tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-244150342024-03-18T10:19:59.006-04:00The Velo ORANGE BlogThe Finest Bicycle ProductsVelo Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comBlogger1519125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-51982297036118204562023-08-10T13:00:00.002-04:002023-08-10T13:01:38.386-04:00The VO Blog Has Migrated!<p>After 17 years, we will no longer update this blog platform. Google will no longer support Blogger and the associated programming we have put into it. So! Going forward, you can find all things related to Velo Orange News, products, tips and tricks, and custom bike builds on our website's native blog platform found here: <a href="https://velo-orange.com/blogs/theveloorangeblog">https://velo-orange.com/blogs/theveloorangeblog</a></p><p>We've transferred our most popular blog posts to the new platform, so they won't be lost even if Blogger shuts down. We've even been posting new content, so if you missed updates, check it out!</p><p>In the meantime, the blog will be a sort of legacy time capsule. There are loads of articles about products we've designed, tested, produced, and since discontinued. There are custom bike builds from well known builders, and musings from travels all over the world. </p><p>There will be quirks in formatting. There will be broken links after 17 years. No, it isn't mobile optimized. Do we have Porteur Chainguards anymore? No, we don't. Do we still offer a Sugino 50.4 Crankset? No, not for over a decade. Do we have a Carbon Fiber Mixte? No, that was an April Fools Day post.</p><p>But enjoy the content on this blog while it lasts. Will Google shut Blogger all down in the next couple years or will it last until the Sun burns out? We aren't 100% sure, but enjoy it. </p><p>Click through random dates on the right side of the page. There are some seriously cool gems in there!</p><p>Happy Riding,</p><p>The Velo Orange Crew</p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-22104332345052484412023-04-25T13:11:00.011-04:002023-04-25T13:15:29.892-04:00Overcomplicating the Most Efficient Transportation Machine<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="velo orange a man working on a mtb amongst all sorts of mountain bikes right to repair" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/DALL_E_2023-04-25_12.05.10_-_an_surreal_drawing_of_a_bike_shop_employee_working_on_a_ton_of_mountain_bikes_with_tons_of_bike_components_around_him_1024x1024.png?v=1682438925" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I started wrenching on bikes from an early age. From changing flats on my original Mongoose 20" bike to overhauling loose-ball headsets and bottom brackets on my dad's old Cannondale, wheels-up on the basement floor. Those times taught me basic but fundamental skills that landed me a job as a mechanic in high school, got me through almost a decade of working on bikes, and ended up with me here at VO. While most of those times and much of my early mechanic years were filled with changing flats, basic 7spd derailleur adjustments, and regreasing simple older tech, times are oh-so different now, and so are the bikes.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: none; font-family: Times; letter-spacing: normal;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/s-l500_1024x1024.png?v=1677777052" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My dad's copy of Todd Downs' 2005 encyclopedia of bicycle repair- the foundation of my wrenching as a yoot <br /><br /></span></em></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Even back then, as 11spd was beginning to make the rounds on production road and MTB bikes, the unattainably high end Dura Ace and SRAM Red gear that seemed so intricate and flawless then, now looks and feels no different than any other gear of its time when on a bike in the repair stand - especially looking through the scope of what's available on the market today. Much of which, folks are having a harder and harder time even approaching as a home mechanic.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: none;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/SRAM_Red_cassette_in_use_2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1677777040" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">SRAM Red 11spd rear derailleur. The best of the best at the time, while still taking design cues from far cheaper and simpler gear</span></em></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></em>Bikes, from the early stages of mass production through to the 1990s, had been largely the same. Rigid frame, pressed-in headset on a straight tubes, one-piece or three-piece cranks, and rim brakes. Nit pick and identify the outliers all you like, but that describes most of the bikes during that time. However, with the trickle-down effect of materials engineering into cycling in the late 2000's, things began to change - and get more exclusive. Suspension forks became normalized on off road bikes, cartridge bearings found their way into everything from headsets to jockey wheels, carbon became the gold standard for racing bikes, and model-year innovation became the standard. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">I'm not one to groan about progress, though. Aside from the anecdote of "chasing the past," (e.g. riding a rigid hardtail mountain bike or pulling out your old downtube shifter bike) to gain some fleeting taste of the "good ol' days" of bikes, you'd be hard pressed to convince me that new bikes coming out today from almost any manufacturer aren't some of the best bikes made yet. Disc brakes, quality frames, excellent suspension design and kinematics, and tubeless tires offered in virtually every size imaginable. If you think about it, there are more options for folks looking to buy a proper bike today than ever before.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: none; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><img height="379" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/6Kwq0Tu_1024x1024.jpg?v=1677777607" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="303" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="font-family: Times; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;"> </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">This is on your bicycle.</em></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But with that innovation comes an increase in the level of technical know-how required to even attempt to maintain modern bikes. Shimano has a virtual school devoted to teaching mechanics how to work on their products. SRAM has something quite similar. Want to bleed your hydraulic brakes? You'll need to buy a proprietary kit and oil, and you better not screw it up or it'll be a mess. The same goes for suspension forks and frames. I've owned probably 5 full-suspension bikes, none of which I, personally, serviced the shock or fork on. I'm fortunate to have a shop nearby that specializes in suspension service, another area of bicycle servicing that has become specialized in the last 15 years.</span></p><div style="font-family: Times; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Bikes of the 1950's to 2000's could once be stripped down with nothing but a tri-tool and a 15mm box wrench, assuming you hadn't lost your 10mm. Aside from a very short list of special tools (which you could pick up at any bike shop) like a crank puller, bb lockring wrench and puller, and a cassette tool, there really was nothing to it. As I started my time as a mechanic affordable two-piece cranks flooded the market, and with them came every<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </span><a class="js-no-transition" href="https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2016/06/comprehensible-incomprehensive-list-of.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; text-underline-offset: 2px;" target="_blank">bottom bracket standard</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </span>under the sun. 142 Thru-axle spacing was quickly followed by Boost 148, and subsequently Super Boost and thus an arms race of new, bike specific tools and components began.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Harmonia Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><br /></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">I type this all out not as a protest (though I come from a fortunate position of well over a decade of technical experience), but rather as an illustration of how complicated things got, so quickly. If you bought a road or mountain bike in 1985, you had a considerable number of options in terms of models, but you could take any bike home and maintain it properly yourself with a minimal number of special tools or specialized technical knowledge. Heck, that rings true even for bikes as new as the early 2010's.</span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: none;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMG_4053_1024x1024.jpg?v=1677778199" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My first 'real' mountain bike- a 2008 Vassago Bandersnatch, with SRAM X9 and BB7M brakes</span></em></em></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Today, however, if you wanted to purchase a mid-grade road bike off a shop floor, you'd be likely ending up with something that uses a press-fit bottom bracket, internal routing that goes into a void, tubeless tires, hydraulic disc brakes, and maybe even electronic shifting that needs an app and special software for diagnosis and updating.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Harmonia Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><br /></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Heaven forbid you want to service your bottom bracket in a year or two. You'll need the proper tapered punch, an oversized bearing press, a torque wrench and bravery to take that on without fear you'd crack your carbon or destroy your aluminum alloy shell. It gets worse when you consider mountain bikes of today. We haven't even touched on e-bikes! There's just too much special knowledge and risk tolerance required for the average at-home mechanic.</span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: none;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/p4pb17069464_1024x1024.jpg?v=1677778729" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An example of my most recent rig, a Norco Revolver FS 120. Quite removed from what now seem like "humble beginnings"</span></em></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">That being said, many shops offer lifetime free basic services and tune ups with the purchase of a new bicycle. They did at my shop at least, and it feels like this is the direction the whole industry is moving: "pay a premium up front, we'll cover you for most stuff." In tandem, the manufacturers are designing bikes that are less and less consumer-maintenance friendly, knowing that the customer is likely going to roll it into the shop 9 times out of 10 before attempting to fix it first. This makes the product more expensive, and leaves those of us who like to fix our own stuff hanging out to dry, in a way. </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Harmonia Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><br /></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">From an environmental perspective, making things obsolete or too difficult or expensive to fix, means that people will buy new things - which means more waste and emissions. </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Harmonia Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><br /></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">I think shops are going to be more essential than ever with the industry moving towards higher-end, direct-to-consumer business. It's just that their business model is being forced through a change, and they'll need to be mindful of that fact.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Harmonia Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><br /></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">What are your thoughts? Do you work only on bikes of a certain vintage or are you able/willing to maintain all your bikes regardless of their complexity? </span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></em><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"></em></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: center;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"></em></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-49524708779414609802023-04-19T09:57:00.004-04:002023-04-19T09:58:27.116-04:00How to Install Velo Orange Fenders - The Video!<p style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3NkLIDj6eJ8" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>In <a href="https://youtu.be/3NkLIDj6eJ8">Part 3</a> of our <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfHCEAzuozZBrQX2kU_HganoJBfdWkV5W">Let's Build a Rando Bike series</a>, we go through the <a href="https://youtu.be/3NkLIDj6eJ8">step-by-step installation</a> of our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/650b-fenders/products/vo-polished-52mm-zeppelin-fenders-650b">650b 52mm Zeppelin Fenders</a> on our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/pass-hunter">Pass Hunter Frameset</a>!<br /><br />But why even run <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/fenders">fenders</a> (or mudguards if you're in the UK)? Well, you'll find your bike far more useful. You won't get a wet streak up your back every time you ride through a puddle. Your feet will no longer be soaking wet just because the road is damp. And you'll stay drier in anything but heavy rain. Additionally, people riding behind you will be happier because you aren't slinging road grime into their teeth. Lastly, Your drivetrain will also be significantly cleaner and happier. Which means you won’t have to spend as much money fixing and replacing parts.<br /><br />I'll admit, this video has been needed for a while, and I'm glad we've finished it up. If there is something else you'd like us to do instructions for, let us know! Until then, <a href="https://youtu.be/3NkLIDj6eJ8">give the video a watch</a>!VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-50525011497148517772023-04-10T14:57:00.001-04:002023-04-10T14:57:05.092-04:00Neutrino Pre-Sale is Live!<div class="separator"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Igor</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="301" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/profile_20c34cf7-2a48-4d48-821b-4afe62322416_1024x1024.jpg?v=1681142954" width="400" /></div><br />The <a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/neutrino-minivelo">Neutrino Mini-Velo</a> is coming back into stock soon, and now is the chance to secure your frameset! The frameset pre-sale is going live now, with expected delivery early May. <br /><br />As far as the Neutrino's specifications go, they're staying the same with the exception of its new paint: Slammin' Salmon. This is a paint I've wanted to put on one of our frames for years - without finding just the right time or frame to put it on. The Neutrino is a natural choice!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_20_9713febe-b381-4575-aa01-67f3e3eada62_1024x1024.jpg?v=1681143410" width="400" /></div> <br />Since it was first released in 2019, the Neutrino has become a crowd favorite of many for riding in the city, <a href="https://bikepacking.com/plog/cortes-quadra-island-loop/">bikepacking</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/blogs/favoritewriteups/finding-peace-in-achill-ireland">traveling</a>, and even a <a href="https://theradavist.com/velo-oranges-neutrino-a-minivelo-with-big-capabilities/">packrafting trip</a> or two. Its generous 2.3"+ tire clearances and modern compatibility makes it fun to ride and super fun to customize without any of the drawbacks typically associated with minivelos and smaller wheels.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_24_5dd95fd8-79f3-48ad-bed8-1220776a83d8_1024x1024.jpg?v=1681143439" width="400" /></div><br />The Neutrino has no preconceptions of how it needs to be built, and therefore is a prime candidate for fun colors and build styles. It's a sort of canvas for any rider who is looking to customize their ride. You can find a bunch of <a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/bike-build-ideas">Bike Build Ideas here</a> to get your brain juices flowing.<br /><br />So whether you're looking to do <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/drop-handlebars/products/nouveau-randonneur-handlebar">drop bars</a> and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/neutrino-build-list-drop-bar-with-campagnolo-veloce-10sp">Campagnolo</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/neutrino-build-list-playful-with-microshift-advent-super-short-components">Klunkers</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/neutrino-build-list-adrians-proto">Granola Bars</a>, or even a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpiM4fTrvmN/">custom Lefty Fork</a> (!) you're in good company with a ton of other riders who have done their own unique and awesome bike builds.<br />Pre-Sale Details<br /><br />The Neutrino Frameset is currently available for pre-sale. This will secure your frameset and will give you first-in-line shipping when they arrive. This pre-sale will remain live until the framesets are sold through or they arrive in our warehouse - whichever one comes first.<br /><br />As for the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/neutrino-mini-velo/products/neutrino-frameset-leftover-pistachio-stock">remaining stock of Small Pistachio Neutrinos</a>, they'll be discounted 15%. When they're gone, they're gone!<br />My Bike<br /><br />We express shipped one Large frameset for photos ahead of schedule and here's how we built it up. This has got to be my favorite iteration thusfar. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_18_817edaad-68b6-45cc-9379-bfe65e690fd3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1681143459" width="400" /></div><br />Over the years, the Neutrino has become our around town cruiser, overseas adventurer, and bike we can lend to friends. The dropper means either Adrian and I can ride the bike with literally the flip of a switch. I'm 5'10" and she's 5'5.5", by the way.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_31_0d7929fd-8649-49e2-8de4-f21f616cb324_1024x1024.jpg?v=1681143476" width="400" /></div><br />The handlebars are our upcoming Utility Bars and Rack - these will be here around early June. The rack makes it super easy to throw a bunch of stuff in a Biggish Bag or strap down a backpack.