Soma Wolverine

[mtb_frk]

Anyone have one? There isn't a whole lot out there on the interwebs about it. I am sort of thinking it might work out pretty good for what I am looking for. I guess for anyone that has a soma how does it ride? I don't know too much about Tange tubing they use either. I just have to keep reminding myself that not all my bikes have to be fully custom, light weight race machines. :)

[Marburg]

This doesn't answer your question at all, but I've been going back and forth between a Wolverine and a Bens Cycles Fugitive:

https://www.benscycle.com/images/Product/large/milwaukee-bicycle-co-gravel-frame-builder-5488.jpg

https://www.benscycle.com/images/Product/large/milwaukee-bicycle-co-gravel-frame-builder-5488.jpg

Something else for your list.

[bcgav]

The Tange/IRD split sliding dropouts with Gates belt drive compatibility give the Wolverine incredible versatility. I'm considering one for a Gates belt drive with either Alfine Di2 11sp or a Rohloff.

[cash05458]

the only experience I have with Tange is on a Serotta Colorado LT I own...and I LOVE the ride...not sure if that is just the tange or Ben's design with the flared chainstays...or both...but I love the feel of the tange steel on that bike...I have heard very good things from Peter Vecchio i.e. old potato as well when we spoke about tange and I was thinking of buying a soma tange frame a few years ago (never did) and Pete knows his stuff!

[Birddog]

I think the Wolverine with belt and an internally geared hub would be perfect for the dirt road/gravel rides we have around here. The Oklahoma red dirt in any form ( powder, mud or reg.) wears the crap out of exposed drivetrain components and this would solve that.

[mtb_frk]

I have looked at the bens cycle/Milwaukee bikes. Seemed like they couldn't take as much tire with with fenders. The other option is of course a straggler. But with the somewhat goofy geometry and the semi vertical drop outs I just can't bring myself to pull the trigger on one.

[GScot]

May not be relevant but I have Panasonic made from tange prestige with lug construction. Wonderful riding bike.

[cash05458]

May not be relevant but I have Panasonic made from tange prestige with lug construction. Wonderful riding bike.

yeah, I believe Tange is fairly underrated or not talked about much compared to columbus ect... but it has some real qualities I think....

[jtakeda]

No input on the soma but I have input on tange prestige tubing.

I've had 3 prestige tubed bikes.
1 is prestige OS.

Honestly some of the best riding 80s steel I've ever ridden.

Rode 1 prestige landshark till it cracked probably about 15,000 miles in a year. Cracked it after getting hit on it.

I'm on my 2nd prestige landshark (OS) this time. Wonderful riding bike I'm sold on the tube set.

[buldogge]

PR-6000? Amazing bike…very direct feel…just the right stiffness.

Mine's a '91 Panasonic-Sportlife teambike.

-Mark in St. Louis

May not be relevant but I have Panasonic made from tange prestige with lug construction. Wonderful riding bike.

[mtb_frk]

I've seen a few posts saying this new tange isn't the same as the old tange. I don't know though if that true or not.

[GScot]

An 88 or 89 DX-5000. Not certain of the year. Bought it as a frame and fork off eBay from Idaho.


PR-6000? Amazing bike…very direct feel…just the right stiffness.

Mine's a '91 Panasonic-Sportlife teambike.

-Mark in St. Louis

[eddief]

it comes in variety decent dimensions as can be seen when you open this pdf:

http://www.tange-design.com/tubing_list.php?type_sn=3

I've seen a few posts saying this new tange isn't the same as the old tange. I don't know though if that true or not.

[Hat]

An 88 or 89 DX-5000. Not certain of the year. Bought it as a frame and fork off eBay from Idaho.

That's an 88.

[thirdgenbird]

That's an 88.

And hot

[kevinvc]

FWIW- I have a Soma ES and absolutely love it. The ride is just so comfy but still responsive. I've done centuries on it, major climbing and hard fast club rides. It has done well with anything I've thrown at it. Right now it's got fenders, 32 tires and a rear rack and I'm using it for everyday commuting.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from the Wolverine, just saying that I'm a big Soma fan. IMO they are an extremely good value for a very nice bike.

[Waldo]

I've seen a few posts saying this new tange isn't the same as the old tange. I don't know though if that true or not.

I've heard the same, possibly seen the same posts. The Landsharks were made from old Prestige. John Slawta then made frames from Reynolds steels, before switching to carbon entirely.

