tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post2994267513272991287..comments2024-03-18T10:19:55.782-04:00Comments on The Velo ORANGE Blog: Showroom and SuginoVelo Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-45269902404014572292009-04-29T01:33:00.000-04:002009-04-29T01:33:00.000-04:00I would like MA2 type rims in 26", as well as the ...I would like MA2 type rims in 26", as well as the 700C. I would like high hole spacings, like 36 or 40, though I don't expect them. It would be cool if one could drill one's own, though clearly a looser in the marketplace, I would guessAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-70947098237823241072009-03-26T22:14:00.000-04:002009-03-26T22:14:00.000-04:00I have a Pashley Guv'Nor with 28" wheels ...I have a Pashley Guv'Nor with 28" wheels and 1.5" tires. I need fenders! Help! I like the Honjo hammered ones. The bike has drum brakes front & back and a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed rear hub.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16799579469576676288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-29354247459605813082009-03-20T10:27:00.000-04:002009-03-20T10:27:00.000-04:00"who is gonna buy these mixte things"Did you happe..."who is gonna buy these mixte things"<BR/><BR/>Did you happen to read all the comments above?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-18542506772137059832009-03-20T10:16:00.000-04:002009-03-20T10:16:00.000-04:00who is gonna buy these mixte things ? maybe you o...who is gonna buy these mixte things ? maybe you ought to take non-refundable deposits before you consider going forward with this project . <BR/><BR/> I would love to buy a 1970's sears free spirit red white and blue edition with banana seat, when can we start production ? And anything with a sissy bar. <BR/><BR/> Focus Chris , Focus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-12480819754085526562009-03-19T12:34:00.000-04:002009-03-19T12:34:00.000-04:00Chris, Please consider going up to 60cm on the mix...Chris, <BR/>Please consider going up to 60cm on the mixte frame.reverend dickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00090415465883988497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-55691612733446957212009-03-19T11:57:00.000-04:002009-03-19T11:57:00.000-04:00I'm going to really mess with you guys (and girls!...I'm going to really mess with you guys (and girls!) now.<BR/><BR/>I have two Mercian bikes in a "flip-flop" color scheme. Looked at from an obtuse angle, it;s a metallic green. But as you move in line with the bike it's--ready for this?--lilac. Both bikes are diamond framed.<BR/><BR/>My other bike has a dropped down tube bike I got for a song when a neighbor was cleaning out his garage. It's what most of you call a women's bike. I use it as my commuter and errand bike: It's not built for speed or distance. Sometimes I ride in a skirt, so this frame is a convenience for me.<BR/><BR/>The funny thing is that bike is a more "butchy" color: a blue that's slightly more luminescent than the royal blue on some of the old English three-speed.<BR/><BR/>And, yes, that bike has VO fenders and pedals on it. Great stuff!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-79673063763191031742009-03-19T10:12:00.000-04:002009-03-19T10:12:00.000-04:00well, I can tell a difference between 170 and 172....well, I can tell a difference between 170 and 172.5. And most of the time, given a choice, I think 170 is better. Spins easier and more smoothly. I think we were sold a bill of goods about this issue. Cranks were shorter in the 70s, and that was better for most, except maybe for the pros, who are smooth anyway because of all the miles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-60465649731684457832009-03-19T07:33:00.000-04:002009-03-19T07:33:00.000-04:00Pete, here's why we don't carry all the crank mode...Pete, here's why we don't carry all the crank models in 172.5, I challenge anyone to ride two bikes, one with 170 and one with a 172.5 cranks and identify which is which consistently. I'd guess only one in 100 riders can do it. I can't.<BR/><BR/>All, The Mixte has twin tubes. You animals who can snap cranks for fun might find it too flexible. But it'll be fine for most of us, at least in sizes up to 56 or 57cm.<BR/><BR/>Also, What's wrong with lilac? We have this little rustic lilac table next to our kitchen door. I always thought it would make a cool bike color.<BR/><BR/>KTZ, The inverse lever project sort of stalled. The factory didn't really work on it, too many other products I guess. We are now trying to get it going again and even have a new design.Velo Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-81802725477487223832009-03-18T19:47:00.000-04:002009-03-18T19:47:00.000-04:00When Chris is gone and does not post, I feel so ve...When Chris is gone and does not post, I feel so very, very empty inside.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-30251933349077503332009-03-18T16:30:00.000-04:002009-03-18T16:30:00.000-04:00Let me introduce the belt-and-suspenders approach....Let me introduce <A HREF="http://www.fahrradladen-berlin.de/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/category/Rahmen_4932d5afc7d77.jpg" REL="nofollow">the belt-and-suspenders approach.</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-86203434576928393762009-03-18T15:08:00.000-04:002009-03-18T15:08:00.000-04:00Assuming your bike is proportionally correct for t...Assuming your bike is proportionally correct for the rider, riders using Bullhorns will be in the tuck position. Not surprising, as that is what they are designed for. <BR/><BR/>A good riding position for quick bursts of speed. Not so good for city riders carrying racks with panniers full of office items or groceries or other heavy items. <BR/><BR/>If the bullhorn bar rider rides without gear and does not use the bike to shop, drop off laundry and the mail, carry changes of clothes, etc., then it would not seem to be a problem.