry (so I can easily look around and keep an eye on Penelope), speedy enough to be fun on pavement, able to take wider knobbier tires, with reasonably low gearing for towing a trailer up and down levees, but I'm not looking at any serious hills. Preferably steel because I think that will be a lot more comfortable than aluminum. The Elite has a carbon fork which my husband is pushing me towards. If I get the Aurora I may upgrade the components a bit so the price difference might narrow a bit anyway.

I can test ride any Jamis but both the Aurora and the Aurora Elite will have to be special ordered so I probably want to have a good idea and choose the one I want before I order. (It's a small bike shop and I'm not going to make them order both for me if I can help it.) Has anyone test ridden both? Any thoughts on which is better suited for my needs? I gather the Elite is a rebadged Nova, a cyclocross bike, and has different geometry than the Aurora -- higher bottom bracket, shorter chainstays.

Help! I haven't shopped for a new bike in ages and I forget how to do it. (And I can't just go ride lots of bikes because this is a type of bike that shops rarely have in stock.)

[redrhodie]

I don't know about those bikes, but I'm here to give you some positive feedback anyway!

It sounds like you're doing an amazing job. I don't have children, but I've watched some close friends have them, and I see how hard it is. That you're finding time to run a business without any help with the baby, well, I'm in awe! One of my best friends runs her business from home, has a full time nanny, a husband who does a lot of the paperwork, a mother who comes a few times per week to help, and she couldn't make it to the gym for the first year! And, no, she's not lazy. She has boundless energy so I know if she can't find time, there's NO TIME.

Buy your bike, have fun riding, and try to enjoy yourself. Your body has been through huge changes, and will eventually bounce back.

You rock!

[Blueberry]

Wow!! You're amazing:)

I don't know much about the Jamis bikes, but 2 of mine would do what you're looking for. I have a Trek 520 (touring) and a Surly Cross Check. Both are steel, and both can be built with pretty low gearing. I rode the Cross Check in the MS 150 last year with skinny tires, and have ridden lots of gravel with wider tires on it. The Trek 520 went over lots of gravel (road construction) with me yesterday. The 520 has a lower bottom bracket and is longer (better for rear panniers) - the Surly is more nimble.

Our LBS manager has a 20+ mile each way bike commute. He rides an Aurora with cross tires. He LOVES it (completely de-constructs and frame savers every 6 months). He says he plans to keep it forever - I believe him!!

Good luck!!

[xeney]

Aw, thanks, you guys!

The Cross Check is also on my list and I am only knocking it down a peg for a very superficial reason ... I suspect my husband is going to buy one in the next year, and then we'd have matching bikes, and man, that's geeky. :rolleyes: I really like that Trek -- I've seen it before -- and may try to find one to test ride.

I probably will not need the knobby tires for another year or so ... we just took her out with our mountain bikes, and the gravel/dirt is way too bumpy for her right now. We'll stick with the pavement until she's a little bigger. But I still want a bike that can do both types of surfaces.

[KnottedYet]

I test rode the Jamis Aurora and the Surly Cross Check.

Loved them both and came *this* close to buying the Aurora... but then Surly came out with the "complete" CC (complete bike, instead of just the frame) and suddenly at the LBS the price of the Surly was nearly the same as the Aurora (instead of 2x the price for the Surly build my shop did)

If your DH gets a Surly, too, you could buy different colors? How about a Long Haul Trucker? Or a Salsa Casaroll? (also steel)

[xeney]

Actually I am pretty set on the Aurora as the best of these options for me, after checking sizes and geometry on all the bikes I considered. Touring style bikes have such long top tubes that I am really worried about finding one that fits, and the smaller sized Auroras are much closer to what I think will fit me than any of the options I looked at: Surly, Soma, Salsa, Trek, Bianchi.

I'm going to talk to the bike shop today and see what they think, but I suspect that I will wind up ordering an Aurora that feels a bit small for me because I really want the reach on this bike to be comfortable and I do not want to go the super-short stem route again. Part of the reason I'm not thrilled about hauling a trailer with my road bike is that the short stem plus a trailer makes for really twitchy handling.

