RoLo50312

Today I noticed a Facebook Marketplace ad for a "free bike" in my area. It was hard to tell from the picture, but it appeared to be an old Soma and it also appeared to be close to my size - somewhere around 56.

I responded to the ad and went to check it out. I was greeted by a delightful woman who told me that many years ago her husband used to race the bike, but things change, and he no longer rides. She offered me the bike, a trainer, a hard sided Pedal Pack brand bike travel case, and a kids electric scooter for FREE. I offered her payment in appreciation but she absolutely refused. She said she is starting the process of clearing unused and unwanted items and just wanted the items to go to someone who will use them.

It turns out the bike is my size -- somewhere around a 56. It's quite dirty but seems to be in good shape under the dust, dirt, and cobwebs. It definitely needs tires, tubes, bar tape, and brake hoods (the rubber hoods are brittle and falling apart). The rims are true and spin freely, but I may repack the hubs because it's easy to do. The action on the bottom bracket is smooth and effortless, though I may clean and repack the bottom bracket as routine maintenance. The brake and shift cables may need to be replaced - or they may be ok - but do seem a bit questionable. The steering is very very stiff - there is no catching or crunching sound - it's just quite a lot of resistance. I think I will need to clean and repack the headset, which is fine.

I am not an expert mechanic and not an expert rider. I simply like to tinker with bikes and enjoy riding as recreation. I have learned a few things from tinkering but have serious limitations in my experience and knowledge. Last winter I picked up a 1974 Raleigh Sports and worked on it over the winter as a hobby and got it riding great, though I didn't rebuild the 3 speed SA hub - not sure I could handle that . Now it looks like this winter I'll have a new project - this new (old) "free bike," which turned out to be a Soma Sport, perhaps from the late 70s or early 80s. I would post pictures but I cannot as I am a new member. It's a grey/silver color with chromed fork ends - very sharp old bike.

I would like to setup this bike for use on hardpack dirt, crushed limestone rail trails, well packed gravel roads and rough city streets (unless input here makes me rethink this idea). I am seeking insights and tips on a few issues and questions, as follows:

1. The gearing - yowza! I am used to riding a bike with a Shimano 105 50/34 front and 11/28 rear. This old Some Sport has a 52/42 front and 14/21 rear - wow! I cannot imagine that I (as a "mature" late 40 something desk-job working dad) could handle much more than a short incline with this old race style gearing. I can move at a good clip for 30-40 miles and can ride a leisurely 70-100 just fine, but I like having climbing gears that a stronger competitive rider might not need. However I am not sure if it would be possible to keep the existing Suntour V GT Luxe derailleur but switch out to other chainrings and/or rear cassette/sprockets to get closer to the 34 front/28 rear climbing gear that I am used to having available. 42/21 might leave me pushing my bike

2. It seems like there is considerable tire clearance front and rear, but with the 27" inch rims instead of 700c, I am not seeing a bunch of tire choices out there - looks like mostly 27 x 1 1/4" and some 1" and some 1 3/8" so I'd be somewhere around the 25mm to 35 mm range even if the frame and fork clearances allowed for a bit more tire. Any thoughts on the tire options at 27"?

3. Any general comments and reactions about the old Soma Sport - anything pretty great or terrible to know about this bike? I really like the look of the bike but it seems like it might have been something of a "budget" race bike. I really don't care about its value or lack thereof - just interested in history or impressions related to this bike. I don't think it's particularly unique or great, but I like it

francophile 

First, welcome to BF. Congrats on your first post. You can post pictures after you make 10 replies and a specific period of time passes by. Interim, if you wanted to upload all of your pictures into an album at www.imgur.com then give us the 6-10 RaNDoM LetTTErs at the end of the album URL, one of us can link it for you. Or if that's too complicated, just paste the entire URL here but remove the "https" all the periods "." and slashes "/" manually, then someone can fix it for you.

First, you can do anything with support, either by YouTube video or on a forum. For the steering stiffness, the headset may only need adjustment. If it's been run too tight, there may be race damage or other issues. It's entirely possible it was run too loose, and damaged threads on the steer tube, making it impossible to tighten correctly, so overtightening was the only solution.

1) My only thought is, maybe move to triple if you want a wider array and mechs can handle. Or consider swapping out big and small ring to something your comfortable with. No doubt someone else will have meaningful suggestions. Sadly, I rarely ride in groups these days due to being a dad myself and rarely getting time to make it up to Blue Ridge, Dahlonega or other spots on the weekends, any group rides I'm on are usually less than 30 miles and primarily urban, no excessive climbing, or straight-up MUP. All of my bikes reflect that.

2) See this thread, maybe my post (# 28 in the list) will be helpful. https://www.bikeforums.net/cyclocros...l#post21206663

3) Need pics to really give comments. Not my brand, but with pictures it's a lot easier to be a Statler & Waldorf.

2cam16

Welcome and congrats! Looking forward to some pics. Free is good!

