Surly Pacer or Soma Smoothie ES?

[Gooserider]

I've been bike commuting for a couple of months now, and everything's
been going well. I'm riding my Gunnar Sport, which is a nice bike. Very
comfortable(except for my CTS related hand numbness, which I've accepted),
stable at speed, fast, and reliable. Problem is, it's too nice and shiny to
abuse on sandy, gritty Florida roads. We are approaching the rainy season,
and I really don't want to sandblast the paint job.
I have a Schwinn Peloton I bought, but it's too small. I've tried to
work around that, but I think it just doesn't fit. It has a nice 105 triple
group, Mavic MA2 wheels, and I would like to swap those parts to a cheap
steel frame with rack and fender eyelets. eBay is not really providing what
I want, which is a frameset only. I can find tons of suitable beater bikes,
but that still leaves me with the Schwinn taking up space. So, the Surly
Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the same
price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames about
the same? Anybody own either? It would be my bad weather commuter, probably
built with a dynohub.

Mike

 

[Fritz]

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:59:52 -0500, "Gooserider"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I've been bike commuting for a couple of months now, and everything's
>been going well. I'm riding my Gunnar Sport, which is a nice bike. Very
>comfortable(except for my CTS related hand numbness, which I've accepted),
>stable at speed, fast, and reliable. Problem is, it's too nice and shiny to
>abuse on sandy, gritty Florida roads. We are approaching the rainy season,
>and I really don't want to sandblast the paint job.
> I have a Schwinn Peloton I bought, but it's too small. I've tried to
>work around that, but I think it just doesn't fit. It has a nice 105 triple
>group, Mavic MA2 wheels, and I would like to swap those parts to a cheap
>steel frame with rack and fender eyelets. eBay is not really providing what
>I want, which is a frameset only. I can find tons of suitable beater bikes,
>but that still leaves me with the Schwinn taking up space. So, the Surly
>Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the same
>price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames about
>the same? Anybody own either? It would be my bad weather commuter, probably
>built with a dynohub.
>
>Mike
>
I bought my very lightly used Pacer frame off ebay in 2005 and built
it up. Since then I have put about 8000 miles on it and have had two
crashes and the frame is still perfect. The original powder coat
job on these bikes are the not the greatest, but, in black it is not
to bad.
Very Bullet proof!
Also I weigh about 250 pounds and this bike is built for it.

 

[landotter]

Gooserider wrote:
> So, the Surly
> Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the same
> price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames about
> the same? Anybody own either? It would be my bad weather commuter, probably
> built with a dynohub.
>
> Mike

I think the Soma's slightly better looking, and has rack brazons, but
really they're very comparable. Look at the numbers and see if one
seems better suited for ya. If it was equal, I'd get the Surly, as you
can get one on closeout at Excel Sports for three bills--with the dang
fork. Soma with a fork will cost a bit over four. But if the Soma fits,
get it.

TBH, I'd get that cheap and cheerful Windsor touring bike and swap out
a few bits if I was looking for a bad weather commuter for a fair
price. For three bills more, and a similar frame, ya get wheels, tires,
and even a full component group. Might be some gimpy stuff in there,
but you've got plenty left over compared to a raw custom build to
change out some bits.

If it's reasonably flat where you are, I can't say enough good about
the Redline 925 I've been riding for a couple months. $500, fixed or
freewheel, indestructable wheels and tires and decent componentry if
no-name all around. The included Planet Bike fenders are magical, as
they are way shorter than my other bike's, but I never get my feet wet.

 

[[email protected]]

> TBH, I'd get that cheap and cheerful Windsor touring bike and swap out
> a few bits if I was looking for a bad weather commuter for a fair
> price. For three bills more, and a similar frame, ya get wheels, tires,
> and even a full component group. Might be some gimpy stuff in there,
> but you've got plenty left over compared to a raw custom build to
> change out some bits.

I've got a Windsor Hour track bike ($299 complete) that I use for
commuting. If it is any indication of how good their touring bike is,
that's pretty good. The paint seems quite tough and shows no signs of
distress despite my very grimy, salty 20 mile route. Sure some of the
bits are a bit dodgy, but as you say, it's a complete bike you can swap
parts out at your lesiure.