I will report back.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Have you consulted with TE member Elk? She has an Aurora. There are a couple of others too, but I know she has one.

[Running Mommy]

And he was pleased as punch! In fact he came back to report in that she was a smooth ride. He did a multi day ride on her, and said he was the most comfortable he's been in awhile.
So only thrid hand experience, but experience nonetheless..:)

[xeney]

Thanks, Running Mommy, that's the closest I've come to a real-life review of the Elite! I guess I should look for reviews of the old Nova.

Lisa, yes, I posted on elk's thread before I started this one.

[tulip]

xeney, you sound like an amazing person! Really! I run my own business from home, but I don't have kids. I also don't make it outside every day!

I really, really like Jamis bikes. I don't have an Aurora, but I it's on my short list for when the time comes to get a touring/cross bike. The Surly Crosscheck is also on that list. I have a Jamis Coda Comp. It's a flat-bar road bike with 700x28c tires. It was my commuting monster when I had "a real job."

I love the Jamis frames. I compare mine the suppleness of butter. I think they are very high quality at a reasonable price. I've never had any problem with mine. I now use it as an urban commuting bike.

Please let us know what you get and how you like it! Good for you for taking care of yourself even with your busy, busy life!

[KnottedYet]

That was my first impression of the Jamis Aurora, too! "Butter"! Just smooth and wonderful, and a delight!

I rode to the LBS on my aluminum bike, then test-rode the Aurora over the exact same route, and the difference was just amazing.

Smooth smooth bike.

[xeney]

I'm still having some trouble working out the fit on these bikes, and I'm starting to get depressed all over again. The Elite has the higher bottom bracket, and so does the Cross Check, but the Aurora does not, as far as I can tell. I know that affects sizing because the length of the seat tube will seem shorter than it is on a road bike, but it doesn't seem like it would change the actual distance my butt needs to be from the pedal to give me a decent pedal stroke.

I have a hard time working out in my head how the seat tube angle factors in, and I really wish I could just test a bunch of these bikes. On a road bike, a top tube length greater than 525 is really hard for me to manage, at least without using a really short stem, which I do not want to do on this bike. (That's a dealbreaker.) But I have longish legs ... on my 53cm road bike I have a very tall seat post with a lot of setback. So I am worried about going with, for instance, the 50cm Aurora, because the effective top tube length is 535 (too long for me, most likely) and I'm not sure it's going to be tall enough for me without pushing me even further back (with a setback seat post). The seat tube angle is 74, as opposed to 75 on my road bike, and I gather that buys me about another centimeter. But that doesn't seem like enough.

The 47cm Aurora has an effective top tube length of 513, which I think is probably too short, and I think overall that bike is going to be too small for me.

The 49cm Elite might be better ... it has different geometry, with a 74.5 degree seat tube angle, and the effective top tube length is 525. The standover height is about three inches higher than the 50cm Aurora and closer to what I think of as my size. (I know standover doesn't mean much, but it's at least a ballpark on the sizing.)

Arrrgh. I think this is just going down the same path that I went down with my road bike and I am not going to get a good fit. This is why I ride mixtes. My husband is now suggesting that we just put gears back on one of my mixtes and say to hell with modern bikes, and I think I am going to agree with him.

[tulip]

All those numbers make my eyes blurry. Which one feels comfortable to ride? Go with that, not the numbers (IMO, some will definitely disagree).

Nothing wrong with the mixtes if they work for you! Ride what's comfortable, not what the numbers tell you should be comfortable. Sometimes they don't match.

[xeney]

As I said, the problem is that I can't just test them all out because bike shops tend to not have them in stock, or at best, have only one size in stock.

I would really prefer modern componetry if possible. I love my single speeds but I need gears to pull the trailer and am not excited about non-indexed shifting.

[cosc]

Xeney, I've been encountering all your sizing problems and no inventory to test problems too. I've been interested in testing a aurora, but the closest shop that carries them are very far away. He says he has the bike but hasn't had time to put the bike together after a month.:( No wonder tour-style bike aren't popular because the bike shops don't carry those models.