[GScot]

Thanks for the confirmation on year model and the compliment guys. It has been a fun bike to own as I can go many rides without a comment but every so often someone knows what it is and starts a conversation. I always thought it was an 88 but had heard some conflicting opinions.


That's an 88.

And hot

[mtb_frk]

That's the kind of feedback that I was looking for. I already have more cross bikes than I know what to do with, but I need bigger tires for some of dirt roads around here. It's either low pressure and a nice ride but lots of pinch flats or high tire pressure and a harsh ride.

FWIW- I have a Soma ES and absolutely love it. The ride is just so comfy but still responsive. I've done centuries on it, major climbing and hard fast club rides. It has done well with anything I've thrown at it. Right now it's got fenders, 32 tires and a rear rack and I'm using it for everyday commuting.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from the Wolverine, just saying that I'm a big Soma fan. IMO they are an extremely good value for a very nice bike.

[gdw]

Soma is one of those brands which doesn't get much attention on bike forums but has a loyal client base. Their frames are light, well made, and reasonably priced. The tig welds on the ones I've seen are as good or better than those from some of the custom builders who charge considerably more for their work.

[mtb_frk]

Thanks gdw, I haven't ever seen one in person.

[thirdgenbird]

Soma is one of those brands which doesn't get much attention on bike forums but has a loyal client base. Their frames are light, well made, and reasonably priced. The tig welds on the ones I've seen are as good or better than those from some of the custom builders who charge considerably more for their work.

I keep drooling over top end steel mountain bikes but if I were to buy a new frame today, there is a good chance it would be a b-side.

[gdw]

Here are a couple shots of the beads on a Soma Juice. They're pretty nice for a production frame.

[Birddog]

I have a Soma Doublecross that is built with Tange Prestige DB tubes. It rides just fine, is not the lightest frame out there and was never intended to be. It does many things well; it can be a tourer, a cross bike and a good gravel/dirt road bike. I bought it to do all of the above and it hasn't failed yet. It's not perfect in any of the above disciplines but what all around bike is?

As someone else said, Somas are under rated. They have a niche and a cult following in some areas. I'm frequently complimented on how good the bike looks (not the paint but the overall look). I've taken it places on single track that I had no business on and it performed ably. It's 6 or 7 years old now and I probably have at least 5,000 miles on it with about 1,000 on dirt. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. They are a great value IMO.

[mtb_frk]

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies.

[kevinvc]

I was at my LBS this weekend and talked with the guys for a while about Somas. They haven't seen the Wolverine in person yet, but are really intrigued about building one up with an internal hub. The shop sells both Soma and Surly and the crew is pretty well split down the middle with their preference. They like both companies a lot, both for their products and customer service.

I'll try to remember to take some shots of mine and posting them in the next couple of days. The only kind of regret that I have with my ES is that I got the carbon fork instead of steel. I'd like to put a front rack and on it for touring.

[handsomerob]

Thanks gdw, I haven't ever seen one in person.

I love my Soma Saga. After riding quite a variety of steel, I really prefer the smoothness of Tange Prestige. I shouldn't have sold my first Tange Prestige bike... An older Davidson. It was actually odd how much better it soaked up that 2" lip between my driveway and the road than some other nicely made frames. That lip is a pretty damn good "control" as a comparison tool.

I can't be 100% sure it is the Tange, but I also rode a Soma Smoothie and it had that same property as the Saga and Davidson...so there is definitely something intrinsic about it that agrees with me.

Tange isn't as light, stiff, or lively as some other steel I have ridden..but to me it is more comfortable...and that is my number one priority.

[buck-50]

I don't have a Soma, but I do have an older VooDoo Nakisi- basically a drop-bar 29er/monstercross/gravel tourer kind of thing.

The flexibility of being able to run anything from 2.1" 29er knobbies to 25mm road tires is pretty awesome. It's an awesome frankenbike platform- swap the bars from drops to flatbars and it's a capable lightweight rigid MTB. Swap the bars to a pair of Nitto Albatross bars and add a basket and it's an awesome commuter/grocery getter. Swap back to drop bars and it's a blast on single track or gravel or the road.

For what it's worth, any bike with this kind of flexibility is fun to ride and hard to get bored with.

