Soma Buena Vista City Bike Review

Reviewed by Gwendal Castellan

Price: $489.99 USD (for frame and fork)

Find it at somafab.com

The Soma Buena Vista is a classic Mixte frame with two elegant tubes running from the headset all the way down to the chain stays – a simple and sturdy design. The frame comes with braze-ons for both front and rear racks. The Buena Vista we tested was fitted with Soma Everywhere five-millimeter, 700x26c tires. The drivetrain was a NuVinci N360 continuously variable hub by Fallbrook Technologies. The handlebars were the Soma Oxford Bar made of polished aluminum. We also tried it with a Wald 137 basket.

Pros

The CroMo steel frame was very comfortable to ride and the geometry of the mixte felt strong and responsive. The horizontal dropouts allowed the flexibility to build the bike with a single-speed hub, a derailleur or with an internally geared hub. The fork included mounts for low-rider pannier racks. This is a bike that can suit a wide range of purposes without sacrificing performance.

Cons

The Buena Vista is a very solid steel bike that will feel nimble due to the inherent stiffness of the design. However, the split top tubes make it a little heavier than if it was just a single top tube.

Ideal Rider

The ideal rider is someone who is looking for a versatile bike.

Overall

The Soma Mixte can accommodate a wide range of riding styles and would be one of my first choices for a bike that will never look out of place.