Strengths: Light, good on and off road, love the feel of the steel.
Weaknesses: Poor tolerance on the seat tube (have to torque down the seat post retainer bolt), poor finish - after one particularly muddy cross race the top tube looked like it had been sanded.
Bottom Line:
Great "do-it-all" bike used for commuting, cross racing, and light touring.
Strengths: The geometry is super stable, both on road and on dirt. I have a wheelset for each application. 700X23 for road and 700X38 for dirt.
I take my Doublecross on mountain biking trails and it handles great even when descending steep switchbacks. It climbs with ease, provided that you have the gear range for it.
On road, the geometry is on the sluggish side. It rides kind of like a rando bike, not snappy like a race frame and not too slow like a fatty touring frame. Its just right.
The frame is flexible as hell. It has rack mounts for the rear. If you get the matching fork, it has mounts for front racks as well. As aforementioned, its kind of like a Rando bike you an go mountain biking with.
It is also very affordable. Tange Prestige is a whole lot nicer than a generic 4130 tubing.
Weaknesses: Heavy rear end. Overall, still a tad bit porky, my racer weighed in at 22 lbs with WTB 700X32 All-Terrainasaurus tires. I got it down to 21 lbs with IRD Cross tires
Bottom Line:
This review is for the canti version
Last winter, I decided to race cyclocross for fun. I had a Surly CrossCheck but I came to conclusion that it was too porky for racing.So I decided to get a Soma DoubleCross because it had a nicer tubing and it was a half a pound lighter than the Surly. I put on a carbon fork on the Soma for more weight savings.
I switched frames from Surly to Soma and the weight savings was almost a pound and a half, ceteris paribus aside from the fork. The geometry is definitely different. The Doublecross has a longer top-tube and head tube.
It is currently my favorite bike, logging in more hours than my lighter Specialized Roubaix. Steel feels more lively and comfortable.
Strengths: Good all around, do anything bike. I like steel durability and economy. I especially like Tange tubing, light, comfy, great handling. I like Soma designs, versatile, simple, functional.
Weaknesses: The drive side chainstay, dropout weld split after 5 years 3 months. Was going 5mph at the time luckily, but was descending MonarchPass at 50mph shortly before.
Bottom Line:
Rode many tough tours and centuries and double centuries on crappy Cali roads. The chain stay broke climbing Ebett
s Pass going about 5mph on the DeathRide. It was about 3 months out of warranty and I couldn't find my receipt, and I had repainted a fragile original paint job. The shop was hesitant (American Cyclery SFO) so they ended up giving me wholesale price for a Soma Smoothie which has been a good all around bike. Rode the Cali Triple Crown on it, including the Terrible Two.
Submitted by
Matt Corwin
a Recreational Rider
from
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2010
Strengths: Strong, just the right ballance of stiffness and flex for my 180lbs. Handles fearlessly on dirt and rides like a Caddy on pavement. Nice welds and paint, lots of braze ons for everything you could want to bolt on.
Weaknesses: A bit heavy for a cyclocrosser. I have heard some negatives but remain to be seen. Hard to adjust the front brakes so the forks won't hop and chatter.
Bottom Line:
I was looking for a bike that had the ability too handle the gravel roads and blacktop rural highways of central Maine for some time. Aluminum frames, even with some carbon to make them more shock absorbant still have a harsh ride, there bigest advantage being lightness. Ripping down gravel hills at 25+ mph she's as quiet as a mouse. the same 105 groupe that I have on my aluminium framed cross bike is on the DC and works flawlessly whereas it rattles itself out of adjustment on my other bike.
I like to ride with 'no hands' and this bike has the stability that I have craved since the old Raliegh days. I also have a Holdsworth Reynolds frame touring bike with a 42" wheelbase that isn't any better than the DC for straightline stability.
Frame stand over hieght is lower than on similar size cross bikes, the seat tube angle rakes back more than say, Redline or Kona. If you ride a 58 roadbike, you will ride a 56 Redline but you will still ride a 58 DC. I ride a 57cm road and my DC is a 58cm. The Geometry of the DC is more streched out lengthwise. The top tube is longer than the seat tube and with the rake of the seat tube it gives a nice comfortable upright (less agressive) posture. I think it's an ideal bike for long limbed people like myself but maybe not for more compact guys like the one I bought the bike from (not sure about that). Anyway, I love this bike
Strengths: Price. A bargain for a nice steel tubeset. Seems very strong. Very versatile. Not too heavy.
Weaknesses: Stiff, stiff, stiff. Fat rubber is a must.
Bottom Line:
Decent all-arounder: bought the DC for improved braking and handling for year-round commuting in snow, dirt, etc. Much stiffer and subsequently less comfortable than the road and "sport touring" bikes i ride, but fat tires and a softer saddle remove some of the sting. Fantastic on dirt and gravel and handles well semi-loaded.
Similar Products Used: Soma Smoothie ES
Trek 500 series
Surly Long Haul Trucker
Bike Setup: Salsa Bell Lap handle bars and Salsa seatpost, Soma stem, cane creek s-6 headset. Ritchey compact double crank 50/34, Shimano ultegra sti shifters and front derailleur, XT rear with 11-34 9-speed cassette. 36-spoke dura-ace hubs & Mavic Open Pro rims, Panaracer t-serv protex 32c tires. Fenders, racks, sometimes lights.
I'm looking at building up a 'cross bike as a bit of an all-arounder - I have no plans to race CX. I'm leaning toward a Soma Double Cross in part because of the reasonable price a Read More »
I have done lots of searching here as well as google searches on disc brake cross or touring bikes, and I am still coming back to the Double Cross DC, but want to make sure I have Read More »
Not sure if this would be the correct forum to ask but here goes. I have been doing a ton of research on this and other forums with regard to these 2 bikes. I am hoping to buy or Read More »
As the title suggests, I'm curious as to weather a double cross frame would be an upgrade from a cross check frame. Right now I'm riding a 62cm cross check and the top tube is a b Read More »
For a do it all full time commuter, part time racer. Steel with disc brakes.
Your thoughts on these two frames.
[url=http://www.traitorcycles.com/Bikes_Ruben.cfm]::T R A I T O Read More »
