Frame Blems and Overstock Savings!

 

Don't miss out on these spooky savings!

We've been going through inventory numbers and found we're overstocked on a selection of products, so we've put them on sale! No discount code is required! We don't have a specific end date, so when the levels are a bit lower, the prices of the respective products will go back to normal MSRP.  There are more products than these on the Specials page, but here are some highlights: Sabot Pedals Disc Front Hubs Some Disc Rear Hubs Rim Brake Rear Hubs Nouveau Randonneur Bars Moderniste Bottle Cages, Noir Microfiber Saddles in Regular and Wide widths The Vintage Bicycle Books ...and more!

Check out the Specials here!

Blem Frames, too!

We're pretty picky when it comes to our frame finishes. Each frame comes out of the box and gets inspected prior to shipping out and sometimes we find one that has a little blemish. That could be dust under the clear coat, a scratch, etc... nothing that would affect performance or safety. But we can't sell them at full price, so we've knocked some $$ off of them. These typically go fast. Medium Polyvalent Low Kicker XL Diamond Polyvalent XL Diamond Polyvalent - offset headtube lug Small Polyvalent Diamond Large Polyvalent Diamond Small Pass Hunter, Red Medium Pass Hunter, Blue Small Pass Hunter, Blue

Snag your new frame here!

Beautiful Bikes of Bespoked UK - Part 1

by Igor

This was our first time to the Bespoked UK show and it was a blast. It was so great to catch up with friends, meet new people, finally put faces to IG handles, and see cool custom bikes - all the while with track racing all around us!

Bespoked is a London-based expo focused around custom ("bespoke" if you're in the UK) and high-end production bikes and accessories - with a focus mostly on UK and European companies. This year it was hosted in the 2012 Olympic Velodrome. It's really inspiring to be in the same facility that some of the highest class of riders in the WORLD raced in. But enough chit-chat, let's get to the galleries!

Clandestine

Pi does a masterful job of balancing performance, utility, and classic styling like none other. The integration of racks, mudguards (we're in the UK, remember?), and dynamo lighting creates a perfect package specifically designed for this bike. This all-road touring build features our 650b Smooth Mudguards, Long Setback Seatpost, Disc Rear Hub, Voyager Rims, Retro Bottle Cages, Copenhagen Kickstand, and a previous generation Crazy Bar. The icing on the cake is super slick, integrated steering stop. It's super useful to eliminate the wheel from flopping around when loading the front of the bike up.

Crossley Metal

Duncan is not one who is afraid to experiment with bike designs. One has a bunch of VO, and the other doesn't have a lick of it - I'll let you figure out which one is which.

This is his Chrome Tourer, designed for a gentleman to travel between vineyards in Tuscany. This was faaaaancy. Rohloff hub, Cigne Stem, Randonneur Front Rack, 0 Setback Seatpost, and Chrome 1 1/8" Threadless Headset. The frame and fork are fully chromed and polished to *chef's kiss* perfection.

The other bike he displayed was a Grass Track Racing Bike! I've never heard of grass track racing, but it looks super fun. It's like track racing on a flat oval, but on grass. So while you still can't use brakes, you do need the extra grip afforded by some fatter tires. This one also has fitting for mudguards for off-track training - a nod to the traditional UK path-racer. The frame is a mix of all sorts of tubing and the fork is custom painted with a bunch of scenes.

Etoile Cycles

I love seeing builders experimenting with tube junctions and designs. This quadruple triangle tourer/commuter from Etoile Cycles features our Milan Handlebars, cushy tires, custom build front rack, and loads of details. Super nice, Elodie!

Sour Bicycles

Sour debuted their new Clueless gravel bike featuring a group of limited edition Shimano GRX and a complete suite of VO bits! They have done an amazing job of developing production of their bikes to Germany as well as utilizing existing European production capabilities. This bike has our Nouveau Randonneur Bars, Rubbery Bar Tape, Long Setback Seatpost, 31.8mm Threadless Stem, and Mini Rando Bag.

Stay tuned for part 2 coming shortly!

Flat Pack Racks are Back!

That's right! The Flat Pack Rack is finally back. If this is your first time hearing about the FPR, here's a basic rundown.

Let's face it, front racks and handlebar bags are the Wild West. There's no convention, rhyme, or reason for braze-on placements let alone glue-ons for carbon forks. We could push another braze-on mounting standard onto the world but, to be honest, I think we're all tired of the "standards" that exist. So we've decided to go with the flow and create a system that is super adjustable and sturdy for front loading.

Adjustability for the Flat Pack Rack is accomplished by employing sliding stays and darumas to dial in the position and level of the rack. With so many forks out there riddled with eyelets and holes for low-riders and 3-pack mounts, you can choose where the rack will mount.

When disassembled, it can fold almost completely flat - which is really useful for travel where space is at a premium. After removing the rack from the bike, I like to leave all the rack parts attached to one another, just simply folded and then re-tightened as not to lose anything in transit.

The Flat Pack Rack mounts to the fork crown using this little do-dad we call a Foot. This beefy mount sits flat against the fork crown and is also mounted to a daruma-style receiver, so it can slide up or down and in and out depending on your clearance needs. For those with shorter fork crowns, the Foot can be rotated to the side for additional clearance. The whole system is super adjustable.

Oh, and there's also an eyelet on the front of the rack for a light!

The FPR is available in both Silver and Black finishes to match your color scheme.

Gearing up for Fall

I love fall! It's the best season I think, especially here in the mid-Atlantic. Cooler days are upon us and the fall colors really create a magical world to ride in. In honor of the changing (and sometimes unpredictable) season, we present you some things to ponder with regards to your bike for Fall of 2022.

Fenders - If you're looking to ride through the fall, having full-coverage fenders (or mudguards if you're across the pond) on your bike is a good idea. Trust me, getting splashed in the backside when it's 45°F is not a pleasant experience. Check out our tech article about fitting fenders to your bike to make sure you are looking for the right size fenderset for your bike. 

Fender Accessories - Perhaps you already have fenders on your bike (well done to think ahead BTW), but you want to jazz them up or even just make them even more practical? Well, you should look at our Rubber Mud Flaps and our Fender Reflectors.  The Mud Flaps (typically the short one goes on the front fender and the long one on the rear. Short one keeps your feet drier, the long one keeps your riding partners drier) are made of long lasting 1/16" polyurethane rubber, hand crafted in house here at VO HQ.

The Fender Reflectors come in silver or black to match the finish of the fenders. These great cnc'd works of art are light at only 40g! 

If you want to use a battery powered blinky light, we have a Fender Mount for those as well. More visibility is a necessity as the sun keeps setting earlier this time of year!

Soto Coffee Filter Holder If you've read this blog for anything more than a year, you know what we love about fall is coffeeneuring! The season started October 7th, so get ready for it with a Soto Coffee Filter Holder. We've used these for years for coffee outside, tours and just when you want a nice pour over coffee (a fancy name for drip coffee I think).

Opinel Mushroom Knife - Fall is mushroom season and an Opinel Mushroom Knife is great to have on hand for your harvesting needs. The curved blade is ideal for trimming the head from the stem and it comes with a brush to gently remove dirt from the cap.

Lilly Lube - As fall is a bit more of a variable weather season, your chain will probably need a bit more love in the coming months. Connor has found Lilly Lube to be long lasting over the years he's used it. 

I think fall is the best season, so get your bike life set up for it and get out there.