RoLo50312

Hi! I’m not sure if this will work but I’m trying to put in a url with dots and slashed removed my kids could probably do this easily and quickly

Imgur (dot) com (slash) gallery (slash) 7cLgQBj

himespau 

pic assist: https://imgur.com/gallery/7cLgQBj

RoLo50312

Thanks for the pic assist!

francophile 

Man, that looks older than any Soma I've seen in a while! Here's a repost of the pics vs. the link to the gallery. Might save some clicks for folks. If anyone wants the full-resolution bigger pics they can click the link above.

ryansu

Welcome and congrats on the free score, a couple things to consider.

-Disraeli gears is handy for determining how much rear sprocket your RD can handle
-if you have a bike co-op near you they are handy for vintage parts like say a long cage RD that can handle bigger cogs Shimano makes a 6 speed mega range FW with a 34t large cog.
-on most vintage double cranks 38t is about the smallest small ring you can go alternatively a compact crank (50/34) in a square taper BB version can be had inexpensively if you shop around.
-If your wheels are 27" there are two tires I really like; Panaracer Pasela 27 x 1 1/4 and on my touring bike I use the Sand Canyon (also Panaracer) 27 x 1 3/8 both are a bit more spendy then say a kenda tire but are plush and supple and, I think, worth the extra cost. I have ridden both on the type of hard packed trails you describe.

Have fun with your rebuild and enjoy riding the Soma, I am sure it will appreciate getting a second life.

RoLo50312

I am ridiculously excited about tinkering with this bike. I am very curious about its age. As I clean it up if I find clues I will share here.

RoLo50312

These is exactly the type of insight I was hoping to receive. I live in Des Moines, Iowa, and do have a wonderful co-op/collective just a short distance from my office. I have visited and don’t always know what I’m looking for or looking at, but it’s like a wonderful island of misfit toys! THANKS!

noobinsf 

I think this would have been produced in the late 70's, but if you post the serial number, others who are more knowledgeable will be able to deduce its origin. This Soma brand was from Japan.

You will be a bit limited with the spacing in the rear, which is likely 120mm, since I see five cogs on that freewheel. You will likely not be able to fit a 6-speed freewheel without a bit of tinkering, but I suspect this is the kind of challenge you enjoy (as I do). The axle may not be long enough to fit a typical 6-speed, but you could swap out a longer axle easily for 126mm spacing, and then you could simply squeeze that into the 120mm space. Many here do that without any issue. Narrow-spaced 6-speed freewheels used to be produced, but they are now expensive and hard to find for a reasonable price, and finding one with anything other than racing gearing is another hurdle.

Keep the Suntour V-GT Luxe. It's an excellent derailleur -- light, precise, and can handle wide gearing with a big rear cog. As was mentioned, here it is on Disraeli Gears: SunTour V GT Luxe derailleur (1500). Also, if you search YouTube for "overhaul vintage Suntour derailleur," you'll find RJ the Bike Guy's video covering dis- and reassembly. I've done a couple using this video, and it's simple enough for the basic tinkerer, but complex enough to be satisfying for a weekend afternoon.

The nice thing about Japanese bikes of that era is that sizes and threads match modern stuff now (i.e., no quirky French or Austrian dimensions). You'll enjoy building this one back up.

gugie 

@RoLo50312,

From your pics, it appears you've got ample clearance for fatter tires. Change out the freewheel, new chain, brake pads and cables and you might have a good one there. My recommendation is to put on the fattest tires that will fit for gravel riding. Paselas are good choices and come in up to 38mm wide. If you want to splurge, the Rene Herse/Compass tires come even wider, with suppler sidewalls, and ride like a dream - but you're talking around $70/tire.

If the 50312 in your handle indicates you're from Des Moines, then, calling @bikemig

noglider 

I sold that bike in 1979. It's pretty nice, and this one seems to be in good shape.

You can get the Panaracer Pasela or Continental something-or-other in that size, and they're both good tires.

You can put a very large freewheel on, and the derailleur will handle it. You might need to replace the chain.

francophile 

Apparently yours is a Japanese Soma, not the Soma I'm thinking of from the 2000s! The Soma Fab Blog: Soma From Another Era

Hudson308 

That's a pretty nice bike!
It appears to be all original, so there will be date codes on various components that can help you determine when it was made. Vintage Trek is great resource to decode those.

davester

I'm afraid that's not going to work since he has 27" wheels. The Pasela 27 x 1 1/4 or Sand Canyon 27 x 1 3/8 are pretty much it for somewhat wide tires. It sure would be nice for those of us with older touring bikes if someone came out with some wider supple 27" tires in true 35 (1 3/8") or 38 mm (1 1/2") widths. I bet there'd be some demand.

bikemig 

Yeah the co-op downtown isn't bad. This bike will be easy to rebuild but tire size will be limited if the wheels are 27 inch. That RD can handle a much larger freewheel. If you run a 14-28 freewheel (shimano makes a decent one), you'll get better gear ratios and probably enough for any gravel roads in central IA.

