Another Soma fan here! I built up a Doubke Cross this summer intended for self contained riding, and what a treat it is! Although I typically ride lighter weight road bikes and love them, including a custom ti frame... this Soma frame was incredible! Rides well, handles well and even has me thinking about building a steel road frame.

I built this bike with Velocity Deep V wheels, 32 hole 3 cross pattern, bar end shifters for reliability with any shifting issues, and Avid Shorty brakes. Whether I rode the bike loaded or not, I had NO issues with "lack" of brakes. They worked well on my self contained tour which consisted of dry conditions, a bit of dirt roads, and tons of rain on the last day.

It's defintiely heavier than my other bikes, but more versatile in terms of where I can ride it, AND rides extremely well.


http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com