My winter riding plans will now include an off-road option. I had the guys at Harpeth Bicycles build up a Soma B-Side mountain bike for me right before it started raining for almost three weeks straight. They absolutely nailed this build.
It’s a 650b, which means that the wheels are slightly larger than “normal” mountain bike wheels (27.5 inches instead of 26 inches). The extra 1.5 inches increases traction due to a longer section of rubber in contact with the ground, and helps the bike roll over obstacles without deflecting the tires off course.
Yesterday was the first sunny day in a long time, so Jonathan, Gabrielle, and I went out to the trails at Montgomery Bell in Burns, TN to break it in. Even with hours of rain the day before, the trails were in perfect shape. We rode the red (beginner) and several sections of white (marked intermediate, but still easy apart from being rooty) before jumping on a section of the green trail (advanced/intermediate).
The bike handled everything perfectly and was very confidence inspiring. The only section I didn’t ride was the “moguls” section of green. A very steep, twisty technical section that even took Jonathan by surprise. It was amazing to go from picking my way slowly along the red section to flying down steep drops, across bridges over creeks, and back up steep inclines on the other side – all in the course of one day. Mountain biking has a steep learning curve, but most of it is confidence based. At a certain point, you just have to let go and trust the bike.
7 Comments
Hey, it’s a beaut! Which fork is that, and which tires are those? Do you have enough clearance?
It’s a Fox F-Series 100mm travel fork. It isn’t specifically made for 650b wheels, but it has enough clearance and hasn’t been a problem so far. It was taken off another bike with 650b wheels that was giving the previous owner no problems as well.
Tires are Kenda Nevegals. 2.1s I believe.
Nice! I put the deposit down on a 15″ b-side frame last week, should arrive this week. I’ll be riding on snow for a while up here in the snow belt of central new york, but I can’t wait! Building mine single speed, rigid fork, with neo-moto 2.3s.
Cheers, -Doug
It’s a great frame. Light, springy, good feedback. I thought about going SS, but since I’m so new to the mtb world I decided to go fully geared. Other than serious chainsuck on a long, muddy race last week (which a SS setup would have avoided), I’ve been very happy with the SRAM X-9 group.
nice looking ride. what size is your frame, and how tall are you? i’m considering picking one up and i’m torn between sizes. thanks!
James, it is a 19 inch frame, I believe. I am 5′11″ and with the right stem and seatpost it fits perfectly. Mountain bike frames have a ton of standover height, and as long as the weight distribution is good, they seem to be able to fit a wider range of people than road bikes.
If you talk to Fred@theharpethbicycles.com he can recommend the right size. 650b Baby!
thanks for the insight, i appreciate it!