I built one for my wife as a pure mixte. She said, it has to be more for carrying baguettes than speed. 650b Pacentis with White Industry hubs & 1x crank, Gran Bois tires, Afline brakes (the silver matches the rest of the bike really well), Brooks saddle and matching grips, and Nitto B2522 bars. She’s so pretty! Right now it has my old 9speed XT derailleur on it, but I’d love to switch to something more silver.
@@BenitoAndito "Be more French and Dutch, take life easy". Soon everyone will be cruising around on these things saying how good they are! Gravel bikes will be cheap on eBay. Joking, I think..
I had one in a large which is rare here in Australia and I should never have sold it, so much fun, easy to get on and off with loaded panniers when commuting to work and it was quick and nimble. Surprised me with how quick and fun it was to ride. Thanks for the review, been eyeing this off from Soma for a long time. Love the colour.
Soma buena vista is definitely my dream bike! Very nice design and surprisingly the weight its so lite. Since I always use a heavy steel vintage bike, bought soma BV right away when its distributed to Indonesia finally make my dream come true. It such a pretty bike. So comfy to ride, beautiful to see, and its proper rather in road or gravel I guess. Its cute but its also tough. Have so much fun riding this cute handsome bike. Thanks for make a pretty details review about soma BV. Love ur channel.
Sport tourers are my favorite type of bikes! My '86 Schwinn Prelude is a racey roadish geometry with enough eyelets and brazeons for what I need to bolt on, for like a day trip. I think past the 90s you stop seeing bikes like that as they focused more on cycling as a sport.
IRD is for real! I have lots of them on a Soma ES build I have. It’s so fun and functional. Soma makes great frames and if you’re willing you can find great parts to complete your bike on a budget
Thanks for the review. Definitely going to get this for my wife. Good to know that you can get 50mm’s in as well! I have a Soma Pescadero and I love it! Great value frames and nice Japanese steel as well.
At $600-$700 for a frame, this seems like a great option for a tour bike build, especially with the option of derailleurs or IGH without a tensioner. There's also a second bottle mount on the bottom of the downtube.
I've long admired this frame because of its versatility. Part of me wishes I'd gotten this one instead of my Clem L. And that color! Thanks for the review.
Sharp ride 👍 One thing I've never seen on a stock bike is disc front and caliper brakes for the rear. Your mention of having to ensure centering with disc brakes made me think of this. Most common tire for flats?...the rear definitely. Brake that is most efficient for stopping power?...the front definitely whether on a bike or motorcycle. What's easier to mount and align post-flat, disc or caliper?...caliper definitely. So why not have one of each. Stopping power is still great even in the wet and the grit and under load...think touring. Changing the inevitable flats would be less fuss. And you lighten the bike a bit. And caliper maintenance is also less fuss. Great channel! Keep up the fine content, and happy trails
Absolutely awesome review Russ. Such a beautiful bike. I have been lusting after them since servicing a customers a couple of years ago - the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden!!
I appreciated your positive comments about the handlebars. I've got a similar pair on order as a less expensive alternative to Jones bars. Your comment of a similar feel was good.
I like these kinds of videos that challenge the current mainstream "wisdom". Yes, angles and geom are everything. 2x has its uses to make it easier to get up hills. I also liked cycle about's recent video on how weight does not slow people down much at all. I have some Mary bars I must fit to my old school 853 mtb bike. I also like how you rate comfort, fun and ease of use as key considerations over speed. It's all about the journey and taking it in, not Strava times.
Glad to see someone else enjoying riding for something other than how fast they can go!!! Americans want to race at every thing they do, slow down and enjoy life before retirement age
Luv this frame. Have had one for the last 5+ years. Set up as townie. Single speed with racks for shopping. Probably should add gears to get it out on the gravel. Quick handling and fast!
Of all the bikes you've reviewed, this is the first time I've really wanted to explore the idea of buying one. I'm attached the the idea of drop bars, but this sounds so fun with the additional downhill stability.
Russ, you need to sell some path less pedaled t shirts. Supple life, party pace, etc. We have a bunch of stickers already but some shirts would be great. Anyways keep up the amazing work, this is our favorite UA-cam channel.
