# advice on a soma smoothie frame, how does it ride



## b24fsb (Dec 21, 2006)

im looking at building up a backup bike that i will use for rainy days and for crit races that i know have lots of wrecks. the soma smoothie looks like a good frame and i know that prestige tubing is good so i like that, the geo is on for a road race bike. i would be getting a 52cm and im a cat4 sprinter type that puts out 1400watts in a sprint. i have never owned a steel frame, only ridden and raced on carbon so when i read reviews im a little worried when people talk about the flex in the frame. is this really not that bad or is there another frame that can be recommended. any info is appreciated


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## edlouie (Feb 22, 2005)

I wouldn't recommend a steel frame for rainy days because you'll have to be meticulous about drying it out over other materials. 

Steel does flex more than carbon. If you hold both brakes down and step on the pedal, you can see the BB move on most steel bikes. 

Since you race and want to ride in the rain, I would suggest Al (CAAD 8/9 used) or one of those carbon ebay frames over the smoothie.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Nothing wrong with a Smoothie or steel (you can rust proof it), but you might want to look into used aluminum if you expect crash damage (rather than replacing or fixing a $400+ steel frame). Those frames plentiful and cheap.

The Smoothie rides nice but isn't anything special. Tubing is Prestige in name only (not the same as back in the day).


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## Hippienflipflops (Aug 21, 2007)

all you have to do is apply frame saver before build-up...love steel


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## CleavesF (Dec 31, 2007)

edlouie said:


> I wouldn't recommend a steel frame for rainy days because you'll have to be meticulous about drying it out over other materials.
> 
> Steel does flex more than carbon. If you hold both brakes down and step on the pedal, you can see the BB move on most steel bikes.
> 
> Since you race and want to ride in the rain, I would suggest Al (CAAD 8/9 used) or one of those carbon ebay frames over the smoothie.


I don't agree with anything you've said here. It's like... all nonsense.


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## edlouie (Feb 22, 2005)

CleavesF said:


> I don't agree with anything you've said here. It's like... all nonsense.


Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Thanks for helping the OP btw. 



Hippienflipflops said:


> all you have to do is apply frame saver before build-up...love steel


I love steel too - I have four of them. But for a rain bike or beater race bike I'd ride Al first. Especially if the OP puts out 1400 watts, a CAAD 8/9 will be much better to race on then a Smoothie. 

But I'm probably wrong, since most CAT4's race on steel...right?


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

edlouie said:


> Steel does flex more than carbon. If you hold both brakes down and step on the pedal, you can see the BB move on most steel bikes.
> .


This is kind of like kicking tires when shopping for cars. I worked at a shop once where a customer cracked a carbon frame doing this "test." 

Regarding the whole "rust" issue, I live in the Pacific Northwest and put my steel frames away wet every day, no problems. Just treat the inside with Boeshield or Framesaver every few years.

For a second race/crit bike, though, I'd probably consider some kind of cheaper and lighter AL frame--stuff is always on sale.


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## holy cromoly (Nov 9, 2008)

Steel can handle rain just fine if the prep work is done when new. Just spray Frame Saver into the tubes and make sure the seat tube and head tubes are greased before inserting seatpost and pressing in headset cups.

As to the bottom bracket flexing during the showroom room "test", that test is creating an artificial situation where that flexing occurs. One would rarely mash on the cranks while slamming on both front and rear brakes. The test does technically show flex, but it's not a good assesment IMO. And as Henry mentioned, you can crack a carbon frame that way.

Price Point has the white Smoothie frame for just $299. That's steal of a price for race geometry road frame.


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## edlouie (Feb 22, 2005)

Henry Chinaski said:


> This is kind of like kicking tires when shopping for cars. I worked at a shop once where a customer cracked a carbon frame doing this "test."
> 
> Regarding the whole "rust" issue, I live in the Pacific Northwest and put my steel frames away wet every day, no problems. Just treat the inside with Boeshield or Framesaver every few years.
> 
> For a second race/crit bike, though, I'd probably consider some kind of cheaper and lighter AL frame--stuff is always on sale.


I'm not a CAT anything but I can see the BB move on the trainer and I can get FD rub on sprinting. Do I think it makes my steel bikes slower or less desirable? No. But the OP might, after all he asked.

I agree that you can use framesaver with good results.

