Jamis Aurora vs. Aurora Elite vs. Something Else

[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.

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.)