[mtb_frk]

I converted my SS 29er into a 1x9 setup for riding the icy roads for when a 33mm studded tire just wasn't enough last winter. I really liked the larger studded tire but missed the drop bars. Hopefully I can fit my nokians in this frame. Then I can get the SS turned back into a SS. Having disc brakes will be awesome also.

[mtb_frk]

Frames are all sold out. :(

[gdw]

what size are you looking for?

[mtb_frk]

58

[gdw]

There's a 54 on Ebay. You might try calling some of the shops which carry Soma to see if they have a 58. A friend tried to find a 56 but was unsuccessful and was told that Soma sold out quickly, the next batch won't be available until late November. American Cyclery in San Francisco is taking orders if you want to reserve one.
http://americancyclery.com/products/soma-wolverine

[mtb_frk]

I actually emailed Soma and they said it will be late December before they are back in stock, but are allowing dealers to back order them.

I don't think there are any shops in my area that actually carry them.

[bobswire]

I recently built up a Soma Stanyan which uses Tange DB Prestige tubing. Ride is sublime ( as is most good steel). I wanted a road'centric euro geo good looking fine handling frame that can handle larger tires (700x32c or 650Bx38) the Stanyan succeeds on all those levels. This is the last year for this model and there are some good deals if you search around. The paint with the detail of chrome on HT and fork doesn't show well in photos looks much better in person.

http://i58.tinypic.com/jfus6r.jpg

http://i60.tinypic.com/107qqon.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/98g80k.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/ou6tg8.jpg

[mtb_frk]

Just heard from soma today in regards to the wolverine frameset availability. They are now saying end of January.

[oldpotatoe]

it comes in variety decent dimensions as can be seen when you open this pdf:

http://www.tange-design.com/tubing_list.php?type_sn=3

Japanese Columbus or maybe Deda tubing. Like 3Rensho, some Panasonics, even some Waterfords/Schwinns. That era, and Tange tubing today, is very well made stuff. Can ya tell the difference between a Soma with Tange and Surly with 4130 C-M tubes? Probably not but I'd give the nod to the Tange frame..just 'cuz.

[mtb_frk]

Its funny how things work out sometimes, I had decided to move on from the wolverine and just cram the biggest tires I could into my dirt road/cross bike. I was able to get a 38 in the back, and a 40 in the front. I rode it all spring/summer/fall. Along the way I picked up Trek Crocket as I am switching my race bikes over to disc. It seemed like it would work good, bigger tires, disc, fender mounts etc. The thought was to switch it over to my dirt road bike after the cross season. On the local mtb forum, someone posted a new, never built wolverine in my size, so of course I can't resist emailing the guy about it just because. Well turns out, I ended up buying it how could I not? I have just about all the parts laying around to put it together. Last night I was fitting the fork and just had a mtb front wheel handy with a specialized ground control 2.3 on it, figured no way this will fit. To my surprise it fit with some extra clearance, I was very surprised. Hopefully I can get it built up this weekend.

[jmal]

Unless something has changed, Soma frames are not entirely Tange. The Double Cross I had was Tange in the front triangle only. Regardless, I would challenge anyone to be able to identify what type of tubing a frame is made of, excluding obvious tubesets like Max. The ride is determined by the design and build quality. Dave Kirk could make a better riding frame from just about any tubeset than Surly could with the fanciest tubes.

FWIW, my Soma broke right in the area of the butting of the top and down tubes. It was a JRA situation on a dirt walking path with a tiny dip about the size of an inverse speed bump. Probably moving about 10mph. Soma refused any warranty service and the frame was only about two months old. I've ridden the path on road bikes, rigid mtbs with narrow slicks, and have seen kids riding big box store bikes on the path often. I never had any problems except with the Soma. I was certainly not exceeding the expected capacity of the frame.

[Vinci]

Its funny how things work out sometimes, I had decided to move on from the wolverine and just cram the biggest tires I could into my dirt road/cross bike. I was able to get a 38 in the back, and a 40 in the front. I rode it all spring/summer/fall. Along the way I picked up Trek Crocket as I am switching my race bikes over to disc. It seemed like it would work good, bigger tires, disc, fender mounts etc. The thought was to switch it over to my dirt road bike after the cross season. On the local mtb forum, someone posted a new, never built wolverine in my size, so of course I can't resist emailing the guy about it just because. Well turns out, I ended up buying it how could I not? I have just about all the parts laying around to put it together. Last night I was fitting the fork and just had a mtb front wheel handy with a specialized ground control 2.3 on it, figured no way this will fit. To my surprise it fit with some extra clearance, I was very surprised. Hopefully I can get it built up this weekend.
I am interested to hear what you think of it. I am very interested in picking one up myself.

