If long rides, multi-day events, fast commutes and the feel of a real steel bike are a part of your life, the SOMA ES Frameset may be in your future. SOMA Fabrications builds bikes and equipment for cyclists who aren't caught up in the race bike world, and live in the real world, every day, where money is tight, cycling comes with a passion for time on the bike for pleasure and/or utility. You know- every day folks. SOMA builds steel frames for riders who enjoy the experience, with a focus on practical features and geometry, affordability, and clean design. You can buy a newly built, well-crafted steel frameset with a modern-ish 1⅛ headtube, 130mm rear spacing and the ability to hang new or vintage parts on it for under $600 complete with a matching steel fork, or under $470 without fork. And not just some random steel, but Tange Prestige.

For some the story will start there. SOMA uses the current heat-treated, butted Prestige CrMo for the front triangle, which lends itself to better torsional resistance in the more traditional design. For the rider this translates to limited lateral flex from hard pedaling action or aggressive sprinting the drops. Prestige has always been known it's smooth ride and and great feel, but the hardness of the steel also means performance does not suffer. The rear triangle is made with butted CrMo, which tends to ride a little smoother overall, limiting impact and vibration on the rider, and particularly effective with the longer chainstays. The selection and application of the steel and overall geometry deliver a bike that truly is Extra Smooth, and ideal for long hours on the bike. With clean welds, properly placed stops and bosses, the ES Frameset can be set-up with down-tube shifters or the most advanced mechanical road groups.

While head and seat tube angles are fairly common and well matched to a steel road bike, the ES lengthens the front-center and the rear chainstays. This equates to a longer wheel base than the more race-geometry Smoothie frame, and more comfort. Do you sacrifice the ultra-quick handling? Sure, but the ES is the perfect century, or long benefit ride bike. It won't beat you up and is a pleasure to ride day after day. You won't need to be aware of every twitch of the handlebar and carving full turns will be a pleasure. It is no pure touring bike either, it will still respond with authority to your input. The slightly taller than normal head tube gives you a higher cockpit starting point than a pure race design and doesn't throw off the handling' again reinforcing the rationale of the ES frameset.

With a 68mm threaded (English) bottom bracket interface, many old school square tapers and Octalink BB's will be right at home, but with Shimano Hollowtech II cranksets still set up with threaded BB cups, any current Shimano crankset will work. Same concept with Campagnolo Ultra-Torque. SRAM's GXP cranksets will work with their threaded GXP BB's as well. The seattube accepts a 28.6mm front derailleur clamp, which means many current bottom pull options can be shimmed, or you can use an adaptor clamp with a braze-on model. The headtube is full 1⅛ and designed for pressed-in external cup models, of which there are many available today. With downtube shifter mount bosses the downtube shifter build of your dreams doesn't require a costly custom frame. Of course you still run dual control shift/brake levers from any manufacturer, or bar end shifters, you just need the cable stops to fit on the frame mounts. The seattube features an integrated collar, which comes with a Campy-style bolt to control a 27.2mm diameter seatpost. In other words, you can build a bike with retro or current and readily available components.

SOMA offers the ES with or without the fork, and we have specified in our drop down menu to that effect. The frames that come with the fork feature the Tange Infinity steel, with it's attractive investment cast crown design and seamed fork legs. The frame and the fork were designed for road dual-pivot brakes, and require the 57mm brake arm length. The frame and fork may accommodate up to a 32mm tire with a fender, but keep in mind that your exact brake set-up and tire choice will determine what you can run. Both the frame and fork feature dual sets of fender and rack bosses at the dropouts, while the rear triangle has upper rack mounts as well.

If you are considering the SOMA ES, you likely have done a little research and have a clear idea of what you want. At Excel Sports steel frames have always been central to our experience. From Ritchey to Gios and many more, we enjoy them as cyclists and appreciate them in all ways. We can certainly help you with any questions about the SOMA ES, and will be happy to discuss build options with you. Just give us a call at (800)627-6664 and one of cyclists will be happy to geek out with you. The SOMA ES caught our eye as a clean design that is practical and attractive, and fits right in with our history and present time. Build a great riding, every day steel bike your way, with the SOMA ES frameset.