> If it's reasonably flat where you are, I can't say enough good about
> the Redline 925 I've been riding for a couple months. $500, fixed or
> freewheel, indestructable wheels and tires and decent componentry if
> no-name all around. The included Planet Bike fenders are magical, as
> they are way shorter than my other bike's, but I never get my feet wet.

There is certainly something to be said for fixed and/or single speed
for grimy, sandy commutes. Way less stuff to wear out or be irritated
over due to cheap quality.

Joseph

 

[[email protected]]

Gooserider wrote:
> ....
> I can find tons of suitable beater bikes,
> but that still leaves me with the Schwinn taking up space. So, the Surly
> Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the same
> price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames about
> the same? Anybody own either?
> ....

I own a Surly Crosscheck. It is similar to the Pacer except more
Surly-like (room for bigger tires, 135 mm dropout spacing, horizonal
dropouts, etc). I am very pleased with it. In fact, I helped a friend
build up a road bike with that frameset and liked it so much that I
bought one myself and built it up as a straight-bar road bike.

Just one more data point,
Tom

 

[Gooserider]

"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Gooserider wrote:
>> ....
>> I can find tons of suitable beater bikes,
>> but that still leaves me with the Schwinn taking up space. So, the Surly
>> Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the
>> same
>> price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames
>> about
>> the same? Anybody own either?
>> ....
>
> I own a Surly Crosscheck. It is similar to the Pacer except more
> Surly-like (room for bigger tires, 135 mm dropout spacing, horizonal
> dropouts, etc). I am very pleased with it. In fact, I helped a friend
> build up a road bike with that frameset and liked it so much that I
> bought one myself and built it up as a straight-bar road bike.
>
> Just one more data point,
> Tom

I was considering the Cross-Check, also. Was kind of looking for a bit more
of a "go-fast" commuter, but you can't argue with the Cross-Check's
versatility. I'm going to have to get new brakes if I get the Pacer or
Smoothie(need long reach for fenders, and I have racerboy short reach on the
Peloton), so it would be no biggie to buy cantis for the Cross Check. The
Peloton has a 53T big ring, which is bigger than I usually need, but I think
if I get a wider range cassette I can make it work. I have a lot of choices,
but it's a long time until rainy season.

Mike

 

[Gooserider]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>> TBH, I'd get that cheap and cheerful Windsor touring bike and swap out
>> a few bits if I was looking for a bad weather commuter for a fair
>> price. For three bills more, and a similar frame, ya get wheels, tires,
>> and even a full component group. Might be some gimpy stuff in there,
>> but you've got plenty left over compared to a raw custom build to
>> change out some bits.
>
> I've got a Windsor Hour track bike ($299 complete) that I use for
> commuting. If it is any indication of how good their touring bike is,
> that's pretty good. The paint seems quite tough and shows no signs of
> distress despite my very grimy, salty 20 mile route. Sure some of the
> bits are a bit dodgy, but as you say, it's a complete bike you can swap
> parts out at your lesiure.
>
>> If it's reasonably flat where you are, I can't say enough good about
>> the Redline 925 I've been riding for a couple months. $500, fixed or
>> freewheel, indestructable wheels and tires and decent componentry if
>> no-name all around. The included Planet Bike fenders are magical, as
>> they are way shorter than my other bike's, but I never get my feet wet.
>
> There is certainly something to be said for fixed and/or single speed
> for grimy, sandy commutes. Way less stuff to wear out or be irritated
> over due to cheap quality.
>
> Joseph

My route is a bit too hilly for a fixie or a single(at least for me). This
part of Florida is not flat, and the developers have trucked in tons and
tons of dirt to make "Citrus Hills" a fitting name. The reason for looking
for a frameset is to swap the 105 group I already have onto it. However, if
I lucked into a suitable bike for super cheap on eBay I would jump on it.
Maybe an old Raleigh, Trek, or Bianchi.

