Phaedra's Soma Buena Vista Disc, 650b Commuter.

Our story as a bicycle shop is really the story of our customers. Here is the story of Phaedra and her Soma Buena Vista.

Describe yourself as a bicyclist.

I started cycling seriously about 15 years ago to compete in triathlons. I moved from that to road racing for several years, and for about the last 5 years I’ve been a hardcore mountain biker. Despite all that I’ve never ridden my bike to commute! I’m excited about building a bike ride into my daily routine.

What drew you to the Soma?

I’ve always admired the classic mixte frame, so when I started looking at commuter bikes about a year ago I was looking at vintage Raleigh frames. They are beautiful but the problem is you can’t hang disc brakes on those, so I kept looking. When I found the Soma I was sold!

Describe a typical ride on your bike.

My commute is 3.5 miles each way from Oregon Hill to Scott’s Addition. I love that I’m out in the open air and I can experience things I would miss in the car. Like yesterday I rode through VCU and there was a little student music group practicing in a park. It was lovely, and I never would have heard that in my car.

What’s your favorite thing about your bike?

That gorgeous frame! I just love the lines of a true split-tube mixte. It’s light and stiff enough to give a serious cyclist a decent transfer of power, but relaxed enough to let me wear a cute dress in the summer. When I ride this bike I feel like I’m back riding to elementary school. It makes me happy.