[guido]

I have a Soma Grand Randonneur v1 with about 3000 miles this year (including a lot of dirt roads), A Double Cross with about 300 and a SanMarcos (that didn't fit but that isn't the bikes fault) that got 500 before I sold it.

Not a squeak of trouble with any of them.

No question that Kirk or any of a number of great framebuilders could build better bikes, but for 6-10 times the price they sure should.

Soma builds decent bikes at a very fair price. They are good tools not art work. If you want to ride while you save for that Kirk they are an excellent choice...

[protorio]

I like the wolverine.

[sjbraun]

My buddy has a Wolverine built with belt drive and an 11 speed internal hub. I spent an afternoon on it last summer. The bike was a tank to pick up, but it rode much lighter than it carried. It didn't feel like a slug at all.
My LBS, Transit Cycles in Tucson has a nice one on display now- 1x9 SRAM and decent wheels. It feels and rides like a road bike.

I was tempted to pick up a Wolverine, but decided to put money down on a BMC cross frame as I couldn't find a reason to run disc brakes or a belt drive.

Steve

[ispy]

sjbraun -- Curious if you were considering the Wolverine for cx? It seems to have a long-and-low geo...

[sjbraun]

Nope. I don't do anything that resembles a race. My buddy uses his for a gravel/winter commuter in Sioux Falls.

[kevinvc]

It looks like the Soma website has the Wolverine in stock right now. Anyone know what the differences are in V2 compared to the original?

I want this bike so bad I'm considering selling a kidney or something to raise some cash. Sadly, if I was really serious about getting one I'd probably have to sell my Soma ES, which would break my heart. :(

[mtb_frk]

I believe the main thing is where the break is for the belt drive. The new ones have it in the seat stay instead of the drop out. I guess I am not sure of any of other differences.

I got mine mostly built up, it was a bit of a challenge for whatever reason. Mostly due to me doing stupid things I suppose, and using a hodge podge of parts etc. I haven't ridden it yet, for some reason I can't get the quick link to lock into place on the cheap SRAM chain I had as a spare. I ended up putting some 2.1 small block 8 tires on it, all the headset spacers I could find, and a Thomson post that is a bit too small but is close, another reason for not riding it. It takes a 27.2 but all I have right now is a 26.8, my sweetpost is on its way back from being fixed. As built it isn't light, 58cm frame and the weight is just under 24 lbs. not that I really care for this bike. Maybe tomorrow I can take some pictures.

[kevinvc]

Maybe tomorrow I can take some pictures.

Ahem, I believe we were told that there would be pictures. ;)

BTW, what do you think your main use for this bike will be?

[mtb_frk]

Haha. Yeah I did get a few lousy phone pictures yesterday. I tried riding it today, and with the rear tire pumped up I was getting some rub on the non-drive side chain stay. Either I need to true up the rim, move it back a bit further in the drops, or put a narrower tire on.
I was able to get my fenders on with these tires however the rear is pretty much at the end of the mounting umm rods? Anyways the rear fender moves around a lot being that it is so far out so I need to look into adjusting that.
It rode really nice for the .5 miles that I rode it.

I plan to use this bike as my bad weather daily ride. When the weather gets nicer it will be back to my Seven cross bike.

[mtb_frk]

Just trying to get the fit right before I commit to bar height, so forgive the spacers. Also I am hoping Santa brings me some nice brown handlebra to put on it. My Ti sweetpost is on its way back from Ericksen as well.

Not too bad I only had to buy a front derailuer shim and the cable stops that go where the down tube shifters normally are. Everything else I had as spare parts. I finally got to use my turquoise King headset that I have been saving for a long time.

[guido]

That looks like a blast! Enjoy!

[kevinvc]

That is going to look niiiiice with the brown bar tape. I'm seriously considering trying to clear some room for a Wolverine and I'll be interested to hear how you like it once it all comes together. Do you have plans to ever run an internal hub on it? If not, why did you choose it over any of the other "monstercross" frames out there?

Happy Holidays.

[mtb_frk]

No plans for a internal hub, but who knows.

I was close to getting a straggler, but the goofy drop outs and short head tube turned me off from it. Also, I thought the tubing on the wolverine was generally nicer than the surly. However, I did like the purple a lot.