I think any performance/nashbar/Douglas $200 Al frame will be a better buy than the smoothies for the OP's intended purpose.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

That's a good deal. It'd be nice if they included a steel fork.



holy cromoly said:


> Steel can handle rain just fine if the prep work is done when new. Just spray Frame Saver into the tubes and make sure the seat tube and head tubes are greased before inserting seatpost and pressing in headset cups.
> 
> As to the bottom bracket flexing during the showroom room "test", that test is creating an artificial situation where that flexing occurs. One would rarely mash on the cranks while slamming on both front and rear brakes. The test does technically show flex, but it's not a good assesment IMO. And as Henry mentioned, you can crack a carbon frame that way.
> 
> Price Point has the white Smoothie frame for just $299. That's steal of a price for race geometry road frame.


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## holy cromoly (Nov 9, 2008)

rcnute said:


> That's a good deal. It'd be nice if they included a steel fork.


True, that would be nice.

Performance has chrome lugged fork that is pretty sweet (albeit heavy for those who care).
Sometimes on sale for $50. If I wasn't riding my Kona Kapu, I'd seriously consider the Smoothie + Peformance chrome fork combo.


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## b24fsb (Dec 21, 2006)

well thats just it i can get one for $260 brand new and i already have a carbon fork setting around to use on it. i would imagine that steel would hold up better in a crash than alum but i could be wrong.


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## Hippienflipflops (Aug 21, 2007)

yes steel handles much better in a crash...as in it can be potentially fixed...not just thrown away.


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## Voodoochile (Apr 10, 2009)

That Soma and performance fork would be cool as hell. That fork looks almost the same as my Tommasini Air fork. Anyway I have a Cannondale CAAD 4 that I used to race in crits and that bike was a freaken sprinting monster. I would sell that one built with original wheels for $350. It needs a left STI or maybe it could be fixed cuz the spring came out of the hole. It's got a brand new Ultegra crank, rear dr, D-Ace BB. It's a 54 though.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I commuted on a Soma Smoothie ES in Hawaii for years. I rode in all weather on a MUT next to the water in Pearl Harbor so my bike was subjected to tropical storms and riding through brackish (salty) water. After two years the frame broke at the drive side dropout and was replaced under warranty. When I stripped the components off to ship the broken frame, there was no rust or corrosion whatsoever so this whole theory of steel bikes rusting away in rainy weather just isn't true. I now live in the PNW and commute year round on a steel Gunnar and it is rust free as well.

As far as racing steel and it being flexible, I ride a Pegoretti Big Leg Emma and a Merckx MXL and wouldn't describe either as flexible.


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## RJohn (Mar 24, 2009)

A couple of comments. First is about the flex that has been mentioned. The frame flexes back into place giving back the energy right? I think too many riders get caught up in that flex nonsense. I got sucked into that thinking once. I had an aluminum frame once that had very very minimal flex in the bottom bracket and fairly rigid overall. Not good. It rode like a brick. Maybe a pro crit racer that is only on the saddle for 30 minutes or so may feel differently but not for the rest of us mortals. Sheldon Brown has a pretty good article on bike flex 
If you are a big and heavy rider disregard everything I said. 
Another myth. I live in the Northwest also. This town is crowded with ancient steel fixies and beaters still riding the streets. They seem to never die around here. I have been riding steel for years and have never had any trouble. I love my steel bikes. Flex, rust and all.
There's my two cents.


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## Voodoochile (Apr 10, 2009)

RJohn said:


> Sheldon Brown has a pretty good article on bike flex


Article??? Ahem.

Is this it?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html


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## RJohn (Mar 24, 2009)

Yup. That's it.


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## mikeyp123 (Mar 9, 2007)

Hey.. so I actually road a Smoothie for a little over a year. It was the backup bike. Initially I though it was the bees-knees, nice smooth ride of steel.. but after spending much time on it.. it sucks. Flexes way too much.. can't sprint worth a ****.. it's actually scary to sprint on. It's also heavy. Everytime I took the bike out on the Saturday morning hammer-fest I seriously felt it made the ride 5-10% more difficult... as compared to my System6.

I eventually ended up swapping the Smoothie for a used carbon fiber frame.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

wht do you keep recommending this fork? have you tried it on a smoothie? or road bike? it's chrome and may look cool... but it's got only 40mm rake. the forks made to go w/ the smoothie hav a bit more


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