TwoHeadsBrewing
Well-Known Member
Pretty stoked, got a new bike last week!
I finally picked this bike up last week from the LBS for $899. I also rode the Trek 7.5FX and Gary Fisher Mendota, which were both very nice bikes around the same price point. After riding each for a good hour around our local park the Soho just seemed to be the smoothest and most comfortable ride. The 7.5fx was on sale for $820 and the Mendota was $1,050 so the Soho was just in between. I've been commuting to work on a Gary Fisher hard-tail MTB with Specialized Nimbus road tires, which has served me well but is starting to need some major work done on the drive train. All of these bikes blew my old MTB out of the water, but again the Soho had more of the commute-specific features. I came very close to picking up the Mendota which was a SWEET ride...but in the end it was just too expensive for the lighter frame and disc brakes.
This is a commuter bike, and if I want a racing/touring bike I'll go buy one specifically for that task. So far, here's what I think about the bike:
-pros-
Ease of Shifting - internal hub is very smooth and quiet
Quiet - belt drive has no slop and doesn't clang around when you hit bumps
frame and components - all components feel very solid and polished
Comfort - the riding position makes for a very maneuverable, visible, and comfortable commute
Looks - I like the color, the matched painted fenders, and overall clean look of the bike
-cons-
Gearing ratio - I don't know if it's just me, but the 8th gear doesn't feel like it's quite tall enough. I could use another one. Anyone know about a smaller cog on the rear?
Roller Brakes - I'd rather have disc brakes (but I don't want to pay for them
), but for all-weather these are "ok".
No Rack??? - For a commuter, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a cheap Topeak or Blackburn rack in there.
Weight - It's pretty heavy compared to other hybrids. The Trek 7.5fx and Fisher Mendota weigh in at 20# give or take a few ounces, while this beast is closer to 23#. Pretty damn heavy for an aluminum frame bike, but that's the price you pay for the integrated Shimano hub and roller brake hubs.
I finally picked this bike up last week from the LBS for $899. I also rode the Trek 7.5FX and Gary Fisher Mendota, which were both very nice bikes around the same price point. After riding each for a good hour around our local park the Soho just seemed to be the smoothest and most comfortable ride. The 7.5fx was on sale for $820 and the Mendota was $1,050 so the Soho was just in between. I've been commuting to work on a Gary Fisher hard-tail MTB with Specialized Nimbus road tires, which has served me well but is starting to need some major work done on the drive train. All of these bikes blew my old MTB out of the water, but again the Soho had more of the commute-specific features. I came very close to picking up the Mendota which was a SWEET ride...but in the end it was just too expensive for the lighter frame and disc brakes.
This is a commuter bike, and if I want a racing/touring bike I'll go buy one specifically for that task. So far, here's what I think about the bike:
-pros-
Ease of Shifting - internal hub is very smooth and quiet
Quiet - belt drive has no slop and doesn't clang around when you hit bumps
frame and components - all components feel very solid and polished
Comfort - the riding position makes for a very maneuverable, visible, and comfortable commute
Looks - I like the color, the matched painted fenders, and overall clean look of the bike
-cons-
Gearing ratio - I don't know if it's just me, but the 8th gear doesn't feel like it's quite tall enough. I could use another one. Anyone know about a smaller cog on the rear?
Roller Brakes - I'd rather have disc brakes (but I don't want to pay for them
), but for all-weather these are "ok".No Rack??? - For a commuter, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a cheap Topeak or Blackburn rack in there.
Weight - It's pretty heavy compared to other hybrids. The Trek 7.5fx and Fisher Mendota weigh in at 20# give or take a few ounces, while this beast is closer to 23#. Pretty damn heavy for an aluminum frame bike, but that's the price you pay for the integrated Shimano hub and roller brake hubs.
