I've had this old Italian handlebar for many years; it's the one on top. I really like it for a fast city bike and thought that VO should make something similar, the one on the bottom. It's much like our Milan bar, but with zero rise. It's actually designed from scratch, not based on the Milan, but the similarity is evident. We just ordered the first production run and hope to have them here sometime this spring.
All we're missing is a name for our new creation, which is were you come in. Whoever comes up with the name we like best gets a free VO or Grand Cru handlebar, any model you like. Please post your suggestions in the comments. (Don't forget to use a name in the comments so we can credit the right person.)
Update: Thanks for all the great name suggestions. The VO staff is considering them all and we'll pick the name today.
Update II: Congratulations to Jeremy, who submitted the winning "Postino."
Posts
177 comments:
Reminds me of a famous moustache.. so I'll go with the Django.
Savile, like Savile Row
I would suggest:
Volante
I would suggest:
Volante
I say play on the shape and the style, but throw in a bit of humour...
I name them mustachio :)
The Neighborhood Bar
An Italian bar for a fast city bike? It's gotta be named after a northern city-- The Modena, maybe?
Italia Urbano?
How about Dilby?
It kinda reminds me of a handlebar mustache so I'm going with Maître d'Barbe (master of the beard!)
Or for fun you could shorten it to Maître d'Bar.
Alfredo
In keeping with the city/place theme, but emphasizing speed, I suggest Le Mans (ie, VO Le Mans Handlebar) or Monaco (ie, VO Monaco Handlebar).
something fast, something french...
the "fleche" bar,
the "rapide" bar,
or "ville course"
italian inspired, fast city bike bars should be called "Espresso"
How about the "rover," looks a whole lot like the top of a cartoon dog's head.
Well, you're going to go nuts if everyone comments with as much detail as I'm about to, so apologies in advance. Obviously the bar is Italian in origin. When I spent long periods in Italy, the bar that virtually every bike sported was quite similar in shape, but usually made of heavy chromed steel. I do mean "every" bike, too. Ok: Italian place name, then, obviously.
Which city? Many come to mind, but Florence is clearly the artistic heart of the country, home of Dante, Michalangelo and almost all the great artists, and that fits with the VO culture. Now, in keeping with the tradition of a neighborhood, are there appropriate districts in Florence which might work for a bar? One thinks immediately of the Signoria, which is far too patriarchal in tone, or the Vecchio, name of the most famous bridge, and of the great palazzo. But, too obvious, already used in the bike world, and besides, neither of those are really an artsy or intellectual neighborhood any more.
No, the equivalent of Montmartre in Florence is the Oltrano, on the south bank of the Arno, home of the great Pitti Palace, the breathtaking Masacchio frescoes, the magnificent Piazza Michalangelo, and more importantly, where almost all of the young artist types congregate these days. It's where you want to be on a warm weekend night. Oltrano is the best name for your bar.
best,
Michael White
Since albatros is already taken, what about Mouette or Seagull.
Cervelas-
How about the "rover," looks an awful lot like the top of a cartoon dog's head.
I don't remember if I signed that last comment about the Oltrano.
Michael White
As it is inspired by the Milan, the handlebar needs an Italian name. "veloce" is overused for cycling gear. For a fast city bike, how about the Italian word for express, "espresso"?
From above, it looks a lot like my Soma Sparrow. How about "Moineau"?
Baffi! (Italiano per mustache.) if not too obvious.
Onda (Italian for wave)
The "Piatto" Bar. A rough translation to flat, to be sure, but it does kind of sound nice.
mille miglia
Flat? Italian? Easy. "La Dolce Vita". If it needs to be one word, or if you like something slightly more obscure you could just call it "Fellini".
piccolo milano
turistica
Superleggera
contorno
those bars look like they should be named velo orange swan to me.
I have 3 suggestions:
Milaner
ReBar
FourBender
Robert S.
The italian theme is common. Arancia or Arancione (italian for orange). Perhaps Arancione Cru or Milano Cru.
Or Towne/City Cru.
Dino
"celladora"
bryan ennis
Sports Bar
Cacciatore
Looks like a lovely Pass Hunter bar to me.
Matt
Ideas:
Enzo handlebar or Bruno handlebar - the namesake of that awesome little kid in "Bicycle Thieves"
Domenica handlebar - "sunday handlebar" which references it's casual, non-aggressive style.
Oggi handlebar - "Today"
papa handlebar - sounds like poppa (dad) but is actually 'Pope', if the pope rode a bike ... he'd probably have these bars.
Since the bar is related to the Milan bar I think "Rho" a town located just outside of Milan is a good choice.
Second choice is "Milano" but I assume that would be viewed as too confusing.
Wayne Sulak
Sports Bar
Even though the bar is Italian in origin, I'd prefer to see VO remain consistent with its neighborhood names for these urban/city type bars.
