Soma Fabrications Buena Vista Frame Size: Why Flat and Drop Bars Use Different Charts
Soma Fabrications Buena Vista frame size depends partly on the handlebar and riding position planned for the build. SOMA publishes two sizing charts because a flat bar and a drop-bar hood position do not put the hands in the same place. The mixte shape alone does not identify which chart suits the intended bicycle.
Read the Soma Fabrications Buena Vista frame size charts by bar choice
SOMA explains that Buena Vista was designed as a sport-touring drop-bar bicycle, even though many examples are built with flat or city bars. If a rider wants a similar athletic position with flat bars, its guidance says that usually means moving to the next frame size up.
The conditions belong together: flat bars, a similar position and usually. It is not a blanket instruction for every flat-bar rider. A person deliberately choosing a more upright city position may have a different fitting goal, so the intended posture needs to be part of the conversation.
Understand the hand-position difference
SOMA uses a typical flat bar with a 9-degree bend as its example, saying it brings the hands about 150 mm closer than the hoods on a drop bar. The example explains why changing bar format can affect the size discussion. It is not an exact reach correction for every handlebar and control arrangement.
More backswept city or alternative bars change the position again. Bring the actual bar model and planned controls to the fitter rather than choosing a frame and leaving the cockpit unspecified. The relevant comparison is between the hand positions on the proposed complete bicycles.
Set the fitting goal before ordering the frame
Describe how you expect to ride: the usual distance, luggage and whether you want the manufacturer’s sport-touring position or a more upright arrangement. Ask the fitter to compare the appropriate chart and frame geometry with that goal. More than one size may deserve investigation.
SOMA’s guide also discusses stem and bar choices as ways to adjust a build. They should be assessed together, rather than used to justify any frame size in advance. A fitting or suitable trial setup is more informative than choosing solely by height or assuming every mixte bicycle should feel like a cruiser.
FAQ
Must every flat-bar rider choose the next size up?
No. SOMA gives that usual recommendation for maintaining a similar athletic position.
Is the 150 mm example universal?
No. It describes a typical flat-bar comparison, and actual handlebars and controls differ.
Which decision comes before the chart?
Identify the planned handlebar format and the riding position you want to achieve.
Choose the intended hand position before interpreting a Buena Vista chart. Our SOMA Fabrications topic offers further build-specific reading, and the brand introduction explains the personal-build context behind these frame choices.
Primary references: official reference 1 (https://www.somafab.com/blog/news-3/what-is-the-right-size-buena-vista-mixte-frame-for-me-7).
Photograph credits and permissions
Photograph 1
Original title: Touring bicycle (file: Touring bicycle.JPG)
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Original source URI: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Touring_bicycle.JPG
License / permission: CC BY-SA 3.0
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