Why did I choose a San Marcos?
I call this my “Less Slow” bike. Because of a bad knee I will never be a fast rider. I have a 42 pound utility bike here but needed something to ride when I don't need to take panniers, bags, fenders and racks. The heavy bike can be just as hard on the knee as pushing high gears, or so it seems to me. I wanted a light, reasonably responsive bike to ride for exercise and pleasure.
After seeing what was and wasn't available at the local shop I decided on a Soma San Marcos frame & fork and Campagnolo Flat-bar shifters. Here are some initial reactions to riding this bike
The good.
This bike can fit pretty wide tires. That makes it versatile.There is really no downside to a bike being able to accept wider tires. You can always use skinnier ones if you want.
This is not a re badged cycle-cross frame and the geometry is quite different from a cross bike. For example it has a lower bottom bracket which makes the bike extremely stable.
The bike has very predicable handling. It is not twitchy. I would not call it a fast handling bike but it doesn't turn like a barge either. It is a competent climber but shines when descending. There is no shimmy, no drift, no fear coming down hills
An absolutely Cadillac ride especially on flat roads. The bike is really comfortable without feeling mushy
It is actually a fairly light bike There was no real effort to bring the weight down on this bike yet it is just over 22 pounds including the pedals.
The finish and workmanship are very good. The bike is impressive to look at.
I like having the DT shifter bosses even if I don't use them.
I appreciate the eyelets for fenders and racks on the frame.
There is no braze on front derailleur tab which is nice because it allows you to use any gearing from a single chain wheel to a road double to a mountain bike triple
The steel frame is fairly light but should be rugged enough that I don't have to worry about it like I would a carbon frame.
The Bad
The Grant Petersen geometry does not work for everyone. This is not necessarily bad unless you expect to get a high performance bike. That said they don't claim it is a racing bike either
The price, This is the most expensive frame Soma sells. If you don't mind a welded frame you can save a couple hundred dollars or more. A less expensive option might be a Surly or Velo Orange frame. Just that would save $400 dollars.
It only comes in one color so I hope you like light blue
You have to build the bike from a frame. This typically adds money to the price. You can get better components on a pre-built bike due to economies of scale. I could have probably found a bike with similar components, made of carbon fibre that weighed less for probably $1000 less money. That is a lot to pay for 32 mm wide tires and lugs.
The frame has 7.7 cm of bottom bracket drop which is both good and bad. That is the main reason the bike feels so stable but means the bike is about ½ an inch closer to the ground than most production frames so avoid long cranks. This is only bad if you are trying to pedal through corners. I don't so it isn't an issue. It also means that this frame would not work well for cycle-cross because the bottom bracket could hit rocks more often due to less ground clearance.
I guess I should list frame weight here. at 6.1 pounds for frame and fork it is heavier by about 1.5 pounds than the average carbon or aluminum frame and fork.
The unusual
The fork requires a threaded headset. This is not that big a deal as there is no performance issues with the older headset types. But it does mean you need an insertion stem. The good thing is that the height of the bars is easier raise or lower but most riders don't adjust those very often.
The bike requires long reach brakes. This limits the brake selection but is necessary to allow the wider tires and fenders
Larger frames have two top tubes. This looks a bit strange to many riders
The Impressions
Soma and Rivendell bill this bike as what used to be called a “Sport Touring” frame. Well, I remember those frames, and owned three or four of them and this is not a sport touring frame. It comes closer, in some ways I think to a very good hybrid frame
This is possibly the most laid back production frame you can buy. It has a 71.8 seat tube angle. The only frames I have seen that have similar angles are Richard Sachs frames but those are a whole different animal in both price and reputation. It is far more laid back than a 1980's sport touring bike which typically had parallel 73 degree or 74 degree angles. The angles are actually slacker than some old “Touring Bikes” which were 72 degrees but unlike those frames the main frame is Tange Prestige tubing which is considerably lighter than standard Chrome-molly tubes.
The wheel base is also in between a touring and racing bike.
The frame and fork weigh in at just over 6 pounds where a full race steel bike would be a pound or so lighter because of lighter tubes used in the rear triangle and fork. An old Dawes Galaxy touring frame and fork was about 7.25 pounds So the San Marcos is firmly in the mid-range for weight of nice steel frames & forks
I've ridden bikes that climb better But I wonder how much of that is wheels. The Campagnolo Vento CX wheels are not the lightest though they are actually not that heavy. However, the bike climbs better than I expected and far better than many bikes I have ridden.
This bike does not feel like a racer. It really does not even feel sporty. It does not feel like a touring bike either. it isn't going to win many races but is great to ride all day. The bike has what could be called very gentlemanly manners. Pleasant to ride, undemanding, forgiving and willing to go anywhere you want to go. It is also faster than you might expect.
The complete weight including pedals and bottle cages is just under 22 pounds. Considering I made no real effort to get an ultra light weight bike I was well pleased with that weight.