It seems like Soma makes a high quality frame that punches above its “weight” of price point and status. Burns Vista, Wolverine, Double Cross as examples. Same goes for their budget New Albion brand, got a Privateer frame when they were on sale last year and it is an amazing bike for the price.
Loved this review. Enlightening and confirming. I learned things I did not know, but I also found myself saying "yes, that's it" to many shared opinions. Thanks very much. Great job.
I just found a Concorde mixte dropbar from the mid or so 70s in a junk pile dumped over a hillside. It's all there except for tires and all four brake shoes. I can't wait to tear into it and restore it.
I travel the same path as yourself~ Sport tourers are my very favorite geometry. I had an old Schwinn fillet brazed Sports Tourer I rode the hell out of. I was restoring it. it was hanging in my barn after blasting and a repaint and the barn burned to the ground. I was sick . . .
This is why I watch your channel. You speak for all of us who could care less what the latest and greatest is. Trendy is what trendy isn't... Just saying. Hope you two are doing well!
Watched because I have a ~1978 mixte, a Royce Union but an importer, so probably Japanese and has "made in Taiwan". I see a similar 12-speed frame with Univega and Peugot brands. I bought for wifey, but she never used it, and too small for me (~5'6" is ideal, I'm 6'1"), so will sell it. Neat to see that they are back in style, and no longer considered a "ladies bike". Mine has a fairly manly paint scheme, so would be proud to ride it.
Ability to ride no-hands is, in big part, related to frame alignment (Paul Brodie's mentioned this in some of his framebuilding vidoes). If I had to guess, that "lateral stiffness" - the fact that the dropouts have to be jigged to connect properly to the whole bike in fabricaction, not just the rear - may contribute to it on this one.
I have read that no-hands stable occurs if a line projected thru the steering axis hits behind the tire contact point, and the steering axis is tilted back. Makes sense if you draw a free-body diagram of forces on the fork. That is why beach cruiser have greatly curved forks to put the front wheel axle further out. But might be other factors like friction and damping forces in the steering bearings (to decay oscillations).
@@williamgrissom9022 That may be 1 part necessary but you also need the whole frame to be aligned so the wheels track in-line with each other and the balance isn't being thrown off.
I have to admit I have deep biases against step through bikes, although I suspect one may be in my future when I get too old to get my leg over a horizontal top tube. That being said I like the mixte frame aesthetic over the polyvalent low kicker style. I think we forget that a lot of these traditional designs were well thought out, well built and fun to ride on the crummy roads of the mid century. Thanks for another interesting review.
also, single top tuber's are mixte...they both have the triple rear stays. been thinkin bout 'bantam bob' to build up a similar frame to replace my 'russ reviewed,' bee sting model. plus if ya need to bail, well...mixte rocks!
Came here for info on how the fork handles. I'm trying to fix my unpredictable handling on my VO PassHunter and this fork is perfect for my setup. With 59mm of trail, i think it will still handle well with a front rack and Randonneuring bag.
This is a very cool looking bike! I have a 1970s Peugeot bicycle with a mixte style frame. They look very similar. Question, the Soma bike featured in your video, is this a custom made bike or can it be bought from a bike shop somewhere? I'm located in Kelowna, B.C. Canada. Good video and informative, thank you.
My wife’s old Diamondback is in desperate need of replacement but she wants another low step frame. I’ve been in the lookout for an older mixte frame to do a resto-mod. It’d be cool to build one up drop bar with all modern components.
Great review. The 650b Cazaderos are over the official tire clearance spec on Soma's website. How much clearance do you currently have and would the same tire fit if you had, say, a rim with an internal width of 25mm?
That is a lovely bike. Anyone in the UK looking for a less pretty but decent budget version should put 'Peugeot mixte' into ebay and see what comes up. There are some nice 80's /90's bikes out there.
I have this weird resistance to non-drop bar bikes. I just can't see myself doing long rides and tours on them. But this one looks really cool and I bet you could find a way to put two or three extra bottle cages on the top tubes
what do you consider long rides? I've done 60+ km on bikes like this without an issue. What you have to consider is that these bikes are built for a speed that is a bit more moderate and dare i say casual. It's kind of the inverse use case to that of a dropbar bike in some respects, i find that dropbar bikes are built to be really comfortable if riding moderately fast to really fast, but get really uncomfortable if you ride much less aggressively. So if i'm on my own or with people that also attempt to go fast, i take the dropbar, but when touring with people that just want to go on a nice scenic ride without sweating buckets or with smaller kids, bikes like the one in the video are the way to go.