<BR/><BR/>If the rider regularly takes any sort of load with them, bullhorn bars and the more race oriented drops, tend to be impractical. <BR/><BR/>Swept back bars and drops designed for load carrying, such as the Nitto Noodle and classic Randoneur bars make more sense on such a bike. Heck, along with weight balance issues, bull horn and race drops make it difficult to have any sort of basket or decent sized handle bar up front.<BR/><BR/>While I am sure someone can point to the contra example person who regularly carries 50 pounds of stuff on a bull horned bike, the fact of the matter is that cargo carrying bikes have always used swept back bars or randoneur type bars. They make it easier for the rider to maintain a torque position and are designed to accommodate cargo holding devices.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-32733318355482195032009-03-18T13:46:00.000-04:002009-03-18T13:46:00.000-04:00Chris, An inexpensive mixte frame wouldbe great....Chris,<BR/> An inexpensive mixte frame would<BR/>be great. I am now 69 and despite<BR/>stretches and exercises to maintain<BR/>flexibility, I can see my future<BR/>and it will be a mixte bike.<BR/> PrestonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-15367721685355066902009-03-18T12:09:00.000-04:002009-03-18T12:09:00.000-04:00Bullhorns and city bars like the Belleville provid...Bullhorns and city bars like the Belleville provide pretty much the same hand positions, albeit at different distances from the saddle. They are probably most appropriate for frames that respectively are too short or too long for you.<BR/><BR/>Most bullhorns, though, has a longer reach than most drop bars, and can thus be said to be racier. On the other hand, they provide better braking ergonomics from the "ramps" than drop bars do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-84881657942867578422009-03-18T10:55:00.000-04:002009-03-18T10:55:00.000-04:00Re: Sheldon's definition of a Mixte, he actually c...Re: Sheldon's definition of a Mixte, he actually calls a single top tube but 3 pairs of stays a "variation", and as Chris noted a lot of the constructeur mixtes were single top tube. The whole idea of a mixte, as Sheldon notes, is that the extra set of stays brace against what is otherwise a very awkward set of forces, with the seat tube getting pushed backward in the middle and pushed forward at the seat lug. This is the root of the design, and to my knowledge at first it simply involved brazing on an extra set of stays. Double tubes are a later design that required a much more specialized lug and a longer small diameter tube that would have had to have been procured specially. The design is far from ideal, but works quite well enough for a city bike and some people just like the look. I built one up this week, and test rides indicate that the city bars are a much bigger impediment to efficient high speed riding than any flex the poor frame might be accused of. No matter, as the rider isn't interested in speed.<BR/><BR/>The really nice thing about bullhorns for commuting is that they don't come stock on many bikes, so only those of us who like them have a reason to use them. They give all the same positions as drop bars save for being in the drops themselves. BSNY's mockery was mostly targeted at people who put aero or STI levers on them. They are light, which helps the handling of any bike, and for a fixed gear setup with one brake they eliminate having a dummy lever on the other side, which never stopped feeling weird to me. They can be as comfortable as a drop can ever be, and they give a faster and more maneuverable position than a swept back city bar. Some of us don't mind a bit of speed in the city, and the ability to accelerate quickly can get you out of as many jams as can good brakes.<BR/><BR/>All I'm saying is don't knock them until you've tried them. They're no more of a "race" bar than drops are, though their race applications (sections that require maneuvering on a TT bike, acceleration on a pursuit bike) speak well for their uses in the city (snaking through the urban obstacle course, accelerating from the frequent stops required in city riding).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-17432783129560231402009-03-18T08:51:00.000-04:002009-03-18T08:51:00.000-04:00The purpose of mixtes and other "girl" frames is t...The purpose of mixtes and other "girl" frames is to allow step-through mounting, whether it's due to wearing a skirt or having a bad hip, or anything else that prevents you from swinging a leg over the bike. That's it. If you don't ride in skirts or have any physical impediments, you don't need one. Rest assured nobody will force you to buy one. Why all the fuss?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-90240644629787125802009-03-18T07:14:00.000-04:002009-03-18T07:14:00.000-04:00Garth,really, for the Dutch, a bike is a bike. The...Garth,<BR/><BR/>really, for the Dutch, a bike is a bike. They spend more on the lock than the bike most of the time. When one bike gets stolen, they get another on the street for twenty-five bucks or so. Yeah, there are are some nice bikes (The RIH, especially), and you still see very old lugged bikes in good shape, but on the whole, a Dutch bike is a tool, and they don't think much about it, any more than they think much about the bus, for instance. They don't bring them inside, ever, and there's a refreshing (to me) pragmatism about it all. Which itself is very Dutch and wholesome. <BR/><BR/>I do really like the Betty Foy, like just about all Grant's designs. It's interesting that there's such a strong market for thousand dollar mass-produced Taiwanese frames . . . just sayin.