<br /><br />The gearing is the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/shifters-1/products/microshift-advent-wide-range-flatbar-groupset-9spd">Microshift Advent Super Short</a> and works great. <br /><br />Braking is our favorite mechanical disc brakes - <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/growtac/products/growtac-equal-brakes-post-mount">Growtac Post Mount</a> in Purple. I think it pairs exquisitely with the paint color.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9ylhmUylE9S9CP9oz_TqGjqiHjh6MmzrPMDN-PzjRNBXuPA03eEnt6FIfML1VM7MZgSsiTg9-ih_tMshCe9UPG3bxSXe8eKIfFRru3GnL0jfzMlBsp48EYWubR7-mSv7HsfTl5alDLjHLL90C4QI5_ZrbI26fguq_AQollsvOKCTPlWkEQ/s2048/convert_37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9ylhmUylE9S9CP9oz_TqGjqiHjh6MmzrPMDN-PzjRNBXuPA03eEnt6FIfML1VM7MZgSsiTg9-ih_tMshCe9UPG3bxSXe8eKIfFRru3GnL0jfzMlBsp48EYWubR7-mSv7HsfTl5alDLjHLL90C4QI5_ZrbI26fguq_AQollsvOKCTPlWkEQ/w400-h266/convert_37.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-55079018168173703622023-04-01T09:25:00.005-04:002023-04-01T09:26:23.466-04:00Introducing the New 2023 Velo Orange MiniminiVelo!<p><span face=""Harmonia Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">As we've been preparing travel arrangements for the Portland MADE show in August, we quickly discovered that luggage fees have gone sky high, and that's not even with a guarantee you and your bags end up at the same place.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">So without further ado... </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Introducing the Velo Orange MiniminiVelo!</em></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><img alt="" height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_8_5235ca25-4647-4cf4-9fa6-f8341e72ae1d_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680277565" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">Don't let its small stature fool you. It still has the full VO treatment including generous 15mm tire clearances for rough and tumble terrain and a neat wishbone chainstay bridge.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><img alt="" height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_9_cb1b97aa-4f94-4eca-ace9-36a9d6e3ccb0_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680279278" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">It features highly Metallic Plum paint and a VO Headbadge.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><img alt="" height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_4_74620fe3-690f-479b-9b4c-e2ac020775da_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680279316" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">I built mine up with a coaster brake and upright bars, but you could also use drops if you wanted - I'd recommend going with a 7mm stem.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><img alt="" height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_2_a4ed9c05-5135-4202-bfd0-f68ec3c3b504_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680279364" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">For those who attended the ATW Show last weekend, we actually had this model on display, but you may not have noticed it because it's so tiny. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><img alt="" height="354" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_120_w_newtrino_3470f1a7-bb25-4ebb-9182-b06d608b1553_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680278964" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">The MiniminiVelo. Made to fit under your seat or in your handbag, and no need to even fold it. Just hop on and go!</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><img alt="" height="315" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/Screen_Shot_2023-03-31_at_10.01.43_AM_25c151ca-f6a3-401c-aa67-d7475af7922e_1024x1024.png?v=1680278371" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin: 0px;">Preorders open up the 1st of Octember, so mark your calendars! </p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-34830164449355723062023-03-29T10:02:00.002-04:002023-03-29T10:03:23.063-04:00Southern Peaks Bike Tour: A Journey of Self-Discovery - part 1<p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">A guest post by Nic Morales </span></em></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 1- Atlanta to Rockmart</span></b></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With a frigid start not necessarily encouraging movement, I took the opportunity to meet with local cycling persona and filmmaker Hannah Griggs (QueerCyclist) at a favorite coffee shop of mine. A friend recommended Chrome Yellow some years ago, and I've always made a point to stop in whenever in town. What better place to meet someone that inspires me? We had a lovely conversation about cycling, Atlanta, and their goals within it. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter Volition Cycles Nic Morales Southern Peaks Tour" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_1_ab966cb6-0f9c-4d51-961c-37cda49852cf_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010363" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first challenge was getting from central Atlanta to the Silver Comet Trail– a bike-specific super-highway that starts in Smyrna, Georgia, and ends in Anniston, Alabama. Though Atlanta's cycling infrastructure is largely similar to that of other metropoli in this country– robust in high-income sections, virtually non-existent in portions of lesser economic means– the route I took happened to pass through one of my favorite suburbs. Buckhead's rising roads and ripping descents are second to none and are really only spoiled by how close Range Rovers tend to fly by. Maybe it's just because I'm a Floridian, but the extreme and sudden change in elevation is always fascinating. A few ripping descents and less than stellar 'bicycle-friendly' roads later, and I was on the Silver Comet connector. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An extremely welcome sight for sore eyes, the Silver Comet was a much better experience than I'd ever expected. Having been introduced to the trail a little over a year ago via an 'Ed Cycles The World' video– a youtube series made by a young British kid who unicycled(!!!) around the globe– I hadn't ridden it last time I visited. At the very same Chrome yellow, another cyclist, one lycra-clad with an SL7 in tow, said the comet was boring and recommended another route. Though the recommendation was pretty spectacular, it was road heavy. However, I'm thankful I had lowered expectations for The Comet because it's everything a bike-specific trail should be. It wasn't just an afterthought someone made paralleling a highway. It's a beautiful, expansive throughline that takes advantage of the brilliance of bikes. Rolling through nature, unrelenting scenic views, and places forgotten by modern society. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter Volition Cycles Nic Morales Southern Peaks Tour" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_2_8a70218a-d689-4e43-9225-fe9c0edf45ab_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010399" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter Volition Cycles Nic Morales Southern Peaks Tour" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_3_287196e2-73ea-4d8c-b3e2-f20a87f15c61_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010420" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With my eventual end drawing ever closer, I tried to push less pleasant thoughts about the numerous freeze warnings the county had issued. I happened to be traveling amid a near historic 'polar vortex' of sorts. Deciding to pull the trigger on the trip was a mix of not wanting to wait for a rainy April to get any closer and the acceptance that life waits for no one. Quickly closing in on my destination, I searched for a 'stealthy' spot to set up my bivvy. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I tried to position myself as close to the border as possible to get a good start on the proceeding day, shivering as I set up camp. Before sunset, a truck rolled by and politely inquired about my presence. With honesty as my guiding policy, even in situations where you're in the wrong, I told of my travels and plans. They happened to be the owners of a local BnB– one that often took to cyclists, given their proximity to the trail. With a cold sweat creeping up my heavily layered back, I took the opportunity to stay indoors that evening without much hesitation. Better safe than sorry, I figured.</span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As it happened, other cyclists were staying that night. A group of middle-aged folks on their first ever 'bike vacation,' using 'ancient Schwinns' to traverse the trail. We talked about cycling, the South, their kids, and what I did for work over a conversation spanning generations, perspectives, and ideologies. Despite our differences, we shared a respect and kindness through shared experience. Wanting to get a relatively early start, I shuffled off to bed long before they did, but not before sharing a meal—one they bought me, despite only knowing the extent of my travels. Southern hospitality delivered me to a warm bed and dinner on night one. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter Southern Peaks Tour Volition" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_4_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010191" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="font-size: 15px;" /></span></p><h1 style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 2- Rockmart to Oxford</span></b></h1><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The coldest day was in front of me, and despite a warm, lovingly made breakfast, my lack of gear-related preparedness started to set in. I had enough layers and such, but I'd hesitated to camp because my sleep system was rated closer to the 40s and 50s than it was for the 20s and 30s. Though I own a 0-degree sleeping bag, the amount of space it takes up is simply impractical for a mile-heavy trip. Moreover, February in Florida had been unseasonably warm, so I assumed that the 500 or so miles north would provide a perfectly mild temperature to bikepack through. Men make plans, and God laughs, though, as a concerned employee of the Christian coffee shop I meandered outside of informed me March would be historically cold. C'est la vie.</span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the Alabama/ Georgia border, I had a decision to take the remote forest service roads south until I either camped or hit some form of civilization or continue on the trail and loop said roads back in when I was headed back north. Given I had no opportunity to meaningfully resupply prior to the fork, I decided on the latter. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter with Spork Fork Volition Cycles Nic Morales Souther Peaks Tour" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_5_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010839" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter with Spork Fork Volition Cycles Nic Morales Souther Peaks Tour" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_6_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010876" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After the border, the trail morphs seamlessly into the Chief Ladiga trail. Passing through farmland and open field, the terrain was a bit tame. Fears about whether I was doing 'enough' on the trip began to creep in as I approached the town of Weaver. Stopping in a local coffee shop to escape the unrelenting cold, a kindly older gentleman remarked on the brutal temperatures through an interaction that evoked the old west. He asked about my travels and where I was headed. After telling of my end goal of Anniston / Oxford, he quickly frowned and said that he'd lived near there for some years and that 'folk down there just ain't right.' While I wasn't quite sure what he meant, I experienced something of a vibe shift upon entering the small town of Anniston. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Triple wide 'sroads' with no shoulder, and cars, or more aptly, massive trucks, flying by. I did my best to navigate through backroads until I found some reasonable infrastructure, but it was few and far between. After a close call with a Lincoln, I decided to take a second and gather myself. Alone, without much guidance, I thought, 'If this is the rest of the trip, I'm not sure I'm going to make it.' To exacerbate matters, the night's temperatures were set to be even lower than the night prior.</span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All that said, I'm usually not one to freak out. I can make decisions in pressure situations and be secure in how I move about the world when the time calls for it. If there's anything the bicycle has taught me, it's that there's little use in worrying or over-complicating. Make the best decision and do so with confidence. After booking a room at a local motel, I called it for the day. I felt tired, a bit defeated, and somewhat fraudulent. I'd lugged around all this gear I hadn't been using. I was barrelled off the road by cars, there was no trail left to speak for, and I was primarily fueled by things that can't be called food. This was my first solo bikepacking trip and one that differed pretty significantly from Florida's flat, temperate landscape. It represented a low point set by false expectations. I had to be kinder to myself– if anything, to ensure I made it out of the Red Roof Inn in Oxford, Alabama. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="font-size: 15px;" /></span></p><h1 style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 3 Part 1- Oxford to FSR 500</span></b></h1><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Determined to have a better day than the last, I set out for both the first dirt and peaks of the trip. Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama, was a mere 16 miles away– how hard could that possibly be? With a stomach full of Waffle House, I set out on back country roads that were slightly less disconcerting given the time of day. Eventually, pavement turned to dirt, and the car-driven anxiety faded. Despite the cold, the dirt climbs put a massive smile on my face. Using the full range of my cassette felt incredible as I chugged my way up gorgeous, crisp mountain switchbacks. Things were starting to turn around. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter with Spork Fork Volition Cycles Nic Morales Souther Peaks Tour" height="225" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_7_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010909" width="400" /></span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After some wayfinding, I got back on the pavement. This time, on a road that was respectful of other living things. Though I'm usually one to try and sprint up a climb, I knew I had a long day ahead. Happy to sit back and crank away; the climb just kept coming. Despite the thinning air and biting cold, every moment of that morning was incredible. Watching the canopy recede as I drew closer to the summit, I felt galvanized knowing I was starting to accomplish what I came here for. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arriving at the pseudo-summit, I purchased an entry pass to the peak and a few other snacks. The attendant and I spoke about how the spot was a local haunt for cyclists. After a moon pie and some Body Armor, she allowed me to shirk my bags at the store and ascend the peak with roughly fifteen fewer pounds. I took to the paved loop and hit the peak in no time. The summit was a classic southern view, and something I felt summed up my feelings about the area. Those who grow up in the South and appreciate the outdoors often compare ascents like Cheaha to those farther west. While they don't necessarily maintain the same immediate photogenic quality, something intangible fills my soul when I see a classic southern peak. The rolling hills are packed with trees. There's something hidden. There's something old. There's something beautiful. Take your sheer rock faces– you can have them. The mind explodes with wonder and possibility in the endless sea of orange, brown, and green. Much like the South itself, it hides a beauty that requires a more discerning eye to recognize.</span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter with Spork Fork Volition Cycles Nic Morales Souther Peaks Tour" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_8_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010934" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter with Spork Fork Volition Cycles Nic Morales Souther Peaks Tour" height="225" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_9_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010950" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was grateful for the change in tides as I re-strapped my bike's front and rear bags, taking to the descents with a big, dumb smile. One that only got bigger as I flew down my hard-earned peak faster than most would be willing to in a car. A few of my best Tom Piddcock impressions later, and I was back to relatively flat land. I stopped at a gas station and scarfed down a slice of pizza as I gazed at the upcoming elevation. One step at a time, I assured myself. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Atop Horseblock mountain, I met the first and only group of 'cyclists' I'd encounter on the trip. I asked them for some advice about which roads to steer clear of and then took to the descent, thinking I'd be alone again. To my surprise, they chugged along beside me for some time. We spoke about cycling in the area, the beauty of the terrain, and the club they were a part of. The split in the day came after some of the best road riding I'd ever done. The Talladega scenic drive is truly one of the best roads I've ever experienced. I don't think I saw a car for about an hour, the views are incredible, and the riding is rewarding. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During the earlier conversation, their 'leader' informed me that the next big resupply was in Heflin and that I'd best stay on the scenic drive for as long as I could and power through a stretch of highway 78 if I was intent on staying near the town for the night. Eventually, I came to the split– a section where the scenic drive meets Forest Service road 500. Once more, I had a decision to make– play it safe and head for the town of Heflin or take the gravel path that passed through some four peaks on its way back to the border town of Piedmont. Having already done 40-odd miles with a hefty amount of elevation for a Floridian, there was definitely a physical motivation to take the safe route to Heflin. Moreover, the Garmin inReach mini I'd acquired at the behest of my very concerned mother fell off at Cheaha, so I'd be without emergency tracking for the most remote and ostensibly dangerous section. But, a little voice in my head edged me toward the gravel path. Again, I felt the trip hadn't panned out how I'd planned it. I'd come all this way for a journey of self-discovery and motivation– had I accomplished that yet? Had I done much at all? </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In retrospect, it's a stupid question. Embarking on a 300+ mile solo bikepacking trip encompassing more climbing than these flatland legs have ever taken on was task enough, let alone during an unseasonably cold section at the foothills of Appalachia. But, like I am known to do, I often say the most fun you can have is putting yourself in a situation and figuring it out. It is the premiere form of self-actualization, and I'd venture to say it would help anyone's struggles with mental health, as it shows you what you're capable of, what you're not, and how much you can blur those lines. </span></p><p style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, not knowing what the path had in store for me, I took to it, secure in my ability to handle the challenge before me.</span></p><div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Velo Orange Pass Hunter with Spork Fork Volition Cycles Nic Morales Souther Peaks Tour" height="225" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/pic_10_1024x1024.jpg?v=1680010980" style="float: none;" width="400" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep your eyes peeled for Part 2!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Harmonia Sans", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; margin-bottom: 15px;"></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-29897063836768453712023-03-17T12:24:00.000-04:002023-03-17T12:24:16.832-04:00Independence Pass Hunting Pt 2 - The Gear<p>by Clint</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUGOWmrvoXXnkzPHOG2jnSDwhM-ky33pTs53thGfqL2DTn-hGtuRBHGMIOZS1gc-xI7HpyObMslWQiyIMnX8aqsKHYQgOlKfkca0Fu9m-URXyR1CBU9tO_TenNyvks0_n6C-8wOoxKHi10MXzGW8zdDrsLZKAmwzHtoIevQ6Gp7XKzsDYuw/s2048/DSC01947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUGOWmrvoXXnkzPHOG2jnSDwhM-ky33pTs53thGfqL2DTn-hGtuRBHGMIOZS1gc-xI7HpyObMslWQiyIMnX8aqsKHYQgOlKfkca0Fu9m-URXyR1CBU9tO_TenNyvks0_n6C-8wOoxKHi10MXzGW8zdDrsLZKAmwzHtoIevQ6Gp7XKzsDYuw/w400-h400/DSC01947.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Intro</h3><p>If you missed it, <a href="https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2022/09/independence-pass-hunting-pt-1.html">Part 1 of Pass Hunting</a> was the story of our trip. In this part, I’d like to talk about the gear we used for our tour. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Bike</h3><p>In my view, the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/pass-hunter">Pass Hunter</a> is the most versatile bike in our lineup and the bike I find myself spending the most time on. Modern component standards and geometry equally suited for riding uphill and downhill make it a great all rounder. </p><p>You can dress it up with a carbon fork to turn it into a fast gravel bike (check out Clint’s at Blue Lug’s <a href="https://www.flickr.com/search/?sort=interestingness-desc&safe_search=1&text=bly20211212ph1&view_all=1" target="_blank">carbon spork Pass Hunter</a>) or upright bars for a fun townie build (check out Blue Lug Yoyogi Park’s <a href="https://www.flickr.com/search/?sort=interestingness-desc&safe_search=1&text=bly20220807ph1&view_all=1" target="_blank">upright townie build</a>). On this ride, I wanted to show that it is equally capable as a light(ish) touring bike. The ride required elevation gains and descents, traveling over mountain passes, and mixed/dirt roads - the Pass Hunter seemed like the obvious choice!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Gear</h3><p>Loading up a touring bike is more difficult than I remember! It’s been a while since I’ve packed this much stuff. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNNyEvvEBZ0mInbsxvb-XGfBVd7sjs9Yd2c5YdzfJgrO6sBxyMV36gvivE3R2h73WjqkN2A0AZt0jcT9KOM8A7tftkGKl8TR2AfDfXp8ovxYf_IO0gIhW2Z0WjSxdoIPfel3fv4fT9jEM1GUrkRtIFuCznLddz5rygD1HonNGm0LBW1Shhg/s2048/stuff%20locations.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNNyEvvEBZ0mInbsxvb-XGfBVd7sjs9Yd2c5YdzfJgrO6sBxyMV36gvivE3R2h73WjqkN2A0AZt0jcT9KOM8A7tftkGKl8TR2AfDfXp8ovxYf_IO0gIhW2Z0WjSxdoIPfel3fv4fT9jEM1GUrkRtIFuCznLddz5rygD1HonNGm0LBW1Shhg/w400-h266/stuff%20locations.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where does it all go?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Packing for a 5 day trip felt similar to packing for a much longer trip. Once you have enough stuff for that amount of time, I think you can just refuel and keep riding…indefinitely. Our supply requirements for the trip were preparing for: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Temperatures between 34 degrees and 90 degrees</li><li>Harsh sun and rain</li><li>Enough food for 48hrs between refuels</li><li>Camping gear</li><li>Spare parts for being up to a day’s ride away from a gear shop</li></ul><p></p><p>Luckily we were next to water for the majority of the ride so we were able to bring a water filter and stay hydrated without lugging around a lot of water weight at any given time. Other than that, I brought drawing supplies and camera gear for entertainment. Rico brought fishing gear (again next to water the whole time, and gold medal fishing waters at that!)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UZCJr5gQZE27WyI18pmw7l-J2uHpKSp_JbJRUvtEIK54tABBRk3aAVZrTI7YtwH_1jTBgH6qmoe_PVBs_mkHe2fTL5zKRBo7oLPfovdzgQnN0UJwcKo7PlLEIa4D8qUKQOR0Qp-J9M25AhPaPfuLBtm1ZlRWpaBKxtRID3zdGfsgfs6BTA/s2048/DSC02110%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UZCJr5gQZE27WyI18pmw7l-J2uHpKSp_JbJRUvtEIK54tABBRk3aAVZrTI7YtwH_1jTBgH6qmoe_PVBs_mkHe2fTL5zKRBo7oLPfovdzgQnN0UJwcKo7PlLEIa4D8qUKQOR0Qp-J9M25AhPaPfuLBtm1ZlRWpaBKxtRID3zdGfsgfs6BTA/w266-h400/DSC02110%20(1).jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold metal fishing waters, baby.</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Handling Preferences</h3><p>Some of my handling preferences aren’t completely practical for touring, but I’d describe my riding style as maybe more “spirited” than your traditional sit-and-spin tourist. I like a little more maneuverability on the bike for some silly stuff. I’ll split up my handling preferences into two categories - weight distribution and fit. </p><p>On weight distribution - I like weight to be tight to the frame. Shaky, swaying weight on a bike drives me a little nuts. While it may be easier to dump everything in panniers and call it a day, I appreciate the compression on modern bike packing baggage (like the Road Runner Jammer), that keeps things from swaying back and forth on a bike. </p><p>On fit - I ride flat bars on all my bikes. I like the control they give me - especially to throw around weight on a touring bike. While not always practical, I have a few different hand positions I rotate between to keep my wrists happy and ultimately I have the most fun when I’m riding flat bars. The flat bars we used on tour are special and they deserve their own section of the blogpost.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Bars</h3><p>Since the secret is out, I’ll talk a little bit about the <a href="https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2022/09/good-news-for-vo-utility-bars-and-rack.html">upcoming Utility Bars</a>. They were a pretty key component in loading for both my touring setup and Rico’s. I’m really excited for these to hit the market (hopefully Spring 2023). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0B7Nb6SW-iRg9BKReVfiQdCN6edePKEjRaopI9Vd6anzv2odLDbGT25V1OnTieWNTy7Ncq-L3dVN3lALeJlzODDSpTBg2L_aytxbwo9XrFzqIW-z7hXERnCbp8HF01xiCHYFpicU9pRCI6TsWndAedAoLh8teZLCVbyeSCO0aXu6tGFNTA/s2048/DSC05400%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0B7Nb6SW-iRg9BKReVfiQdCN6edePKEjRaopI9Vd6anzv2odLDbGT25V1OnTieWNTy7Ncq-L3dVN3lALeJlzODDSpTBg2L_aytxbwo9XrFzqIW-z7hXERnCbp8HF01xiCHYFpicU9pRCI6TsWndAedAoLh8teZLCVbyeSCO0aXu6tGFNTA/w400-h266/DSC05400%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rico's Rig ft. Utility Bars</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Figuring out where to store gear on a bike can be a little tricky so I hope this rack system can simplify things for folks. It’s meant to work on just about any bicycle. All you need is a standard 31.8mm diameter stem!</p><p>This rack is super height adjustable. Sometimes it’s difficult to have a handlebar mounted bag on a smaller sized frame without the bag sagging into the tire. This provides a solution for shorter riders, with no compromises for taller folks. The rack can be lowered for taller riders with bigger headtubes to keep the weight low. In our instance we used this adjustability for something kind of weird. I stored my tent and sleeping back on the <u>underside</u> of the rack - check it out!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK5Pl1uXX0xu7ibZdHaBacQuDQKwSRKAPfdx18Mck8W8UJUm5sYj68s7OrnIvn_NmL-k3XtQm08GhAQzHFFTmLh86_xvIrvsBhC3v0mcMXAgf4q3o66_VbtX4S3PdRahI-8T_m27Ll8iECr0da19UB_XNf2pzopvWmopeYRrEUl26z9ZL6w/s2048/DSC05711.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK5Pl1uXX0xu7ibZdHaBacQuDQKwSRKAPfdx18Mck8W8UJUm5sYj68s7OrnIvn_NmL-k3XtQm08GhAQzHFFTmLh86_xvIrvsBhC3v0mcMXAgf4q3o66_VbtX4S3PdRahI-8T_m27Ll8iECr0da19UB_XNf2pzopvWmopeYRrEUl26z9ZL6w/w266-h400/DSC05711.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double decker storage on Utility Rack.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Lashing stuff to the underside of the rack left things accessible and took advantage of all of the mounting points of the Utility rack. </p><p>Outside of the tour, I use the Utility Bar around town as a quick lashing point for a variety of bags - a messenger bag, our<a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/transporteur-bag"> Transporteur Bag</a>, and our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/biggish-bag">Biggish Bag</a>. Strap it on with a bungee cord and you’re good to go. My biggest beef with bikepacking bags is that they swing around a lot or they’re difficult to put on/take off the bike - which if you ride near a city and occasionally have to leave the bike unattended you’ll know why this is important. This rack system solves both of those problems for me. I look forward to seeing all the creative ways folks use this rack in the future. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2IEmh2gN9j_UCjD_dKpTGIPdss5tnvcSrnqkn7qNaIG9crEXcB2QuXQkVd7KjX9hpxTTUIBraQIDW9EWlLYqRCohfM2uI_pVOFjhB5VmHA_H76m1iDAsF4YJtJ88jAdtoh-kOwXQ_En84SiyqztB86fMSycZyWwLZsNGPFJDmabw01B2gPw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="640" data-original-width="424" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2IEmh2gN9j_UCjD_dKpTGIPdss5tnvcSrnqkn7qNaIG9crEXcB2QuXQkVd7KjX9hpxTTUIBraQIDW9EWlLYqRCohfM2uI_pVOFjhB5VmHA_H76m1iDAsF4YJtJ88jAdtoh-kOwXQ_En84SiyqztB86fMSycZyWwLZsNGPFJDmabw01B2gPw=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No rack mounts? No problem!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For some even geekier analysis of weight distribution, my preferences are to keep the weight tighter to the frame vs keeping the weight low. A traditional pannier setup is going to keep your weight lower, but further out from the steering axis. Personally, I find weight distributed closer to the steering axis to be more maneuverable. It feels lighter in the steering. It’s similar to how folks load up mountain bikes for touring with handlebar rolls or similar bags. By the way, this handlebar is MTB rated if you want to take it on singletrack. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Brakes</h3><p>Rico and I both sported the new <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/growtac">Growtac Brakes</a> we offer and I’ve gotta say, it was one of the best decisions we made. Obviously I’m biased, but I think they’re the best mechanical brakes at their price. Not the cheapest on the market for sure, but I think they offer good value. I’ve been riding a pair of these since we started talking to Growtac and I feel like I have enough miles to speak knowledgeably. So here’s my little product review. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu9rS1SLGKT_GlIT0aAV9REjdna-MM0CvvS0IoUp0Sdf3n7eCSSOo1X4D-zVr2-knoQDkbKlObfOsn5OAK2te075xLRlgfXFVTHtRAyk5268tbcwKFdb3-_9PahD2usVPp2qeJgSMzq6WuBb30gbValXE7Bqc8oCzwAmwSPtCg4kom1Rk9NQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="640" data-original-width="966" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu9rS1SLGKT_GlIT0aAV9REjdna-MM0CvvS0IoUp0Sdf3n7eCSSOo1X4D-zVr2-knoQDkbKlObfOsn5OAK2te075xLRlgfXFVTHtRAyk5268tbcwKFdb3-_9PahD2usVPp2qeJgSMzq6WuBb30gbValXE7Bqc8oCzwAmwSPtCg4kom1Rk9NQ=w400-h265" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A younger, cleaner Pass Hunter with new brakes from last winter.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Power is the first thing everyone talks about with these brakes. They have so much power. I think they compete with a lot of hydraulic brakes at that, but I would like to emphasize a different point about these brakes. To me, the thing that sets them apart from the rest is that they’re easy to install and maintain. I think serviceability is a point that draws a lot of folks to mechanical disc brakes in the first place (vs hydraulic disc brakes), and these exemplify that quality for me. </p><p>Just a little background on my experience, I am ready to admit to the public that I am a VERY OK mechanic. I’m proficient and I get by. I’ve wrenched on just about everything on a bicycle, but I’m not the fastest, nor am I the best at “dialing it in,” but I think that perspective is important. The adjustments are simple on these brakes and I get more than enough performance at my mechanic ability. Sure a professional mechanic can get more performance out of these, but I want to emphasize how user friendly these brakes are for the at-home mechanic such as myself. </p><p>I’d like to tie both of these points - power and user friendliness, into how important they were on tour. The power was great on long wet descents. It rained a lot and the bikes were heavy. The user friendliness allowed us to make any adjustments as needed while out of the shop and on the road. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Bags</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaA21oIYRO4NzdX8PA9KCmsGaZ4vQ9lFOtyfbLVg9x8auyMQDpt_EoQ5KdpszIAAOh7ZR6kds_qYax1uej3QCXRDvjoNPjEqTp9mOxT01FQCdYRA_m4Q1oWrDjcCNXay8qVzSbkxFaXIuAI5PZrBZNKltqkclFBjziIvN4iDWoMWspyOddSQ/s2048/bag%20locations.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaA21oIYRO4NzdX8PA9KCmsGaZ4vQ9lFOtyfbLVg9x8auyMQDpt_EoQ5KdpszIAAOh7ZR6kds_qYax1uej3QCXRDvjoNPjEqTp9mOxT01FQCdYRA_m4Q1oWrDjcCNXay8qVzSbkxFaXIuAI5PZrBZNKltqkclFBjziIvN4iDWoMWspyOddSQ/w400-h266/bag%20locations.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Last but not least, I’ve gotta talk about the bags. <a href="https://roadrunnerbags.us/">Road Runner</a> has been a pleasure to work with for the past 5 years or so and their bags are incredible. </p><p>As mentioned before, it rained A LOT on our tour. We were constantly changing in and out of rain gear and drying off clothes. I don’t know how they do it, but those folks from the dry city of Los Angeles certainly know how to make waterproof bags. I didn’t have to worry once about our important gear and electronics getting wet. Here are the bags I used: </p><p><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/transporteur-bag">VO x RRB Porteur Bag</a>. My sleeping bag and puffy jacket were in here. Both remained completely dry until I put our water filter in there. User error. </p><p><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/biggish-bag">VO x RRB Biggish Bag</a>. I kept this on the saddle for bulky, but quick access things. A quick change of clothes, food, etc. Again - very dry in there!</p><p><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/half-frame-wedge-bag">RRB Wedge Half Frame Bag</a>. I kept all of the tools and spare tubes in here. I keep my multitool in the non-drive side quick access pouch for adjustments on the fly. Nothing in here needed to stay dry, but it did!</p><p>RRB Bluff Bag. I kept quick access snacks in here. It has a generous snack capacity but still doesn’t flop around when mounted to the top tube. The zipper is easy to operate with one hand while riding. Also as with the frame bag - nothing in here really had to be dry but it also stayed dry. </p><p>RRB Little Guy Hip Pack. I kept space camera batteries and a 2nd lens in here along with a few other quick access things. Very convenient. Very dry.</p><p><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/co-pilot-stem-bag">RRB Co-Pilot</a>. I kept my phone and sunglasses in here. Easy to access. Very pleased with the cockpit setup. </p><p>Blue Lug Stem Bag. Great bag! Cute colors and great capacity. Big enough to toss my compact camera in there for when I didn’t want to ride with it on my back. </p><p>Various dry bags. Two 5L bags on the fork and a larger one under my Biggish bag. All held my clothes. ‘Nuff said. </p><p>Also worth mentioning - my RRB Camera strap! Easy to ride with. Has a quick cinch that secures it to your chest to keep it from bouncing around and easy to undo for a quick photo! </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusion</h3><p>I hope this post has some vaguely useful information to get you going on your next tour. Touring takes a lot of planning and equipment. I’m happy to answer any other questions about the stuff we brought along. There’s a lot more stuff I didn’t mention here. </p><p>Equipment-wise, next time I’m interested to use some of the rack stuff we’ve got in the works. If we plan ahead more, I’d like to try my hand at dehydrating some meals. While those premade dehydrated meals are convenient and taste amazing when you’re really hungry, I wouldn’t mind using less disposable packaging. If anyone has recipe recommendations, hit me up. My sleeping equipment could use a little work. I’d be interested in experimenting with a tarp setup. Also send that info my way if you have a good (and affordable) tarp system. I also need to patch my inflatable sleeping pad. The foam accordion pad I used during this trip wasn’t quite enough padding for my 🍑. Other than that, we used just about everything we brought and there was very little else we wished we had packed. Except for Rico’s rain jacket. It was missed. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RmDEwPQqqgZGgyIY04FtpZYmKxx_9u5iwQ-XCLvNEH_zrkXbwRJxaHQBJYKP7EC3gDZhTrYEeSRZEqDtvn82SJJlBbHN5TNd86STyeTCJ82JZllxFejW6iST2mMSMcoKneVj01NRFOKFMdUVNvi3ipCObLMmb-5wMM2B4Sg3f0pZDFugZg/s2048/DSC05597.