By Chris
It's a rainy Friday afternoon with not much going on in the VO office, though shipping is busy. It was on a day like this a few weeks ago that I wondered out loud if 3-inch tires would fit on our new adventure touring frame. Our staff wasn't hopeful, but I had faith.
They do fit, sort of. If you run them at too low a pressure they rub in turns, but keep them inflated to 25psi or so and they work. Does that make this the very first VO fat bike? I always thought 3-inches is where fat bikes start. The clearances really are very tight as you can see from the photos, so you might want to stick to the recommended 2.4-inch tires, especially if you ride in mud.
The production run is almost finished. Though we still need to wait for paint and for the decals to be printed. I'm hoping that the first batch of frames might arrive in a couple of months. I think we'll call it the
Piolet, which is French for ice axe. I can't wait for it to dry up outside so I can take this thing for a ride in the dirt with the big new tires. 3-inch tires may be too heavy and slow for touring, but they'll make for a fun afternoon.
toe clip overlap tho.
ReplyDeleteWhat rims are you running? Would 27.5+ tires provide acceptable clearance for low pressures?
ReplyDeleteThis is great! Is this bike wearing a new VO mountain crankset too? Can we at least get a geo chart for the Piolet??
ReplyDelete29 x fat?
ReplyDeleteSeems like it would make a nice commuter with some Big Apples, fenders, upright bars, and magneto hub.
I was interested in this frame, but it looks like the head tube will be even shorter than my Camargue, which is already too short. Why?
ReplyDeleteTry gravity vidar tires. They are slightly narrower
ReplyDeleteEric, The camargue has 26" wheels and a shorter axle to crown fork measurement. You need to compare the stack not just the headtube size.
ReplyDeleteFuzzy-the 56-62 Camsargues are 700c.
ReplyDeletehttp://support.velo-orange.com/#camargue.html
This was the frame design I was dreaming of when riding from Tucson to Victoria and back,,,
ReplyDeleteHey Chris - nice kickstand! Is that from your new "Arbre" line?
ReplyDeleteSchwalbe Fat Frank Tire 26x2.35
ReplyDeleteWow, a very thoughtful build and nice to know there is such generous tire clearance for 2.3-2.4" tires. There are many situations where I can ride through muddy conditions with 2.4" tire on my Krampus where Lael's bike refuses to roll with similar tires on a more conventional frame. The extra clearance provided by a dedicated double crank (Deore) is also nice in these situations, compared to her double which is really just a repurposed RaceFace triple.
ReplyDeleteThose bars look very nice, shaped a lot like the Salsa Cowbell. Which model is that?
Oh, and the 650b+ possibilities are exciting. Surely, that must have been by design.
ReplyDeletewhat crankset is that? very good looking bike, i have very much enjoyed velo orange's motion towards bike packing and dirt riding.
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ReplyDeleteThere's no to clip overlap with sz10 shies on this 56cm frame.
The rims are Velocity Dually.
The cranks are a prototype that we're still working on.
The handlebars are a sample.
Cool bike!
ReplyDeleteDoes it come with the stick in the left pedal for parking? ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is one sharp ride - when will this frame-set be available?
ReplyDeleteAlso give 27.5+ a try in it!!!
ReplyDeleteI really want one of these. It looks to be rather unique in the 29er / Fatbike field.
ReplyDeleteAny updates on when this might come out?
ReplyDeleteWe're shooting for late June delivery.
ReplyDeleteAny photos of it set up with 27.5+ wheels/tires??
ReplyDeleteI'll be building up at 27+ we the first frame arrives.
ReplyDeleteI always like your blog post because you always comes with different ideas and information. I always shared your site post with my friends. Keep posting and i will follow you.
ReplyDeletecarbon wheels
Is a 56 the "Medium" sized frame? Love this build!
ReplyDeleteI would look at the geometry chart to make a decision http://support.velo-orange.com/#Piolet.html
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