This is the first frame with fender mounts that I have owned. Not dealing with p clamps is really nice. I run full fenders all winter, spring and fall. I guess most of the time. :)

[dmine]

I assume you guys have seen this comparison: My Review: Soma Wolverine vs Surly Straggler (https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling/comments/2ivtad/my_review_soma_wolverine_vs_surly_straggler/?st=islu2s7n&sh=93f45cb8)
(Note this is not MY review.)

Anyway I'm thinking of buying the Wolverine for long distance touring, hopefully leading up the the TransAm Bike Race (http://transambikerace.com/) in 2018. Also the Dirty Kanza 200 (http://dirtykanza200.com/) in 2017 although I may wimp out and do the 100 instead of 200. Plus commuting and other gravel grinding. I'm considering the Wolverine for the belt drive and internal hub possibility - a must-have for this bike's intended use.

The other bike I'm considering is the Specialized AWOL. These are the only 2 I can find for touring / gravel grinding with belt drive support under $1500. (frame price) Anyone know of another touring frame under $1500 w/ belt drive support?

Any more input on the Wolverine? Good bike? Owners still like them? Any warranty issues? Good customer support? etc... I'm hoping to buy & build up this bike in the next couple of months.

- Dan

[ColonelJLloyd]

I built up a Wolverine, but before I comment maybe you could explain why you've come to this conclusion.

Anyway I'm thinking of buying the Wolverine for long distance touring, hopefully leading up the the TransAm Bike Race (http://transambikerace.com/) in 2018. Also the Dirty Kanza 200 (http://dirtykanza200.com/) in 2017 although I may wimp out and do the 100 instead of 200. Plus commuting and other gravel grinding. I'm considering the Wolverine for the belt drive and internal hub possibility - a must-have for this bike's intended use.

[jruhlen1980]

I built up a Wolverine, but before I comment maybe you could explain why you've come to this conclusion.

I would assume it's in case of mud. Having done DK twice I can def see the appeal of IGH/belt drive. In 2015 it was derailleurgedden. Even this year a freak thunderstorm made the first 10 miles a little sloppy and a lot of people busted derailleurs at mile 6... although if you soft-pedaled through that spot you were fine & the rest of the course was bone dry.

The thing about mud is, even if you have an IGH, you still can't bike through it. Doesn't matter what tires you have or how much clearance you have etc... if it's sloppy enough the mud builds up and you can't bike through it, so you have to walk no matter what. Until someone invents a bike that mud doesn't stick to, IGH will only solve half of the problem.

Since I can't afford a Rohloff I'll just stick to avoiding the mud.

[Vinci]

I love my Wolverine, but had to give up on the belt drive idea for my application. The stays are too wide to accommodate a large front belt sprocket for singlespeed. If you're looking at an IGH, you won't have that issue.

[mtb_frk]

I've been riding mine all summer. In fact it's only bike I have been riding on the gravel roads this summer. My Seven is just sitting in the basement waiting to be used. I put a set of Cowchipper bars on which are awesome, and have been enjoying it almost everyday. No issues to speak of, the split seat stay bolts either worked themselves loose or perhaps I never tightened them, which is more likely the case. Riding with fenders produced some toe overlap but I have a 2.1 SB8 on the front so I had to the move them out quite a bit.

[dmine]

I built up a Wolverine, but before I comment maybe you could explain why you've come to this conclusion.
Yes as others have guessed - it's for mud / reliability in the DK and my (possibly incorrect) belief that it will be more reliable for the Trans Am race as well. I'm thinking of days of riding in the rain. I also understand that if I have a problem with the drivetrain in the Trans Am, finding conventional parts at a bike store will be easy. Belt drive parts, not so much.

But I admit I've never used belt drive so part of my reason for posting here is to hear good / bad stories about it. Thanks for the input so far everyone. I really appreciate it.

BTW - thinking of a Rohloff hub so any good / bad stories for those is also requested and appreciated.

[dmine]

I love my Wolverine, but had to give up on the belt drive idea for my application. The stays are too wide to accommodate a large front belt sprocket for singlespeed. If you're looking at an IGH, you won't have that issue.
I believe I understand what you're saying here. What size sprocket were you trying to fit on the front? I'm thinking I'll want 50 or 55 with my IGH. (and 19 or 20 on the rear.)