I am taller than you, but do have the long leg-short torso fit problems. I test rode a specialized tri cross that fit my poportions better than most. It has a shorter top tube than the full touring bikes. The down-side it is an aluminum bike so might not be as comfy as steel. I've seen 07 sport models being sold for $700-800. You might want to check out the geomentry.

I wish you much luck in getting just the right bike.

[xeney]

Cosc, I just read your thread and it depressed me! I'm sorry you haven't found your bike, either. I noticed you were going to ride the Bleriot ... I considered that one but the top tubes are really long, which seems to be true of all the Rivendells except for the mixte.

Since my daughter hates the trailer anyway I've decided not to join the cycling club for now. I don't want to try to keep up on mountain bike and I'm too annoyed to think any more about road bikes. I mostly stopped riding my road bike two years ago because it's just not comfortable, and I'm thinking I'm just going to sell it and forget about road cycling.

[tulip]

Xeney, I hate to see you throw the baby out with the bathwater, as they say.

You probably have already called all the shops in your area, but Bicycle Chef looks good. They have women's stuff and they also carry Terry bikes. Have you looked at Terry bikes? Very woman-friendly geometry-wise.

http://www.bicyclechef.com/products.html

And Davis is so bike friendly, there must be a shop that can help you out. Here's a listing:

http://daviswiki.org/Bicycle_Shops

Best of luck.
-tulip

[xeney]

Bicycle Chef is my bike shop. They only stock Terrys in small sizes, and they don't have any of the steel ones, and I've talked to the owner about them before (he's a friend) and he doesn't think a Terry will fit me.

I'm going to go talk to him about the Aurora but I really do not think it is going to work for me. At best I think it will be similar to the road bike I already have that doesn't fit me.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Xeney, have you mentioned your price range yet?

And yes, if you are having issues with too-long toptubes, I would not recommend Rivendells for you.
You would probably do best with a WSD bike or a custom made frame.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Bicycle Chef is my bike shop. They only stock Terrys in small sizes, and they don't have any of the steel ones, and I've talked to the owner about them before (he's a friend) and he doesn't think a Terry will fit me.

Why wouldn't it fit you?

And- if they are a Terry dealer, why couldn't they order you any steel Terry in any size you want? Do they only sell bikes that they already have in the store?

[xeney]

No, of course he could order me one and would if I asked him to. But he thinks I would find a Terry too cramped ... when we talked about this before, he thought I was in the middle, not short-torsoed/armed enough for a Terry but with proportions that make a standard road bike not comfortable for me.

And a touring style bike is, obviously, going to be significantly less comfortable. It was a little dumb of me to get excited about something that is so obviously not going to be a good fit.

[GLC1968]

Xeney -

I think you should try a Terry. I know that they have shorter top tubes and that often equates with a 'cramped' feeling...but it's more than that. I ride a 19' Isis and while I'm not typical, I was able to make it work.

Unlike the typical woman, I actually have short legs and a long torso, but I also have short arms. If I were taller overall, I could probably make *some* men's bikes fit (they just don't make enough of them in 48cm or smaller). My first bike was a 49cm Fuji and it just wasn't right. My second bike was a 44cm Specialized Dolce (WSD) and it wasn't right either. My third (and final, until I can afford custom) is the Terry. I picked the frame size that was the closest and then went from there. For me, I have to use certain saddles and a zero-set back seat post to get the saddle close enough for proper leg alignment. Obvsiously someone with more average length legs wouldn't have to do this. Then I had to put a longer stem on to compensate. Lastly, because of the shape and angle of my pelvis, I needed a slacker STA that I was finding on any other WSD bike in my size range. I think that it's the good design overall of the Terry frame that allowed me to dial-in what I needed.

I am not a long leg/short torso woman...but I did find comfort on a Terry frame. It might be worth a shot for you. They really are like no other frame out there and you never know! I would suggest trying to get set up on whatever frame your LBS caries and if it works, then ordering a steel one if that's what you want. The Isis geometry is the same on both frame materials.