The Build
Wheels: Campagnolo Vento Reaction CX 700c
Tires: Continental Gator Skin 700X28
Saddle: Selle San Marco Regal
Seat Post: NOS Campagnolo Victory 27.2
Stem: Nitto Dirt Drop
Handle Bars: Nitto Flat
Crank: Campangnolo Power Torque Centaur 170 mm 50/39/30
Rear Derailleur: Campagnolo Veloce medium cage
Front Derailleur: Campagnolo QS
Shifters: Campagnolo Veloce Flat-Bar 10 Speed
Cassette: Campagnolo Centaur 10 speed 12-29
Chain: Campagnolo 10 Speed
Headset: Campagnolo Record Threaded
Calipers: Tektro 569 long reach
Grips: Who cares
Bar Ends: Short straight
Pedals: MKS touring with toeclips
Total cost about $2800.00 USD
Because of the problems with my leg I cannot use clip-less pedals that is the reason for the toeclips and straps
The Recommendation
This is a great bike. The bike handles predictably, can be built up fairly light and is very comfortable. That said if I had to do it again I think I might have purchased a slightly sportier frame if I could find one that accepts the 28 to 32 mm tires.
The problem with this bike is that I am not sure that it really knows what it is. It can do a lot of things pretty well but doesn't really do any of them as well as a bike that is focused on one type of riding. I kind of wish it leaned a little more toward a touring bike or sporty bike. "Moderation in all things" may be a good moral philosophy but I am not sure it applies to bicycles. This is a frame that is OK for someone like me that has other bikes for specific purposes but might be an issue for someone with only one bike. It is racy but not nearly racy enough for the fast guys. It can carry things but not very much and isn't really suited for a long or self contained tour. It is light but still heavier than a weight-weenie would approve of. It would make a good commuter unless you had to carry lots of stuff or had to lock it outside.
Potential buyers should think hard before buying one. If you need a touring bike or heavy duty commuter get a Sam Hillborne, Atlantis, Surly LHT, the Soma touring bike or VO Polivalent. If you want the racy steel get a StanYan or Rivendell Roadeo.
If you are looking for a pleasant riding easy handling pleasure bike that can do a bit of everything and is lighter than most of the Grant Petersen designed frames this could be your bike. I will definitely be riding this one for years to come
I'll get some photos in a couple of days when I can find the cable that hooks the camera up to the computer:blush2:
I call this my “Less Slow” bike. Because of a bad knee I will never be a fast rider. I have a 42 pound utility bike here but needed something to ride when I don't need to take panniers, bags, fenders and racks. The heavy bike can be just as hard on the knee as pushing high gears, or so it seems to me. I wanted a light, reasonably responsive bike to ride for exercise and pleasure.
After seeing what was and wasn't available at the local shop I decided on a Soma San Marcos frame & fork and Campagnolo Flat-bar shifters. Here are some initial reactions to riding this bike
The good.
This bike can fit pretty wide tires. That makes it versatile.There is really no downside to a bike being able to accept wider tires. You can always use skinnier ones if you want.
This is not a re badged cycle-cross frame and the geometry is quite different from a cross bike. For example it has a lower bottom bracket which makes the bike extremely stable.
The bike has very predicable handling. It is not twitchy. I would not call it a fast handling bike but it doesn't turn like a barge either. It is a competent climber but shines when descending. There is no shimmy, no drift, no fear coming down hills
An absolutely Cadillac ride especially on flat roads. The bike is really comfortable without feeling mushy
It is actually a fairly light bike There was no real effort to bring the weight down on this bike yet it is just over 22 pounds including the pedals.
The finish and workmanship are very good. The bike is impressive to look at.
I like having the DT shifter bosses even if I don't use them.
I appreciate the eyelets for fenders and racks on the frame.
There is no braze on front derailleur tab which is nice because it allows you to use any gearing from a single chain wheel to a road double to a mountain bike triple
The steel frame is fairly light but should be rugged enough that I don't have to worry about it like I would a carbon frame.
The Bad
The Grant Petersen geometry does not work for everyone. This is not necessarily bad unless you expect to get a high performance bike. That said they don't claim it is a racing bike either
The price, This is the most expensive frame Soma sells. If you don't mind a welded frame you can save a couple hundred dollars or more. A less expensive option might be a Surly or Velo Orange frame. Just that would save $400 dollars.
It only comes in one color so I hope you like light blue
You have to build the bike from a frame. This typically adds money to the price. You can get better components on a pre-built bike due to economies of scale. I could have probably found a bike with similar components, made of carbon fibre that weighed less for probably $1000 less money. That is a lot to pay for 32 mm wide tires and lugs.
