30 responses so far ↓

• 1 aidan // Feb 4, 2008 at 11:49 am

  You didn’t point out explicitly that it is another crappy aluminium frame. Aluminium fixie is an oxyMORON.

• 2 RL Policar // Feb 4, 2008 at 11:54 am

  Aidan, relax. The bike rode fine as a commuter. There’s not need to do track stands, skid stops or race in a velodrome with this bike…its a commuter…

• 3 Moe // Feb 4, 2008 at 12:00 pm

  Believe it or not, the Trek Soho S seems to be a popular search. Fortunately we had the chance to check one out, yes, the frame is aluminum but ultimately it will be up to the buyer to make their decision.

• 4 Lance // Feb 4, 2008 at 12:47 pm

  Aluminum is good enough for roadie race bikes. Should be good enough for a commuter, I would think? Really dig the blackout look to the bike.

• 5 Ghost Rider // Feb 4, 2008 at 1:00 pm

  You know what? There are a CRAPLOAD of good aluminum-framed track bikes out there, too. I’m not a fan of aluminum by any means, but there’s more to a bike than just the material — any can be appropriate for a given application.

  That Trek looks like a nice bike — sleek and understated. I’d still rather see drops on it, though.

• 6 aidan // Feb 4, 2008 at 1:19 pm

  Steel is cheap, rides well, and takes thinner prettier tubes. Aluminium is even cheaper, needs fat-*%$ed tubes, and doesn’t ride as well. Carbon is far more expensive, for a few pounds’ weight benefit. Titanium is porn! Roadie, fixie or commuter: steel gives you the best looking and riding frame. Only if you are paid to race, you might need a lighter frame, on race day.

  There may be “a CRAPLOAD [well-said] of good aluminum-framed track bikes” and perhaps “aluminum is good enough for roadie race bikes”, but they’d be better in steel.

• 7 Mike Myers // Feb 4, 2008 at 7:23 pm

  Trek knows how to bring a stylish look to their bikes. The Soho S isn’t something that would fit in my stable, but damned if it’s not a looker. The blacked out look is clean and sexy, and the rubber insert on the top tube is a smart addition. That makes it easy to lock up without dinging the paint.

  It would be nice if Trek would embrace its steel roots, however. At least they still make the 520 in steel, even if it’s not ideally specced for touring any more(I understand they spec it with a 52T big chainring, and nobody tours with that).

• 8 russ roca // Feb 4, 2008 at 7:30 pm

  The Soho looks pretty nice…would love to see that frame with an internal 8speed….do they have one?

  I have a 520…works well after a few changes…(crankset, wheels, saddle, handlebars, rack :)….my biggest beef with the 520 is that the shop (or someone) cut the stem to short. Fine for a roadie maybe, but not so good for a tourist….

  from my understanding the 520 gets sold as a cheap road bike and not so much as a touring bike these days (atleast in these parts…los angeles)…which is sad…and probably explains why the shortish cut on the steerer tube…

• 9 russ roca // Feb 4, 2008 at 8:41 pm

  Answered my own question…they do make the Soho as an 8speed…with the alfine hub no less….sweet!

  Does it have rear and front eyelets?

• 10 Wayne Myer // Feb 5, 2008 at 7:42 am

  What’s with Trek’s big ugly welds?

  I have an SU200 (relative of the Soho). It’s a tank in every sense of the term. There is nothing stock on it anymore, but the stock kit served well for all-weather commuting (just add fenders), grocery-getting, trailer-pulling, pounding through potholes, and going down stairs.

  I hate aluminum. That said, the use of aluminum on a beater/commuter, especially here in salty, narsty Vermont, makes great sense. I beat up this bike, ride it hard, put it away wet, and lock it to lightpole so I can go pound pints. Try that with a steel bike that engenders love and care.