VeloBase.com - Component: SunTour V-GT Luxe (version 1)

Best bet are the pasela 27 x 1 and 1/4 tires. I'm running 27 x 1 and 1/4 michelin protek tires on my Sekine SHS 271. They're a little heavier than the paselas but they're a bit wider as well.

Personally I'd overhaul the bike and replace all the consumables before going crazy finding new (old) parts that you may or may not end up needing. Get a set of continental kool stop pads; they're a big help. Get a new chain and replace all the ball bearings, the cables, and the brake shoes.

https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Bicycle-Brake-Pads/dp/B001HBRHJS/ref=pd_sbs_468_t_0/138-7306603-9772703?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001HBRHJS&pd_rd_r=bef26ccf-4f26-44a6-8030-54da876f9fa6&pd_rd_w=gufGY&pd_rd_wg=JfJpL&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=9RJZC0RRDG5DYX8493Z1&refRID=9RJZC0RRDG5DYX8493Z1

That water bottle cage is pretty nice; it's a TA.

gugie 

Ah, good point. I missed the 27" wheels.

Which brings up a good point, there's a lot more variety in 700c tires. As a quick gravel modification, this bike doesn't need much outside of fatter tires. If 27 x 1-1/4 is the best that can be done, that'll get you going (along with lower gearing). If the OP decides that more performance is wanted, a set of 700c wheels, respace to 130mm and upgrade to a cassette would make sense, opening up even wider tire options.

I'm getting the feeling that the OP doesn't want to spend a whole lot of money on this, which makes good sense - it's already a decent bike that was gotten for free.

Murray Missile 

I have a 1978 Soma sales brochure, your bike matched the Sport in the brochure as far as components and available color but the '78 had smaller graphics and chrome "socks" on both the stays and lower fork legs. The graphics on my '79 Prestige match those in the '78 brochure so I think you can rule out '78 and '79. Maybe 1980? It was probably built by Kuwahara, Soma, like so many others was actually a US company that contracted with overseas manufacturers to supply bikes. Here's my '79 Prestige, the Prestige was the next model up from the Sport.

Goofball

Club roost cross terra 27 ×1 3/8

RoLo50312

Many thanks to all who replied! I wanted to offer individualized thanks and reactions but then got a notice yesterday saying I could only comment five times in one day so I had to wait until today to respond. So given the limit I’ll try to touch on several points in one response.
1. I found a serial number - it was not under bottom bracket where I first looked but instead the lower end of the seat tube (non-drive side). Number Somewhat hard to read but appears to be 79 12 45335.
2. It is very much correct that I want to keep the project cost low...for peace in the household.
3. I think I’ll start with tubes, tires (from among the suggestions), cables, and brake hoods and then see how I like the ride.
4. Once I get a feel for the ride, then I’ll know if I want to go for the Kool stop pads, and possibly change out to a different freewheel. I checked the Disraeli info and it looks like RD can handle 34 and I see a 14-28 5 cog freewheel seems readily available for very little money.
5. If I still don’t like gearing then I may look to change out one or both chainrings. If my measurements are correct it looks like I have a 110 mm BCD and could drop down to something around a 50/34 (I think??) without much in the way of technical challenges - I’m a little surprised at the prices of chainrings though - maybe I can find something more appropriate at the collective.
6. if I change either the freewheel or chainring then I’ll obviously get a new chain.
7. If I can find a good deal on a nice appropriate saddle I might swap that out too, but I’d be looking for something either from the period or new but appropriate for a bike from this era.
8. Murray missile - that’s a sweet ride!!!

Thanks!

noglider 

If your tubes don't leak, you don't have to replace them. They don't receive UV rays, so they don't dry rot inside the tires. I've used 40-year-old tubes.

late

I'd swap out the derailleur for a longer one. If you can find an old Suntour MTB derailleur...

As others have suggested, you can go 7 speed.




https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-theory.html

canklecat

Nice catch! If you want to save money while making it a little easier to tackle modest climbs, check out Vuelta brand chainrings -- great quality and very affordable. I have their plain and ramped/pinned chainrings. That appears to be a standard 130 bcd, so you can go as low as a 38 tooth small chainring. I swapped my Ironman from 52/42 Suntour to Vuelta 50/39 and 38. I swap the little chainring around to suit my preference for gear steps with 13-25 and 13-28 freewheels. Much friendlier for my modest climbing ability.

The existing rear derailleur will probably handle up to a 28T big cog on the freewheel. A SunRace 5-speed 14-28 freewheel will be inexpensive and work well.

Also, to save a little money for now, if the original brake pads aren't hard as wood, they can be refreshed by filing or sanding them to remove the glazed area and reveal some more or less fresh rubber. But the condition of old pads varies depending on the environment, ozone level, etc. Some will be good for years, others may crack or harden.

Murray Missile 

That would indicate it was built in December 1979 making it a 1980 model.