Sometimes I wish I could have gotten the double cross over my Midnight special. The purple would have been cool and I think the frame would have been lighter/more compliant. I do like my Midnight special though (periwinkle). It allows a suspension fork which I run sometimes.
It would be funny to fit a blue (to match, or even pink) curtain rod across the top as a top bar to make it a "men's bike." When I was a kid, I always wondered why "men's bikes" had the straight top bar which was actually more likely to hit the boys. Especially when you tried an older friend or family members bike that was way too big.
Honestly didn't like these originally, but after seeing how cool it looks geometrically and realizing the utility of a step-through frame, I'm kinda feeling this style!
Dig this bike. Nice review. "Short Legs" pop was awesome. Couple questions - Do you think the bottom bracket drop helps with the no hands stability? Do you think liking the seat tube angle more upright has anything to do with riding flat pedals?
Mixte - my grandmother's frame of choice. Feminine enough for her taste and could even be ridden with a skirt or dress; but without sacrificing performance as a classic "ladies' bike" would. Her Bianchi was light and stiff enough so that she could keep up with my grandfather when doing bike tours (and Grandpa used to race until his 70s, so he wasn't exactly slow), yet with racks and fenders versatile enough for commuting and running errands. My mother also had a mixte bike built for her in the early 1990s - paired with good components, fast tyres and a moustache bar, this too was much faster than it looked. My mother always talked about the bike commute being the best part of her work day; she especially enjoyed half-wheeling and eventually overtaking lycra-clad dentists on expensive race machines.
I know this is a year old, but I'm looking for a touring type bike (light touring) and this one was recommended to me. I found one a bit of a drive from me, but for a good price. So, I have a couple questions. Can this easily be made into a two or three-ring for more climbing? I need to make sure it can climb. I once bought a Townie Electra step trough and that thing couldn't climb out of my neighborhood. I returned it immediately. Right now I'm riding my son's outgrown Gary Fisher Napa mountain/hybrid bike. THAT thing can get me where I need to go, so it needs to be as good as that or better. That bike is too big for me. I just make it work.
what is the front rack on this ? is it a Velo Orange or a Nitto or soma's own brand ? I want a front rack for mine but can't find a soma vendor in the UK for racks
Too bad the teal is sold out in all sizes except 62. I really want to build up a 42 for my wife. She wants an upright bike with a front basket (with a baguette, flowers and a puppy).
You can run almost any bar on this. Depends on the riding you want to do. The geometry is designed for a drop bar, but most people who use it for city use choose flat bars or swept back bars.
I saw one at the local REI getting something worked on last week and really kept eyeing it as the owner set it up for commuting. I would of bought it over any bike there.
mixte bikes are just the best of all worlds. stiff and elegant, very suitable for all genders. only real downer i can think of is how they look with drop bars :D
Excellent review! Have been thinking about getting this frame for quite some time. Noticed that you were riding a size 50. I’m 5’7” and 29” inseam. Wondering if size 50 will fit me.
This frame was actually a 54cm. If you want to build something with similar bars to the test bike, a 54cm is probably what you should get. This build was fairly upright. Riser bars with less sweep would help it feel more sporty. If you want to use drop bars, a 50cm might fit you better.
Beautiful bike! Quick question from a newb--Russ, what do you do with the "tombstone feature" on the front rack? I noticed in some of the B roll that there was something attached to it? Cheers--and thanks again for the content!
I guess QR was good until thru axles arrived. Thru axles are just foolproof when repositioning a disc brake wheel after repair. Plus they add more stability to the fork/axle trapezoid.
@@chrisalf995 it's kind of weird, because people now want "compliance" on their bikes; the part of the discs is true, but I don't think that the "more resistant" argument holds true, I have titanium axle that are basically indestructible
@@HiagoSN Yeah. What is also interesting (or weird) is how many people somehow don't understand how QR works - i.e. that the skinny rod in the skewer of the QR isn't actually functioning in any way as an axle...that it doesn't actually take the loads and stresses in riding but is just a fastener that fixes the wheel to the frame by axial clamping.