With that in mind, I'd recommend Le Marais, a district that fits with this cool but offbeat bar shape.
Velo Orange Seagull...reminds me of the sweep of Gull wings over Lake Superior...not Italy, but I'm pretty sure there is water near Italy...big water!
Lynn Miller
I would love to have a bar like this on my 2speed fixed coffee bike, so my suggestion would be, Café-Bar
it HAS to be the GOELLAND bar, of course.
The Gelato - smooth and tasty.
Sam Bar or Elliot Bar in honor of the coolest mustache in town.
I always liked the way "città" sounded, which is how you say "Town" in Italiano
the VO Bella Città
Italian for Beautiful City
The city is beautiful and so is the bar.
Plus the Bella Citta bar just sounds cool when you say it.
piatto barra, italian for flat bar
"Citta Aperta"? "Andiamo"? How about "Sforza" or "Sempione"?
How about 'Svelto' or 'Furia'
I like "Modena" and "Dino", but those should be reserved for something ... faster (or at least something red). Since this is an ordinary, if very nice, Italian bar, how about 'Osteria'.
Mostaccio / Mustaccio. Italian for moustache.
Alouette!
Mostaccio / Mustaccio. Italian for moustache. (in 14th and 16th century). Sorry, just following up on last post.
pasta bar?
pasta is one letter away from pista and pasta sounds sportier than noodle, which is a wet and soft sounding word.
jitensha
Coffee bar.
Or Harry's Bar.
ala piccola... little wing
how about Hirondelle or Swallow?
A French name seems very appropriate, as well as a reference to the origin of the bar -- "l'itallienne"?
Jessup L.
several folks have already said "espresso" which I think is a good one... but to be original (and hopefully prizewinning!) may i suggest a similar idea...
cappuccino (or -i)
or
macchiatto
cappuccino is my favorite, because the foam from the cappuccino tends to catch on one's moustache... and the bar looks a bit like a moustache... so you see.
-- patrick
Why not the Brest handlebar? Named after the other city in PBP of course....
Looks like a more sporty version of the Porteur bar... I'm going to go with Sporteur
oops, i had mine backwards. I'm changing my entry to the
VO Città Bella Bar
He is fast enough to be a professionnal racer,but not enough to compete for highest honors,>60 km/h sprints and gold medals.
Faithfull "equipier" devoted mostly to utilitarian tasks,he gets to win a Tour de France stage once in a lifetime.
He is:
"porteur d'eau"
and BTW as suggested by nico@l'atelier d'embellie,it would nicely fit a Faggin/Gianni Motta porteur project of mine ;-)
A fast city handlebar? How about the Bellevue? It's a 'fast city' across the lake from Seattle, plus recalls plenty of crazy history for New Yorkers as well.
I know everybody is saying "espresso," but my gut reaction was "Breve," it means "brief" implying it's intended use as a hop=about handlebar. Plus, it's a coffee drink. If you made a longer version you could call it the "lungo."
That or "Moka" as in the aluminum percolator, not the cake-in-a-cup.
You have the Milan so make this the Torino or Turin. Or if you want to move south the Roma or Firenze
It's definitely a Dali moustache shape, so I suggest naming it after one of his favourite bars: Bar Marsella (in Barcelona).
"Marsella" bars has a nice ring to it.
VO Ramble.
What about "sforza" - dukes of Milan?
Or La Scala after the opera house?
Tom
If you're just scooting around the city and you're not all geared up, you might appreciate no hills. So perhaps the Hill-less bar. Maybe that's better for an upright bar, whatever, I'll stick with that.
I like the name "Firenze"...
It sounds sporty and quick and isn't far off from Milan, just like the design.
The Velouria, in honor of Velouria from Lovely Bicycle.
Well to keep the Italian them- your inspiration, and the current Milan bar how about
Toscana?
How about Postino ("postman")? Helps connote it's use on speedy urban bikes for errands or delivery and has good associations with the wonderful film of the same name, shot in Cinque Terre.
Maybe the "Verona"
How about "Swift"
P. Swap
Greetings,
Let's go with the "Dolce". You've got to "love" it.
best regards
Hiroshi at Jitensha Studio carries a similar bar he designed for Nitto based on a 3TTT. Considering the original "velo orange" was an Ebisu, you may want to go with Hiroshi, and leave Italy out of it entirely.
Katie and Colin think it should be called "Il Purgatorio"!
This suggestion is in no way meant as an insult to the bar or the design, as it looks great; but just a little humorous nod to all of the Italian name ideas:
Le Cliché
I don't know why everyone's getting worked up about the "fast" thing; the bar doesn't make the bike any faster.