• 11 barbaroo // Feb 15, 2008 at 5:22 pm

  Been riding a Soho S since November - although it required a custom fender install, it is my favorite commuter to date - that with 25+ years of commuting. Stable, yet zippie ride great for avoiding potholes or buses. I’ve taken it on 20 mile road rides to and have been surprised at how nice it was for a longer-than-commute ride. I’ve been a fan of traditional and steel my whole bike life but have to admit that the ride on this bike, and the benies of alum in wet climates, AND the price make this bike a great choice for SS commuters.

• 12 who-ha // Feb 15, 2008 at 6:01 pm

  everyone is missing the point. this isnt one of those hipster, jump on the band wagon fixie bikes. its a commuter. its made to be light (aluminum) its made to be cheap (aluminum) and its made to look sleep (aluminum and hydroforming) its not made to go out and do trackstands and skids with all the hipster fixie riders. its made to get from point a to b for cheap cheap cheap and still looking ok.
  has anyone seen some of the commuter bikes out there today… id say this is by far one of the best looking commuters that isnt conforming to the hipster track movement. just because it has a flip flop hub and is SS specific, doesnt mean trek was going for the mainstream market. they made a kick ass functional bike for a cheap price good job to trek!

• 13 Andrew // Mar 24, 2008 at 2:12 pm

  Hey, I’m looking to buy my first fixed gear to use as a commuter/town booter, just sold my truck. This so far is my number one choice, however in all the blog type reviews I’ve read there’s a crapload of controversy over aluminum vs. steel. What is the difference in riding steel vs. aluminum?? - plain and simple please. Is it simply that the aluminum gives a harsher ride? Is it frowned upon simply because the oldschool riders or “hipsters” are afraid of something new…?

  Yours truly, the ignorant/indifferent rookie rider.

• 14 Ghost Rider // Mar 24, 2008 at 3:14 pm

  Andrew…it’s a little of all of that — “steel is real” , or so the mantra goes when it comes to the hipster types. Vintage bikes are preferred in those circles, but if you gotta buy a new bike, “be sure it is steel”.

  I don’t subscribe to that…while I prefer steel for aesthetics and riding qualities, there are plenty of good aluminum-framed bikes out there. I just don’t happen to own any.

  Aluminum has a reputation for harshness…somewhat unfairly deserved, because there were plenty of noodly, dead-feeling frames on the market when aluminum frames first came onto the scene (Vitus 9-7-9, anyone?). I’ve ridden a couple of aluminum bikes, and while some of them might have been a little harsher (steel has natural “spring”, if manufactured correctly), there are not a lot of big noticeable differences, especially from a rookie’s perspective.

  You’ll never have to worry about an aluminum frame rusting out, at least!

  Bottom line is: test-ride a few bikes and go with what feels good to YOU; don’t base your choice on a bunch of hype, “cool factor” or any of that other crap. Let your butt and your hands tell you what is best for you!

• 15 Andrew // Mar 24, 2008 at 3:42 pm

  Ghost Rider - Thanks alot for the advice! I was planning on riding a couple different fixed gears, the trek, a langster, as well as the few others a local shop has to offer. Being that the deciding factors on my venture into fixxies are price, styling (my personal taste), and the fact that I live in Winnipeg - MB - Canada and plan on riding through winter, winter, spring, winter, summer and fall… the Trek seems like my best bet so far.

  For the purists, however, I do have an old Bianchi that my dad gave me that I wouldn’t mind building into a fix gear as I learn more about them, i.e. what brands are quality brands and also finding out what I like, and what I want in a fix gear.

• 16 Ghost Rider // Mar 24, 2008 at 7:36 pm

  Andrew…a conversion may be the best way to “test the waters” — converting an existing bike doesn’t require much more than a fixed cog and a lockring. Check out Sheldon Brown’s (actually Tom Deakins’s) conversion tutorial at:

  http://sheldonbrown.com/deakins/how-to-fixed-conversion.html

  I love old Bianchis — I have one in my collection from 1983. Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it works out!

