About Us

Practical, durable, comfortable, affordable… these are the primary forces shaping Soma’s ideology. Sounds reasonable right? But why do so many other companies try to emulate the racing world when it’s the smallest segment of the market? Our local bike shops have felt a lack of ‘real’ products aimed at the everyday cyclist and occasionally pitch their ideas at us. The results: A better tire lever, water bottles that don’t taste like plastic, and steel frames that’s got people smiling from the commute to the singletrack. The San Francisco Bay Area is where we are located. We love the year round riding weather here and the strong bike culture. It’s a great place to live and cultivate new ideas.

Who is the ‘Everyday Cyclist’?

Who do we make stuff for? We don’t mean “everyday” like something “commonplace,” “unremarkable,” or “ordinary”.
We mean the person that gets out and rides everyday or almost everyday: Using their bike for commuting, for work, for errands, for fitness, or just for the joy of riding. I guess in some European cities that could seem ordinary, but that’s besides the point. What matters is their equipment needs aren’t ordinary. They need stuff that is versatile, tough, long-lasting, priced reasonably and makes their lifestyle a little better.

Soma’s Frame Philosophy

Individuality Made Affordable:

Our customers desire the freedom of customization– for performance reasons and for expressive reasons, but none of them want to end up eating Top Ramen for a year to get a great bike.

Durability means a Better Deal:

A bike that you can keep riding longer means your money is going farther. Since 2007, we have been exclusively using Tange Prestige butted CrMo steel. Tange’s heat-treatment process lets us offer our strongest frames ever, but still at a fair price. And the ride is lively and smooth like buttah.

Keepin’ it Simple

Fun is not complicated. Why should our frames be? No weird geometries, just what we ourselves would like to ride. As for colors and graphics, we’ve made a conscious choice to avoid “race-inspired” billboard-style logos. We find this makes it easier for folks to cover them up with stickers and chewing gum.