[dex]

Have you looked into the Soma Smoothie ES at all? Soma describes it as a "less aggressive road sport geometry", but the stuff that made me think of it for what you describe included: steel frame, choice of steel or carbon fork, rack and fender mounts, and it will fit up to 32c tire with fenders. And because it's not specifically a cross or touring bike, it seems to have a wider selection of sizes to choose from.

Here's the description from the Soma site:
http://somafab.com/extrasmoothie.html

And here's the geometry charts: (the page is kind of a mess, you'll have to scroll down the page to find the right model)
http://somafab.com/geometry03.html

There's also a page that lists their dealers, and it looks like they have several in Sacramento (and a big bunch around the Bay Area, in general).
http://somafab.com/somadealersca.html

I've actually been thinking about getting one of these frames and a steel fork to build up into commuter/light tourer, but don't tell my road bike. She's demanding new wheels before I do anything else with my bike budget. :rolleyes::)

[KnottedYet]

Somas are lovely. I was yearning for their DoubleCross (the equivalent of a Surly Cross Check, in fact Surly copies Soma according to my LBS #2).

[xeney]

Ohhh. I did look at Soma, but only the Doublecross, which does not come in a size that will work for me. The Smoothie ES in a 50 cm would fit me, I bet. My husband is dying to build me a bike (he just did a frame-up build of his latest road bike) and wanted me to look at Soma in particular. I am going to have him look at this and see what he thinks.

Thank you, dex!

[tulip]

And a touring style bike is, obviously, going to be significantly less comfortable.

I don't understand why you say this. Can you explain so that we can help you?

[xeney]

Because they tend to have longer top tubes, and reach is my primary comfort issue on a road bike.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Because they tend to have longer top tubes, and reach is my primary comfort issue on a road bike.

I second the recommendation to test ride a Terry. Don't rule it out just because one person says they don't think it will fit you right. If you are having issues at ALL with too-long top tubes you should definitely try out a Terry.

[xeney]

I can't afford a Terry.

I think we are going with the Soma frame ... the main advantage to it is just that it comes in more sizes ... a lot of these bikes have a big gap in sizes at the lower end, and the 50cm Soma is a size that is just not available in other models. Thank you everybody for your help, and I will let you know how it works out.

[dex]

If the Soma works out for you, be sure to come back and tell us ALL about it. :D

I'm about to go fondle the Smoothie ES frame again...but I'll only order my new wheels for now. (Or at least that's what I'm going to tell myself on the way over to the shop...)

[xeney]

Okay, we are now getting very excited about this (I even love the cobalt blue color, and I'd kind of given up on loving the color of a bike that would fit me) and the big discussion now is whether to build it up with Campy Veloce/Centaur (stealing the triple from either my road bike or my husband's, since they don't make them anymore, and maybe putting a compact double on one of the old bikes) or doing a more standard touring setup with bar end shifters and a Deore rear. (I guess that decision means I'm deciding whether this will replace my road bike, or be in addition to it.)

I'm excited. These are good choices to have. And building a bike from scratch is so much more fun than buying a whole one. This will be the third bike we've built for me, but the other two were single speeds so this is much more complicated. And fun.

[KnottedYet]

Hooray!
Yay, Dex, for finding the Smoothie ES!

That colbalt blue is just gorgeous.... oh, my! http://www.somafab.com/extrasmoothiepix.html

[xeney]

She is ordered.

I went with the steel fork, I'm not sure if I will regret that or not. The bike shop can still get me a Campy triple so I am a happy, happy girl. It should be here in a week and then we'll start putting it together.

I'm going to have the shop build it for me instead of my husband ... he has done a great job for me on both of the builds he's done, but he will be starting a new job soon and we both feel a little guilty about all the free advice and parts the shop has given us, when we've only bought one bike from them. So I'm going to pay them to build this one and he can keep working on his own Bianchi build.

[KnottedYet]

Hoooray! How exciting! (we want pics as soon as possible, of course!)