 

[[email protected]]

Buy a frame from www.bikenashbar.com. For $200 or so you get a 'cross
or touring frame.
Gooserider wrote:
> I've been bike commuting for a couple of months now, and everything's
> been going well. I'm riding my Gunnar Sport, which is a nice bike. Very
> comfortable(except for my CTS related hand numbness, which I've accepted),
> stable at speed, fast, and reliable. Problem is, it's too nice and shiny to
> abuse on sandy, gritty Florida roads. We are approaching the rainy season,
> and I really don't want to sandblast the paint job.
> I have a Schwinn Peloton I bought, but it's too small. I've tried to
> work around that, but I think it just doesn't fit. It has a nice 105 triple
> group, Mavic MA2 wheels, and I would like to swap those parts to a cheap
> steel frame with rack and fender eyelets. eBay is not really providing what
> I want, which is a frameset only. I can find tons of suitable beater bikes,
> but that still leaves me with the Schwinn taking up space. So, the Surly
> Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the same
> price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames about
> the same? Anybody own either? It would be my bad weather commuter, probably
> built with a dynohub.
>
> Mike

 

[Gooserider]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Buy a frame from www.bikenashbar.com. For $200 or so you get a 'cross
> or touring frame.


Not a steel one.

 

[Dennis Ferguson]

On 2006-12-14, Gooserider <[email protected]> wrote:
> but that still leaves me with the Schwinn taking up space. So, the Surly
> Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the same
> price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames about
> the same? Anybody own either? It would be my bad weather commuter, probably
> built with a dynohub.

I rode a Smoothie ES when looking for something to commute on about
18 months ago, and would have bought it if the bike shop hadn't happened
to have something up-market, in my size, that had been on the shelf for
long enough that they were selling it at a pretty big discount (a Gunnar
Sport, in fact). I'm currently looking at it again since I want a
not-too-expensive bike to take to Mexico. I also have a friend who has
a Surly Pacer, but he's smaller than I am so I haven't tried his bike.
Note that, if I'm remembering correctly, a Smoothie needs short reach brakes
and the tire/fender combination you mention is likely to be tight. The
Smoothie ES is the model that needs long reach brakes.

Both the Smoothie ES and the Pacer look like fine bikes to me, for
whatever that's worth. I think the Smoothie ES might be a bit lighter,
even with the longer chain stays, but it is also a bit more expensive
(though I see they have some painted the wrong color for $60 off right
now). I do know that the Smoothie ES has more room under the brakes; the
pads on long reach brakes are right out at the end of the slot on this
bike, but are half a centimeter or more up the slot on the Pacer. I also
like that the Smoothie ES has two eyelets on the rear dropouts; the
single eyelet on the Pacer (and the Gunnar, for that matter) is
a bit annoying if you want to mount both a fender and a rack on
the back. I hence like the Smoothie ES a bit more, but either
bike would do.

Note that if you're mounting fenders on a bike with caliper brakes
then I really like the replacement brake nuts shown about half
way down this page

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/berthoudinst.asp

in the section about installing the carbon fenders.

Dennis Ferguson

 

[Gooserider]

"Dennis Ferguson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2006-12-14, Gooserider <[email protected]> wrote:
>> but that still leaves me with the Schwinn taking up space. So, the Surly
>> Pacer and Soma Smoothie/Smoothie ES look promising. Both are about the
>> same
>> price, both take 700x28c with fenders. Is the quality of these frames
>> about
>> the same? Anybody own either? It would be my bad weather commuter,
>> probably
>> built with a dynohub.
>
> I rode a Smoothie ES when looking for something to commute on about
> 18 months ago, and would have bought it if the bike shop hadn't happened
> to have something up-market, in my size, that had been on the shelf for
> long enough that they were selling it at a pretty big discount (a Gunnar
> Sport, in fact). I'm currently looking at it again since I want a
> not-too-expensive bike to take to Mexico. I also have a friend who has
> a Surly Pacer, but he's smaller than I am so I haven't tried his bike.
> Note that, if I'm remembering correctly, a Smoothie needs short reach
> brakes
> and the tire/fender combination you mention is likely to be tight. The
> Smoothie ES is the model that needs long reach brakes.

Dennis---

I am not quite sure, but I will definitely go with a model with long
reach brakes. I want fenders, as this will be a rain bike. They are both
about the same price, since Soma sells the fork separately. The Pacer is
going to be silver in 2007, and I like that. May be a wait.