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RmDEwPQqqgZGgyIY04FtpZYmKxx_9u5iwQ-XCLvNEH_zrkXbwRJxaHQBJYKP7EC3gDZhTrYEeSRZEqDtvn82SJJlBbHN5TNd86STyeTCJ82JZllxFejW6iST2mMSMcoKneVj01NRFOKFMdUVNvi3ipCObLMmb-5wMM2B4Sg3f0pZDFugZg/w400-h266/DSC05597.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Happy Riding!</p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-30274258163537857872023-02-26T14:29:00.003-05:002023-02-26T14:29:22.876-05:00A Wheeled Legacyby Connor<br /><br /> About a year and a half ago, Andy send in an email with a request - a set of Velo Orange downtube decals for an old <a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/previous-generation-pass-hunter-canti-disc-geometry">cantilever Pass Hunter</a>. This isn't an uncommon ask for frame repaints, so we sent them out. Fast forward to just the other day when I received a follow-up email from Andy, this time with an update of his restoration job.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMG-0678_1024x1024.jpg?v=1676582396" width="300" /></div><br />Repainted and rebadged, the bike had obviously been cared for and the attention to detail was apparent. More notable than the photos of the bike, however, was the story behind it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMG-0681_1024x1024.jpg?v=1676582439" width="300" /></div><br />Working at a bike company, you see your product leave the warehouse everyday. It's headed every which way all over the world, bound to be installed and used by the riders that enjoy them. You often don't think of where this frame is headed and where it's going to be ridden, or what kind of bike those fenders are going to be installed on as they head out the doors at VO. My correspondence with Andy was a reminder that our bikes are often an extension of ourselves, our personalities, and our stories. Here's Andy's story<div><br /></div><div>Trigger warning: This post contains discussion of a recent loss and may be difficult for some readers.<br /><br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><i>"The bike holds a special place for me. June 2021, I reunited with a friend, John "Host" Lynch, who I hadn't seen since the beginning of the pandemic. We had one of those epic rides together... single track, gravel, road, rail trail, all wrapped up with great conversation against a picturesque sunset against the Catskill Mountains near my home in Kingston, NY. Tragically, as we came close to completing our loop, I watched in horror as he was struck by a car and run over. John is no longer with us.<br />His family gifted me the bike. John was one of those special people who's lifestyle closely matched his values in every respect. As a matter of principle, he didn't own a car and rode everywhere. The Pass Hunter was his everyday commuter, grocery getter, weekend camper, and vehicle to visit his partner who lived over 70 miles away. He originally found it second hand at his local bike coop. As you can imagine the bike was worn and loved and ready for a fresh beginning. I needed a project to help make sense of the trauma of losing a friend. I set my mind and heart to the rebuild.<br /><br />After stripping it down and removing its well-worn parts, I had a fresh powder coat applied - translucent copper from Prismatic Powders. When the sunlight is angled to the frame just right, a deep golden earthy glow comes forward. The gold anodized bolts with home-cut leather washers, and brass stem spacers from Blue Lug, accent the glow. <br /></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMG-0673_1024x1024.jpg?v=1676583397" width="300" /></i></div><i>I outfitted it with your Nouveau Randonneur Bar, a Brooks saddle, Origin 8 flat pedals, Tektro Onyx cantilever brakes, and Grand Cru 50.4 BCD crankset, I sought to combine comfort and reliability for long distance rides and mix the classic aesthetic of your parts with a some of my favorite tech from the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. It has a vintage Suntour XC derailleur group, shifters, and brake levers. The rims are vintage Nashbar now encircled with ginger colored Gravel King SK tires. Maroon padded bar tape from Neubaums, matching vintage cable housing sourced from the Bicycle Recyclery, topped off with gold cable cherries. A rust orange VO/Roadrunner Randonneur Bag is on your Randonneur front rack, and there's a matching tool roll on the seat. I love how the bike evokes the colors of autumn in the Northeast - my favorite time of the year and place to ride. <br /><br /></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><img height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMG-0672_1024x1024.jpg?v=1676584286" width="300" /></i></div><i>VO Facetted Fenders have been added since these pics were taken. And, I'll be building up a dynamo hub wheel soon for lighting.<br /><br />How does it ride? Really excellent, almost everywhere! It's buttery smooth on pavement and light gravel, but also handles mellow single track and some of the rougher farm and carriage roads I like to visit with ease. It's by far the easiest bike I've ever owned... it just wants to go. Not super fast, but steady and efficient. Very welcoming.<br /><br />The Blue Lug brass stem cap is engraved with, "Be My Guest." John's nickname was "Host." He had a lovely reputation for welcoming people into his life, making them food or a spot of tea. Accepting the trauma of witnessing John's death reminded me that life, even when difficult, is a gift. We have only to accept its hospitality."</i><br /><br /><br />-Andy<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Thank you, Andy, for putting together this amazing Wheeled Legacy for your friend John. <br /><br />Andy felt comfortable sharing this incredible story with us and agreed that it was worthy to bring to you, to remind you that our bikes are extensions of ourselves, and even if we don't go on, our bikes often do. For some of us, they can represent memories shared, hills and hardships conquered, and rides yet to come. For Andy, this bike represents all three. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMG-0674_1024x1024.jpg?v=1676583433" width="300" /></div></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-88949957865744264922023-02-08T09:32:00.004-05:002023-02-08T09:32:25.398-05:00If you can only have one bike, make it a tourer!<p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="velo orange polyvalent on tour in europe" height="320" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/to_lich_d16ca7e4-d17c-4bb2-a4ba-6bd29c59b807_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675788260" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The versatility of a touring bicycle like our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/polyvalent" title="velo orange polyvalent touring bike gravel commuter">Polyvalent</a> is one of its greatest attributes. With a few simple modifications, one bicycle can easily be used for a variety of different riding styles and purposes. Let's take a look at how to set up one bike for exploring gravel roads, touring remote areas, everyday commuting, and even a road ride or two!</p><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">What makes a Touring Bike?</h2><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Well, touring bikes at their core are designed to be comfortable, capable, and confident in a wide variety of terrains and environments. They are designed so that the rider can focus on the experience rather than on fiddling with equipment and worries about component robustness. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="velo orange polyvalent low kicker with road runner bags accessories" height="266" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/2023-01-28_Crystal-Cove_Velo-Orange_Low-Kicker_Road-Runner-Bike-Bags_Song-00_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675788500" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Typically speaking, traditional touring bikes are set up to have neutral geometry, longer rear triangles, and wide tire clearances. With that set-up, they can excel admirably at almost anything that is thrown at them.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">From a technical standpoint, touring bikes have a headtube angle of between 69-73 degrees, with the steeper angle allowing for a slightly more forward-loading bias. In practice, it doesn't really matter as, I assure you, you will get used to whatever you're riding in a few miles. It's when you get even steeper (track bikes) or more slack (progressive mountain bikes) that handling and geometry can be more of a factor in your comfort over the long haul.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="velo orange bike crossing a stream with fully loaded panniers" height="265" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/Stream_crossing_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675790386" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Touring bikes also usually have longer rear triangles to allow for heel clearance for rear racks and panniers. A longer wheelbase also makes the bike more stable, again, making it easier to ride for longer distances than something with the rear wheel tucked tight behind the seattube.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Touring bikes typically have all sorts of mounts for <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/fenders" title="velo orange metal fenders for touring and commuting bikes">fenders</a>, cargo, multiple <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bottle-cages-bottles" title="velo orange stainless steel water bottle cages retro silver">bottle cages</a>, lighting, <a href="https://wnyf81ds1gtuc4ho-21969775.shopifypreview.com/collections/city-accessories/products/vo-retractable-dual-leg-kickstand">kicks</a><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/city-accessories/products/vo-retractable-dual-leg-kickstand" title="velo orange copenhagen kickstand dual leg 2 leg">t</a><a href="https://wnyf81ds1gtuc4ho-21969775.shopifypreview.com/collections/city-accessories/products/vo-retractable-dual-leg-kickstand">and</a>, etc...almost anything and everything! This will be important in the next coming sections. </p><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="velo orange piolet prototype with cargo bags" height="300" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/slide_show_16_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675788560" style="float: none;" width="400" /></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Lastly, touring bikes have generous tire clearances. Bigger tires use a bigger cushion of air which aids in traction, comfort, and reliability. Imagine hitting a rock with a 23mm tire vs a 48mm tire. The 48mm tire will deform and squish around an obstacle and a 23mm won't, and you'll have a higher risk of a flat. Over a couple hundred miles, that extra cushion of air is a welcome addition.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Simply put, touring bikes have geometry, clearances, and design to eat up the miles comfortably and safely. </p><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Ready for Gravel?</h2><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="velo orange pass hunter with road runner bags biggish and day tripper" height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_11_123fd977-9b9e-4090-9960-95b59c930e7d_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675788917" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">In recent years, Gravel is everything: gravel shoes, gravel pumps, and gravel helmets. It allows you to explore the back roads and paths less traveled, and provides a great way to get off the beaten path and experience the beauty of nature - all <em>ideally </em>without any worries about traffic or cars.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The nice thing is that in actuality, you don't need much to get into riding gravel. Just a bike with neutral geometry, comfortable fit, and generous tire clearances. Sound familiar to a touring bike? </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">As far as building up a touring bike for gravel, I'd forgo fenders and racks and just accept getting dirty and having to strategically strap on <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags" title="velo orange road runner bags bag handlebar bag saddle bag swift industries">bags</a> to the bike. Otherwise, I think you'll be hard pressed to find any big differences between a gravel bike and a touring bike.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="velo orange low kicker polyvalent" height="320" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/Josh_s_Polyvalent_1_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675789750" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">For cargo, the extra nubbins and mounts that a touring bike has are useful for carrying extra water on the fork blades.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Of course, the caveat being if you're racing, then you'll want lighter everything so you aren't carrying any weight that isn't absolutely necessary. But that can lead to its own problems with components that may be more susceptible to a catastrophic failure all in the name of saving a couple minutes. Which could mean getting paid or not getting paid, I get it honestly.</p><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><strong>When Touring Bikes Aren't Touring, They're Excellent Commuters</strong></h2><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="velo orange camargue with wine and porteur front rack" height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/profile_16c6ad3e-ced0-458b-b4a8-c0b84c87d142_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675789788" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Commuting by bicycle is a great way to stay active on the daily and reduce your carbon footprint to get to and from work and around town. The vast majority of my own riding is just doing things around town: going to the library, hitting up the playground with the family, picking up take-out, grabbing quick groceries, late night snacks, running down the hardware store, etc... The cool thing about a touring bike is that there are no modifications you need to make to make it a good commuter!</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The only difference is amount of stuff you need to take. Instead of 4 fully loaded panniers on your <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/racks" title="velo orange stainless steel racks ">racks</a>, you might just have one, or two for a trip to the farmers' market. Riding position, tire choice, tools, component selection, racks, and fenders can all stay the same.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="velo orange polyvalent with front rack and porteur bag" height="265" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMGP7974_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675789898" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">For a commuter or tourer, I value simplicity of maintenance, comfort, and utility. So you can see how one could be good as the other with little to no changes.</p><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Transforming into a Randonneur is Easy</h2><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="velo orange polyvalent with front campeur rack in germany" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/golden_hour_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675789952" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">While I can't necessarily say that a true touring bike could be on the same echelon as a full-on roadie, touring bikes do make excellent randonneuring bikes. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">They say randonneuring is just touring with more paperwork - which is hilarious. As far as making it a true randonneur for brevets, there are some specific considerations you need to be within the RUSA (Randonneurs USA) safety requirements: that includes having a rear light, front light, and reflective vest - honestly, good things to have anyway for touring and commuting.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/6656851257_06ce67ca35_b-1_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675790255" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">As far as other gear, I'd simply drop a rear rack and only have a small front rack or just a bikepacking style bag like a <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/biggish-bag" title="velo orange road runner bags biggish handlebar saddle transverse bag swift industries">Biggish</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/mini-rando-handlebar-bag" title="velo orange road runner bags mini rando bag">Mini Rando</a>, or <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/burrito-supreme-handlebar-bag" title="velo orange road runner bags burrito supreme handlebar bag">Burrito</a>. Basically enough room for just the essentials like nutrition, tools, medications, and any extras you personally need.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="velo orange burrito front bag on polyvalent" height="400" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_1_413d905e-519f-4f88-8552-58664abd5127_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675790209" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Pro-tip: you can make a paper cue sheet holder using a binder clip and a zip tie.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="" height="300" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/IMG_6961_1024x1024.jpg?v=1675790348" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">In conclusion, with a few simple modifications, one bike can easily be used for a variety of different riding styles and purposes. Whether you're gravel riding, touring, or commuting, a versatile bike is the key to making the most of your riding experience. Take the time to understand your needs, and set up your bike accordingly.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">I'll also note that VO Frames are <a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/steelisreal-frame-flash-sale">currently 20% off</a>, so if you are interested in building up your next touring, randonneur, gravel, and commuter, now is the time to save some cash!