The frame is designed for cable discs and comes with cable holes and guides that run between the double top tubes. Hydraulic lines could also run thru the holes in the bridges between the double top tubes, but you would need to take apart the line to thread it in...slight hassle. The person who put it together maybe just think of that or didn't have time to do that.
They can add $80 to 100 to the retail cost in the context of smaller producers like Soma. They also can add about 0.3 lbs to frame set weight on steel bikes since the dropouts are more complex and the axle is part of the frame, not the wheel.
I built one for my wife as a pure mixte. She said, it has to be more for carrying baguettes than speed. 650b Pacentis with White Industry hubs & 1x crank, Gran Bois tires, Afline brakes (the silver matches the rest of the bike really well), Brooks saddle and matching grips, and Nitto B2522 bars. She’s so pretty! Right now it has my old 9speed XT derailleur on it, but I’d love to switch to something more silver.
Your wife just invented the newest Bike Industry trend: the Baguette Bike!
I went 2000s campy drivetrain for the silver :)
@@Dave435l what did you do for shifters? Or are you on drops?
Is the bike pretty or the wife?
@@BenitoAndito "Be more French and Dutch, take life easy". Soon everyone will be cruising around on these things saying how good they are! Gravel bikes will be cheap on eBay. Joking, I think..
I had one in a large which is rare here in Australia and I should never have sold it, so much fun, easy to get on and off with loaded panniers when commuting to work and it was quick and nimble. Surprised me with how quick and fun it was to ride. Thanks for the review, been eyeing this off from Soma for a long time. Love the colour.
Soma buena vista is definitely my dream bike! Very nice design and surprisingly the weight its so lite. Since I always use a heavy steel vintage bike, bought soma BV right away when its distributed to Indonesia finally make my dream come true. It such a pretty bike. So comfy to ride, beautiful to see, and its proper rather in road or gravel I guess. Its cute but its also tough. Have so much fun riding this cute handsome bike. Thanks for make a pretty details review about soma BV. Love ur channel.
Sport tourers are my favorite type of bikes! My '86 Schwinn Prelude is a racey roadish geometry with enough eyelets and brazeons for what I need to bolt on, for like a day trip. I think past the 90s you stop seeing bikes like that as they focused more on cycling as a sport.
IRD is for real! I have lots of them on a Soma ES build I have. It’s so fun and functional. Soma makes great frames and if you’re willing you can find great parts to complete your bike on a budget
Looks totally cool. One of my two favourites from your reviews. The second one is Marin steel step-through 👩🏼🔧
Thanks for the review. Definitely going to get this for my wife. Good to know that you can get 50mm’s in as well! I have a Soma Pescadero and I love it! Great value frames and nice Japanese steel as well.
At $600-$700 for a frame, this seems like a great option for a tour bike build, especially with the option of derailleurs or IGH without a tensioner. There's also a second bottle mount on the bottom of the downtube.
This is past tense, the frame goes for $995,95, bicycle prices going nuts...Outside USA you pay VAT and postage (let's say in EU), another ~ $400.
Current price is 800 USD
it's great to see reviews of bikes you might be able to buy one day in the far future when they are back in stock.
I've long admired this frame because of its versatility. Part of me wishes I'd gotten this one instead of my Clem L. And that color! Thanks for the review.
Sharp ride 👍
One thing I've never seen on a stock bike is disc front and caliper brakes for the rear. Your mention of having to ensure centering with disc brakes made me think of this. Most common tire for flats?...the rear definitely. Brake that is most efficient for stopping power?...the front definitely whether on a bike or motorcycle. What's easier to mount and align post-flat, disc or caliper?...caliper definitely. So why not have one of each. Stopping power is still great even in the wet and the grit and under load...think touring. Changing the inevitable flats would be less fuss. And you lighten the bike a bit. And caliper maintenance is also less fuss.
Great channel!
Keep up the fine content, and happy trails
Absolutely awesome review Russ. Such a beautiful bike. I have been lusting after them since servicing a customers a couple of years ago - the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden!!