So: Northern Italian town names, but perhaps not a big town - someplace with narrower streets, so a narrower handlebar to get around. Since it's a newer design (made in a different country), something that suggests the newness, but not in an obvious way. And for the trifecta, something that subtly suggests speed. We run it through the word-mixolater, and we get...
Novi Ligure, the hometown of both Il Campionissimo, Fausto Coppi, and Costante Girardengo.
Thank you very much, and be sure to tip your waitress.
Katie and I think the "Django" is super cool.
I think "Fregata" is fitting, as the bars have a similar angles as a Fregata magnifica (magnificent frigatebird) in flight.
-Veloseo
Bar 8675309
alternately
'Du Lac' the bar of the lake.
What do you think about "Il Guapo", since many of the finest clothes come from Italy, and this bar would make a fantastic commuting bar whilst wearing a fine Italian suit.
- Matthew Ray
How about the most(maybe) bicycle freindly part of paris St.Michele or
arrondissement or maybee...
d'zur as in Cote d'Zure
in any case I can see one on my bike already
Cheers
Leyla
TGW. That's pronounced "TAY-JHAY-DOO-BLUH-VAY" Like the TGV (Tres Grand Vitesse) train. See? It's French, it's got "fast" in the name and the "W" instead of the "V" is a nod to the handlebar's shape.
Plus it's really fun to say! :)
Like a lot of the commentators, it reminds me a mustache bar but it's like a big, wide loose mustache so I'd call it a 'stache which I'd pronounce stah-chey. :-)
Fie! Just call it the Flat-Tasche!
Fattorino - for messenger. Else Messagaro, but I like the sound of Fattorino better the definition is also closer to Porteur.
Gavin White
My suggestions
"when in chrome"
Varese (famous northern italy city, where gelato blew up)
El Matador
Adagio
LaHood
By Spencer
A classic re-visited
Bar oque
Al Mallozzi
Genova
-brad s
I would suggest "The Annapolis". ;)
Ryan Heitz
It looks like bat wings
so Bat bar or just
Bat Wing
millie
I vote "Candy Bar"
no....seriously.
A Lockhart
Glendale, CA
bat bar
or bat wing
cause it looks like bat wings
or Titty Bar
millie
The Pronto Bar
Bar Italia. After the famous coffee bar in london. Very european..
Rasmus Riemann
best suggestion so far: cafe bar. Why? Less is more of course. My suggestion: the VO Papa Bar, cause papas ride bikes too.
I suggest "sprezzatura," meaning a sort of casual elegance, defined as "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort." (Castiglione, via Wikipedia.)
First saw the word in one of the cycle chic websites, showing riders in Florence, I believe.
Rick Risemberg
Volare
Opera inspired (hot spicy women):
Carmen
Tosca
Not opera inspired:
Mario
Italian wine inspired:
Chianti
A darned pretty town in the Siena province of Tuscana...
...Pienza
Il ladro, the thief. I also like the French, le voleur. Sounds vaguely bicycle-ish....
Le Milanais
-Andante- ["a musical composition or musical passage to be performed moderately slow"; at walking pace; Italian: going, from andare to go, from Latin ambulāre to walk].
Cheers,
Timo S.
Chris mentioned that the bar may be used for fast city riding....
What came to mind was the "legendary" bar.
Then I looked for bird types and classification...
Sterna Fuscata or "fuscata" bar... Sounds italian and classified as the most airborne bird.
"Falcon" Bar - classified as fastest flying bird.
"Humming" Bar - obviously...
Guiseppe.
or...
Rufus?
But, yeah, the Espresso Bar--that's pretty good. I like Django too.
Barista
Calvert Guthrie
I would suggest
the "metro"
Also like
the "swift"
Since from the top it looks a lot like a recurve bow, how about arco di Cupido or arco d'amore?
falco like the shape of a falcon's (genus: falco) wings.
in italian hand-made is fatto a mano...
as a result I humbly suggest Mano Milano, as it has a certain hand crafted beauty and a milanese sex appeal...
Ehem...Ehemm.... I bequeath thy name... VeloCity. Seems kind of obvious "a fast city bike... a bar with zero rise". You could go with V0City but the name doesn't flow. Or you could go with Vel-0-City and call it Vel0City which I kinda like because it names your bar exactly as you described it. But you might think its too 90's pager code or something, so I thought VeloCity was a better compromise.
Or being in Annapolis, Md. The Chesapeake Bender or just the Chesapeake. Or last but not least just call it the Annapolis Roadie or just Annapolis.
Hmmm... come to think of it, the Roadie sounds good too!
James McClellan
I suggest "VO Milan-No Handlebar" or "VO Milan-No! Handlebar".
Good luck.
Hawthorne.
David Heddy
I suggest the Ettore bar.
Ettore Bugatti designed elegant, beautiful and fast cars. He was Italian, but he established his company on the grounds of a French estate. He designed and rode bicycles for himself as well, and most racing Bugattis are a delightful French racing blue.
