04 February, 2009

VO Croissant and Baguette Bags Arrive

VO Croissant and Baguette Bags are in stock again. They are made of "dry-waxed" canvas with leather trim and piping. That leather piping and edging is a big deal. I think it is really classy, but it was hard to get.

The new version of the Baguette has a third strap that can be attached to your stem or seat post. A light can be clipped to the name strap.

How do they compare to the old ones? I think the fabric is better. The leather is maybe a tiny bit lower quality, but there is more of it. The stitching is about the same. The buckles are nickle plated steel instead of brass; this is a trade off, but I much prefer the silver look.


Here is the description of the Croissant bag from the VO site:

It has a stiffener in back to maintain its shape and a separate pocket for your wallet. There are inner flaps that can be secured to keep the contents restrained on rough roads. The trim and straps are leather.

It's about the perfect size for a long day's ride with room for a tool kit and spare tube, a rain jacket, a wool cap, knee warmers, a small camera, a cell phone, and plenty of snacks. If your rain jacket gets wet you can secure it under the extra long top strap. Despite the volume it's fairly narrow and tapered toward the bottom so it won't rub you legs.

We recommend attaching it to the saddle rails, rather than saddle loops, as this minimizes swaying and keep the bag low and out of the way. A rear light can be clipped to the name patch.

Dimensions are about 16 x 23 x 14cm (w x l x d).

And here is the Baguette bag description:
Our VO baguette is a saddle bag and a mini handlebar bag. This is one bag that serves both purposes; the straps are spaced to allow it to hang on either end of your bike. It's big enough for a Quicker pump, rain shell, tools, tubes, a banana, a wallet, and even a camera. Or just take a baguette (broken in half). It's about 30cm x 11 cm.



Finally, you may be pleased to learn that the new bags cost less than the originals. The Croissant bags have gone from $68 to $55 and the Baguette bags went from $39 to $34. We've received a large shipment of both models so VO Imports can finally offer them to other shops.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That looks like a fine lunch :-)

Anonymous said...

Applause all around, but especially for the substantially lower price on the croissant. I've always thought that this was probably the one product in the whole bike accessories marketplace that any cyclist would be happy to receive as a gift, no matter what they ride, already own, etc..., but I was hesitant to recommend it to non-bikers as a gift for their biker friends because it seemed like so much money for such a simple, if flawless, product. $55 is a lot less for a gift in people's minds than $68

Velo Orange said...

I have to agree. The Croissant is my all time favorite bag, the one that is always on my bike. When I go out for a day ride it holds exactly the right amount of stuff.

Anonymous said...

Is the Croissant wide enough that it would rub your legs while riding? Hard to tell from the angle of the photos. Does look like a perfect bag for a century.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Will the baguette fit in a water bottle cage - possibly with a toestrap or a cut-off water bottle for support ?

Velo Orange said...

The Croissant bag tapers so as not to rub thighs.

The Baguette is too big for a bottle cage.

Anonymous said...

What happens in cases where there isn't a lot of seatpost exposed (as on the model bike) but just a fistful or less in classic retro fitting. Does it rest on the seat stays? Seems like that would lead to paint rub marks.

Anonymous said...

What color is the croissant bag? Looks grey in some pics and black in others and there's no option given when ordering.

Thanks,
Ryan

stinus.b said...

fine bags, but what if more important, the saddle! is that a brooks pro whit bag loops? where the hell did you get your hands on that??

Velo Orange said...

The saddle is a Team Pro Titanium.

The bags are black.

james said...

all new brooks come with bag loops.

james said...

also, were the old bags made by frost river?

Steve said...

This is a little out of context, but Antbike Mike's got a new Boston Roadster that's going to be reviewed in the May 2009 issue of Bicycling magazine. He talks about it on his blog here: http://antbikemike.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/website-and-old-email-down/
with lots of photos on flicker here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/antbikemike/sets/72157612594204433/

There are two, a red mixte and a green diamond frame. Both feature Velo Orange saddles.