[Vinci]

I believe I understand what you're saying here. What size sprocket were you trying to fit on the front? I'm thinking I'll want 50 or 55 with my IGH. (and 19 or 20 on the rear.)
I run singlespeed in flat Florida, so I use a fairly high gear ratio (50x16). To get something comparable with a belt, I need a 70T front sprocket, which just won't clear on the Wolverine. Gates doesn't make small rear sprockets, so the front would have to be huge to compensate.

The smallest rear sprocket Gates makes is either a 20T or a 22T.

[dmine]

I run singlespeed in flat Florida, so I use a fairly high gear ratio (50x16). To get something comparable with a belt, I need a 70T front sprocket, which just won't clear on the Wolverine. Gates doesn't make small rear sprockets, so the front would have to be huge to compensate.

The smallest rear sprocket Gates makes is either a 20T or a 22T.

Thanks for the information. I assume a 55T would fit then.

What you say is true for a SS setup, but they do make a 19T for Rohloff. Gates CDX Sprockets (http://www.gatescarbondrive.com/Products/CDXSPROCKETS)

[ColonelJLloyd]

Yes as others have guessed - it's for mud / reliability in the DK and my (possibly incorrect) belief that it will be more reliable for the Trans Am race as well. I'm thinking of days of riding in the rain. I also understand that if I have a problem with the drivetrain in the Trans Am, finding conventional parts at a bike store will be easy. Belt drive parts, not so much.

But I admit I've never used belt drive so part of my reason for posting here is to hear good / bad stories about it. Thanks for the input so far everyone. I really appreciate it.

BTW - thinking of a Rohloff hub so any good / bad stories for those is also requested and appreciated.

If I were doing Trans Am, I would make sure I was well familiar with my entire setup and able to field service just about any issue that came up. I'd have a spare chain and RD pulleys in my kit. I would take a look at setups from other Trans Am riders. My guess is that you'll find very few IGHs. Obviously, the gold standard is a Rohloff and I wouldn't consider anything else if I were to go IGH. But, personally, I would not.

I liked my Wolverine ok, but did not like the handling with any type of load. I think it would be a much better bike too, for $150 more but spec'd with a little lighter tubing. If I were doing it over I would definitely use lowriders to mount the bulk of my stuff. Even if you're not racing, having as light and as comfortable a setup as possible is going to determine how much you enjoy yourself.

[dmine]

If I were doing Trans Am, I would make sure I was well familiar with my entire setup and able to field service just about any issue that came up. I'd have a spare chain and RD pulleys in my kit. I would take a look at setups from other Trans Am riders. My guess is that you'll find very few IGHs. Obviously, the gold standard is a Rohloff and I wouldn't consider anything else if I were to go IGH. But, personally, I would not.
Thanks for the valuable input. Familiarity with the setup is why I'm building the bike now and part of the reason I won't be racing until 2018. I do plan on carrying a spare belt.

BTW - I should have outlined in my first post that I will only be "racing" not RACING. In other words I will be in the race, but have NO delusion of being competitive. I hope to finish in under 5 to 6 weeks while the winners will likely finish in under 3 weeks. So I may choose to drop from Race category to Tourist category. It will depend on how much faster (on a loaded touring bike) I can get between now and then. I'm also still deciding how much gear I want to carry, etc. Biggest piece: hotels vs. camping but also cooking vs. restaurants. It's all about weight vs. dollars

So reliability and low maintenance are higher priority for me than absolute light weight and absolute highest performance. That's why I'm leaning towards belt & IGH. But I'm not 100% set on that - thus my questions here.

I liked my Wolverine ok, but did not like the handling with any type of load. I think it would be a much better bike too, for $150 more but spec'd with a little lighter tubing. If I were doing it over I would definitely use lowriders to mount the bulk of my stuff. Even if you're not racing, having as light and as comfortable a setup as possible is going to determine how much you enjoy yourself.
So if not the Wolverine, is there any other belt drive frame under $1500 you would recommend? The Specialized AWOL is the only one I can find.

[ColonelJLloyd]

So if not the Wolverine, is there any other belt drive frame under $1500 you would recommend? The Specialized AWOL is the only one I can find.

Don't know; can't say I care. I would be using derailleurs, which opens up the frameset options exponentially. You are seriously limiting yourself.