</p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-40858680285419633282023-01-27T13:01:00.000-05:002023-01-27T13:01:11.174-05:00Cycling Media in the 21st Century<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Scott </span></p><p>I consume a fair bit of media I think. I read a couple newspapers (online) every day, check into 5-6 cycling websites, and listen to a number of podcasts when out and about. <span style="background-color: white;">One interesting interview was with the CEO of Outside Media. The main discussion was about the state of outdoor media, and the fact that Outside now owns almost<b> all </b>of<b> </b>the big outdoor publications, and the impact of that on what we read and view.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI1NT8hJnodXLeQ0lPYIzd6jyKPgBFiFqQg--nrcT7kCKO08LKbYnZfUb-yoePzEe9J4G5Xn8l_zLIsyD6PGdDwQ7G78O7mjWom_c3WsARZb9_a1rjGf68Vjulr9aso1dxjZubrVZO3GAlXsmZZtNswCRHKAu2SUKHKI7JIad5jue__pqDg/s3015/IMG_2853.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2824" data-original-width="3015" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI1NT8hJnodXLeQ0lPYIzd6jyKPgBFiFqQg--nrcT7kCKO08LKbYnZfUb-yoePzEe9J4G5Xn8l_zLIsyD6PGdDwQ7G78O7mjWom_c3WsARZb9_a1rjGf68Vjulr9aso1dxjZubrVZO3GAlXsmZZtNswCRHKAu2SUKHKI7JIad5jue__pqDg/w400-h375/IMG_2853.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> (Derek and Connor consuming media the old fashioned way)<br /><p>The cycling industry and media have certainly changed in the 11 years I've been here at VO. When I started, there were at least 4 magazines (actual print ones) that we advertised in, sent test product to, or at least paid some attention to, as our products could get a mention in any of them in any given issue. There were probably 8-10 blogs that paid a lot of attention to our niche end of the cycling world.</p><p>Over time, the magazines all dropped off either in a physical format or all together. I've also seen a number of the blogs I used to read dwindle as well. In the case of personal blogging, I think it's a matter of having something to keep the author motivated to continue writing. Some blogs were at the point of sustained content for 10 years back in 2012 already. It takes a lot to keep that writing up, especially if it is not your day job. And in many ways, producing and maintaining the blog takes time away from family or riding your bike. Plus, people evolve, they change what they are interested in, and what they are interested in writing about. If you're a keen vintage cycling fan, 10 plus years of blog posts is a bit daunting to keep up fresh content. (Shout out to <a href="https://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/">Guitar Ted</a> who's kept at it all these years with fresh content daily). Also of note is that the Velo Orange Blog has been going for over 15 years!</p><p>The last few years have seen a rise of the YouTube channels related to cycling. Russ Roca at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/PathLessPedaledTV">P</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/PathLessPedaledTV">ath Less Pedaled,</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/KatieKookaburra">Katie Kookaburra</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/Henrywildeberry">Henry Wildberry</a> are a couple of the folks that I look at for some interesting insights (I'll admit, I'm not a huge consumer of videos). I think Russ is one person who really gets our niche of the bicycle market, so it's always interesting to hear his take on things.</p><p>You can also see the rise of social media, in particular Instagram, explode in the past several years and how that has changed the media world. As shown with YouTube, visual media is popular and seemingly lots of people are interested in our content, through that medium.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVNiDOCdXiPEwLY5GTiFf1KEoPLHQOjKC4kQj7YqlWw74vKERbVSrV41esrLFB6oClaBZfNSXfPBHvKi10ooeSwnblJK2RazdSUYdxOvIrhSOyJlyjejbFMlVAn2iHETd1vzaPeNN_HqR7lDZD8O3jkW-iPbNvC9caRXPlhC11ulRTAC32w/s3746/IMG_0143.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="3746" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVNiDOCdXiPEwLY5GTiFf1KEoPLHQOjKC4kQj7YqlWw74vKERbVSrV41esrLFB6oClaBZfNSXfPBHvKi10ooeSwnblJK2RazdSUYdxOvIrhSOyJlyjejbFMlVAn2iHETd1vzaPeNN_HqR7lDZD8O3jkW-iPbNvC9caRXPlhC11ulRTAC32w/w400-h295/IMG_0143.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> (Some cycling media we have collected over the years)<br /><p>So I present to you, the loyal follower and reader of this blog, where do you go for news and cycling entertainment? Are you a devout reader of a blog, or watcher of video, or listener of podcasts? Are you joining Substack for niche written content? Do you even care to get cycling related content online? Let us know in the comments below or send postcard answers to us at:</p><p>Velo Orange</p><p>6730 Dover Road</p><p>Suite 113</p><p>Glen Burnie, MD 20906</p><p><br /></p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-18273723180568665542023-01-11T13:39:00.000-05:002023-01-11T13:39:00.089-05:00Practicality vs. Sentimentality - Does it Bring You Joy?<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Scott</span></p><p>A lot of us have attachments to items we own that don't make financial sense. I'm not a sentimental person, by and large. I have a few objects that I hold near and dear to me, but in the case of the house catching fire, my wife and I will grab the cats and the wedding album and that's about it. </p><p>I bring up the idea of bonds and sentimentality and how it pertains to bicycles. We get a lot of folks coming to us to help keep their older bikes going. We've got the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bottom-brackets">various bottom brackets</a> and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/headsets">headsets</a> to keep those older Peugeot UO8s and Schwinn Le Tours rolling along, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/handlebars">handlebars</a> to replace the going-on-40-year-old original bars, and all the fixings to make them unique to the rider. I'm curious as to whether folks are keeping them going in their original shape, setting them up as a commuter bike with newer components, or something in the middle like changing the bars and consumables for a spiffy and novel weekend rider.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU18yFjRRbznsQIFa6ssV1SfHt3QCPpqekEGazVJa1pAnVUj6zLTflGzESnJEHT6lXeZkpHCj-QvSHlo5ZE4N39_5QfGvGUlHwmcOs5Uco6g3ShOwt-jfqWRF1bNW7LoYwURG8v2ILP6hVKHN8-ETfwQDS9mLkVJNCSxe6Akx0OnTZjAS2FA/s1600/saverd.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU18yFjRRbznsQIFa6ssV1SfHt3QCPpqekEGazVJa1pAnVUj6zLTflGzESnJEHT6lXeZkpHCj-QvSHlo5ZE4N39_5QfGvGUlHwmcOs5Uco6g3ShOwt-jfqWRF1bNW7LoYwURG8v2ILP6hVKHN8-ETfwQDS9mLkVJNCSxe6Akx0OnTZjAS2FA/w400-h268/saverd.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The larger question of whether or not a bike should be restored to its shiny and new glory, simply spruced up and ridden, or hung on the wall? The answer is a resounding...."it depends"....</p><p>There are so many factors that goes into a decision like this. Does the bike have sentimental value, significant historical value, or is it just a <a href="https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/search?q=gerard">fun project</a> to work on? These decisions aren't easy especially when it comes to a budget.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6nPmVAj76LGaXsuR2AkJSxxduWlSjKxpcFL-hAmAcorvCkhXQbS8XyavOjssLBu_aAGB_uD-oVtczisFxy1uH9jBve32wjeuYiuAzhW3XDIm6Kt9kt-xYtt_64kjSujKAxwhvq3MCEM0QER-pZ0YcezjrbxCTvm6hx6f_DrVYp5CM9QIcA/s1600/gerard-2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6nPmVAj76LGaXsuR2AkJSxxduWlSjKxpcFL-hAmAcorvCkhXQbS8XyavOjssLBu_aAGB_uD-oVtczisFxy1uH9jBve32wjeuYiuAzhW3XDIm6Kt9kt-xYtt_64kjSujKAxwhvq3MCEM0QER-pZ0YcezjrbxCTvm6hx6f_DrVYp5CM9QIcA/w400-h265/gerard-2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>There is no question that certain bikes hold more or less value to us as individuals - for example, Adrian and Igor have matching Campeurs that they used for their Denmark wedding tour. You can read about <a href="https://velo-orange.com/blogs/favoritewriteups/example-first-shopify-post">his</a> and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/blogs/favoritewriteups/11sp-cassette-on-10sp-freehub-body">her</a> Forever Bikes here. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBhpUmoDORBTxuhmdVHxjD5MKEblvzmJzUyZQykOGhPhErRE3_hiUgXHEhDUhUChiSAXRLiiO10lAYf4sXZ-H5EnwmU1po-qEH8Sx7Yw0jSp_f-cCJ0dxNArbsy5mjuu7_8t-jQorv9O-AHfVJcXjJVYhaR1OW8vDhoe7F5dh_jn4PTT7pg/s2048/27143577054_7d823377ec_k.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBhpUmoDORBTxuhmdVHxjD5MKEblvzmJzUyZQykOGhPhErRE3_hiUgXHEhDUhUChiSAXRLiiO10lAYf4sXZ-H5EnwmU1po-qEH8Sx7Yw0jSp_f-cCJ0dxNArbsy5mjuu7_8t-jQorv9O-AHfVJcXjJVYhaR1OW8vDhoe7F5dh_jn4PTT7pg/w400-h266/27143577054_7d823377ec_k.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>A Peugeot UO8 is perhaps the best bike to use as an example here, as it is a re-occurring character at VO HQ. Peugeot made thousands and thousands of these bikes during the bike boom of the 60s and 70s. They were mid to low end of the range with Simplex shifting, Mafac brakes, and cottered cranks. They weren't anything special, but they were affordable, had cool graphics and Aztec lugs, and it got people on bikes - and that's what made it an icon of the era.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VHQc14uqEVVOEZG7x2Uo0F0LmQFaBpF5NukkMeyPTHsieTGpCA9tBAd51EBh-GIeOZI67Raf9tgSs2ljn86UlmzHwXpfpgiyLgiP9x9zf2LPfMBbi0uLgChFwACvn97-gvm1K68jeqpLMHguN53-Bn1xiFSm9x7eJa9Ndks1zl5mdV43-A/s3195/peugeot_uo8_01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2094" data-original-width="3195" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VHQc14uqEVVOEZG7x2Uo0F0LmQFaBpF5NukkMeyPTHsieTGpCA9tBAd51EBh-GIeOZI67Raf9tgSs2ljn86UlmzHwXpfpgiyLgiP9x9zf2LPfMBbi0uLgChFwACvn97-gvm1K68jeqpLMHguN53-Bn1xiFSm9x7eJa9Ndks1zl5mdV43-A/w400-h263/peugeot_uo8_01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://djcatnap.com/1970s-peugeot-uo-8-restored/">DJCatNap</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Would a UO8 be my first choice for a restoration? Probably not. But if a particular UO8 had significance in my life, like it was a beloved family member's, a first bike, or something of that nature, well that is a whole different story. Now that specific bike has significant sentimental value and that doesn't necessarily have the same price tag as a random UO8. I would absolutely argue that it deserves either a full restoration or moderate refurbishment to make it safe to ride - budget allowing. Replacing consumables like chains, brake pads, handlebar tape, and tires goes a long way.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nt2ABUNLT3WZvAqIC3-Ek1KNH6HLvIqydzzgc2I03N4eWj1WVEZtMUp2SPqEK3xENdKk1xscmP7lTSdqp974i5UYBnTo5RSyopayI7v9ceg-IIh87AWTPiFtf-7dL9N-qOreAymvDQ4RL-iGnNbQT11z9R_yRPk_taRYP2sgiryPBL_s-w/s2047/convert_4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nt2ABUNLT3WZvAqIC3-Ek1KNH6HLvIqydzzgc2I03N4eWj1WVEZtMUp2SPqEK3xENdKk1xscmP7lTSdqp974i5UYBnTo5RSyopayI7v9ceg-IIh87AWTPiFtf-7dL9N-qOreAymvDQ4RL-iGnNbQT11z9R_yRPk_taRYP2sgiryPBL_s-w/w400-h266/convert_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/1970-ish-bertin-c37-mixte-build-list-full-refresh-with-rebuilt-wheels-and-campy-nuovo-record">Adrian's Bertin with Campagnolo Nuovo Record</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I see outrageous pricing for original Simplex derailleurs and hear stories online of collectors paying huge amounts of money for period-correct parts. Is it to recreate this bike from 1973 and then display it or is someone actually riding this bike? For a lot of people, it's a totally worthwhile exercise to go and take an older frame, fix it up, put a new saddle on it, new brake pads and cables and then go out and use it. But I think one has to admit that, like many things, bikes have improved over the last 50 years and to just blindly restore a bike back to its original condition may not be the best decision.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWLO24ldIN8RypOWCbGPXFCMpkWUBWFe43pyD1e8KFbSfa2DJ7ijvHhZ5DJfVlPchf507x3DEON3DCaL1jLO4fY91bCTdpQdtbi6ZLxuuOP1UOceUDz5I77_XfqrO01nE8Ojd3utRXufe8DeRVD6ueJi29WjAhFSqWsOcBtr_fFrwA9dSPA/s954/Screenshot%202022-08-19%20120052.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="954" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWLO24ldIN8RypOWCbGPXFCMpkWUBWFe43pyD1e8KFbSfa2DJ7ijvHhZ5DJfVlPchf507x3DEON3DCaL1jLO4fY91bCTdpQdtbi6ZLxuuOP1UOceUDz5I77_XfqrO01nE8Ojd3utRXufe8DeRVD6ueJi29WjAhFSqWsOcBtr_fFrwA9dSPA/w400-h216/Screenshot%202022-08-19%20120052.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Do you restore old bikes for sentimental reasons? Do you restore them to stock condition or do you make them more modern? Let us know in the comments!</p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-76932671131964510082022-12-09T11:44:00.002-05:002022-12-09T11:44:54.014-05:00VO's 2022 Gift Guide<p>As the end of the calendar year approaches, one's mind turns to gifts - gifts for yourself, gifts for loved ones, and people who help make your life just that little bit more special. Here at VO, we wanted to give some suggestions for gifts that aren't necessarily reliant on knowing what sort of bottom bracket your friend has on their bike or if their bike has flat or post mount disc brakes. So here are some gift ideas for 2022 that should suit any and all of your cycling friends!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bottle Cages</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-PFRLPmcTnLJjzYNshcmmc34npzBfsJfbGpAIcwl5Q9BeySb6j0lIjp5hdWzws4uoJ866cY3O7_wqTihFdTdqxIq49MMoLhVNqeWxrEKGeGxxamQ6wDFCQZXH2Blkx6CzMczJWsQakCeX2fYGa_mGTaQXb9j8U-yk9WBbWaRxbK7ttlNv2Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-PFRLPmcTnLJjzYNshcmmc34npzBfsJfbGpAIcwl5Q9BeySb6j0lIjp5hdWzws4uoJ866cY3O7_wqTihFdTdqxIq49MMoLhVNqeWxrEKGeGxxamQ6wDFCQZXH2Blkx6CzMczJWsQakCeX2fYGa_mGTaQXb9j8U-yk9WBbWaRxbK7ttlNv2Q=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><p>We offer a variety of <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bottle-cages-bottles">stainless steel bottle cages</a> that will add a touch of class to any bike.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Runwell 15 mm wrench</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDLicNAIBxRV93LeWHBkVQLbZh4aN9SmR2Oe6GDWacttW3_kCpxicz__DvpcG2RmE0kbThmZlSMvSA3InyF5gq5kC1l-FuF2DXBbfMJag-VcjtvT9n1285pj7OK3MapRA3uaIYzq-AbB048OAV7zLZ2dKbm0ISIoVqCwAakz2RARfY0qLeuA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="600" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDLicNAIBxRV93LeWHBkVQLbZh4aN9SmR2Oe6GDWacttW3_kCpxicz__DvpcG2RmE0kbThmZlSMvSA3InyF5gq5kC1l-FuF2DXBbfMJag-VcjtvT9n1285pj7OK3MapRA3uaIYzq-AbB048OAV7zLZ2dKbm0ISIoVqCwAakz2RARfY0qLeuA=w400-h243" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>These <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/runwell-tools/products/15mm-wrench">15mm Wrenches</a> come in Silver or Gold finish and have a unique 15 degree angle to the head, so that your fingers don't get jammed into the fork or seat stays when tightening or loosening your hub nuts. We also have a <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/runwell-tools/products/15mm-to-go-wrench">To-Go version</a> with a shorter handle to more easily fit in portable toolkits.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Burrito Handlebar Bag</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_OOtvAynDyrEqvIIINPQwaD4KL8wib_eKOzqwcDW-vOmwKL6ryWViKBydpENlhwMvQh6naiTsyTESxe7pjsPBhGadK_xx5JNKTAu8HQ14ma0eN273_u116qcm7V7KaNo1PmnVWwT4uz7LHRdrU-UR3mj6DLKmUKmDQxE14PT9bt9ksKJmQ/s2048/convert_116.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_OOtvAynDyrEqvIIINPQwaD4KL8wib_eKOzqwcDW-vOmwKL6ryWViKBydpENlhwMvQh6naiTsyTESxe7pjsPBhGadK_xx5JNKTAu8HQ14ma0eN273_u116qcm7V7KaNo1PmnVWwT4uz7LHRdrU-UR3mj6DLKmUKmDQxE14PT9bt9ksKJmQ/w400-h266/convert_116.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/burrito-supreme-handlebar-bag">Burrito Supreme Bag</a> fits onto any handlebar using two straps around the bars and a third strap around the headtube to keep the bag from bouncing. With a capacity of 2.6 L, it will hold tools, wallet, phone, tubes, and pretty much whatever other small things you want. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bell</span></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWxAi54xsYMFEdl04VdGmx_V3kwlFXP_F2Ky5oO_D4EUtpAWbFNIFfH5pCj1ePI9wyHVz3JhfF53v_p9PPozsPD_ip0C4X8VbUvLVOUuy7OKNUaC6KW8zbti8-LXWT6VBlLdXDvO2o-IYZuhiENYmhNhRtJHIrT-mj2vOqt1QE34hS8AIj-A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWxAi54xsYMFEdl04VdGmx_V3kwlFXP_F2Ky5oO_D4EUtpAWbFNIFfH5pCj1ePI9wyHVz3JhfF53v_p9PPozsPD_ip0C4X8VbUvLVOUuy7OKNUaC6KW8zbti8-LXWT6VBlLdXDvO2o-IYZuhiENYmhNhRtJHIrT-mj2vOqt1QE34hS8AIj-A=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>The classic choice in safety, a <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bells/products/brass-striker-bell">VO bell</a> works on virtually any bike and is a wonderful way to announce your presence along the bike path.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Rough Stuff Fellowship Books </h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjELseBVoRnctu2vBITlL88FSElZYACBGGaQRDhHbpuwJkt9YZ4w1K3o1lPga6PZQo2rwUyVdBgHLSjkTXxDnhv8pfOOYqQVUJ_TONJfgsXu3quovBr9x2oGRCsvn04lBxzsfdT39EEpWqqjmH6-tyjnFiUV-_-LF0mH7_ndUVmnJjJyTGGYg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2649" data-original-width="3962" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjELseBVoRnctu2vBITlL88FSElZYACBGGaQRDhHbpuwJkt9YZ4w1K3o1lPga6PZQo2rwUyVdBgHLSjkTXxDnhv8pfOOYqQVUJ_TONJfgsXu3quovBr9x2oGRCsvn04lBxzsfdT39EEpWqqjmH6-tyjnFiUV-_-LF0mH7_ndUVmnJjJyTGGYg=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>These <a href="https://velo-orange.com/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection&options[prefix]=last&q=rough%20stuff%20fellowship*">Rough Stuff Fellowship books</a> are perfect for reading/looking at the photos while sitting next to a warm fire and dreaming of open roads and green lanes to ride through next summer. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bottle Opener with 10 mm Wrench</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBXVaU-TM47be2-NDua5mW7hNWxxfLgEZC5uI-GGyjP18OYJepQuuFMlTPzH3YCjkqej3K_X7Dk6PkZlVGEPb-X-cPLT1QJpx2CYV0q-PJJeL_cYNpA47Ve_e5QbGLrrO22EqsCZz6bfWEiUGrWLiPC4YLwABXPU4VTUd60UDvcEvMjKNsNg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBXVaU-TM47be2-NDua5mW7hNWxxfLgEZC5uI-GGyjP18OYJepQuuFMlTPzH3YCjkqej3K_X7Dk6PkZlVGEPb-X-cPLT1QJpx2CYV0q-PJJeL_cYNpA47Ve_e5QbGLrrO22EqsCZz6bfWEiUGrWLiPC4YLwABXPU4VTUd60UDvcEvMjKNsNg=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div>How many things on your bike need a 10 mm allen wrench? A few, but you can certainly use the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/runwell-tools/products/bottle-opener-10mm-wrench">Runwell Bottle Opener</a> while you think of all the ways this could come in handy.