I appreciated your positive comments about the handlebars. I've got a similar pair on order as a less expensive alternative to Jones bars. Your comment of a similar feel was good.
I like these kinds of videos that challenge the current mainstream "wisdom". Yes, angles and geom are everything. 2x has its uses to make it easier to get up hills. I also liked cycle about's recent video on how weight does not slow people down much at all. I have some Mary bars I must fit to my old school 853 mtb bike. I also like how you rate comfort, fun and ease of use as key considerations over speed. It's all about the journey and taking it in, not Strava times.
Glad to see someone else enjoying riding for something other than how fast they can go!!! Americans want to race at every thing they do, slow down and enjoy life before retirement age
Thanks for the most comprehensive and useful video review ever. I have BV 42cm disc frame on order. Looking forward!
Luv this frame. Have had one for the last 5+ years. Set up as townie. Single speed with racks for shopping. Probably should add gears to get it out on the gravel. Quick handling and fast!
Of all the bikes you've reviewed, this is the first time I've really wanted to explore the idea of buying one. I'm attached the the idea of drop bars, but this sounds so fun with the additional downhill stability.
Stoked to see this review and hear your opinions, I've been thinking about this for my next bike. That frame is just way too cute to pass on!
Russ, you need to sell some path less pedaled t shirts. Supple life, party pace, etc. We have a bunch of stickers already but some shirts would be great. Anyways keep up the amazing work, this is our favorite UA-cam channel.
I would otally buy a party pace shirt! In the same font as the neon sign in the background of this video.
It seems like Soma makes a high quality frame that punches above its “weight” of price point and status. Burns Vista, Wolverine, Double Cross as examples. Same goes for their budget New Albion brand, got a Privateer frame when they were on sale last year and it is an amazing bike for the price.
Loved this review. Enlightening and confirming. I learned things I did not know, but I also found myself saying "yes, that's it" to many shared opinions. Thanks very much. Great job.
I just found a Concorde mixte dropbar from the mid or so 70s in a junk pile dumped over a hillside. It's all there except for tires and all four brake shoes. I can't wait to tear into it and restore it.
I travel the same path as yourself~ Sport tourers are my very favorite geometry. I had an old Schwinn fillet brazed Sports Tourer I rode the hell out of. I was restoring it. it was hanging in my barn after blasting and a repaint and the barn burned to the ground. I was sick . . .
This is why I watch your channel. You speak for all of us who could care less what the latest and greatest is. Trendy is what trendy isn't... Just saying. Hope you two are doing well!
Watched because I have a ~1978 mixte, a Royce Union but an importer, so probably Japanese and has "made in Taiwan". I see a similar 12-speed frame with Univega and Peugot brands. I bought for wifey, but she never used it, and too small for me (~5'6" is ideal, I'm 6'1"), so will sell it. Neat to see that they are back in style, and no longer considered a "ladies bike". Mine has a fairly manly paint scheme, so would be proud to ride it.
I have one. So fun to ride .. so adaptable . Surprising lithe on gravel and muddy single track . Messes with heads on the trails !
Ability to ride no-hands is, in big part, related to frame alignment (Paul Brodie's mentioned this in some of his framebuilding vidoes). If I had to guess, that "lateral stiffness" - the fact that the dropouts have to be jigged to connect properly to the whole bike in fabricaction, not just the rear - may contribute to it on this one.
I have read that no-hands stable occurs if a line projected thru the steering axis hits behind the tire contact point, and the steering axis is tilted back. Makes sense if you draw a free-body diagram of forces on the fork. That is why beach cruiser have greatly curved forks to put the front wheel axle further out. But might be other factors like friction and damping forces in the steering bearings (to decay oscillations).
@@williamgrissom9022 That may be 1 part necessary but you also need the whole frame to be aligned so the wheels track in-line with each other and the balance isn't being thrown off.
Soma makes good stuff. I saw someone with a Wolverine frame and was impressed.
I have to admit I have deep biases against step through bikes, although I suspect one may be in my future when I get too old to get my leg over a horizontal top tube. That being said I like the mixte frame aesthetic over the polyvalent low kicker style. I think we forget that a lot of these traditional designs were well thought out, well built and fun to ride on the crummy roads of the mid century. Thanks for another interesting review.