[xeney]

Well, my frame that was supposed to arrive in about a week is still not here, and now I've found out that Soma is coming out with a mixte frame. So I am now having buyer's remorse because that is what I want: a real modern mixte designed to be a road bike, not a cruiser, built up with Campy and reasonably wide tires. That is my dream bike!

My husband suggested we go ahead and build up the Smoothie ES and then we can do a component swap once the Soma mixte is out, assuming it comes in my size, and I can sell the Smoothie frame. (I've already paid for the Smoothie.)

[sbctwin]

... and now I've found out that Soma is coming out with a mixte frame. So I am now having buyer's remorse because that is what I want: a real modern mixte designed to be a road bike...

I heard about the Soma mixte yesterday and was trying to find out more info. I am looking for a steel commuter bike and at 4'10", the mixte really sounds appealing. I just wish I knew how long before it comes out and what it will cost...

[KnottedYet]

BIAK said something about the Soma mixte, I think he said it was about 2 years out.

[sgtiger]

Here's a link to the blog on Soma about the mixte:
http://somafab.blogspot.com/2008/04/soma-mixte-frame.html

[KnottedYet]

I waaaaaant one!

When they say "first production" do they mean first ones they'll be selling, or first prototype?

3 or 4 months is muuuuch sooner than 2 years! Cool! (where did I get 2 years stuck in my head?)

Ooooh, I want one....

[xeney]

I'm going to write to them and ask.

Unless this frame is dramatically more expensive than any other Soma frame (and maybe even then), or unless the sizing turns out to be really odd, I will buy this frame as soon as I can get my hands on one. If it's going to be available in a few months I'll probably skip the Smoothie ES build. If I'm looking at a year or longer, I'll build up the Smoothie ES and plan on a component swap later.

Now I am really excited!

[elk]

Oh...no Aurora...:(
But hey...who'd argue with a Soma!!!?? It's a great looking bike!!!

I think Waterford makes a mixte too....I'll go look

[KnottedYet]

Waterford Diva:

http://www.waterfordbikes.com/site/designs/diva_photos.php

Nice bike, but not a mixte. (doesn't have 3 stays)

Phooey.

[madscot13]

yeah I'm not sure if hte soma smoothie es would fit me or not. it looks pretty promising as a frame though. I wonder how they measure standover. I wonder how I grow more...

[xeney]

My frame came in on Friday but the bike shop was too busy yesterday so we'll go back this week. I have huge buyer's remorse but I'm going to give it a try.

[KnottedYet]

Xeney, did you hear back from Soma? Did they say when the mixte would be out?

Please don't have remorse, that Smoothie frame is beautiful! It will be a gorgeous bike!

[elk]

Can you have buyers remorse if it's not in your hands yet...or are you anticipating???

[xeney]

I haven't heard anything from Soma. The buyer's remorse is because I'm skeptical that it is going to fit me.

[xeney]

Well, I've seen my frame. Wow, is it gorgeous. The pictures do not do the paint justice. I also got to see the same one built up, only that one had the matching fork, and I had to go with a black fork. Pretty, pretty.

Unfortunately, after a week of trying to pin the bike shop guys down on building it up, I am concluding that they have no interest in building this bike for me. (It took three visits before anyone could actually find the frame after they called to tell me it was in.) I think I'm just going to bring home the frame and fork and have my husband build it up for me. The only drawback to that is that it is so much easier to tweak the fit in a bike shop where they can easily swap stems and seatposts, etc., but I can't get anyone to talk to me about components or anything, and I've been in there four times now. So if they don't want my money, we'll just build it at home and I will take advantage of all of my husband's extra Campy parts from his latest build. Free stuff is my favorite, anyway.

[TxDoc]

Hi Xeney,
have you tried the Bianchi Axis?

ooops, I just realized that you already bought a bike... I guess I am still sleepy and only read the first page of the thread!
;)
Good luck, hope you are having fun with your new purchase!

[VeloVT]

Xeney, how frustrating. If I were in your place, I would grab somebody with authority -- the owner or manager, and let them know that I was not pleased with the service I was getting. I do think it's possible to do this without being a jerk and without "burning your bridges." You dropped a chunk of change at their establishment with the understanding that you would have a bike in a reasonable amount of time, and they need to follow through.