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">VO Hoodies</h3><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Rb5_4sOSFZQmWw5sbRlxmxsawZfJjP59Z4g15NHhk5LIsdJNRjLFqGZPJKvNcjEiU_uJWUIj_4UVpv115-ix-heIcGI457-3iaUiPw7XQTNLUubSAUk51MrI75PaPhkTqPbFuuXd9z67JudtRCG-n-gzE_s_RKBxgo6JXldh6ApJQOppKQ/s2048/hoodie%20red%20dropped%20out.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Rb5_4sOSFZQmWw5sbRlxmxsawZfJjP59Z4g15NHhk5LIsdJNRjLFqGZPJKvNcjEiU_uJWUIj_4UVpv115-ix-heIcGI457-3iaUiPw7XQTNLUubSAUk51MrI75PaPhkTqPbFuuXd9z67JudtRCG-n-gzE_s_RKBxgo6JXldh6ApJQOppKQ/w400-h400/hoodie%20red%20dropped%20out.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Want to stay warm and stylish this winter? Grab one of our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/camp-cabin/products/vo-fleece-hoodie">Hoodies</a> and stay warm and look good while waiting for spring to arrive.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Var Compact Multi-Tool</h3><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJJDjmXLVz3WCx6tMvsYyZioiZqYtFk9GG2JwCeXFlkY6WC19QnxZi_MR5xnUTqRGZXTgu5E-DtcOIYzWcl9xF9iaQ6e4VtpoMtF3sc5TUVXUvnaN7CcRistmMhfd-reFI7VXCGo1xkRnjzlTswqmf28kK3kLTWq1CUrfiwGo61iO6snLI1Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJJDjmXLVz3WCx6tMvsYyZioiZqYtFk9GG2JwCeXFlkY6WC19QnxZi_MR5xnUTqRGZXTgu5E-DtcOIYzWcl9xF9iaQ6e4VtpoMtF3sc5TUVXUvnaN7CcRistmMhfd-reFI7VXCGo1xkRnjzlTswqmf28kK3kLTWq1CUrfiwGo61iO6snLI1Q=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><p>You should always have a quality set of tools out on the trail. These <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/var-compact-multi-tool">VAR Multi-tools</a> are lightweight, compact, and can fix most issues you have on the side of the road.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Austere Cam Straps</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTbZNJdCL4Sqah6D9YyMwXwRLFf8B51Eb3rnnyeAX2_stVp4FsqIId4D3CMEPsbeBct3vstOePGLTSpwmVA_4XgUiXoCVfUUqgQQ1XYkVegQtEKFjKE0gz7KKEkRSRyv8G7kJhkXUHXdWPOKjdLR-ESAtQJ8DcnWUfMaGlfD0ry7VuZlF5ZA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTbZNJdCL4Sqah6D9YyMwXwRLFf8B51Eb3rnnyeAX2_stVp4FsqIId4D3CMEPsbeBct3vstOePGLTSpwmVA_4XgUiXoCVfUUqgQQ1XYkVegQtEKFjKE0gz7KKEkRSRyv8G7kJhkXUHXdWPOKjdLR-ESAtQJ8DcnWUfMaGlfD0ry7VuZlF5ZA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><p>These super cool US-made straps from <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/austere-manufacturing-straps">Austere Manufacturing</a> use a CNC machined body and a titanium pin for light weight and incredible strength. The strap is 3 feet long and can be used to tie down a myriad of items on your bike or elsewhere.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">#8 Stainless Steel Opinel Knife</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaFG1ACqWZt2J7XtrTkFkI_0IyP2w0xWXfhJ-biMBnXkLXnMp6v0_2PSDdNqoiSqHFE2LGbAVE0xKPnPS4Gn3sicZJDFoGU1YITZY761ICTv8BqhjxDjWLO0ZIYE4_iXYSakFlccMAJ3_kvxmEeyjqueLlpsdOC-1BS6v_OQ4EEmSp5It5GQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaFG1ACqWZt2J7XtrTkFkI_0IyP2w0xWXfhJ-biMBnXkLXnMp6v0_2PSDdNqoiSqHFE2LGbAVE0xKPnPS4Gn3sicZJDFoGU1YITZY761ICTv8BqhjxDjWLO0ZIYE4_iXYSakFlccMAJ3_kvxmEeyjqueLlpsdOC-1BS6v_OQ4EEmSp5It5GQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div>A classic knife, we've sold <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/opinel">Opinel Knives</a> for almost 10 years because they work and they stay sharp. This <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/opinel/products/opinel-no-8-stainless-knife">Stainless Steel model</a> is great for folks who might be around salt water or who don't always wipe their knives down after using it.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">E-Gift Card</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix_-MCAFI4sKfHutgnHN8kRk7fiX-NNaxkuzJ6ikE3HncjGCpEy46shDghh_KP4z12wRQ5TdwNITaitnrUN5JdEBW2nlB9bEthRqye0X9FV_FNpraSEXf_hbyHrUu8YhXSwQ9cpNNDHtp3Q0ecuApOTV-sYef-L9iLAQfyUPquLB5Q8h1NFg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix_-MCAFI4sKfHutgnHN8kRk7fiX-NNaxkuzJ6ikE3HncjGCpEy46shDghh_KP4z12wRQ5TdwNITaitnrUN5JdEBW2nlB9bEthRqye0X9FV_FNpraSEXf_hbyHrUu8YhXSwQ9cpNNDHtp3Q0ecuApOTV-sYef-L9iLAQfyUPquLB5Q8h1NFg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div></div><p><a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/gift-card">VO E-Gift Cards</a> are perfect last minute gifts! It's totally electronic and guaranteed to fit. </p><p style="text-align: center;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Note</b>: Shipping companies are getting into their super busy season, so while we can say your order will leave our warehouse asap, we cannot guarantee there won't be shipping delays.</div></b>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-32357735911786179892022-12-02T15:03:00.010-05:002022-12-02T15:03:55.461-05:00Drop Your Drop Bars!<span style="font-size: x-small;">by Igor<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_3_3cd83068-2e5a-4ba3-ba71-dbb2b043265d_1024x1024.jpg?v=1669921288" width="400" /></div> <br />We've already extolled the virtues of changing your handlebars to change how your bike feels (in fact, we've even done a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFuuFlzJ9oo&t=1s">how-to video</a>!). Changing from drop bars to flat or upright bars changes your riding position, the bike's handling, and the fun factor to turn a stagnant bike into a brand new one - all without spending a ton of dough. So let's dive into my <a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/pass-hunter">Pass Hunter</a> where we dropped the drop bars for some <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/flat-and-upright-bars/products/seine-bar">Seine bars</a>!<br /><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_40_8f14a847-f7fb-4aac-aa89-504e02f1660d_1024x1024.jpg?v=1669921483" width="401" /></div><br />This bike mostly gets ridden off road on lighter duty local trails, double track, and to and from the house. I have a road bike and an all-rounder, so I don't need fenders and dynamo lighting and all the gizmos, so something simple and unencumbered is what I was looking for.</div><div> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_30_09df5319-dbf3-495d-ae7c-eb33dfb17717_1024x1024.jpg?v=1669921360" width="400" /></div><br />In the effort to simplify, I opted to go with Sensah 1x shifty bits: <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/shifters-1/products/sensah-crx-flatbar-trigger-shifter-11-speed">CRX Shifter</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/derailleurs/products/sensah-crx-rear-derailleur">SRX Rear Derailleur</a>, and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/chains/products/11-speed-cassettes?variant=41328324804783">11-46 Cassette</a>. It's simple and without fuss.</div><div> <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_13_5687cbd6-1c81-488c-8c3a-3213ade44c48_1024x1024.jpg?v=1669921411" width="400" /></div><br />Going with these components also gives me the ability to switch back to drop bars using the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/shifters-1/products/sensah-srx-integrated-1x-shifterset">Sensah SRX Integrated Shifters</a> if I want to change it up in the future. They're all a really good value and not a huge investment to try out a flat or drop bar system.</div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_31_e8680ae8-848b-4087-a599-7d7d2864edca_1024x1024.jpg?v=1669921427" width="400" /></div> <br /><a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/pass-hunter-build-list-drop-your-drop-bars">Click here to find the comprehensive build list!</a><br /></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-6796713399070085412022-11-18T13:59:00.004-05:002022-11-18T13:59:48.576-05:00Introducing the Granola-Moose Handlebar!<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Igor</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29AqI01kHu9b-T4yzvQtWD3FDzWEOrANLLzkoEfDU9187SN9o2UkRkeA5taPpE1Mn7_wxwIS-kbUegHEqoWUPLCDHfasWgOEPWlC5VOuANp1BfH8XD5XY1l3HwXddzITlATAgYFfDeahLd5ZyAesPhqUTga1GDvCbXk4XCIoxmTQXfs6q3w/s2047/convert_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29AqI01kHu9b-T4yzvQtWD3FDzWEOrANLLzkoEfDU9187SN9o2UkRkeA5taPpE1Mn7_wxwIS-kbUegHEqoWUPLCDHfasWgOEPWlC5VOuANp1BfH8XD5XY1l3HwXddzITlATAgYFfDeahLd5ZyAesPhqUTga1GDvCbXk4XCIoxmTQXfs6q3w/w400-h266/convert_6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p></p><p>The <a data-cke-saved-href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/flat-and-upright-bars/products/granola-moose-bars" href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/flat-and-upright-bars/products/granola-moose-bars" target="_blank">Granola-Moose</a> is a beautiful one-piece bar and stem combo. It's based off our popular <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/flat-and-upright-bars/products/granola-bar">Granola Bar</a> and features an integrated 1 1/8" clamp for threadless steerers. This integrated design makes for a truly buttoned up and streamlined appearance on your city, touring, or mountain bike.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ba5JlVd5PbvWL48CNFYISPEDth50Pqo6GU8CziljXbqvRQy1cvur73d-0XybF6AgbZCfDp4Unejna6vcM8w5_R6cKc80Ii16HFGuNueMlL6SFU1ZD7wlwcDu4S9ZfUMP6b39mV8-0EPyZonZ75wdAfnN8Gq138yBXcFTcYS3BPiOg38fnw/s2048/convert_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ba5JlVd5PbvWL48CNFYISPEDth50Pqo6GU8CziljXbqvRQy1cvur73d-0XybF6AgbZCfDp4Unejna6vcM8w5_R6cKc80Ii16HFGuNueMlL6SFU1ZD7wlwcDu4S9ZfUMP6b39mV8-0EPyZonZ75wdAfnN8Gq138yBXcFTcYS3BPiOg38fnw/w400-h266/convert_8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Made from 4130 chromoly steel, this bar has a bunch of details that really makes it special. The steel is heat-treated, the tubing of the bar has multiple butting profiles, the front cross bar is slightly flattened for your lights and/or gizmos, and the system has been tested to stringent MTB standards. All in all, the Granola-Moose makes for a fun, unique, and comfortable upright handlebar.<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCoHWdDWavJKIfDT5a7uRgThdc8q-zZ2SiYPS4AqZmwCtud6U8G8iSDHJQvGAwAn3FtFmHxlXFA0PTcwUjwMvEkKkoBA-0PZQrVorkWPmAZzywSGpXoM7stfdKV5ZqMK0b5nCoNE_Xr-F4qYKaAUACFLxzdTICwBQPZwfh4uyCLW-gNEMhQ/s2048/convert_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCoHWdDWavJKIfDT5a7uRgThdc8q-zZ2SiYPS4AqZmwCtud6U8G8iSDHJQvGAwAn3FtFmHxlXFA0PTcwUjwMvEkKkoBA-0PZQrVorkWPmAZzywSGpXoM7stfdKV5ZqMK0b5nCoNE_Xr-F4qYKaAUACFLxzdTICwBQPZwfh4uyCLW-gNEMhQ/w400-h266/convert_10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>It's available in both Silver and Black finishes on <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/flat-and-upright-bars/products/granola-bar">our webstore</a>! Check it out now!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXx4zZpVIczZgUd1oK9phrEjakQbkQtQjyiiGcVyx6IpiMJv0630XxbvVJzzshG-Y6ziwhDDvfZ4UOZEhI8PkdGerEgTvUSxfhVtdoiyP3F_dtX3H6wmvvtV65IPZ3IRGq2zv9wWkFssMLPUmVNUufuSO35A9bqcgz7nvr0a-meuuDkW60Q/s1162/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-18%20at%201.58.39%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="1162" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXx4zZpVIczZgUd1oK9phrEjakQbkQtQjyiiGcVyx6IpiMJv0630XxbvVJzzshG-Y6ziwhDDvfZ4UOZEhI8PkdGerEgTvUSxfhVtdoiyP3F_dtX3H6wmvvtV65IPZ3IRGq2zv9wWkFssMLPUmVNUufuSO35A9bqcgz7nvr0a-meuuDkW60Q/w400-h159/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-18%20at%201.58.39%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-81230687025325612072022-11-02T10:44:00.004-04:002022-11-02T10:56:25.921-04:002022 Philly Bike Expo Roundup<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">by Connor</span></span></p>While VO didn't display at this year's Philly Bike Expo, Derek and I did go in place of the company, sporting our new <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/camp-cabin/products/vo-fleece-hoodie">VO Hoodies</a>, scoping out this year's event. This year's turnout was really energetic, and we're happy to see participation in events like PBE is back! Below are just some shots from this year's expo we managed to grab. Enjoy!<div><br /><div><a href="https://swoodcycles.bigcartel.com/">SWOOD</a> Cycles came out sporting full bikepacking regalia</div><div> <br /><a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPJ6LI1_cYMIoDOAQgEGGM5b6ov87h7sNUVMDSd-SuvppU3Mkz54PgoXIxQN8gY4A/photo/AF1QipMkquaT8eg0bPI1dd0wSHxK1K9njLhMJJBUHfdA?key=akhzejRtT0tsY2s4aWxxOGVDS09xRGdVaFJYbHFR"></a><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_144608608.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667243746" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></span></div><div><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://royalhcycles.com/">Royal H</a> had a few bikes highlighting some of our gear, including this Mixte with our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/700c-fenders/products/vo-45mm-hammered-polished-fenders-700c">Hammered Fenders</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/quill-stems/products/quill-stem-with-removable-faceplate-31-8mm">31.8 Quill Stem</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/drop-handlebars/products/nouveau-randonneur-handlebar">Nouveau Rando</a> bars, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/shifters">Sensah SRX</a> kit, and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/pedals/products/vo-touring-pedals-sealed-bearing-236g-pr">Touring Pedals</a>!<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"> </div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_145131887.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667243809" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_145310115.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667243825" /></p><p style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">This <a href="https://www.bilenky.com/bikes">Mars Cycles</a> frame caught my eye in particular, as its paint was matched to replicate a San Pellegrino bottle. Super Classy<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">!</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_150318071_480x480.jpg?v=1667243835" /></p>This fixed-welded Titanium rack was apparently a custom job requested by a customer at <a href="https://www.blazebicycles.com/">Blaze Cycles</a>, a Moab-based Ti company. With Pinion Belt Drive, dropper routing, and custom touches throughout, the bike definitely was something to behold.</div><div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_143757646_480x480.jpg?v=1667243775" /></p>A number of months ago, Fergus at Ritchey reached out looking for a set of <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/brakes/products/growtac-equal-brakes-flat-mount">Growtac Equals</a> for a project coming up. We didn't get many details at the time, but it would seem they made it onto this limited-run colorway Outback, and the blues we sent looked right at home!</div><div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_151732531.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667243856" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_151905292_480x480.jpg?v=1667243866" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_151911314.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667243872" /></p>I've been a Ritchey fan for well over a decade now, and this green/yellow colorway of the Breakaway 'cross frameset is still my favorite scheme to date- to me, it evokes Lotus Racing style without being too overstated.<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_151928141.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667243878" /></p>While admiring how well-installed our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/700c-fenders/products/vo-45mm-hammered-polished-fenders-700c">Hammered Fenders</a> were on a <a href="https://www.handzbicycles.com/">Handz Bikes</a> road frame, Derek and I noticed this special touch on a mountain frame of theirs- a section of a stainless rotor, cut to the diameter of the seat and chainstay and welded on the non-driveside, then painted to match. It's just one of those custom touches that makes smaller-fab shops so special.</div><div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_152816030.PORTRAIT_480x480.jpg?v=1667243894" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_152944247.PORTRAIT_480x480.jpg?v=1667243910" /></p>While browsing the <a href="https://www.chapmancycles.com/">Chapman Cycles</a> booth, I couldn't help but notice this sage-green colored road bike with Chapman's own hand-made V-brakes. Note that the straddle cable isn't actually a cable, but a spoke.</div><div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_154939808_480x480.jpg?v=1667243930" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_154931113.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667243925" /></p>Our friends Tommy (<a href="http://cutlassvelo.com/">Cutlass Velo</a>) and Chris (<a href="https://bishopbikes.com/">Bishop Bikes</a>) were rep'ing our Baltimore area, showcasing their craftsmanship and attention to detail.</div><div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_162956338_480x480.jpg?v=1667243996" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_163004839_480x480.jpg?v=1667243999" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_163347482_480x480.jpg?v=1667244020" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_163515250_480x480.jpg?v=1667244028" /></p>Having attempted harlequin tapejobs on bikes time and again with minimal success, I thought this custom paintjob on a <a href="https://deanbikes.com/">Dean</a> frame was really unique and tastefully done.</div><div><br /> <p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_170209405_480x480.jpg?v=1667244056" /></p><a href="http://alexmeade.com/">Alex Meade</a> has been building custom frames for more than 20 years, and also produces his own jigs for folks looking for quality framebuilding tools. He's been a longtime customer of ours and his work is meticulous.</div><div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_164446448.MP_480x480.jpg?v=1667244042" /></p><p style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Doing a walkabout in town afterwards is, of course, necessary. Philadelphia's a great city with a lot to see. If you finish up at next year's expo early or get to extend your trip, I'd suggest staying downtown and checking it out - especially Reading Terminal Market for the pumpkin rolls<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_182051336_480x480.jpg?v=1667244151" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/PXL_20221029_182040135_480x480.jpg?v=1667246265" /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"> </p></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-40973433380019892352022-10-28T14:34:00.000-04:002022-10-28T14:34:01.962-04:00Frame Blems and Overstock Savings!