• 17 Richard E. Myers // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:30 pm

  I bought one! I like it! It rides swell! What more could one request of mere metal, or recycled beer cans? Yah, yah ,yah the welds look rotten but so did the welds on my Canon Dayle or Canon whatever. It is a Davis Phoney design, impressed? I dug it and since was the cheaper model I put a Croce Doughnut crank on it, Chorus brakes and a Chorus derailers. Impressed? This give me standing but sadly I don’t know where. None the less the Soho S rides well and I dig it. The brakes don’t work as well as the Chorus brakes, circa 1990. For those who don’t like ugly welds I say eat salamander slime and get a wife. May she spend you to you know where and sadly back. I will continue to ride it with joy however I have a Bare Knuckle frame in the works, a work in progress if you will. It is Nemo blue. I wante Bubbler Gum Pink but someone told me it was gay and so I went blue, Nemo Blue. I so far have a set of wheels with Surly track hubs, the flip flop type, you know like the current pack of idiots ruining for the highest office in the land. The Hubs are black and I chose a pair of Campy Ypsilon rims I had setting around for over 15 years. The wheels look swell. How will the two bikes compare? Most likely not very well. I can ride the Soho, and I can’t ride the other because it has no other stuff to make it run. Let lust say that a bird in the hand is better than one in the bush. Please let us not wax Fruitian on that one.

  1

• 18 Ed // Apr 1, 2008 at 7:46 am

  I personally have no issues with aluminum. Purists don’t like it at all, but they must have never ridden a truely sweet aluminum frame. I wanted to buy a single speed and I agonized over buying aluminum vs. steel. I like this article that helped me get over my fears:

  http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

  So I want to buy a 29er frame, make it single speed and I think I’m going to go with Al. Why? It’s not to expensive and it doesn’t rust. If you ride in the rain or winter salt, you don’t have to worry about it. If water gets into the BB and chainstays, steel rusts unless you protect it. I have nothing against any of the frame materials, but I wonder if Titanium was as cheap as Al, would the purists hate on that too?

• 19 Barry Gold // Apr 13, 2008 at 12:03 pm

  This is my first post here. I’m 60 years old, 5″10″ and 260#. I know that sounds like a lot but I really am in half decent shape.

  Been a while since I’ve been biking. Used to mountain bike all the time with the kids when they were younger and I was smaller. Now they have their own families.

  This is a round about way of saying I was in my local Trek store lookking for a bike when I saw the Trek Soho single speed. I won’t say I fell in love but I really liked it. Took it for a spin and liked it even more. I want to be able to commute 8 miles to work each way (70% road and 30% bike path). Only one short steep climb and a couple of smaller ones. My wife things I’m crazy for looking at a single speed. She wants me to stick with 24 speeds. She thinks it will be easier for me. She’s afraid I will die on the single speed, but I sure did like it. I also liked just how simple it was.

  So how silly am I being for even thinking about the single speed?

  Thanks

• 20 Ghost Rider // Apr 13, 2008 at 2:47 pm

  Not silly at all…if the gearing can let you conquer the climb without killing you, a singlespeed will make you a stronger rider. Plus, as you mentioned, the simplicity of a singlespeed just can’t be beat!

  Still, for versatility’s sake, a bike with more than one gear might be a wiser option…it could let you do other rides over steeper terrain and give you the gearing to haul a tour load or a set of panniers full of groceries without too much strain. Something to consider, in any case.

• 21 Sydney Commuter // Apr 14, 2008 at 5:05 am

  I literally just bought my SoHo S when I incidentally stumbled across this blog.

  I live in Sydney Australia and wanted a commuter to get me to the ferry (on time, the bus is always late) and then from the ferry to my office in the city. For years now I have entertained the thought of owning a light, simple, single speed, a kind of grown up BMX (I’m 36). The first bike shop I walked into I saw the Soho S and knew it was the one. But before committing I checked out heap of other options, mainly flat bar/hybrid road bikes with traditional gearing. But the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of a single speed. Trouble is there ain’t many off the shelf SS bikes available. And as much as I liked the idea of a Surly I went for the Trek. A deciding factor was price. The Trek cost $800 AUD, based on current US/AUD rates that’s about $730US. But if you think that’s a bit rich a Surly frame and fork set alone will set you back at least that.

