It's funny how companies don't always follow our well considered road maps. For example, we seem to be selling more VO seat post to racers and triathletes than to randonneurs and "country riders". Hardly a day goes by without an e-mail asking for a 31.8mm and/or carbon version. The reason is that all those folks riding too-small frames find benefit in increased set back. We see a similar interest in our stems. So we'll be introducing a new component line called Gran Rapide to meet this need.
Our first product will be an aero seat post. We'll introduce aero stems next, then a deep-V version of our PBP rim. It's a new direction for VO, but we think it has great potential for expansion. Any ideas for new Gran Rapide products?
Posts
37 comments:
Um, April Fools?
Haha! Great stuff! How about a set of lugged aero/TT bars? Fancy steel goes to the time trials!
Well, Berthoud already makes carbon fiber fenders, sized at a generous 23mm. I think you should next focus on a CF porteur rack. I mean, those things are heavy. I can't be the only one looking to shave off even a few seconds from my grocery run.
When are you going to come out with carbon fiber randonneur handlebars? Water bottle cages--drilled out? And, because I'm such a weight weenie, I want you to make a drilled-out water bottle to go with those new cages?
I hope you do end up producing a wheel set that shaves a couple of grams off Reynolds $6,000 set....then you can call them out on their URL!
www.theworldslightestwheel.com
Why not start with the first products you ever sold (that I can remember)? Aero bells! Elk-hide bar wrap, perforated to save weight!
its great, I would love t see you do more of your stuff in carbon. First the rainbow of cable color options , now carbon......VO is unstoppable.
I could go for some aero bars in a polished aluminum alloy. An integrated water bottle (complete with a braided steel straw) would complement these nicely and allow one to hydrate without leaving the aero position. I would also like to see some polished aluminum rims with a toroidal cross section.
cuben fiber bike luggage with carbon attachment hardware and carbon nano tube racks. clear(ish) luggage so you always know where you put your coffee press.
followed by a pair of carbon platform pedals to fit a remake of the TA pro v with hollow bb and carbon cranks and rings (alloy teeth).
you could also revisit your bottle cages. it would be great if you did an aero seatpost attachment thingy so i could add 2 bottles behind my seat. 2 kleen kanteens are never enough when i do ironman - i'd love to have 2 more back there out of the wind...
How about an EPOsuer's program?
Uh? Isn't Gran Rapide in Michigan?
How about some electronic downtube shifters?
Gum colored carbon brake hoods.
Carbon Chain Case.
For the sake of us too tall or too short who have some difficult fitting needs, it would be great if you mentioned the distance from the center of the post to the center of the clamp for all models. My wife is short and we have the seat all the way forward and a 70mm stem, and still are a little on the long side.
Count this as vote #2 for lugged steel aero bars.
I thinks this is a great idea. I heard a rumour that VO was going to bring out an aerodynamic Porteur style bike, sort of based on a Cervelo TT frame but with a front rack, aero-bars, a coffee cup holder, and 650b tires.
It will probably sell like hotcakes in Portland - spiritual home to $7000 glorified "custom" city junker bikes.
"gran rapide" is actually a cool name. you may be on to something.
Dan
I actually have no issue with a Deep V / Fusion style rim on a classic styled bike.
awe crud....too bad this is a joke. i'd REALLY love a PBP aero wheel for my single speed bike....rims like that would make such a sharp set of wheels. ):
Carbon fiber BB30 version of the Pro-5-Vis, of course.
Also, I could really use some deep-dish carbon tubular 650b rims...
definitely rethink your whole line. I want to buy wind-tunnel-tested aero Grand Tour performance with NAHBS aethetics at a severely elevated high dollar per gram ratio, just because I am an exacting collector who is better than you, whom you could never understand in a million years, and also because, as the explorer said, It's there.
mw
180mm cranks would be a big plus and not just for taller riders.
Polished, non-anodized bib shorts.
Looks like a design after-thought - the Freds will probably like it though.
Raiyn said...
"I actually have no issue with a Deep V / Fusion style rim on a classic styled bike."
I'm the same way - while I might not want the garish color choices the fixie crowd goes for, I think I actually like them - I was wishing they were available in 650b sizes.
I actually saw a bike with a carbon fibre seatpost and a heavy sprung old school brooks-style saddle...
hah. I actually had Deep-Vs on my Trek 620 for a while (while I was saving up for a more appropriate wheelset) because I had them, they fit, and they let me ride :)
Don't forget about the carbon fiber rando frame. No sense lugging that "heavy" steel frame around when you can get into the 21st century with a lightweight carbon rando frame. Carbon racks, fenders, wheels, bars, stems, seatposts -- the list goes on and on. What about a carbon-body dynohub?
A Grand Rapide CF razor with 7 titanium blades for shaving my legs just before the race, please and thank you.
@ Joshua
There's nothing wrong with a frame matching rim on a classic bike the machined sidewalls would proved a nice "chrome" break between the colored section and the black tire.
(I'm not a big fan of gum walls as the tend to break down extremely fast in my area.)
I know this is supposed to be a joke, but I really want an aero PBP rim, polished and Shamal-esque. And some cute low flange road hubs to go with them. I guess I want a Grand Rapide Zonda wheel....
for real, an aero seatpost! i've been on ebay all month trying to buy a campy aero seatpost in mint condition. there's nothing wrong with that. classic!
This can only work if you use shellac to bind the fibers in the carbon fiber aero section.
@ Raiyn -
No, I agree! I actually think a well-matched deep rim is quite attractive, (part of why I wished I could find a 650b one) I simply don't care for some of the colour combinations some of the fixed gear crowd go for in my area, and that's simply a personal design choice.
The deep-V PBP rims should be made with inner and outer sections, the outer for 700c tires and removable to accommodate tires in 650b.
When is the Carbon Fibre toolbox with titanium hinges and latch being released. I hate lugging my heavy steel model from the workbench to the bike stand.
Chris,
You need to develop a component line for the Hummer bike crowd. Perhaps you could call it Velo Orange Crush.
call me contrarian, but the other thing you could do is sell simple products, that could work for almost any cycling purpose. Oh, I know, it probably wouldn't sell . . . just thought I'd throw that out there.
mw
Post a Comment