Soma Riff for gravel / commute bike?
02-02-20, 12:41 PM
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Soma Riff for gravel / commute bike?
Hi, folks. I'm trying to recreate that 1980s rigid MTB feel while building my all-weather, go anywhere, flat bar commuting/touring, bike to complement my Lynskey Sportive, which is now trying to do too many things.
Requirements:
So far, the Soma Riff is the only frame I've found that checks all of these boxes. Lots of things that are close but + only, come with forks but they're 15, are perfect but don't have fender mounts, are designed around drops (which limits a lot of things, like upgrading drive trains and brakes separately, as well as the fact that I miss flat bars for that childhood feel), etc.
I can get a Riff frame for under $500, and a CrMo fork and headset for another $150. I was thinking I could swap over just about everything else to start, then maybe go with a schmany-pants carbon fork with dedicated dynamo routing or a slightly higher-geared crankset or whatever if I ever felt like it, but I don't want this to turn into another "I got a frame for cheap and hung $2000 of new parts on it!" project. This won't be a bar bike, but it will be a Toyota Tacoma through crappy Seattle winters.
Any other suggestions?
Anything terribly wrong with this plan?
Requirements:
- 650b (standardizing across all bikes), but NOT plus tires for my commutes. Probably 47mm.
- 12mm TA fork with rack mounts (I have a dynamo 12mm wheel already)
- Standover clearance
- Steel
- Fenders
- Probably a rear rack
- Hydros
- Will work with either Jones or trekking/butterfly bars
So far, the Soma Riff is the only frame I've found that checks all of these boxes. Lots of things that are close but + only, come with forks but they're 15, are perfect but don't have fender mounts, are designed around drops (which limits a lot of things, like upgrading drive trains and brakes separately, as well as the fact that I miss flat bars for that childhood feel), etc.
I can get a Riff frame for under $500, and a CrMo fork and headset for another $150. I was thinking I could swap over just about everything else to start, then maybe go with a schmany-pants carbon fork with dedicated dynamo routing or a slightly higher-geared crankset or whatever if I ever felt like it, but I don't want this to turn into another "I got a frame for cheap and hung $2000 of new parts on it!" project. This won't be a bar bike, but it will be a Toyota Tacoma through crappy Seattle winters.
Any other suggestions?
Anything terribly wrong with this plan?
Last edited by cormacf; 02-02-20 at 12:51 PM.
02-09-20, 09:04 PM
#3
Full Member
Thread Starter
No, but I think the top tube is a little short for flat bars (especially trekking bars), so I'd have to put a really long stem on it. If I go with drops, it's pretty similar to my Lynskey, plus I can't swap over the brakes and shifters from my hardtail.
02-10-20, 07:59 AM
#4
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Up until the late 90s, it was not uncommon to see 135mm stems. Early mtb top tubes were much shorter than modern top tubes.
I think older mtbs actually make better street bikes then modern mtbs due to the more road-like geo. I don’t see the point in a short stem, wide bars, and slacked out head tube angle on a street bike. I would not be surprised if the Wolverine has a geo closer to a 80s-90s rigid mtb than the Riff does.
Edit:looking that the numbers of the Wolverine and some bikes from the 90's, A 54cm Wolveriine has a top tube that was typical of a 17" (Medium) from the 90s.
Last edited by Kapusta; 02-10-20 at 10:34 AM.
02-14-20, 08:30 AM
#5
Senior Member
How about a Surly Midnight Special?
The Riff has a very low stack, so you're going to end up with a lot of spacers.
The Riff has a very low stack, so you're going to end up with a lot of spacers.
