Tom came to us with the idea to build the ideal machine for Randonnee rides, mixed-terrain routes and bigger challenges like the Oregon Outback route.
He chose the Soma Grand Randonneur frameset for its combo of a lightweight Prestige steel frame and burly low-trail fork to make for stability when loaded up front. After some discussion we arrived at a beautiful, versatile and reliable mix of classic parts to build a bike at home on nearly any ride.
The choices were easy in many regards. Nitto seat post and stem, Paul canti brakes, King stainless bottle cages, Shimano Dura-Ace down tube shifters and Velo Orange fenders are almost a given when building a bike like this. A few “modern classic” bits like the Compass “Babyshoe Pass” 650×42 tires, White Industries VBC cranks, Soma Hwy One bars, TRP RRL brake levers and Brooks Cambium saddle and bar tape also make tons of sense while continuing the aesthetic.
Some of the build highlights - An SKF bottom bracket, possibly the best square-taper bottom bracket made today. With a combo of ball and needle bearings and more seals than the Newport Aquarium, they are warranted for 10 years. The SKF BB supports the White Industries VBC crankset, with an adaptable bolt-circle diameter to run any inner chaining from 24-38 teeth! A 24-48 jump is tough to manage but we know of riders running that range on the VBC cranks without ring failure. In this case, the crankset is a 34/48 mated to an 11-34 cassette in the rear. Plenty of low gears for loaded dirt road rides with enough top end to handle decently zippy road descents.
There is also a bunch of interesting stuff on the front end of this bike.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you know of our affinity for the B&M Luxos U dynamo light. A ridiculously bright and even beam is only the start- the light also has a great USB charger / cache battery integrated into the unit. The stem-mounted remote has an output to USB that tucks right into the front - mounted bag to charge up phones, Steripens or other battery-powered backcountry devices.
Sharp eyes may have noticed that the front rack system is in fact two different units, the Nitto mini upper rack to support the Swift Industries rando box, and the Nitto “hub - area” rack for a pair of small panniers. The notion here is twofold- the hub rack mounts the load further aft than many other lowriders, making for a little less “flop” at low speeds. Additionally, the lower racks can be removed when the extra carrying capacity is not needed to clean things up a bit and drop a few extra ounces.
Feast your eyes on that new Brooks Cambium bar tape. A canvas/rubber laminate that should prove to be very durable, it’s not too cushy so we wrapped it over the top of some Fizik Bar Gel pads for a little extra comfort on long rides.
One of the best parts of putting this together was when we finished it off and put it on the scale. With light and pedals, but without the Swift Rando box, it was 27lbs on the nose. Not shabby at all, considering that low weight wasn’t even a goal with the build.
…and a couple more shots for good measure.