Trek Soho S 2009 review
I moved to London in January and I knew immediately, that I need a bike to commute. I looked around on the market to find the most suitable bike for my needs. What I was looking for was the following:
- Simplicity - I used to ride a fixed gear bike back home in Budapest and I loved the fact that I didn't need to bother with derailleurs, cogs cables and the likes. I didn't want a fixed gear bike this time though as I needed time to get used to ride on the other side of the road and I didn't want too much distraction.
- Black - I wanted a black bike, as simple as that
- Affordable - I didn't want to buy an expensive bike because if you fork out £900 for a commuter bike, you get reluctant to chain it anywhere so it kind of defies the purpose of an urban bike.
All these and my bias towards Trek (I have a Trek 8500 mountain bike and a Trek 1.2 road bike) pointed towards the Trek Soho S. It was single speed, it was black, sleek, beautiful and under £400. So be it, I thought
Due to my height (6'4") I opted for the 22" frame and it was a good decision, the size is perfect and allows me to transform my pedalling efforts optimally into speed. The handlebar was a bit too wide but I had had cut some 2" from each end, it makes navigating through traffic much easier.
I really like the drivetrain's specifics: 44T in front with a 17T freewheel in the back. For me, it is the perfect solution, I can pedal up almost everywhere (to be fair, it can be tricky when it gets really steep) and I don't necessarily need to start freewheel when a smaller descent starts. The brakes are performing really well, especially after the first two weeks. One feature I love is the chainguard which allows me to don't care about my pants and I don't need to tuck it under my socks anymore which makes everyday cycling much easier, at least to me.
The bike was performing flawlessly for about two months when suddenly the left pedal broke into two pieces. Closer inspection revealed that it had a plastic body, so it shouldn't have been a surprise. Still, I was expecting a bit more than that.
I had another problem with the bike: the crankset started to clack and it started to feel funny during pedalling. My unfortunate ankle injury prevented me from taking the bike back to the shop to see what the problem could be but again, it's a bit annoying that something so essential as a crankset or a bottom bracket starts to have problems after 5 months of use
My overall opinion of the bike is that the design and the riding capabilities are excellent, however using better components in certain places might have saved me a lot of trouble.
14 comments so far
don_keesho, 04:21 AM 22/07/2009 (#)
Hey nice bike. What kind of fenders are those? Are they custom? I'm looking for some myself and those go great with the Soho S.
balint hamvas, 01:41 PM 24/07/2009 (#)
Hey Don,
Thanks for your comment. The fender was made by SKS and I bought it at Evans. I tried to find ot for you but I couldn't, this was the closest match:
http://www.sks-germany.com/sks.php?l=en&a=product&i=6208801430
Mine is better for two reasons: there's a reflective thingy on the back and the front element sports an extra rubber piece that prevents water from getting on my feet.
Hope this helps.
Michel, 04:25 PM 08/09/2009 (#)
Hey Don,
Great blog ! Very useful for me.
I will buy a single speed to commute and have fun in Paris. My choice is almost made: Trek Soho S.
I did hesitate with Spe Langster, Schwinn Cutter or Canondale Bad Boy (price :-( ).
It will be my first single speed (freewheel).
Do you recommand the Soho S to me or could you suggest an other bike ?
Thanks for your help.
balint hamvas, 04:38 PM 08/09/2009 (#)
Hey Michel,
I would definately recommend you the Soho S. Apart from the listed few problems, I didn't encounter any others and it is constant pleasure to ride this bike.
Good luck with your bike!
Balint
Michel, 08:41 AM 04/10/2009 (#)
Hey Don,
I've bought a Soho S.
It's a great pleasure to ride it in Paris: light, responsive and fast.
Thanks for your advises, I like this bike.
Andy, 01:42 PM 27/11/2009 (#)
Hi Balint
What happens if you get a puncture on the rear? Don't the fenders get in the way of the rear drop outs?
Cheers
Andy
balint hamvas, 01:45 PM 27/11/2009 (#)
Hey Andy,
The thing is I haven't had a puncture so far (touch wood), however, you are right, you need to remove the fenders in order to be able to remove the tyre and deal with the flat tyre.
Cheers,
Balint
Andy, 02:56 PM 27/11/2009 (#)
Hey Balint
Could always do a patch without taking off the tyre I guess.
Great looking bike
Cheers
Andy
Andy, 03:06 PM 27/11/2009 (#)
I mean without taking the wheel off!
It would be great if you could mend a puncture without taking the tyre off!
Andy
American Soho S, 08:31 PM 07/05/2010 (#)
I've also experienced problems with the bottom bracket on my Soho S, but love the bike anyway.
ian, 06:26 PM 30/07/2010 (#)
HEY EVERYONE !!
I bought the trek soho s about 4 months ago and i just had the same problem with my bottom bracket and crank set. I was just looking for a simple bike for around town so i didnt have to risk my cannondale synapse getting stolen or banged up to bad. Its a great bike but could have really used some better components! shame on you trek for not following through on your years of quality! If you want to make crap bikes for yuppy urban hipsters do it under a different name please!
balint hamvas, 04:53 PM 31/07/2010 (#)
In all fairness, I haven't had any problems with the bottom bracket ever since.
Joe Shmo, 01:30 PM 27/08/2010 (#)
I have the same bb problem, it started out as just a click when the right crank came down when pedaling hard, now it creaks and clicks several times on the right crank and one click on the left crank. I think I'll switch to a sugino 75 or similar bb. Anyone have a suggestion?
Joe Shmo, 01:35 PM 27/08/2010 (#)
BUT bb aside this bike has helped me lose 30 pounds over the summer and I put almost 700 miles on it before it got really bad. I commute 20 miles round trip when my schedule and the weather permits (Indiana unpredictable weather). My only problem with the gearing is when I'm heading into a strong head wind and going up a descent incline. BUT I must say that if I would have bought a multi-speed bike I would not be as strong a cyclist as I am (10 miles in 30 minutes).
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