<p> </p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnImageBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnImageBlockInner" style="padding: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnImageContent" style="padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><a class="" href="https://velo-orange.com/" style="text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank" title=""><img align="center" alt="" class="mcnImage" src="https://mcusercontent.com/9d0cf0d6cd11ca1ef550782c8/images/8bbd8d40-58ed-1d9e-120b-9ec7c6b92747.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline !important; height: auto; max-width: 1200px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: bottom;" width="564" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed !important; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner" style="min-width: 100%; padding: 18px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-top: 2px solid rgb(234, 234, 234); min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><h1 class="null" style="font-size: 26px; line-height: 32.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><strong>Don't miss out on these spooky savings!</strong></h1></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnImageBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnImageBlockInner" style="padding: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnImageContent" style="padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><a class="" href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials" style="text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank" title=""><img align="center" alt="" class="mcnImage" src="https://mcusercontent.com/9d0cf0d6cd11ca1ef550782c8/images/25628b18-1757-d73b-e1c6-64acf4350912.png" style="border: 0px; display: inline !important; height: auto; max-width: 1200px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: bottom;" width="564" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">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. <br /><br />There are more products than these on the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Specials page</a>, but here are some highlights:</p><ul><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/grand-cru-sabot-pedals" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Sabot Pedals</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/disc-front-hub-silver-and-noir" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Disc Front Hubs</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/disc-rear-hub-silver-and-noir" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Some Disc Rear Hubs</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/rear-cassette-hub-silver-and-noir" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Rim Brake Rear Hubs</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/nouveau-randonneur-handlebar" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Nouveau Randonneur Bars</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/vo-moderniste-stainless-steel-cage?variant=34785111113878" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Moderniste Bottle Cages, Noir</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;">Microfiber Saddles in <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/microfiber-touring-saddle" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Regular</a> and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/microfiber-touring-saddle-wide?variant=50652499015" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Wide</a> widths</li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/the-vintage-bicycle-by-steel-vintage-bikes" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">The Vintage Bicycle</a> Books</li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;">...and more!</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnButtonBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnButtonBlockOuter"><tr><td align="center" class="mcnButtonBlockInner" style="padding: 0px 18px 18px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnButtonContentContainer" style="background-color: #ff9c12; border-radius: 4px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="mcnButtonContent" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="middle"><a class="mcnButton " href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials" style="color: white; display: block; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank" title="Check out the Specials here!">Check out the Specials here!</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed !important; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner" style="min-width: 100%; padding: 18px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-top: 2px solid rgb(234, 234, 234); min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><h1 class="null" style="font-size: 26px; line-height: 32.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><strong>Blem Frames, too!</strong></h1></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnImageBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnImageBlockInner" style="padding: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnImageContent" style="padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><a class="" href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials" style="text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank" title=""><img align="center" alt="" class="mcnImage" src="https://mcusercontent.com/9d0cf0d6cd11ca1ef550782c8/images/f0785a46-6fd6-cde9-d561-b5406b88d510.png" style="border: 0px; display: inline !important; height: auto; max-width: 1200px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: bottom;" width="564" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">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.</p><ul><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/polyvalent-low-kicker-frameset-medium-paint-blem" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Medium Polyvalent Low Kicker</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/polyvalent-diamond-frameset-xl-paint-blem" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">XL Diamond Polyvalent</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/polyvalent-diamond-frameset-size-xl-offset-headtube-lug" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">XL Diamond Polyvalent - offset headtube lug</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/polyvalent-diamond-frameset-small-paint-blem" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Small Polyvalent Diamond</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/polyvalent-diamond-frameset-large-paint-blem" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Large Polyvalent Diamond</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/pass-hunter-small-red" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Small Pass Hunter, Red</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/blem-pass-hunter-frameset-blue-medium" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Medium Pass Hunter, Blue</a></li><li style="text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials/products/pass-hunter-blue-small-paint-blem" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Small Pass Hunter, Blue</a></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnButtonBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnButtonBlockOuter"><tr><td align="center" class="mcnButtonBlockInner" style="padding: 0px 18px 18px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnButtonContentContainer" style="background-color: #ff9c12; border-radius: 4px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="mcnButtonContent" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="middle"><a class="mcnButton " href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/specials" style="color: white; display: block; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank" title="Snag your new frame here!">Snag your new frame here!</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-50704931968107659942022-10-24T09:53:00.006-04:002022-10-26T09:10:23.202-04:00Beautiful Bikes of Bespoked UK - Part 1by Igor<br /><br />This was our first time to the <a href="https://bespoked.cc/">Bespoked UK</a> 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!<div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Bespoked UK Velo orange track racing" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_39_044fd539-7b3d-4ad1-a3d9-2ae82969e501_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666304273" width="400" /></p><br />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!<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.clandestine.cc/">Clandestine</a></h3>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 <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/650b-fenders/products/650b-smooth-fenders-60mm-silver-and-noir">650b Smooth Mudguards</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/seatposts/products/vo-grand-cru-seat-post-long-setback">Long Setback Seatpost</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/hubs/products/disc-rear-hub-silver-and-noir">Disc Rear Hub</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/rims/products/voyager-rim">Voyager Rims</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/cages/products/vo-retro-cage-without-tab-new-version">Retro Bottle Cages</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/city-accessories/products/vo-retractable-dual-leg-kickstand">Copenhagen Kickstand</a>, 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.<div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Clandestine Touring Bike with Crazy Bars Dynamo Lighting steel frame custom bike velo orange hubs fenders mudguards" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_101_91c7755d-f90f-419f-9a8b-d4a0f3c917b1_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666214278" width="400" /></p><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Clandestine Touring Bike with Crazy Bars Dynamo Lighting steel frame custom bike velo orange hubs fenders mudguards" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_104_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666214301" style="float: none;" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Clandestine Touring Bike with Crazy Bars Dynamo Lighting steel frame custom bike velo orange hubs fenders mudguards" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_105_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666214308" width="400" /></p><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Clandestine Touring Bike with Crazy Bars Dynamo Lighting steel frame custom bike velo orange hubs fenders mudguards" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_106_3db8fe10-dfba-4bab-9761-af17d024494e_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666214333" style="float: none;" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Clandestine Touring Bike with Crazy Bars Dynamo Lighting steel frame custom bike velo orange hubs fenders mudguards" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_108_a7e7893c-8d7a-4650-bd04-f1dc24c4eb8a_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666214344" style="float: none;" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Clandestine Touring Bike with Crazy Bars Dynamo Lighting steel frame custom bike velo orange hubs fenders mudguards" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_109_184fdf42-b498-4995-a6da-ca81136ce6dd_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666214352" style="float: none;" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Clandestine Touring Bike with Crazy Bars Dynamo Lighting steel frame custom bike velo orange hubs fenders mudguards" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_110_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666214362" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://crossleymetal.com/">Crossley Metal</a></h3>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.<br /><br />This is his Chrome Tourer, designed for a gentleman to travel between vineyards in Tuscany. This was faaaaancy. Rohloff hub, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/threadless-stems/products/cigne-stem">Cigne Stem</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/front-racks/products/vo-randonneur-front-rack-with-integrated-decaleur">Randonneur Front Rack</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/seatposts/products/grand-cru-0-setback-seatpost-27-2">0 Setback Seatpost</a>, and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/threadless-headsets/products/grand-cru-1-1-8-threadless-headset">Chrome 1 1/8" Threadless Headset</a>. The frame and fork are fully chromed and polished to *chef's kiss* perfection. <div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crossley Metal bike builder velo orange cigne stem randonneur 0 setback seatpost silver components rene herse pacenti" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_123_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666215690" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crossley Metal bike builder velo orange cigne stem randonneur 0 setback seatpost silver components rene herse pacenti" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_125_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666215753" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crossley Metal bike builder velo orange cigne stem randonneur 0 setback seatpost silver components rene herse pacenti" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_127_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666215863" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div>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.</div><div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crossley Metal bike builder velo orange cigne stem randonneur 0 setback seatpost silver components rene herse pacenti" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_118_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666216301" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crossley Metal bike builder velo orange cigne stem randonneur 0 setback seatpost silver components rene herse pacenti" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_122_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666216331" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crossley Metal bike builder velo orange cigne stem randonneur 0 setback seatpost silver components rene herse pacenti" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_119_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666216357" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/etoile_cycles/">Etoile Cycles</a></h3>I love seeing builders experimenting with tube junctions and designs. This quadruple triangle tourer/commuter from Etoile Cycles features our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/flat-and-upright-bars/products/vo-milano-handlebar-22-2-dia">Milan Handlebars</a>, cushy tires, custom build front rack, and loads of details. Super nice, Elodie!</div><div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Etoile Cycles Touring bike custom steel bike quadruple triangles velo orange" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_78_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666217557" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Etoile Cycles Touring bike custom steel bike quadruple triangles velo orange milan handlebars bars" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_83_9e2e543b-0c5c-4039-a404-1b9fdbe9a045_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666217718" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Etoile Cycles Touring bike custom steel bike quadruple triangles velo orange" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_82_3849366d-d0fd-41ed-b6c2-38137bd0e360_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666217740" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Etoile Cycles Touring bike custom steel bike quadruple triangles velo orange" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_84_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666217759" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://sour.bike/">Sour Bicycles</a></h3>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 <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/drop-handlebars/products/nouveau-randonneur-handlebar">Nouveau Randonneur Bars</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/handlebar-tape/products/rubbery-handlebar-tape">Rubbery Bar Tape</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/seatposts/products/vo-grand-cru-seat-post-long-setback">Long Setback Seatpost</a>, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/threadless-stems/products/vo-threadless-stem-31-8-6-rise">31.8mm Threadless Stem</a>, and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/bags/products/mini-rando-handlebar-bag">Mini Rando Bag</a>.<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ride Sour Bicycles Clueless gravel bike shimano grx custom steel carbon fork" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_92_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666304815" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ride Sour Bicycles Clueless gravel bike shimano grx custom steel carbon fork" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_93_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666304882" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ride Sour Bicycles Clueless gravel bike shimano grx custom steel carbon fork" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_94_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666304903" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ride Sour Bicycles Clueless gravel bike shimano grx custom steel carbon fork" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_98_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666304922" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ride Sour Bicycles Clueless gravel bike shimano grx custom steel carbon fork" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_95_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666304942" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ride Sour Bicycles Clueless gravel bike shimano grx custom steel carbon fork" height="268" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2196/9775/files/convert_97_1024x1024.jpg?v=1666304968" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div>Stay tuned for part 2 coming shortly!