Product Review
A review of my new bike: featuring Soma track hubs, Velocity deep v wheels, and an NYC track frame.
I just got back from the fixed gear gallery symposium, and feel i really got to put all the parts sent to me for this bike to the test. I did an alleycat, a hill climb, sprints, and track stand contest. I'm going to review each part on it's own so i don't miss anything… here it goes!
front hub
rear hub
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Soma track hubs
http://www.somafab.com/hubs.html
price rear $85 front $65
I got these hubs as the first part of the build, so i guess i built the bike around them. I opted for a pair of silver 36 hole hubs. You can get them in black and in 32 hole as well. When these hubs showed up they were a thing of beauty- so perfect i couldn't wait to get some wheels to put them on. Now that I've been riding them i think they're great! I have never ridden Phil or Paul's component hubs, but to me these feel smooth as hell. It's weird because i always thought formula hubs were ok. Well, these hubs ride a lot smoother. I feel like they are the working man's hubs- nice and smooth- tuff, but not over priced. I think Soma did a great job in design and look. I'm a fan of solid hubs- not cuts that make them look cool. This is where people will start talking about weight. I don't care- i would rather have a good solid hub than a light weight hub that might break. Thanx soma for sending them my way- they're great! |
front wheel
rear wheel |
Velocity deep v's
check it out!
price check your local shop- kinda depends on colors and what not
When i got the Soma hubs i knew what wheels i wanted, and John at Velocity made it happen. Before i get to rims, i have to say that velocity is a great company. I've met a lot of their employees now, and john (the owner) is a really nice guy. I like spending money with a company that is small and very cool. Ok, back to the wheels. There has been a lot of talk about deep v's. I've ridden the aeroheads for quite some time now, and always liked them, but i see every one with some crazy colored deeps v's, so thought i should try them out and offer my opinion. I really like the wheels. They're strong as strong can be. They feel really solid under you. My roomate zack has dents in his and the wheel is still straight. The sprint course at the symposium was full of pot holes and cracks; basically a nightmare. I rode pretty hard and the wheels are still strait as can be. The one thing you have to be careful about is the wind. I heard about this from other people and thought they were nuts but its true- if you get in a cross breeze hold on tight. Overall i really like these wheels. I like velocity as a company and think they offer a great product. Plus, look how many colors you can get! |
NYC frame
with SOMA bars
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Nyc track frame
check it out!
price $219 plus shipping
So i had wheels, and i was going to put them on my iro, but for a lack of grease when i put in my new seat tube, it was stuck, and there went that plan. I needed a frame to put these hot wheels on and have heard people talk of the NYC bike frame. So I sent an email and Will was quick to respond. He set me up with a 59 cm frame. Once again, let's talk about the company. I've heard a lot of people say some not so nice things about NYC bikes, but their product seemed good for the price. Now back to the frame. Will asked me what color i wanted- they have quite a few options. I told him anything but black. A few days later a nice white frame was at my door. I like the feel of this frame. I'm not huge fan of aluminum because of how the bars ride, but this frame feels really nice. I like the steeper angles- it feels much more agile than the iro in traffic. I also like that it came with no stickers on it. I've left it this way because it looks clean to me. I feel i've already started to beat this frame up. I throw it against a lot of stuff when i lock up and tend to not be too careful with bike frames. Besides a few scratches, it's fine. Now for a few dislikes. I don't use a rear brake, so i'm not fan of the rear brake braze-ons, but i guess if you do this is a plus for you. One of my issues with the rear brake braze-ons is that when i carry it up my steps they dig the hell out of my shoulder. Next is the welds- they are the biggest welds i've ever seen on a bike, but hey- it's a $219 frame, so i can live with that. Overall i like this. It feels good and looks pretty good too. If you are looking for an affordable frame that's fun to ride, i would definitely recommend one of these. |
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