20 December, 2006

Closed for the Holidays, and a Few Notes

Velo Orange be closed for the holidays from December 23 to January 2.

Also:

The updated Imron paint codes for the Velo Orange frames are:

Black 99
Orange 24592
Silver 5032
Blue 5351

You can see a color chart here. I welcome suggestions for other good colors to use in the future.

I'll have some photos of the built up frame soon.


Here is the build list for VO frame #1:

  • Crank: Stronglight 49D with TA rings
  • BB: Stronglight/Spidel sealed bearing
  • Derailleurs: Simplex SLJ
  • Shifters: Simplex retro friction
  • Freewheel: Sachs 7-speed 13-28
  • Brakes: Paul Racer
  • Brake levers: Mafac (to be replaced with Mafac super light)
  • Hubs: Phil Wood hi-low (to be replaced with Maxi-Car)
  • Rims: Super Champion Gentleman (to be replaced with Rigida 1622)
  • Tires: Roughy Toughy 28mm (to be replaced with Grand Boise 30mm)
  • Handlebars: Nitto Noodle 46cm
  • Stem: Fiamme
  • Saddle: Brooks Team Pro titanium
  • Seat Post: Arius
  • Fenders: Honjo 43mm smooth
  • Front rack: VO prototype (to be replaced by improved production version)
  • Pedals: TA with Christophe Special X clips, VO leathers, Christophe tan straps
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13 comments:

  1. Anonymous12/20/06, 9:06 AM

    The satin finish of the Paul Racers is going to look great on that silver frame. I can speak to how well they work, as I have a set on one bike, and am very pleased.

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  2. Anonymous12/20/06, 9:16 AM

    These are really ultimate components. Just about all of them would be my first or second choice. Well, I guess you know how I feel about the TA rings;>) They certainly win the beauty contest. Something you might want to try someday is the new IRD freewheels. Really smooth. Sorry they're not French, but probably the best freewheels ever made.

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  3. Anonymous12/20/06, 9:34 AM

    I really like off white (or pepper white as many auto makers, notable among them the Mini, use) color.

    It is hard to tell on my corporate issue CRT, but maybe something in the line of the Imron 59373, 4775, 43938.

    These should have enough shading in them that you would not need to highlight the lugs, something I know you prefer to avoid.

    The equipment choices are quite good. I agree with Neil about the IRD Freewheels. I have seen though have not used them. They appear very nice. The finish is amazing at any price. And IRD is pricing them quite fairly.

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  4. Anonymous12/20/06, 9:45 AM

    Hey Chris, check out the CR list today. There's a little note from Chuck Schmidt concerning Eddy Merckx having dinner at his house when he was designing Eddy's logotype in the early 80's. You and Eddy - pretty fast company. Did you get invited to Chuck's house too?

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  5. Anonymous12/20/06, 9:50 AM

    Chris,

    I'm a BIG fan of the wide range double crank, and your 46-30 tooth selection is real world gearing (At least for me). The SLJ's are also a great pick. You didn't mention pedals, TA's with leather covered alloy clips?

    Looks great so far....keep teasing us with more photos as you go...

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  6. Lesli Larson12/20/06, 11:51 AM

    Quite lovely. Please bring on the full frame views of the bike in its complete kit (views of the custom racks, too).

    Definitely interested in a mixte version of such a bike--especially with the silver paint finish (not so fond of powdercoating).

    LL

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  7. Dad12/20/06, 12:46 PM

    One colour I really like on classic bikes is that "Ice Blue" silvery light blue shade, akin to what you'd have found on an Austin-Healey. BMW did a decent job of reintroducing that colour on, what, the Z3 I believe. The _slightly_ metallic lighter hues catch the light in interesting ways, especially when they're carefully applied as certainly this fellow Coast seems to do, and would look good on frames which have only the one colour.

    (BTW I totally agree with the monotone scheme -- I'm actually embarrassed that my silly Kogswell with its white headtube looks needlessly pimpy!)

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  8. Anonymous12/20/06, 6:19 PM

    Just noticed:

    Good luck finding those TA pedals.

    I've been waiting weeks for Velo Orange to get some in stock ;)

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  9. Anonymous12/21/06, 1:55 PM

    Chris,

    I assume you will use one of your derailleur cable housings for friction shift on your new bikes.

    I've heard for long cables, like endbar or aerobar shifters, that the older 'In-Line' SIS 4mm or 5mm housing is good for extra long length and friction shifts as well. Is this similar to one/all of your cable housing grades?


    Thank You

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  10. Velo Orange12/23/06, 12:21 PM

    I am using regular the 5mm SIS cable housing (in line strands) that we sell. But I just got some very cool CLB aluminum cable housing which we will sell. Of course I'll have to try it out ;<)

    Joel, If a customer had not returned a pair of TA pedals, I wouldn't have them.

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  11. Lesli Larson12/31/06, 12:29 AM

    Thanks for posting Imron numbers. Is the silver a straight or modified imron color--seems less metallic, more smoothed out or "solid" than the standard silver shown on the imron chart...

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  12. Velo Orange12/31/06, 8:27 AM

    LL, Unless you have a calibrated monitor and great care was taken in the original scan, those colors never look the same on the screen. Plus the scanned chip is probably only about 1" x 2" so the metallic quality is greatly exaggerated. I was also worried about the paint looking too metallic, but it does look smooth.

    Chris

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  13. Lesli Larson12/31/06, 5:35 PM

    Thanks for the clarification (especially the bit about whether frame looks overly metallic). I've been agonizing over color choice for my own frame. I think seeing your frame has definitely narrowed my choice down to the family of silvers. Seems like you can never go wrong--or grow board--with that "color" option.

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