[xeney]

Well, it's the shop owner I've been dealing with. I'm not sure what to do but I think I'm just going to bring the frame and fork home. My husband can do almost everything to build it up ... he'd rather not cut the steerer and he doesn't have the tools to install a headset, but he can do everything else. I'm bummed about the experience because I was hoping to get somebody to work with me on the fit, but I'm now 0 for 2 on local bike shops and I am starting to think that the LBS as font of all bike knowledge is a big myth.

I have already paid about a 25 percent premium over what I would have paid to just buy it directly from Soma. I think I'm done paying the bike shop premium when I'm getting nothing back in return.

[xeney]

An update: we went in to pick up the frame, and it's dented pretty badly. There are no paint chips and it really looks like the frame was dented before it was painted, which is really a bummer because otherwise it's gorgeous. The shop is going to try to get me a new one, and they are also trying to locate the components I want. Not sure if they will build it up or my husband will, but at least we've made some progress. At this point, though, I may just be getting my deposit back because they aren't sure their Soma source has another frame in my size.

[Blueberry]

xeney-

that sucks:( I hope everything works out - sounds like you weren't 100% sure on the bike, so maybe it's the the best. Maybe the mixte will fit you after all:)

CA

[xeney]

They are only making 60 of those mixtes so I am not counting on being able to get one.

Still waiting to hear about the frame. The shop called the supplier and as of Wednesday had not gotten a response. I put down a $200 deposit but I am ready to just walk away, I am so sick of this.

[mimitabby]

geez, what an absolute drag!!!

If you're only into this 200 dollars, why don't you just deal with Soma yourself? You might actually end up with a bike that way, you know?

[xeney]

I will definitely do that if I decide to try to get one of the mixtes. I was trying to give the LBS some business but it has been nothing but a pain in the butt ... I always feel guilty when we circumvent the LBS to buy direct, buy from eBay, etc., but I think I am officially over that guilt.

[elk]

I would imagine that SOma would not be happy about this either....I'd contact them.

But first!!! Ask for your deposit back....you have every right to, given the way this is unfolding. You've shown good faith...what's their end???

[xeney]

Given the way the dent was painted over, I think the original quality control problem lies with Soma, unfortunately. In any event, I went by the bike shop yesterday and a replacement frame is on its way.

I really hope it fits ... I am having doubts once again, because this weekend we measured the effective top tube on my Puch mixte (which fits me beautifully) and it's about a centimeter longer than the ETT on my Bianchi (which is too reachy). I have a 10cm stem on the Puch, and a 5cm stem on the Bianchi! So the overall geometry of the bike matters a lot, and this is just a crap shoot at the moment. I don't think the seat tube angle is any different on the Soma than it is on the Bianchi, though, as I recall, so the smaller size may be fine. We'll see. If not, eBay here I come. (Unless someone here is on the fence about a 50 cm Smoothie ES! I will give you guys first crack if it does not fit.)

[KnottedYet]

I got email from Soma, there is no waiting list on the Buena Vista mixtes.:(

Buy from their website or order through your LBS, first come/first served.

(maybe that will keep me from ordering one and building bike number FIVE, when really I should just be riding the bikes I have and leaving my wallet locked in a safe somewhere! :eek:)

[JohnHemlock]

i'd like to build one for my wife if you unload the frame but she might need a 48cm.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

(maybe that will keep me from ordering one and building bike number FIVE, when really I should just be riding the bikes I have and leaving my wallet locked in a safe somewhere! :eek:)

Remember the other thread where I decided that once you hit more than 5 bikes it falls into the addition category and calls for intervention..... :cool:

[xeney]

Knotted, I have five bikes that are actually rideable (a road bike, a trainer bike, a grocery-getter mixte, a go-fast single speed mixte, and a mountain bike), plus some old beaters and of course this new frame. So you are fine in my book.

