Greg's Neutrino is a Hoot!

by Igor

Greg wanted to have us build up a Neutrino Mini-Velo for commuting, travel, and a bit of fun on gravel roads. 

He opted for Tourist Bars to keep the position upright and comfortable. At 570cm in width, the Tourist is narrow by todays standards, but the sweep, rise, and grip length makes for a magnificent cockpit position. It's a personal favorite of ours.

Wheels are our Disc Hubs laced to Velocity Cliffhanger Rims in 32h drilling. And the rubber is Maxxis Grifter in 20"x2.3" (406 bsd). 

Drivetrain is Sram with a Rival 1 rear derailleur, Apex 1 crankset, 11-32 cassette, and Apex 11 shifter.

Braking is handled by TRP Spyres connected to our Grand Cru Brake Levers in Silver.

We also put on a Flat Pack Rack for general portage. 

All-in-all, this is a very fun bike. I'm actually thinking of rebuilding mine with a few cues from this one. 

As far as a status of Neutrino frames, we sold out of the S and L sizes basically overnight. I honestly thought they would have lasted longer, but they were basically in and out to places all around the world. We're getting more in the Summer, so keep your eyes peeled!

If you want the complete build list, here you go! https://velo-orange.com/pages/neutrino-build-list-commuter-traveler-with-flat-pack-rack

The Vintage Bicycle by Steel Vintage Bikes

by Scott

Kevin and I were speaking this morning about the merits and differences between physical and e-books. One thing that we both agreed on was that books with lots of photos or maps were ones that both of us felt we could only buy as a physical book. E-books are fine for a novel or some non fiction reading, but if you want to read poetry or see large format photos or paintings, then a physical book is simply the best. Introducing The Vintage Bicycle by Steel Vintage Bikes. 

The fabulous folks at Steel Vintage Bikes in Berlin have produced a book showing a collection of steel bikes they have restored over the years. With bikes ranging from 1927 to 1989, there will be bikes you've never seen along with technical elements sure to excite.

The majority of the bikes are racing bikes, but there are some randonneur and touring bikes mixed in as well. 48 bikes are showcased over 110 pages. You get one drive train side shot of each bike as well as a description of the bike and the builder and some more detailed shots.

This is a great book for someone who loves older steel bikes or perhaps someone looking for inspiration from the past. Hardcover, and printed in English.

Additions for Your Home Shop

by Igor

We have a lot of customers who are do-it-yourselfers, so finding quality tools and shop accessories is paramount. We've all used cheap tools and sometimes they can be fine, but you'll curse yourself the first time you're about to round out a bolt head or cut something askew. Buy once, buy right.

Holy Mountain USA Shop Aprons

We recently picked up these absolutely gorgeous Shop Aprons from Holy Mountain USA. They're sewn locally in Baltimore and are extremely high quality. When I'm not using it in the shop, I use it outside grilling, or inside in front of the stove. I've used a lot of aprons over the years and this one, by far, is the best bang for your buck.

There are three main pockets at your waist, and a couple smaller pockets by your chest for your pen, notebook, and any other little odds and ends that you might want quick access to.

Available in Brown and Black, they're super durable, comfortable, utilitarian, and vegan. 

Double-Ended Ferrules

You finally got that perfect handlebar tape setup. It has aged nicely, the hood position is perfect, and the tape is exquisitely finished with the Cutlass Velo flair. But now you want to raise your handlebars to have a more comfortable position. Dollars to doughnuts, the housing length is going to be too short. What are you to do? Unwrap all that hard work? Yea right! These Double-Ended Housing Ferrules are what you need.

Simply splice in a bit more housing to extend the length! I like to cut the housing back a bit so that the cap isn't rubbing on the frame. It works wonders! You'll likely still need to buy a new cable, though.

They're available in both 4mm and 5mm for shift and brake, respectively.

Polished Brass End Caps

Step up your end cap game with these Polished Brass ones. They function the same as the plated silver ones that your bike likely has, but these will age and develop a patina. I also really like the contrast they provide in an otherwise silver and black color-scheme.

We currently have the 4mm for shift in stock. The 5mm were supposed to be here today, but Fedex decided to send them the scenic route. They'll be here next week.

Re-Stock of Runwell Tools

A good tool has a bit of heft, a nice hand feel, and a certain satisfaction in its use. Runwell tools are just that.

The 4-Way Wrench is a favorite of mine for quick adjustments. 

And the 15mm Wrench is a pleasure to hold and use when tightening down your hub's nuts. Plus it comes in Gooooooold.

We just got more Punk Bolts, too. Rad.

20" Neutrino Wheels

Lastly, if you're building up your Neutrino and are in need of wheels, we just got some 20" VO Hubs laced to Velocity Cliffhangers in all black. These are so cool looking. 

A Bike for #GuacOutside?!

We've done a lot of duty-specific builds over the years: Piolet for the CDT, a Campeur for Eroica, and even a wireless shifting Neutrino for traveling. But this is the first time we've put together a bike for a specific food recipe. Move aside #CoffeeOutside, introducing a Neutrino for #GuacOutside.