Soma ES / Salsa Casseroll

Been thinking about giving this a revamp and need some moral support to get on with it or a virtual slap round the face before I do an Amey and plough a load of money into redundant technology.

Got a nice 650 rim brake wheelset ready to go. Was running it with a Thorn 853 fork which is lovely but is the wrong colour. I've run the numbers and can do a cut price version for just under £600 with no front rack, old paint and R559 brakes, or the proper version with new paint, frame changes and CX8.4 brakes for just over a grand. either way max tyre size is probably going to be 38mm.

Either that or sell it all and wait for the Genesis all-road to come out (anyone know the price of that yet?) which will probably be heavier and less 'special'. The retro-grouch in me wants to keep the nice supple Thorn fork and remain disc-less.

Dodgy photoshop mock-up of what I have in my head:

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This is going back together. I know the front mudguard line is tragic, but it's not fully fixed so hopefully I'll find a way to sort that out.

Decided to go the 'budget' option for now, see how it works out. So R559 brakes and Longboards. If I fall head over heels with it I may end up getting canti mounts brazed on etc, but that's overkill for now.

I have a black Cane Creek 110 headset in the box, but this one seems fine for now so may just run it until it dies. Bars are some Genesis ones which seem remarkably similar to SL-70s from what I can tell, just without the gloss finish. might get them painted along with a ratty tubus fly I have if it bothers me.

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go proper and canti instead of 8.4 which means clearance 48c Slick Gravel kings/Horizons and mudguards. Plus I always found Mini V to be a bit of a non-product. On paper 'easier' to set up but the mechanical advantage means you have to run the pads super close to the rims and wheels need to stay true.

Dibs on the sugino crankset if you sell.

The fork wouldn't clear that, I have some cx9s which with the 6800 levers should provide decent clearance, but yeah, just wanna ride the fuggin thing for a bit and then decide whether to improve or replace. Also not sure if I'm sold on the 47mm for road business. I'll have a monstercross bike if things look rougher, wanna keep this reasonably spritely.

Good timing with the new Surly bike as if they sell the fork on its own that would be a good swap (though probably not as refined as the Thorn one).

ah, fair enough. 47mm (horizons) is good fun

Those bars look way longer than SL70 which are super short reach (70mm)

also, where is that cabinet from?

Might just be the angle. The seller listed them as 71mm, but I'll check tonight.

Probably. Ah well, nice bike

I've got one of these. You should buy it :)

Ha! Not sure about the tall stack now, looks a bit weird with the extended head tube, but it'll stay until I know that it doesn't fit. I had planned for no silver other than the seatpost but the Sugino crankset is pretty much impossible to get in this country in black. and the headset was already fitted.

Homebase, called a Merrick I think, doesn't look like they do it anymore though.

Haven't made much progress on this as I got distracted putting my MTB back together. Probably over-geared. Very light though. Feels a bit tall, may have to flip the stem.

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A little progress. cables outers cut, but I discovered I need the sleeved ferrules if I'm going to do it properly, so will be waiting on a delivery of small parts from sjs, including some of the schmidt coaxial cable for the dynamo lights. And CRC sent me an 8 speed chain, so that'll have to wait. I'll try and drop my rack off at the powder-coater's this week so it can sit about until they have a batch of black painting they're doing.

Spacer bodged from some nylon sheet, badly finished but it's solid and sorts out my fender-line.

I should probably drill the bb shell for drainage too, but there's not loads of space, I guess slightly left of the cable guide is going to be the one.

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Boring update without photos:

Sorted cables and front light. Added a scoble flap and replaced some bolts to make the guards more secure. Drilled the BB shell for drainage and added these things to the inside of the fork leg for dynamo cable routing, hoping they stay in place, have used gorilla double sided tape.

Hopefully will be ridable tomorrow!

Also ordered a load of bits for the Vagabond that's been sitting in my shed for nearly two years! Upside is it's going to be pimping if I ever get it finished. I have a plan for sti operated dropper.

Looking good. Nice cranks.

eBay [relative] bargain. It pays to check your saved searches.

Finished for the moment. Shit pic but I'll get a proper one on the shakedown ride, probably not for a week now :(

Rack and rear light will follow. Maybe a front rack eventually.

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'kin 'ell. That post says I finished this bike 2 months ago, and I only just got out on it. Shocking weather and life commitments getting in the way or meaning MTB looks more desirable. Going to start committing on it now and again so hopefully it'll see a bit more action now. Anyway, pretty pleased with how it rides. Breaking isn't mind blowing as expected, but it's definitely within acceptable limits. Cambium seems comfy, I can probably get away with a bit less pressure too, started around 40psi.

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Looks great. Are you going to add a front rack as per your original photoshop? What non-mind blowing brakes did you use in the end?

Are they hydraulic brake cable guides you used for the dynamo wiring on the fork leg? That's what I used on my Soma GR. Kind of works okay even though they don't hold the coaxial tight.

Used the Tekro R559. Just about reach. Worst thing about them is I know all the hardware will go rusty. Might look in to replacing that with ti/stainless.

Yeah the hydraulic guides, used gorilla double-sided tape as insurance. Tried the di2 guide thing but I think the curve on the small diameter steel tubes was too much for them.

I'll probably try a front rack at some point, just holding out for a good price on an m18. Not sure what to do about a decaleur, might get something fabricated.

45 miles on this today, 3.5k ft of elevation, my longest in a while. I love this bike, so comfortable. The route took in gravel mining tracks, smooth asphalt and everything in between, handled it all great.

Low gearing means I can keep in the big ring on shallow grades and still get up steep climbs at the end when I was totally spent.

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where is that? incredible shot. really like the bike too.

Police mine in Cornwall. It was a stunning day which helps.