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| The Soma Wolverine frameset includes fork and Tange IRD stainless steel sliding dropouts. Photo courtesy of Soma Blog. |
The Soma Wolverine frameset is available from Soma Fabrications for $620.
We once had a commenter -- our resident curmudgeon, really -- who called himself "Al in Philadelphia." Whenever we posted about a bike like this one, Al would exclaim: "Why is this THING being reviewed on a site that calls itself 'Bikes for the Rest of Us'?" I'm not even paraphrasing. Check out Al's comments on the All City Space Horse.
So for Al and anyone else who wonders why I consider this THING a bike for the rest of us, let me explain. It all comes down to one word: VERSATILITY.
This Wolverine will take racks and fenders. It can be built up with an internal gear hub. It is compatible with a Gates Carbon Belt Drive. But best of all, it accommodates really wide tires. According to Soma, it will fit 700 x 45 tires with fenders.
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| A Wolverine with racks and fenders. Courtesy: Soma Blog. |
Bike tires are shock absorbers. Skinny tires might make sense on racing bikes, but they make for an uncomfortable ride in the real world. Wide, fat tires are great for riding on unpaved surfaces as well as roads that are paved but strewn with potholes and bumps. Wide tires are also useful when hauling cargo. So get with the cush.
One more thing about this bike: the color. We never talk about the color here, even though, let's face it, many bicycle (and car) purchase decisions are made on color alone. The Wolverine is pumpkin orange, which brings to mind the bike that set the standard for versatility nearly 25 years ago: the 1993 Bridgestone XO-1.
By the way, there is a great review of the Wolverine on reddit: Soma Wolverine vs. Surly Straggler. It's recommended reading if you're interested in this bike
Here are the specs:
- Tange Prestige heat-treated CrMo front triangle;
butted CrMo rear end
- Clearance for 700x45c tires w/ fenders
- Rear hub spacing:135mm
- Gates Carbon belt drive compatible
- Matching lugged flat crown fork Tange Infinity CrMo steel fork; double
eyelets pannier rack and mini rack mounts (mini rack mounts not
pictured)
- Braze-ons for rear rack and fenders (disc brake-compatible racks only)
- 1-1/8" size headtube
- Sizes:50, 52, 54, 56, 58. 60, 62cm
- 4.79 lbs (frame); 2.3 lbs. (fork, uncut steerer)
- Color: Pumpkin Orange
- Compatible with Paragon Machine Works "flat/flanged sliding dropout"
replacement inserts (Rohloff, Single Speed, Direct Mount, Thru Axle)