Looks like a close relative of my Rivendell Cheviot, and it’s no slug either. Thanks for reviewing bikes that are unconventional. Mixte frames! 👍🏻
Was hoping to get the Platypus to review, but pandemic!
Thank you so much for this review. I have been wanting to build up one of these since 2013. Thank you very much.
I really like the cranks on this bike. Reminds me of the old school late 70s early 80s style, timeless design
I'm totally down with mixte and qr with disc. Lots of wheels to choose from!
also, single top tuber's are mixte...they both have the triple rear stays. been thinkin bout 'bantam bob' to build up a similar frame to replace my 'russ reviewed,' bee sting model. plus if ya need to bail, well...mixte rocks!
Came here for info on how the fork handles. I'm trying to fix my unpredictable handling on my VO PassHunter and this fork is perfect for my setup. With 59mm of trail, i think it will still handle well with a front rack and Randonneuring bag.
Definitely mixt. Mix-tee sounds ridiculous. Sounds like the perfect sequel, though, to your video on how to pronounce pannier.
Knowing French as a Canadian, we’d pronounce it “mix-tuh” like how’d you’d pronounce mixed in English, but with a hard T sound
This is a very cool looking bike! I have a 1970s Peugeot bicycle with a mixte style frame. They look very similar. Question, the Soma bike featured in your video, is this a custom made bike or can it be bought from a bike shop somewhere? I'm located in Kelowna, B.C. Canada. Good video and informative, thank you.
My wife’s old Diamondback is in desperate need of replacement but she wants another low step frame. I’ve been in the lookout for an older mixte frame to do a resto-mod. It’d be cool to build one up drop bar with all modern components.
Great review.
The 650b Cazaderos are over the official tire clearance spec on Soma's website. How much clearance do you currently have and would the same tire fit if you had, say, a rim with an internal width of 25mm?
Lots of room in the fork. At least 5mil on either side of the rear.
Thanks for the review, I think this bike is just beautiful and given your feed back I am keen to buy one 😍👍
That is a lovely bike. Anyone in the UK looking for a less pretty but decent budget version should put 'Peugeot mixte' into ebay and see what comes up. There are some nice 80's /90's bikes out there.
Also "womens bike" because most people don't know what a mixte is, never mind a step through.
I’m in the slow process of restoring a small vintage Peugeot mixte . I like the shape.
I have this weird resistance to non-drop bar bikes. I just can't see myself doing long rides and tours on them. But this one looks really cool and I bet you could find a way to put two or three extra bottle cages on the top tubes
what do you consider long rides?
I've done 60+ km on bikes like this without an issue. What you have to consider is that these bikes are built for a speed that is a bit more moderate and dare i say casual. It's kind of the inverse use case to that of a dropbar bike in some respects, i find that dropbar bikes are built to be really comfortable if riding moderately fast to really fast, but get really uncomfortable if you ride much less aggressively. So if i'm on my own or with people that also attempt to go fast, i take the dropbar, but when touring with people that just want to go on a nice scenic ride without sweating buckets or with smaller kids, bikes like the one in the video are the way to go.
Great thing about starting with a frame only is you can build it flat bar or drop bar.
good to see your ride buddy is riding with you :D
Sometimes I wish I could have gotten the double cross over my Midnight special. The purple would have been cool and I think the frame would have been lighter/more compliant. I do like my Midnight special though (periwinkle). It allows a suspension fork which I run sometimes.
I like it! Seems like Laura was climbing a lot easier than you were! Thanks!
She has an ebike now
@@pratikpramanik7782 I know... just making light of it...
I have Roselli branded cranks which are the same as the ird 144 bcd which apparently are made by andel. They are great. On a fixed /ss
I'm going to put this video on VHS so I can call it a mixte tape.
Underrated comment.
🤣 wins internet
This bike should come with its own collector's edition VHS tape in a handmade wooden box with nice detailing and artwork. Only kidding!
Please leave
Building up one of these frames right now!
Haha! “… but mostly I’m just a sticker salesman.” Love it!
It would be funny to fit a blue (to match, or even pink) curtain rod across the top as a top bar to make it a "men's bike." When I was a kid, I always wondered why "men's bikes" had the straight top bar which was actually more likely to hit the boys. Especially when you tried an older friend or family members bike that was way too big.