<BR/><BR/>mwAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-30476136828941146762009-03-18T03:25:00.000-04:002009-03-18T03:25:00.000-04:00You all are killing Independent George.Knock it of...You all are killing Independent George.<BR/><BR/>Knock it off.Take the soap and the boxes you rode in on andAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-9241574569303760512009-03-17T23:40:00.000-04:002009-03-17T23:40:00.000-04:00Michael, One more thing. Check out the "Betty Foy...Michael, <BR/><BR/>One more thing. Check out the "Betty Foy"- Rivendell's latest Mixte. Mr. Peterson says it's good for all of the following:<BR/><BR/>"What's it for?<BR/>any kind of road rides--solo, club rides, fitness rides, whatever<BR/>weekend touring<BR/>fully loaded touring<BR/>commuting<BR/>fire trails<BR/>bike camping."<BR/><BR/>That's pretty encouraging. I look forward to the V-O Mixte :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-67927772830811001992009-03-17T23:22:00.000-04:002009-03-17T23:22:00.000-04:00"the Dutch don't think much about the bike"I don't..."the Dutch don't think much about the bike"<BR/><BR/>I don't buy this. These are some of the most eloquently thought out bikes in the world. The fact that they are also willing to invest a good amount of money into something they will use for a long time, on a regular basis is a further sign of their high level of commitment. What may be missing is that the everyday usage of their bicycles negates the luxury fetish aspect of the bicycle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-20887769624353202662009-03-17T23:13:00.000-04:002009-03-17T23:13:00.000-04:00Michael,Nobody said you had to ride a mixte, much ...Michael,<BR/><BR/>Nobody said you had to ride a mixte, much less purchase one.<BR/><BR/>To many of us they are a aesthetically nice design. By no means are they all about to self-implode upon the first pothole.<BR/><BR/>I would caution that production ceased because of additional labor and material costs. Not design failure.<BR/><BR/>You caution against sentimental "memories of jaunty French Mixtes..." Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't sentimentality for another time when things were "wool and leather" play a key part of the Rivendell experience? Thus verifying your friend Grant's decision to make a very fancily painted Mixte? Clearly the mixte was not "abandoned".<BR/><BR/>Here's some food for thought. Let's consider Jan Heine's theory and research on the usefulness of frame flex; that that energy is not lost, but stored in the frame as a spring, and smooths out pedaling. Perhaps because of the more leisurely nature of the Mixte's purpose, it is appropriate that it has a greater amount of torsional flexibility?<BR/><BR/>Pray tell, what frame do you ride?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-47910356104351671932009-03-17T22:42:00.000-04:002009-03-17T22:42:00.000-04:00(Just to add to what MW said about the Netherlands...(Just to add to what MW said about the Netherlands)<BR/><BR/>Strange, but traditional Dutch bicyles or "fiets" are called the following... <BR/><BR/>omafiets - oma means "grandma"<BR/>opafiets - opa means "grandpa"<BR/><BR/>Omafiets have down swooping top tubes for a step through design. Lots and lots of dudes on grandma bikes in the Netherlands! I guess they don't get too uptight about the terminology. I LOVE THE NETHERLANDS!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-90217108894053737642009-03-17T21:55:00.000-04:002009-03-17T21:55:00.000-04:00well, there's nothing wrong with girl's bikes. If ...well, there's nothing wrong with girl's bikes. If you ride a bike in the Netherlands, it's usually what we call a girl's bike. I've rented those bikes for weeks at a time and they're great... the Dutch don't think much about the bike; it's just a tool for them. <BR/><BR/>mwAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-41304211881989478562009-03-17T20:41:00.000-04:002009-03-17T20:41:00.000-04:00At Mr. White:You don't have to ride a mixte if you...At Mr. White:<BR/><BR/>You don't have to ride a mixte if you don't want to, and you make it pretty clear you wouldn't.<BR/><BR/>Fine. But what about those ladies who like to wear a skirt? Would you demand that practically speaking they should wear pants so they can ride a "regular" bicycle?M Benjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198546739878131465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-4529165037532348192009-03-17T20:34:00.000-04:002009-03-17T20:34:00.000-04:00Michael White: Excellent points on the mixte desig...Michael White: Excellent points on the mixte design! There's just one BIG problem with the non-twin top tube design. If it has a single dropped top tube it's a GIRL'S BIKE!!! There's no way my fragile male ego could handle that. <BR/><BR/>Did someone mention a Sugino crank?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-28127632420404134072009-03-17T19:34:00.000-04:002009-03-17T19:34:00.000-04:00Getting back on track to the wish list business......Getting back on track to the wish list business...I would love to see a return of the<BR/><BR/> "Bata Biker" shoe!!<BR/><BR/>Lilac optional. Have a nice trip and don't lose any sleep over frame colors, top tubes, tube tops or any other trivialities.<BR/><BR/>AWG.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com