If I were trying to complete Trans Am in some sort of non-lackadaisical fashion I wouldn't be on a traditional touring or CX frame. I'd be packing ultralight, sleeping in a hammock or bivee and riding whatever felt best riding those high daily miles. And planning my post office stops for replenishment (new bibs, clothing, etc). I have a tendency to pack the kitchen sink, but I would really try to emulate the techniques of those who've previously finished well. Which probably means a carbon frame (maybe not for me), bikepacking style baggage, aero bars, dynamo lighting, full fenders and a derailleur drivetrain.

[dmine]

Don't know; can't say I care. I would be using derailleurs, which opens up the frameset options exponentially. You are seriously limiting yourself.

If I were trying to complete Trans Am in some sort of non-lackadaisical fashion I wouldn't be on a traditional touring or CX frame. I'd be packing ultralight, sleeping in a hammock or bivee and riding whatever felt best riding those high daily miles. And planning my post office stops for replenishment (new bibs, clothing, etc). I have a tendency to pack the kitchen sink, but I would really try to emulate the techniques of those who've previously finished well. Which probably means a carbon frame (maybe not for me), bikepacking style baggage, aero bars, dynamo lighting, full fenders and a derailleur drivetrain.

Thanks for the input. Your rational thought is making it harder for me to stick to the ONE THING (belt drive) I thought was a sure thing. :D Seriously - you are making me re-think that decision. I will more aggressively search for what others have ridden in the past.

However as stated previously, this is not only for the Trans Am but for gravel rides and general touring too. (See comments about the DK killing derailleurs at an alarming rate.) Perhaps I need 2 bikes instead of 1 for both tasks. Unfortunately that's beyond the stretched budget right now. Thus, I'm trying to get both bikes into 1.

... Back to scratching my head some more... And more soul searching for how aggressive I will ride the Trans Am.

[jruhlen1980]

Can't find the link now but a while back I was reading about the Tour Divide and it seemed like every other bike was a belt drive with a Rohloff; including one past winner. The general consensus is that they're nice but heavy; not a choice if you're looking to podium.

The secret to surviving mud is walking and keeping your drivetrain clean. I finished two Dirty Kanzas that way. I did not heed my own advice and destroyed my derailleur at Land Run this year. Why? Because I hate walking. Walking sucks.

One more option for a budget belt-drive compatible frame: http://www.fyxation.com/collections/framesets/products/quiver-canti-frameset

No idea about the quality, I have found virtually zero reviews from people who run these in the wild. Only the cantilever model is belt-drive compatible; the disc model isn't. It seems like a fairly standard 4130 frame with traditional geometry and clearance for wide tires. The bottle cage mounts on the fork are a nice touch.

[ptourkin]

Don't know; can't say I care. I would be using derailleurs, which opens up the frameset options exponentially. You are seriously limiting yourself.

If I were trying to complete Trans Am in some sort of non-lackadaisical fashion I wouldn't be on a traditional touring or CX frame. I'd be packing ultralight, sleeping in a hammock or bivee and riding whatever felt best riding those high daily miles. And planning my post office stops for replenishment (new bibs, clothing, etc). I have a tendency to pack the kitchen sink, but I would really try to emulate the techniques of those who've previously finished well. Which probably means a carbon frame (maybe not for me), bikepacking style baggage, aero bars, dynamo lighting, full fenders and a derailleur drivetrain.

This. If you're even on the fence about racing v touring, you're on a road bike with a bikepacking setup with all the aforementioned stuff. Even if you're thinking about making just a "moderately fast" effort, say consistent 150 mile days, you're going to be a lot happier on a faster bike. Aero bars are a must. When you get to Kansas, you'll know why.

[dmine]

This. If you're even on the fence about racing v touring, you're on a road bike with a bikepacking setup with all the aforementioned stuff. Even if you're thinking about making just a "moderately fast" effort, say consistent 150 mile days, you're going to be a lot happier on a faster bike. Aero bars are a must. When you get to Kansas, you'll know why.

I was thinking Kansas would be the easy part. But now that I've bought and watched the Inspired to Ride movie, I understand what you mean - high winds in Kansas. Yeah - I'm thinking 150 miles per day so this is spot on. In the movie (the first year), they were all using bikepacking setups like you guys are steering me to.

I will do some short 2 to 3 day tours near home to determine what kind of miles I can do per day and decide from there. If I can only manage 100 miles or so, I'll fall back to my original idea. But if I can manage 150 miles, I'll go the faster road bike path.

Thanks everyone.