Historically it was so women could ride with long skirts. If ever a distinction didn’t matter any more, this is it.
I love mixte's. And Soma knows a thing or two about bikes. Nice!
Honestly didn't like these originally, but after seeing how cool it looks geometrically and realizing the utility of a step-through frame, I'm kinda feeling this style!
Where are the Party Pace 80's stickers? I ride fixed gear... but really slow. Gotta stick it to my frames! Love your content and channel!
pathlesspedaled.bigcartel.com/category/stickers
Dig this bike. Nice review. "Short Legs" pop was awesome. Couple questions - Do you think the bottom bracket drop helps with the no hands stability? Do you think liking the seat tube angle more upright has anything to do with riding flat pedals?
Wish YT would let me 💗 this review!
Mixte - my grandmother's frame of choice. Feminine enough for her taste and could even be ridden with a skirt or dress; but without sacrificing performance as a classic "ladies' bike" would. Her Bianchi was light and stiff enough so that she could keep up with my grandfather when doing bike tours (and Grandpa used to race until his 70s, so he wasn't exactly slow), yet with racks and fenders versatile enough for commuting and running errands.
My mother also had a mixte bike built for her in the early 1990s - paired with good components, fast tyres and a moustache bar, this too was much faster than it looked. My mother always talked about the bike commute being the best part of her work day; she especially enjoyed half-wheeling and eventually overtaking lycra-clad dentists on expensive race machines.
I know this is a year old, but I'm looking for a touring type bike (light touring) and this one was recommended to me. I found one a bit of a drive from me, but for a good price. So, I have a couple questions.
Can this easily be made into a two or three-ring for more climbing? I need to make sure it can climb. I once bought a Townie Electra step trough and that thing couldn't climb out of my neighborhood. I returned it immediately. Right now I'm riding my son's outgrown Gary Fisher Napa mountain/hybrid bike. THAT thing can get me where I need to go, so it needs to be as good as that or better. That bike is too big for me. I just make it work.
Nice to see a little footage in there of your riding partner!
2x 😂. 🔥love it. This could replace my desire for a Fargo.
I have no problem with qr, but they do make upgrading difficult today. Not many options for quality qr wheels off the shelf.
Awesome looking bike. Request review of Priority Apollo. There's not many gravel bikes with IGH would make for an interesting video.
what is the front rack on this ? is it a Velo Orange or a Nitto or soma's own brand ? I want a front rack for mine but can't find a soma vendor in the UK for racks
Two 1x's side by side?!
What will they think of next, THREE 1x's?
That will be the day 😉
It'll never work!
What is old is new again. I have a 30 year old mountain bike with 26" wheels and 3X7 drive train.
Well if you do that you have so many gears you could reduce weight by going to 9 cogs at the back. I guess it'll never catch on
Came here for this. Russ made a FUNNY! So good!
Too bad the teal is sold out in all sizes except 62. I really want to build up a 42 for my wife. She wants an upright bike with a front basket (with a baguette, flowers and a puppy).
Make sure to keep the baguette and the puppy separate to avoid soggy baguette. XD
Hi and thanks for your reviews . can you please indicate the model of your ergon saddle? thanks!
Curious if you have tried other bars on this, or just stayed with the stock ones? Was thinking how a flat bar would work with this bike.
No. Just the Osprey. Flat bars hurt my wrists.
You can run almost any bar on this. Depends on the riding you want to do. The geometry is designed for a drop bar, but most people who use it for city use choose flat bars or swept back bars.
I saw one at the local REI getting something worked on last week and really kept eyeing it as the owner set it up for commuting. I would of bought it over any bike there.
mixte bikes are just the best of all worlds. stiff and elegant, very suitable for all genders. only real downer i can think of is how they look with drop bars :D
Excellent review! Have been thinking about getting this frame for quite some time. Noticed that you were riding a size 50. I’m 5’7” and 29” inseam. Wondering if size 50 will fit me.
This frame was actually a 54cm. If you want to build something with similar bars to the test bike, a 54cm is probably what you should get. This build was fairly upright. Riser bars with less sweep would help it feel more sporty. If you want to use drop bars, a 50cm might fit you better.
