Steve's Grand Rando

In the spring of 2022 I became interested in building up a new bike. I was interested in a low-trail frame, to serve as an all-road road bike capable of both gravel and road riding. As my first complete build, the project proved to be an evolutionary process.

I was nearing 70, and at 5’4” I wanted something with an easy standover for my height. A Soma Grand Randonneur checked most of the boxes on my preference list, and I ordered one through my local shop.

I plunged into the build, learning much along the way. I mounted 48mm knobby tires which I hoped would navigate the various terrains I hoped to traverse. Seeking to construct a wide-range drivetrain, I assembled a mishmash of new and used parts, consisting of both road and MTB components.

As the “Grando” and I entered our first rainy season together, I decided to mount fenders. I purchased some great looking Velo Orange 650b smooth fenders, which necessitated going down a size in the tires. With 42mm Rene Herse Babyshoe Pass tires mounted, I noticed a subtle but distinct improvement in handling. This represented a turning point in my intentions for the bike, and I decided I wanted it as my “road-plus” machine, and I would eventually build another bike to be my “gravel-plus.”

Back to the drawing board, I devised a new plan for the drive train, and improved and decluttered the cockpit area while I was at it.

For the drive train, I decided to replace my original crankset with a Velo Orange Grand Cru 50.4 BCD with 165mm cranks. Combined with an 11-speed, 11-32 cassette, the 46/30 crankset offers a low gear just below a 1:1 ratio, plus a nice midrange gear selection for road cruising.

Although the Grand Rando has a threaded headset, I found it difficult at the time of my build to locate a quill stem that would suit my needs for a short reach. The VO Threadless Stem combined with the Threadless Stem Adapter achieved the fit I was interested in. When I later replaced the handlebar with a Nitto Noodle bar, the switch was a snap with VO’s handlebar shim, allowing me to keep the same setup with the smaller diameter bar.The combination of parts looks elegant as well!

Velo Orange parts supplied what I needed for a couple more hacks to the bike, solving two different but challenging problems.

I had become rather disgruntled with a bulky and heavy decaleur I had originally mounted to secure my Ruthworks Randonneur bag from swaying on the front rack. Velo Orange’s decaleur appeared secure and understated, but it’s reach would be too short and low for my bike’s configuration. Nevertheless, I ordered a decaleur kit from VO and adapted it using a pair of leather straps to make the connection with the bag. I used the opportunity to clean up the cockpit further by replacing the bar-end shifters with Dia-Compe ENE downtube shifters, purchased from VO, and was pleasantly surprised how easy and efficient it was to friction shift through 11 speeds.

The second of the two hacks involved a bike-to-automobile problem. After I mounted the fenders, I discovered the rear stay was too wide to swing the arms of my 1Up bike rack over the rear wheel. I ordered another pair of stays, and bent one to remain parallel for a distance, and then widen out to clear the brake rotor and gear cassette.

Will I make any further changes to the bike? Possibly. A VO flat-pack rack would hold the bag more securely and provide better access to the rear pockets. I’m on the notification list for its availability!

I would like to give a shout-out to The Bicycle Business store in Sacramento for assistance with my project. Their knowledgeable and skilled staff ordered and prepped the frame for me, and built the wheels. They introduced me to Velo Orange, and ordered many of the parts through the store.

Over the last few years I have learned much about bicycles and cycling through online sources, often from people who have shared their knowledge voluntarily through videos and blogs. I hope my story and build details will be interesting to others, and perhaps provide some useful solutions to their own builds.

-Steve German

Photo captions:

Gando-1: My Soma Grand Randonneur, in its final stage

Grando-2: The Grand Randonneur in its first configuration. 48mm knobbies, an older style IRD 50/34 crankset with a 46T replacement for the large ring. Wide range cassette with a Shimano MTB derailleur. Platform pedals. Bulky, heavy clamp-on decaleur. Bar-end shifters.

Grando-3: The Velo Orange stem and adaptor is as elegant as it is versatile.

Grando-4: Using a modified pair of Carradice leather straps, I connected my Ruthworks Randonneur bag to the VO Decaleur.

Grando-5: Detail of the front fender mounting, showing solutions with hardware store items to maintain an even fender line, and help stabilize the front end.

Grando-6: I mounted the front derailleur shifter with the bracket stop in the vertical position, to make the lever easier to reach.

Grando-7: I fabricated a mud flap for the front fender from a sheet of black HDPE, which I purchased from TAP Plastics. It keeps its shape in the breeze, but is flexible enough to bend when run over curbs or other obstacles.

Grando-8: The arms of my 1Up bike rack would not clear the rear fender stay.

Grando-9: The solution to the fender stay issue: Bending the rods to clear the rack arms.

Grando-10: The Ruthworks Randonneur bag with its distinctive logo is complemented by the classic design of the Grand Randonneur and Velo Orange components.

Parts list

Frame: Soma Grand Randonneur V.3, 46cm

Velo Orange parts:

Crankset: VO Grand Cru 50.4 BCD Crankset

Stem: VO Threadless Stem, 31.8mm - 50mm length

Stem adapter: VO Threadless Stem Adaptor

Handlebar shim: VO Alloy Handlebar Shims, 31.8 to 26mm

Spacers: VO 1” Alloy Headset Spacers, 3mm (3)

Decaleur: VO Decaleur Kit, 1”

Seat post: VO Grand Cru Long Setback Seatpost

Fenders: VO 650b Smooth Fenders, 58mm

Shifters (purchased from VO): Dia-Compe ENE 11s Downtube Shifters

Non VO parts:

Rear derailleur: Shimano Ultegra RD-R8000-GS

Front derailleur: Shimano 105, clamp mount

Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 11-speed, 11-32T

Chain: Shimano Ultegra

Pedals: Shimano PD M540

Headset: IRD Headset Double Roller Drive Threaded 1”

Handlebar: Nitto Noodle Model 177, 41cm

Bar tape: Grepp Gripper (Rain Drum)

Handlebar ergo grips: Redshift Cruise Control Top Grips

Brakes: TRP Spyre mechanical disk brakes

Rotors: TRP 160mm

Brake levers: Sram Rival

Brake cables and housing: Jagwire compressionless

Hubs: Sram 900 32-hole

Rims: HED Belgium Plus 650b

Tires: Rene Herse Babyshoe Pass 650b standard, tubeless

Saddle: Rivet Cycle Works Independence, slotted

Rack: Soma Champs Élysées Mini Front Rack

Front bag: Ruthworks Randonneur 8”

Rear bag: Ruthworks Classic Wedge

Light mount: Portland Design Works Light Nug

Bottle cages: King Cage Iris Stainless

Bottles: CamelBak Podium Chill 21oz