The frame has 7.7 cm of bottom bracket drop which is both good and bad. That is the main reason the bike feels so stable but means the bike is about ½ an inch closer to the ground than most production frames so avoid long cranks. This is only bad if you are trying to pedal through corners. I don't so it isn't an issue. It also means that this frame would not work well for cycle-cross because the bottom bracket could hit rocks more often due to less ground clearance.
I guess I should list frame weight here. at 6.1 pounds for frame and fork it is heavier by about 1.5 pounds than the average carbon or aluminum frame and fork.
The unusual
The fork requires a threaded headset. This is not that big a deal as there is no performance issues with the older headset types. But it does mean you need an insertion stem. The good thing is that the height of the bars is easier raise or lower but most riders don't adjust those very often.
The bike requires long reach brakes. This limits the brake selection but is necessary to allow the wider tires and fenders
Larger frames have two top tubes. This looks a bit strange to many riders
The Impressions
Soma and Rivendell bill this bike as what used to be called a “Sport Touring” frame. Well, I remember those frames, and owned three or four of them and this is not a sport touring frame. It comes closer, in some ways I think to a very good hybrid frame
This is possibly the most laid back production frame you can buy. It has a 71.8 seat tube angle. The only frames I have seen that have similar angles are Richard Sachs frames but those are a whole different animal in both price and reputation. It is far more laid back than a 1980's sport touring bike which typically had parallel 73 degree or 74 degree angles. The angles are actually slacker than some old “Touring Bikes” which were 72 degrees but unlike those frames the main frame is Tange Prestige tubing which is considerably lighter than standard Chrome-molly tubes.
The wheel base is also in between a touring and racing bike.
The frame and fork weigh in at just over 6 pounds where a full race steel bike would be a pound or so lighter because of lighter tubes used in the rear triangle and fork. An old Dawes Galaxy touring frame and fork was about 7.25 pounds So the San Marcos is firmly in the mid-range for weight of nice steel frames & forks
I've ridden bikes that climb better But I wonder how much of that is wheels. The Campagnolo Vento CX wheels are not the lightest though they are actually not that heavy. However, the bike climbs better than I expected and far better than many bikes I have ridden.
This bike does not feel like a racer. It really does not even feel sporty. It does not feel like a touring bike either. it isn't going to win many races but is great to ride all day. The bike has what could be called very gentlemanly manners. Pleasant to ride, undemanding, forgiving and willing to go anywhere you want to go. It is also faster than you might expect.
The complete weight including pedals and bottle cages is just under 22 pounds. Considering I made no real effort to get an ultra light weight bike I was well pleased with that weight.
The Build
Wheels: Campagnolo Vento Reaction CX 700c
Tires: Continental Gator Skin 700X28
Saddle: Selle San Marco Regal
Seat Post: NOS Campagnolo Victory 27.2
Stem: Nitto Dirt Drop
Handle Bars: Nitto Flat
Crank: Campangnolo Power Torque Centaur 170 mm 50/39/30
Rear Derailleur: Campagnolo Veloce medium cage
Front Derailleur: Campagnolo QS
Shifters: Campagnolo Veloce Flat-Bar 10 Speed
Cassette: Campagnolo Centaur 10 speed 12-29
Chain: Campagnolo 10 Speed
Headset: Campagnolo Record Threaded
Calipers: Tektro 569 long reach
Grips: Who cares
Bar Ends: Short straight
Pedals: MKS touring with toeclips
Total cost about $2800.00 USD
Because of the problems with my leg I cannot use clip-less pedals that is the reason for the toeclips and straps
The Recommendation
This is a great bike. The bike handles predictably, can be built up fairly light and is very comfortable. That said if I had to do it again I think I might have purchased a slightly sportier frame if I could find one that accepts the 28 to 32 mm tires.
The problem with this bike is that I am not sure that it really knows what it is. It can do a lot of things pretty well but doesn't really do any of them as well as a bike that is focused on one type of riding. I kind of wish it leaned a little more toward a touring bike or sporty bike. "Moderation in all things" may be a good moral philosophy but I am not sure it applies to bicycles. This is a frame that is OK for someone like me that has other bikes for specific purposes but might be an issue for someone with only one bike. It is racy but not nearly racy enough for the fast guys. It can carry things but not very much and isn't really suited for a long or self contained tour. It is light but still heavier than a weight-weenie would approve of. It would make a good commuter unless you had to carry lots of stuff or had to lock it outside.
Potential buyers should think hard before buying one. If you need a touring bike or heavy duty commuter get a Sam Hillborne, Atlantis, Surly LHT, the Soma touring bike or VO Polivalent. If you want the racy steel get a StanYan or Rivendell Roadeo.
If you are looking for a pleasant riding easy handling pleasure bike that can do a bit of everything and is lighter than most of the Grant Petersen designed frames this could be your bike. I will definitely be riding this one for years to come
I'll get some photos in a couple of days when I can find the cable that hooks the camera up to the computer:blush2:
