Soma Saga

Make
Soma
Model
Saga
Year
2012
Miles
25,697
Purchased from
Cyclotopia

First custom build. Insurance settlement allowed me to build the touring bike I really wanted. Built in August, touring in September. Currently my main commuter bike as well.

Original Build

  • SRAM 2x10 drive train with 42/28 front and 11-36 rear
  • SRAM Apex shifters
  • Schmidt SON 28 front dynohub
  • LumotedIQ Fly head light
  • Old Man Mountain rear rack
  • Jand Extreme front rack (later changed to Tubus low rider)
  • Schwalbe Marathon 700x35c tires
  • Avid Shorty cantilever brakes

2024 Rebuild

  • Velo Orange Grand Cru crankset 48-34-24
  • Velo Orange square taper bottom bracket
  • Dia Compe bar end friction shifters
  • Tecktro linear pull brakes
  • Tecktro brake levers

Tours

This has been a great touring bike. Here are the tours I've done with it.

Plus a few overnight rides locally and to the coast.

Articles and Blog Posts

Picture
Soma Saga
Saga at Rainy Pass
Soma Saga Touring Bike

Service log

New Saddle

Soma Saga
Milage
25,500

On a whim I got a Brooks B-17 with springs and a slot. I figured this bike deserves it.

Brooks B-17 Flyer Saddle

New saddle

Soma Saga
Milage
25,232

A Brooks B17 carved flyer. A gentleman’s saddle. We’ll see 

New rims (again)

Soma Saga
Milage
23,145

Wasn’t happy with the rims I got last summer and wanted to go tubeless. Alex rims with Rene Hers Snoqualmie Pass 700x44 tubeless. 

Saga gets an Overhaul

Soma Saga
Milage
23,000

For years I've been scheming to convert the Saga to a triple with bar end shifters. We'll it's happened.

  • Velo Orange Grand Cru crankset 48-34-24
  • Velo Orange square taper bottom bracket
  • Dia Compe bar end friction shifters

Plus!

  • Tecktro linear pull brakes
  • Tecktro brake levers
  • 44 mm Rene Herse Snoqualmie Pass tires

You might ask why, in the age of single chainring electronic shifting, I would want to go back to this 30 year old technology? Because for touring it the most versatile and reliable setup. With the 42/26 double I was lacking gears at both ends. Now I have a range from 19 to 122 gear inches.

Then there was the time my SRAM apex shifter broke while on a tour. That's just not going to happen with bar end shifters. 

Then, after I had installed the new shifters I realized I was no longer dependent on the road style brake levers and I could upgrade to linear pull (vee) brakes and get much better stopping power.

The SOMA Saga is a classic road touring bike, and in this configuration, much truer to it's roots.

New crankset
Shiny new bike parts

New wheel, cassette, chain, brake pads

Soma Saga
Milage
22,500

Broke a spoke and was going to replace it, but the rim was worn out. Rear wheel. Need to do front soon. 

Note: Had the front wheel rebuilt a week later.

New Handlebars

Soma Saga
Milage
17,428

Velo Orange Grand Cru Nouveau Randonneur Handlebar

Nouveau Randonneur Handlebar

Nouveau Randonneur Handlebar

These bars are wider than the old ones, with a shorter reach and shallower drop. We'll see if I like them as much as the older Rando bars on my Grando.

Shorter stem

Soma Saga
Milage
17,405

The new saddle (Brooks B17 Imperial Narrow) was telling me to sit up higher, so I flipped the stem back up, but then decided to get a shorter stem.

New saddle

Soma Saga
Milage
17,176

Brooks B17 Imperial Narrow. I was feeling like the regular B17 was too wide and also applying too much pressure where it shouldn't.

Brooks B17 Imperial Narrow Saddle

Steer Stopper

Soma Saga
Milage
1,680

Sam Stern had one of these Steer Stoppers on his Ritchy on Loop Tour and I thought "just the thing for the Saga". The VO steering damper really didn't work out that well. I'm really liking this.