@@somafabrications9345 Does this frame have a built in kickstand plate? Can't find this information anywhere. Thanks.
Beautiful bike. Enjoyed the review.
Looks like it could be a really good commuter.
What a fun build!
Beautiful bike! Quick question from a newb--Russ, what do you do with the "tombstone feature" on the front rack? I noticed in some of the B roll that there was something attached to it? Cheers--and thanks again for the content!
It’s made for randonneur bags to slip over.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Got it--thanks!
Damn I wanna get a frame to build up! Super baller grocery getter!
I like that with drop bar.
What?? 2by, like TWO 1bys? Joke of the year ;) keep up the good work!
Hey Russ. As always, love your take on bike content! What model Ergon saddle is that?
1980s frame design. They were a huge step forwards in terms of stiffness compared to the old step through ("ladies") style of frame.
Mixte frame designs have been around as early as 1901. Peugot and Rene Herse manufacturing them in the 1930s and 40s.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I didn't know that, but I do remember a huge surge in popularity in the early 1980s.
Been wanting one of these for years. Next bike... Maybe
OMG! I just love your videos "Sticker Salesman"!
what's the problem with QR? I've never seen a problem with it and you can always put an allen axle! you aren't "down hilling" with a bike like this
Yeah changed to Allen one and Works well
I guess QR was good until thru axles arrived. Thru axles are just foolproof when repositioning a disc brake wheel after repair. Plus they add more stability to the fork/axle trapezoid.
@@chrisalf995 it's kind of weird, because people now want "compliance" on their bikes; the part of the discs is true, but I don't think that the "more resistant" argument holds true, I have titanium axle that are basically indestructible
@@HiagoSN
Yeah. What is also interesting (or weird) is how many people somehow don't understand how QR works - i.e. that the skinny rod in the skewer of the QR isn't actually functioning in any way as an axle...that it doesn't actually take the loads and stresses in riding but is just a fastener that fixes the wheel to the frame by axial clamping.
@@HiagoSN I don‘t think that QR isn‘t good. I would never change my bike because it has QR. TA is just better. I‘d choose TAs if I wanted disc brakes.
I've bought a 1990s Dawes Galaxy Mixte with a Reynolds 531st frame to modernise a little. It cost £115. but I'll be spending a bit on new parts.
Super cool bike and set up
Is it a step through wolverine?
Cool bike, but are those Zip ties holding the brake cable? If so, it strikes me as weird, So many interesting things, then zip ties?
The frame is designed for cable discs and comes with cable holes and guides that run between the double top tubes. Hydraulic lines could also run thru the holes in the bridges between the double top tubes, but you would need to take apart the line to thread it in...slight hassle. The person who put it together maybe just think of that or didn't have time to do that.
Looks awesome I wanna ride one!
I always wonder why sweet bikes like this don’t hAve thru axels though. How much could thru axels add to manufacturing cost? Thanks Russ!!!!!!!
They can add $80 to 100 to the retail cost in the context of smaller producers like Soma. They also can add about 0.3 lbs to frame set weight on steel bikes since the dropouts are more complex and the axle is part of the frame, not the wheel.
A great review - thanks!
Never underestimate a mixte. They’re sleepers.
Looks like a mountain bike from the Sixties, cool!
i got a puegot mixte for free a couple of months ago. I want to convert it into a more gravel bike
The most hilarious definition of 2x I've heard ^^
How does the mech work with 10 and 11 speed? Bike looks stacked
Derailleurs don’t determine the speed. Shifters do. Use it with an 11spd shifter and it is the appropriate pull.
@@PathLessPedaledTV cheers
Ohh, I am kicking myself. I had a chance to get one of these built up cheap, but didnt do it.
That's a great looking bike
In bicycle shops since the 70's, we called them mixtees, and there were a few who said mixed. Who's to say who's right?
Nice bike 😉👍🌻
Saw that a bicyclist was killed by a bear the other day. Do you take precautions against the bears?
Yes. Bear spray on every ride in the woods.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Good on you. Stay safe!
@@PathLessPedaledTV 🤔 & “ “ Exit..stage left..as fast as can ! “ 😁 ..” Strategic Withdrawal”
Eddy Mercx's favourite kind of frames.