I know its not a Riv but I trust ya'll

[Davey Two Shoes]

I've been on the fence about a Soma Grand Randonneur V.3 

It seems that v1 and v2 of this bike have been sort of shelved by the community as a nice but somewhat failed experiment - and so V3 seems sort of forgotten.

 I'm very curious about the V3 - I want a 650b Low Trail bike and unfortunately the tall seat tube with relatively short stack and reach on the Crust Lightning Bolt just creates a situation where my body will never fit on the right size (I have a long torso and crazy short legs.) So that pretty much leaves the Soma GR V3 as my only production option. 

I'd love to hear from those who own or have riden the bike, is it still overbuilt? Is it still plagued with shimmy, how is it as a "zippy" road bike? 

I have a Sam Hillborne thats frankly just a little stout and not "lively" (to me, we're all different!) despite its other high points and I have a "fast" Waterford. I don't expect the GR to compare with the get up and go of the Waterford, but I don't want something that will ride like my Sam either.

Anyway, heres wonderwall.

[K AL]

Hi Davey,

Can't tell you about v3 but as someone who wanted a LB but first settled for a GR v2 only to ultimately go for a LB I'd say that the LB is the much superior ride! Absolutely love my Bolt - best frameset I've ever ridden (and have ridden quite a few...Reynolds 853, 753, 653, 531 amongst them.) 

Don't get me wrong: the GR is a great introduction to low trail etc but it doesn't ride like the LB does. The former perhaps does a little better for light touring, probably due to those stout rear stays but the Bolt planes man! ;) 

The GR is very low and low, a bit odd for a Randonneur style frameset (aesthetically at least.) Have you compared the two on here?

https://bikeinsights.com/compare?geometries=5a2c418a5481530014e607a1,6208363bac53a0001dc24363,

I consider my LB to be my (all) road bike nowadays but am looking for a used Sam Hillborne here in the EU for longer loaded trips. It'll be good to be able to eventually compare the two, with a bit of luck! 

Hope that helps a bit 👍 

[K AL]

'(I have a long torso and crazy short legs.)'  I'm the opposite so perhaps goes some way to explain my preference for the LB. BTW, have you considered either of these British designs? Dunno what availability would be like in the States sure enough:

https://www.brothercycles.com/shop/frames/mr-wooden/   

https://www.runebicycles.com

Soz all if this is veering too far away from all things Riv BTW so more on topic for the group I'd be interested to hear however if more folk consider the Sam to be a bit leaden at all? I've read that in a few places now. Don't want to steer Davey's topic off course ofcourse, so here's my WTB post if that'd be better...

https://groups.google.com/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/OyPoIp9wN60

[Jason Fuller]

I had a Soma Grand Randonneur from 2015 to 2019, the cream with green decals (not sure what version this means it is, v1 or 2?). It was a great bike, quick enough for me, and I rode it on a bunch of longer rides (generally under brevet distances, but often over 100km) as well as on gravel rides.  I replaced it with my Hillborne in 2019 not because there was anything wrong with the Soma, but because I had been dreaming of a Hillborne and couldn't justify both.  Plus I knew the Hillborne would be better suited to camp-loads. 

I didn't have any significant shimmy issues with mine - the bike did wobble if I took my hands off the bars but just light forward pressure on the bars always made it stop. I didn't mind the feel of low trail when I rode the GR but i instantly preferred the 'carving corners' feeling of the Hillborne, so I would say low trail isn't really my personal preference (even with a front load). I will say, looking at my old strava segment times, I was definitely faster on the Gran Rando. 

All this to say, I think if it fits you well and you do want low trail, it's absolutely a fine bike as far as I'm concerned!  As noted previously the rear triangle is pretty beefy, which is probably what's keeping the bike from really singing (I didn't find it stiff, but I didn't find it planed either).