I think I will try to order the mixte direct from Soma because the LBS route was ridiculous. In fact they told me not to bother trying to order through them, to take my chances with Soma. I am subscribed to the Soma blog so hopefully they'll post there when the Buena Vista is released. I probably won't be able to jump fast enough, but I really want that bike and I'm going to try.

[uforgot]

Remember the other thread where I decided that once you hit more than 5 bikes it falls into the addition category and calls for intervention..... :cool:


Pretty good Lisa! It falls into the addition category. I know you just forgot the c, but it's good enough for me. I'm going back to craigslist again. It's just another addition, no bid deal, Lisa said so!:D

I teach math and I know that addition does not require intervention. Man, I can justify anything!

[xeney]

AND it took a month to determine that they don't have another 50cm in the blue, just the silver, so screw it. This bike is not meant to be. I canceled the sale.

I cannot believe that after all this I still don't have a bike.

[Blueberry]

Did they at least give you your deposit back?? That sucks:(

[tulip]

Too bad! Time to revisit the Jamis option? They are fantastic bikes (but not mixte to my knowledge).

[xeney]

I will probably apply the deposit to a set of wheels, or to having some work done on my single speed mixte.

Soma is sold out of the frame in that size/color, as well. If I hadn't had doubts I'd just go with the silver -- obviously color is the least important issue -- but at this point I don't want to wait another month to get a frame that isn't even the one I wanted.

The Aurora doesn't come in my size so I am not going that route. I'm back to square one and probably just dropping the issue for now. I kind of hate my road bike but I can pull the baby trailer with it. (I tried pulling it with my much more comfortable single speed, but the gearing is too high and I was worn out after a couple of miles.)

[elk]

http://cgi.ebay.com/austro-daimler-womans-bicycle-good-condition_W0QQitemZ130230378552QQihZ003QQcategoryZ159000QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

pretty RED mixte!!! 10 speeds....

[xeney]

I saw that but I am holding out for modern components.

Which I am getting! A big part of my buyer's remorse over the Soma was the fact that I was having second thoughts about the 50cm fitting me. My husband had the same second thoughts. Once we started thinking about a 52cm, he suggested a Soma Speedster (http://somafab.com/speedster.html) ... same geometry, but the smallest size available is a 52cm. And it is lugged steel and it's RED.

He went to a different local bike shop just to see if they could get one (since they are sold out at Soma), and lo, they had a 52cm Speedster frame hanging up in the shop. He put down a deposit for me and I am getting a new bike! And a much prettier one, too.

Since this frame is a bit more expensive (but still really cheap in the grand scheme of things) and since we are now smack in the California budget crisis that means I am not getting paid again until August or September, probably, I am going to do a component swap from my Bianchi to this new bike, and if it fits and I like it, then I'll worry about outfitting it with exactly what I want.

I am really excited, because secretly? I wanted a sparkly red bike.

[KnottedYet]

Hooooray!!!!
:D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sounds like it was meant to be. :)

[KnottedYet]

Oh, mama... look at that fork!!!!! <drool, drool>
http://somafab.com/speedsterwall1.jpg

[xeney]

I thought you'd approve!

It really is a gorgeous bike. And I think it is going to fit me fine now that we have spent more time pondering my fit on the two bikes that fit me best. The shallower seat tube angle should be good for me. I hope!

[dex]

The Speedster is really pretty. (Knott, there's one built up at Counterbalance on the Burke, if you're feeling the pull to drool in person.)

I'm a little confused, though. The geometry chart shows a 535mm effective top tube on it, and that doesn't seem to solve your top tube length problems. Am I reading that right?

I really, really hope it works out for you. You've been way too frustrated for too long over all of this.

[xeney]

That top tube length is exactly the same as the effective top tube on my Bianchi, but I have to use a seatpost on the Bianchi with a 3.5 cm setback in order to get my knee in the right spot over the pedal. It wasn't until I got the setback seatpost that I had trouble with the reach. This bike has a shallower seat tube angle so I think I can avoid the setback seatpost, and thus it will really be an effective top tube of 535.