  And so far I’m really happy with it. My first ride (in years) was down to my local beach (Manly for those know Sydney). In no time at all I was up and down gutters and riding off steps. It’s light, balanced and agile so you tend to glide over everything rather crash and bang into things like I used to on my old cro-mo hardtail MTB from a few years back. Gearing is pretty much perfect for this neck of the woods. We have a number of nasty hills which can be hard work but as my commute is short I figure a bit of hard work isn’t such a bad thing.

  So to all the hard line detractors of mass produced alloy framed “urban/hybrid/city” bikes the bottom line is that Trek have put together an affordable bike that has got me and probably many others back into riding. Nuff said

• 22 Steven // Apr 19, 2008 at 6:08 pm

  It looks like a very nice bike. How does it compare to the Specialized Globe Centrum Sport? They look very comparable. I am trying to decide between the two.

• 23 Steven // Apr 19, 2008 at 6:11 pm

  I test rode the Trek today and I liked it for the most part. The brakes seemed kind of weak though. I am not sure if they will improve once broken in?

• 24 Ghost Rider // Apr 19, 2008 at 7:28 pm

  Steven,

  that’s a common gripe with brakes like that. The stock pads aren’t really any good — a $20 upgrade to Koolstop salmon-colored pads will make a world of difference no matter what brand of bike you ultimately go with!

• 25 ride_SLC // Apr 20, 2008 at 1:20 pm

  I am also looking at this bike and the Centrum Sport. I love the look of both bikes, but I am not sure if I can live with the single speed.

  If I did get one I think I might eventually buy another rear wheel with an Alfine internal hub. I assume it would work since both of these lines already have a model equipped with that hub…

• 26 DOBADE // Apr 30, 2008 at 12:40 pm

  I don’t even own this bike, but have come to the conlusion it’s the one I am going to purchase. I grew up with bmx and prefer the single gear approach. Not a cycling purist either…bike could be make out of horse shoes for all I care. Thanks to Ghost Rider, Who-Ha and Sydney Commuter’s post. I am Sohold!

• 27 Henk (Hamburg) // May 6, 2008 at 5:19 am

  For weeks I starred at these pictures, read the comments and wondered: Should I? Really? Singlespeed?
  Answer: Definitely, for four reasons: Fast, agile, bulletproof and fast.
  I bought it two weeks ago. No need to worry about the singlespeed. It is silent, elegant and it is the fastest way to move through the city. True, you should certainly not go on a 50km-tour with it - get a car for that.
  It weighs 9,4 kg (22,5”), so even hills are no problem at all. The gear could be higher, but then again I don’t want to trade the acceleration.
  And the style is uncomparable - as if someone fused a f117 stealthfighter to form this bike.

• 28 RL Policar // May 6, 2008 at 2:39 pm

  Henk,

  Congrats on your purchase, I loved this bike when I reviewed it!

  RL

• 29 fICK nOLI // May 13, 2008 at 6:30 pm

  Just bought this bike less than 72 hours ago. I looked at all this feedback and made the and I made the decision to go for it. Definitely like the bike quite a bit. Changing from riding a cheap hybrid bike to the Soho, i’ve noticed a marked difference between the two. The Soho is a super quiet stealthy ride. The balance is much better than the old bike as well. But i do notice that i find myself topping out too quickly, and seemingly too effortlessly for my own taste. This could be fixed by changing the front sprocket size, right? Will the bike be able to take a bigger sprocket? dont really know too much about it yet and I was just wondering if I ever felt like upgrading..//

  ?????

• 30 Ghost Rider // May 13, 2008 at 8:38 pm

  You can always bump up the tooth count in front, or conversely you can reduce the tooth count in the rear. Going to a bigger chainring up front will make more dramatic gearing changes, even if you only go up a couple teeth.

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