I suggest the "Classico".
The profile of this bar reminds me of...
Sophia (Loren)
That'd be my choice.
Bruce Hodson
My suggestions are Fiero ("proud"), which jibes with Fiera – a big design Fair near Milan, see? Or Comodo (comfy).
FAUCON, Means falcon in French.
of the 3 Italian city-related names I suggested, the Vecchio, the Signoria, and the Oltrano, I still prefer Oltrano, but the catchiest sound is probably the Vecchio . . . the VO Vecchio. Also, the connotations: not only the grace of the bridge at the heart of the city, but the fact that the bridge has been the major site for goldsmiths for centuries. So maybe the Vecchio is better.
mw
oooo I got it! The Vel0City Bender.
Velo-0-City "a fast city bike... a bar with zero rise" and its a bender.
It's perfect! Velocity is a term used to describe speed. 0 for zero rise. City because its designed for City riding and bender because it is bent, twice, no four times. It's a perfect name.
Campagna
Strada
My suggestion is "Cittadino"
The word for citizen, but more in the sense of someone who lives in a town or city.
A city bar for the everyman.
(keep in mind that the "C" in this case makes the English "ch" sound)
-Matthew Coveny
cittå strada
cittå veloce
Luigi
VO Ristretto Bar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ristretto
Thanks for all the city bar offerings, I set the Mrs. up with a bike last summer and plundered your catalog.
Best,
AM Gerth
The Renaissance Bar
The Renaissance Bar
dubya
DS
Greetings,
If you're not fond of "Dolce", I suggest the "Appian", it's the only way to go.
Best regards
"Curva"
"Presto"
"Tempo"
"Vivace"
jon taylor
Buon Giornio, I think the "VO Paloma" is amore!
....on wings of a Dove...
The Macchiato.
the crow bar
How about Trestevere or Trevi for the neighborhood and fountain in Rome
"La Panca" = The Bench
How about Trestevere or Trevi for the neighborhood and fountain in Rome
How about the Genoa, after the historic maritime city in Italy?
- boon
Why clearly, it's superior to a priest's bar, so it has to be the Pope's bar.
Manubrio. It's Italian for handlebar.
1) semplice (plain)
2) comodo (comfortable)
3) arancia (orange)
140 suggestions and no 2 the same? Well i second the name cafe bar.
"Flair"
How about naming it after the protagonist in Ignazio Silone's classic anti-Fascist novel _Bread and Wine_, Paola Spada? In the story the exiled anti-Fascist Pitro Spina is compelled to return to Italy, but to avoid detection, lives in a small town disguised as a priest, Don Spada.
Michael Burdge
how about a nod to something italian american:
the north end bar (as in the north end of boston)
-bayani birkinbine
Lot's of great suggestions here for you - any of them will make a great addition to your line-up.
Just adding one that I didn't see:
Avanti - which means "forward" or "ahead" which is what these bars actually do - putting the rider in a slightly more forward position.
Whatever the name, I'll be buying the bars soon!
Ciao!
+1 for "Marsella" bar in honor of Dali, or how about "Salvadore"?
Bango
I would suggest "Primavera" (springtime)my favorite time to ride city bikes, stop for coffee, etc.
The Flying Burrito Bar, bc it's a fast bar, and bc Gram Parsons sometimes sported a killer mustache. Oh, and bc everyone loves burritos!
Millano, from Milan and Llano or "flat"
Clay Sprouse
Prego bar
via Marco Orlando
I'll throw in
"Strada Bianca" or perhaps the simple "Villa"
-Pete
italian, french, time for a little spanish ...
Adelante - come on, let's go.
often laid back,
sometimes restless and impatient,
likes to travel with friends
Adelante.
It's for the CITY....
It's for good Visual.....
It's meant to be cool.....
Call it the VUE or the CITE'
Russ Robarge
Long Island NY
How about the Bartolo Bar?
Longhorn
Thinking of you description of the bar reminded me of the old porteur races in Paris, which finished with the "epic" climb up rue Lepic... So why not "Lepic" as a name? French, Parisian (in keeping with the other bar names) and keeps with up the spirit of a lot of the VO original components.
Trevor
It has a nice fluidity how about "Fiume" river in Italian.
Bas-Route...
the lower route, tipping a hat to the no rise/let's go attitude.
Via Bassa...lower route, tipping a hat to the no rise design
thirding (fourthing?) the Django bar.
I think it should be called the Occitan bar.
"Trastevere" for the the old neighborhood in Rome with narrow streets
How about Bastogne.
Let's name it ROMA...not Rome...just ROMA. Like Milan, should be Milano.
Let's name it ROMA..not Rome...like Milan should be MILANO.
Super Mario!
The Capelli bar
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