We figured this out when we measured the reach on my new single speed build. That bike fits me really well and is super comfortable, but my husband had been riding it around without a problem and decided to measure the reach because he couldn't believe it was fitting him. The effective top tube on it is also 535, and I also have a 10cm stem on it. So I can ride a longer top tube than I was thinking I could; I just can't do it if I have to also have the setback seatpost.

Someone -- TriskelionGirl, I think -- explained this to me a couple of years ago, but I am not so good with the visualization and it never made sense to me. Now I get it.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oh, mama... look at that fork!!!!! <drool, drool>


Beautiful bike, but....is there something unusual about the fork? :confused:

[KnottedYet]

Beautiful bike, but....is there something unusual about the fork? :confused:

The entire shoulder piece is chromed, and the sweep and taper of the blades just make me weak... sigh. :p

[elk]

izzat Xeney's bike????? :D

[KnottedYet]

i just made that bike pic the wallpaper for my computer screen.

Ooooh....

[xeney]

Would you believe that I just finally had a chance to see it in person today? It is beautiful, even prettier than the pictures. I finished paying for it and also paid for the new headset, which is on order and will be installed next week. After that we bring home the frame and J. will start building it up.

Hooray!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Would you believe that I just finally had a chance to see it in person today? It is beautiful, even prettier than the pictures. I finished paying for it and also paid for the new headset, which is on order and will be installed next week. After that we bring home the frame and J. will start building it up.

Hooray!

Yay!

Sure is pretty. What kind of headset did you order?

[xeney]

You know, I now can't remember which one we decided on but I think it was the IRD Tange Technoglide in chrome.

[dachshund]

The entire shoulder piece is chromed, and the sweep and taper of the blades just make me weak... sigh. :p

That is a a beautiful bike! I agree about the fork. I miss that style on the titanium bikes I've been looking at. I really don't care for the flat & wide look on forks.

Knotted, where'd you get that photo? I'm guessing that it's not xeney's bike, only 'cause she said it was getting built... anyway, very nice picture.

[elk]

i found the photo on the soma site...speedster photos....

it is sooooooo elegant

[sgtiger]

:eek::eek::eek: Xeney, that Soma is luscious!:eek::cool::D I now have bike-envy. Please tell me it doesn't ride very well or something.:rolleyes:

[xeney]

Well, at the moment it is a TERRIBLE ride because it doesn't have wheels or brakes or handlebars or, you know, a seat. Does that help?

I just ordered the crankset and bottom bracket. I almost went with Shimano for this bike because Campy is becoming so impractical -- no triples, and I can't find a compact double with 170 crank arms -- but my husband has some new Veloce ten-speed shift levers he'll give me, and I really love the Campy components on my Bianchi, so I just found a new old stock triple Veloce crank and the right bottom bracket. He's also giving me a rear derailleur and cassette so I don't have much more to buy.

[xeney]

Oh, wow. The frame and fork are in my house. It is SO PRETTY. The parts are starting to come in -- the headset is installed, the crankset is here (Veloce 10 speed triple; I found a new one on eBay), my husband is giving me brake levers. We are about to place an order for most of the rest of the components, and I have decided to swipe the wheels off my Bianchi ... it's hard to find Campy wheels that would look right on this bike, but those will do well and that bike would look better with Ventos anyway.

I will take pictures when it is more put together.

[KnottedYet]

I will take pictures when it is more put together.

Noooooooo! Take some NOW! Feed our bike porn addiction! :D

[elk]

yeah...i'm with Knot....show us!!

[burntsianna]

You may want to check out a Terry bicycle - Georgena Terry just released a cross bike in her 2009 line-up - the Valkyrie (http://www.terrybicycles.com/cycling_savvy/val_cross.html?redir=1).
Her bike geometry is designed for women and especially appropriate with women who need a shorter top tube due to shorter torso - this seems to be the place most bike geometry fails because it's designed around a man's body. And though WSD is getting more popular - it's typically only for road or hybrid bikes - I haven't seen anything really for mass market touring or cross bikes. Only issue with Terry bikes is they aren't cheap - the Valkyrie cross is around $2500, much more expensive than the aurora and comparable bikes. Good luck!