</div></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-70252726302495482492022-10-11T11:49:00.000-04:002022-10-11T11:49:55.816-04:00Flat Pack Racks are Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fdVb5PKqf1--awNGh911dmR9gNl_BATFbosUtUhQ05f0DNKkNCOOgegXrYQvuUzCxsEaf41VPyPXJuLtZSjamUOuzCAU8AFaB1wM7zUyLQD8kHxLmuwKEew1kIJk9G7if72XwQADc2KIh7b2hMoAGOJpuM24QP6bISnrgLDXPbPXwyOYzQ/s1600/rackdroppedout%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fdVb5PKqf1--awNGh911dmR9gNl_BATFbosUtUhQ05f0DNKkNCOOgegXrYQvuUzCxsEaf41VPyPXJuLtZSjamUOuzCAU8AFaB1wM7zUyLQD8kHxLmuwKEew1kIJk9G7if72XwQADc2KIh7b2hMoAGOJpuM24QP6bISnrgLDXPbPXwyOYzQ/w400-h400/rackdroppedout%20(1).jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That's right! The <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/front-racks/products/flat-pack-randonneur-rack">Flat Pack Rack</a> is finally back. If this is your first time hearing about the FPR, here's a basic rundown.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgOYWX4gYGi1MgKyzJ8lJ2fgA2OlbHzdvghrPob_Pi0iF_fd_2okbHBlrrqKYTaP7cZwOxguHZoqMZygGN9BjnbZv4dQqiga99_rRvKnyEiiTQQQJbH1l3P74YbuwDkOFWtpBSRWOFdZfwreExHKryppvOoXi2kQbDBiTGHpS54__ankEPw/s1600/rack%20on%20bike.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgOYWX4gYGi1MgKyzJ8lJ2fgA2OlbHzdvghrPob_Pi0iF_fd_2okbHBlrrqKYTaP7cZwOxguHZoqMZygGN9BjnbZv4dQqiga99_rRvKnyEiiTQQQJbH1l3P74YbuwDkOFWtpBSRWOFdZfwreExHKryppvOoXi2kQbDBiTGHpS54__ankEPw/w400-h400/rack%20on%20bike.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>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.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoJFPq2EhM_RMbAHtMVsJA_Q_ST9j5oxPdfgdfsfJwCYe6iryO57PVdFM0RWt24ZJd2G-p6tDX73V5JQkGEfi6KRl5xgK2iUX8XCLF4pzCWCnlzx8q987-E7ocB7CoADPk3k9CECUxJUGgjVrGGzXKG79FoUdmD1wVT4PjS5_9I1osOti4w/s1388/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-11%20at%2010.40.55%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1388" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoJFPq2EhM_RMbAHtMVsJA_Q_ST9j5oxPdfgdfsfJwCYe6iryO57PVdFM0RWt24ZJd2G-p6tDX73V5JQkGEfi6KRl5xgK2iUX8XCLF4pzCWCnlzx8q987-E7ocB7CoADPk3k9CECUxJUGgjVrGGzXKG79FoUdmD1wVT4PjS5_9I1osOti4w/w400-h319/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-11%20at%2010.40.55%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>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.<div><div><br /></div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PgCf73k0G6WfI44905YvrdIYJXRzYKOYjzu4PIASqVXds2FLC3EJf7JJ05OHp-dyrb189FIVOXJP6TOc5mEjS2u9ijdPKnmuuhFCuWW2MtJAclkp2yl2dmpaf7aeamN0tbere2JVjQhAPFCIHOqmrIFUGJJ40asZwvTFsZAqogRDAFYRiA/s1041/IMGP9529%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1041" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PgCf73k0G6WfI44905YvrdIYJXRzYKOYjzu4PIASqVXds2FLC3EJf7JJ05OHp-dyrb189FIVOXJP6TOc5mEjS2u9ijdPKnmuuhFCuWW2MtJAclkp2yl2dmpaf7aeamN0tbere2JVjQhAPFCIHOqmrIFUGJJ40asZwvTFsZAqogRDAFYRiA/w400-h400/IMGP9529%20(1).jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />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.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoukj6yeeptN1-Br9Hnh2B82TMeFFW8Kt3xAfvHXPAdDrW9Y3ZS3sqXXe-V9DGQjJ3UVz1Or5UTkj1vDws7uLmXLh-AGDPMukHPHDFDcG0YohwZKurrHmvh9C0JN0SW30NvvVvr2JWobgxGNUDh6xc6s8FF3XVdxiaioCNcqImmmLAMpVOVA/s1384/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-11%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="1384" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoukj6yeeptN1-Br9Hnh2B82TMeFFW8Kt3xAfvHXPAdDrW9Y3ZS3sqXXe-V9DGQjJ3UVz1Or5UTkj1vDws7uLmXLh-AGDPMukHPHDFDcG0YohwZKurrHmvh9C0JN0SW30NvvVvr2JWobgxGNUDh6xc6s8FF3XVdxiaioCNcqImmmLAMpVOVA/w400-h323/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-11%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />Oh, and there's also an eyelet on the front of the rack for a light!<div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/front-racks/products/flat-pack-randonneur-rack">FPR is available</a> in both Silver and Black finishes to match your color scheme.</div></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-69082017015030302602022-10-10T11:15:00.000-04:002022-10-10T11:15:03.392-04:00Gearing up for Fall<p>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.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DKa7eUeTsQQtgTFVMFQYtUetYZRIsXklByZCwkyV-j67EH87XLc02qwKSTi1FflpwMtdPdOseqNI2suZnTZZA0U18xTLTVkihShPPFiTVFlve3hOJjC-2vxwQZ5A1ALpEXICDDlON-dQbh78klJnvfV1yUlYLzlk-XlqTB2rWdyuAafxjg/s1600/flapped%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1600" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DKa7eUeTsQQtgTFVMFQYtUetYZRIsXklByZCwkyV-j67EH87XLc02qwKSTi1FflpwMtdPdOseqNI2suZnTZZA0U18xTLTVkihShPPFiTVFlve3hOJjC-2vxwQZ5A1ALpEXICDDlON-dQbh78klJnvfV1yUlYLzlk-XlqTB2rWdyuAafxjg/w400-h209/flapped%20(1).jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><b><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/fenders">Fenders</a> </b>- 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<a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/choosing-fenders"> tech article</a> about fitting fenders to your bike to make sure you are looking for the right size fenderset for your bike. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ2-Ink-H7N7btW02YotQo5N6ASx2b4B-N5glGApNxNTCRPi2sWAMtCCorpH3Ym2aoSwEYe04nFUsMH60snoDYTTPYsnW-y6gyRIXzS7trI6x0H_u8UbXsEtbgup3l3s-sO96JaSOMbRpHxeDJEPWOCzct21kZqNYoIqs02ZBosAaoL5sBw/s1392/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%2010.18.12%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1392" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ2-Ink-H7N7btW02YotQo5N6ASx2b4B-N5glGApNxNTCRPi2sWAMtCCorpH3Ym2aoSwEYe04nFUsMH60snoDYTTPYsnW-y6gyRIXzS7trI6x0H_u8UbXsEtbgup3l3s-sO96JaSOMbRpHxeDJEPWOCzct21kZqNYoIqs02ZBosAaoL5sBw/w400-h400/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%2010.18.12%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><b><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/fender-parts">Fender Accessories</a> </b>- 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 <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/fender-parts/products/rubber-mudflaps">Rubber Mud Flaps</a> and our <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/fender-parts/products/grand-cru-fender-mounted-reflector">Fender Reflectors</a>. 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.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEFLU4MYyDKnYPcWMqZFBB8XafK9xqIFPMBWlKcyhDPyikvcC5ctj0OTiYtvAg1w4MwvsQTMp3-yOcC2FEvg8B5aZudwiPdOsGZKu-V5cP1HkVnjpMHBZ4Th_QbupRUtgCFP2z3LAIGXj5lkIHfleQEdfCa9MZCfQI-2_dPHvIR5cjC1sJA/s1600/winter%20hunter-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEFLU4MYyDKnYPcWMqZFBB8XafK9xqIFPMBWlKcyhDPyikvcC5ctj0OTiYtvAg1w4MwvsQTMp3-yOcC2FEvg8B5aZudwiPdOsGZKu-V5cP1HkVnjpMHBZ4Th_QbupRUtgCFP2z3LAIGXj5lkIHfleQEdfCa9MZCfQI-2_dPHvIR5cjC1sJA/w400-h265/winter%20hunter-4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>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! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD39hd2Ts1-cfoqNHAl7yjC7flA6XWlXnK7wLCv3OVfawPPVL7HFwldIW9wwGwlZ_QkWrp4cvHYb_HUg4hWLUWQD0drEg_PKuiANn0cqdT2D5qKjHB2rENolPpGih_aGH-Ih1QTRAUqLA3mHoWdf9KBE4NrhbIBhDqEeUKIzCoYu9Q6QH0cg/s1386/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%2010.21.25%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1382" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD39hd2Ts1-cfoqNHAl7yjC7flA6XWlXnK7wLCv3OVfawPPVL7HFwldIW9wwGwlZ_QkWrp4cvHYb_HUg4hWLUWQD0drEg_PKuiANn0cqdT2D5qKjHB2rENolPpGih_aGH-Ih1QTRAUqLA3mHoWdf9KBE4NrhbIBhDqEeUKIzCoYu9Q6QH0cg/w399-h400/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%2010.21.25%20AM.png" width="399" /></a></div><p>If you want to use a battery powered blinky light, we have a <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/lighting/products/blinky-light-bracket">Fender Mount</a> for those as well. More visibility is a necessity as the sun keeps setting earlier this time of year!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzqpsyudFZn1Ci4sxd982xXSHmA6pQH1BdgZbY8R8tKOzCp-8RGxB0dfSeFafUXQTZtczhjJulJgaKCSq_dtSJ0BfZjbtcj0KwqifP3csYQ3hd1xjrNRvvtAwLJxCsVZRFGcX2vWyeb-bXQxH4PSFhcsCSdc2vfCPnrdKXUMnWc6P3anZlg/s400/pouring.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="400" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzqpsyudFZn1Ci4sxd982xXSHmA6pQH1BdgZbY8R8tKOzCp-8RGxB0dfSeFafUXQTZtczhjJulJgaKCSq_dtSJ0BfZjbtcj0KwqifP3csYQ3hd1xjrNRvvtAwLJxCsVZRFGcX2vWyeb-bXQxH4PSFhcsCSdc2vfCPnrdKXUMnWc6P3anZlg/w400-h323/pouring.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/camp-cabin/products/soto-helix-coffee-maker">Soto Coffee Filter Holder</a> </b>If you've read this blog for anything more than a year, you know what we love about fall is <a href="https://chasingmailboxes.com/category/coffeeneuring/">coffeeneuring!</a> 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).<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0GVVwjuR8wltQO4vhBweas6u_As7T15wfATJkgGPI7O1vrrSeYdCJkHynMk0MaopDcdFnnPFEp0mrjpzPyFOnvN-Jtm1oL8q6j5fkSD4G9_c7zt3_Say5jkI7yuJ4XM4dOE6P6kfXfwbBFtN0g2ebhF0EgQCJNpbwtJBQUmkmJvRaL4S_g/s1752/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%2010.26.19%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1676" data-original-width="1752" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0GVVwjuR8wltQO4vhBweas6u_As7T15wfATJkgGPI7O1vrrSeYdCJkHynMk0MaopDcdFnnPFEp0mrjpzPyFOnvN-Jtm1oL8q6j5fkSD4G9_c7zt3_Say5jkI7yuJ4XM4dOE6P6kfXfwbBFtN0g2ebhF0EgQCJNpbwtJBQUmkmJvRaL4S_g/w400-h383/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%2010.26.19%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><b><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/opinel/products/opinel-no-8-mushroom-knife">Opinel Mushroom Knife</a> </b>- 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.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbshUZpjG4nEjW376-iX2jm8geaYhBwPfB-Y682jgJ00ZaQ4GnFw-OrOqoA-d01oS3Maa7DimCXsJ3zWC71PmSt_G79OcnSZX_KnxU05m5ssS5AUx6WYDCa1i2vEn3eaXWwJP0B0WbHLkYOdA6BlpqMrBobgfAuPeREuKU9DWK7zf6iW7Yg/s2048/convert_9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbshUZpjG4nEjW376-iX2jm8geaYhBwPfB-Y682jgJ00ZaQ4GnFw-OrOqoA-d01oS3Maa7DimCXsJ3zWC71PmSt_G79OcnSZX_KnxU05m5ssS5AUx6WYDCa1i2vEn3eaXWwJP0B0WbHLkYOdA6BlpqMrBobgfAuPeREuKU9DWK7zf6iW7Yg/w320-h400/convert_9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/lilly-lube-4-23oz-bottle">Lilly Lube</a> </b>- 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. </p><p>I think fall is the best season, so get your bike life set up for it and get out there.</p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-26678985151322531842022-09-22T10:23:00.000-04:002022-09-22T10:23:13.662-04:00Reconnecting with Half Clips<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">By Scott</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDU9OX3WcuIIQ7-ad7SGvdZgVgOqkBBUKpGBnn53e2yBjMK4cLhdgBsQULHV45jEYfeGbAc__aA9KEea23h0a99EBxIwRZme-mrAFA_GUb06UZmwfIYMX9OTN8wk5FzbowgoJqGJOjPoAWjjrhjxBukxpgKkDM8LIzTgLV4lU1nlH-NieFg/s2048/convert_109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDU9OX3WcuIIQ7-ad7SGvdZgVgOqkBBUKpGBnn53e2yBjMK4cLhdgBsQULHV45jEYfeGbAc__aA9KEea23h0a99EBxIwRZme-mrAFA_GUb06UZmwfIYMX9OTN8wk5FzbowgoJqGJOjPoAWjjrhjxBukxpgKkDM8LIzTgLV4lU1nlH-NieFg/w400-h266/convert_109.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/toe-clips/products/vo-deep-half-clips">Half Clips</a> are one of those sort of cycling products that you didn't know you needed until you knew they existed. For city riders using sneakers, boots, and canvas shoes, Half Clips are a blessing. No more having your feet fly off the pedals when your cadence reaches maximum RPM!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_7pqlbwuA2C8SKyXUbaUl21sG_selcTNFAGJdQPsKzDTZ2yW2gRd-tUbSMR_TLqtYzeckOmevtlbX_ljxKob6RvuQMia5bmvxMpTHjgfXKTkDF619GPDX7kom2dsCqAOdARWr2Hi-3Yc-VXr6VosTuZCLPf4v_WrWh5vmdxTh6ARWkn1HNg=s3170" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3170" data-original-width="2122" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_7pqlbwuA2C8SKyXUbaUl21sG_selcTNFAGJdQPsKzDTZ2yW2gRd-tUbSMR_TLqtYzeckOmevtlbX_ljxKob6RvuQMia5bmvxMpTHjgfXKTkDF619GPDX7kom2dsCqAOdARWr2Hi-3Yc-VXr6VosTuZCLPf4v_WrWh5vmdxTh6ARWkn1HNg=w268-h400" width="268" /></a></div><br /><p>What makes our Half Clips shine are their generous height and width. Other half clips that we looked at were very low, which is fine if you were only using cycling shoes. For those of us who want to ride in boots or hiking shoes in the winter or sneakers in the summer, the taller height (3.3 cm from base to the top of the clip) of our Half Clips lets you fit your shoes in easily and more comfortably.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDOOd10kfUQV0aePDt4MImYhH7D-xtdF2X-Pkjbalax4jAdmBvTxNONgfYqzN8Y0vFKxdv2ATLJo9EI8t5CNCEwl8aLjHXtgweQxiQ5kU-FhSe71CV7wqs8nabVmSaUg9WMAjOIt-Vjwq2goAFiqJg1FFzScLaMhuMLx2HztpFaGxDJJv2g/s2048/convert_111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDOOd10kfUQV0aePDt4MImYhH7D-xtdF2X-Pkjbalax4jAdmBvTxNONgfYqzN8Y0vFKxdv2ATLJo9EI8t5CNCEwl8aLjHXtgweQxiQ5kU-FhSe71CV7wqs8nabVmSaUg9WMAjOIt-Vjwq2goAFiqJg1FFzScLaMhuMLx2HztpFaGxDJJv2g/w400-h266/convert_111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>On the site <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/toe-clips/products/vo-deep-half-clips">here</a>, they work with any pedal that has the holes to accept toe clips. You can even throw them on <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/pedals/products/grand-cru-sabot-pedals">Sabot Pedals</a> if you want the ultimate in shoe to pedal interface. We even include the hardware to install them. What sort of shoes do you use with your half clips? Let the world know about your combinations in the comments below.</p><p>FYI, we're going to discontinue them once this stock is depleted, so stock up now!</p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-38588867793803403232022-09-14T13:46:00.005-04:002022-09-15T09:29:54.825-04:00Independence Pass Hunting Pt. 1<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Clint</span></p><p>It’s been a while - both since I’ve written a post and ridden a fully loaded bicycle. I had been dreaming about this route for the past few years. Every time I would drive through the I-70 corridor in Colorado, I’d see this bike path that weaves in and out under the highway and next to the water. Very scenic despite being next to the interstate. I always wondered how far it went. Last year we drove through Independence Pass when it opened. The entire time I had wished I had a bike with me. Exploring by bike is one of my favorite ways to see a place, old or new. Everything looks so different than when you’re on foot or in the car. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RH7dlSQFS7OBY6yq7MK-SiSim3B2zbjoijEIOYmJbwCrRcYucePC48DDBoIaYoQ138C11QAU8BHBxMR4zNZrU1e_Ni7Gw8QUHYyCGL9w45hd-RCZuVJQBR1JWoI30AQ7k1zp_bax0Zs_e2MJwkjQqO6RFLBK0R0JR-dHZklO0aHHp75mkw/s2048/DSC05524.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RH7dlSQFS7OBY6yq7MK-SiSim3B2zbjoijEIOYmJbwCrRcYucePC48DDBoIaYoQ138C11QAU8BHBxMR4zNZrU1e_Ni7Gw8QUHYyCGL9w45hd-RCZuVJQBR1JWoI30AQ7k1zp_bax0Zs_e2MJwkjQqO6RFLBK0R0JR-dHZklO0aHHp75mkw/w400-h266/DSC05524.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>Fast forward to early summer this year. My buddy Rico was starting to get curious about what a bike tour is like. So as any good friend would do, I tricked him into going on a 200ish mile tour with 9k+ feet of climbing on loaded bikes, some of which was at altitude. Just kidding. I didn’t think the riding was anything he couldn’t handle. He regularly commutes to work by bike, 15 miles each way. We broke up the ride into chunks. 40 to 50 miles per day over 5 days with a rest day in there. Very digestible. Honestly I was hoping the tour would be 100% type 1 fun and I would say most of it was. A little type 2 fun definitely snuck its way in there. More on that later. </p><p>Our route incorporates both of these super scenic bikeways, up and down mountains and over passes. I thought, what better bike to do this on than a <a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/pass-hunter">Pass Hunter</a>! It’s a versatile frame and packs up well with modern touring gear. I'll delve into the equipment in Pt. 2 of Independence Pass Hunting - coming soon!</p><p>Without boring you any further with planning details - here’s the tour broken up day by day.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 1 - Carbondale to Aspen to Lincoln Gulch</h2><p>We started the tour in Carbondale. We were able to camp out nearby so we could get a fresh start first thing in the morning. Rico had the connections for a good safe spot to park for the duration of our tour. </p><p>Carbondale is cute! Folks seem very happy there. The mountains are beautiful and the Rio Grande bike trail passes through the middle of town, completely isolated from cars. We topped off our coffee thermoses at Bonfire coffee and headed up the Rio Grande trail. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpqWdpjwPGUPxJu4hhqdhj3VzWDGAEsIIoEfSo3SObqeQMgzD5cpBeZ5S7eQrMzCaqUvrmcJvn8KNab7WoO0IsizddPYqq-KH6rHQ2Kw4YAxkpJnWSX_Nu7M6G6feS2gM7ZJcqC_OPCHPEHm6OuegMGBZd660gqQHDB5TcqLgp6_poTq0Cg/s2048/DSC05393.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpqWdpjwPGUPxJu4hhqdhj3VzWDGAEsIIoEfSo3SObqeQMgzD5cpBeZ5S7eQrMzCaqUvrmcJvn8KNab7WoO0IsizddPYqq-KH6rHQ2Kw4YAxkpJnWSX_Nu7M6G6feS2gM7ZJcqC_OPCHPEHm6OuegMGBZd660gqQHDB5TcqLgp6_poTq0Cg/w400-h266/DSC05393.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrSz9fl5boLnAiPk2vy-JtO85rLHOKJ_VL-Vi-Iaqttn4TFCknr3gGSStEzsvCb6GJ12LGlp8e4ki7a_y4EQ-85YPyaJAWUYRBSh0YDApgQMiNxbAO2mhewcqldBpA-ZZsHuKb6uXQm28s9tuuVYar-1LZ6zH3kvak7CMYilWdSNhoqk7Xw/s2048/DSC05400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrSz9fl5boLnAiPk2vy-JtO85rLHOKJ_VL-Vi-Iaqttn4TFCknr3gGSStEzsvCb6GJ12LGlp8e4ki7a_y4EQ-85YPyaJAWUYRBSh0YDApgQMiNxbAO2mhewcqldBpA-ZZsHuKb6uXQm28s9tuuVYar-1LZ6zH3kvak7CMYilWdSNhoqk7Xw/w400-h266/DSC05400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The cycling infrastructure in Colorado continues to blow my mind. The trail is gorgeous and very well maintained. It passes through some very scenic farm country between mountains. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd-ZHwoolx70263knhnPP3tF7H5IuR9rf391rifIFgQ7rPfdFjVjLNFI2DKbFg6C4mKN_AMN6BHS0rkhCN_brfoF8vh4Z4Wd3-C5zN5WctYyKzsMtF0h1YHAkOJFYwqxSNo_uuQt452KMcjJjxrFK6_iqRKqt2lsIhlno65kkMKl9ba5qXA/s2048/DSC05447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd-ZHwoolx70263knhnPP3tF7H5IuR9rf391rifIFgQ7rPfdFjVjLNFI2DKbFg6C4mKN_AMN6BHS0rkhCN_brfoF8vh4Z4Wd3-C5zN5WctYyKzsMtF0h1YHAkOJFYwqxSNo_uuQt452KMcjJjxrFK6_iqRKqt2lsIhlno65kkMKl9ba5qXA/w266-h400/DSC05447.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>The consistent elevation gain of the path was impressive. You can barely tell you’re biking uphill. It gets a little bumpier towards Aspen, but only more scenic. The trail takes a ridgeline that overlooks the valley. Shortly before Aspen we took a stop for Rico to throw a line in the water. He pulled a trout out probably within 5 minutes. I don’t know how he does it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6aiBEui3prHGUdfY8MMkO9Z--W7dc-6oTHiJ4pCHo68UfyaVNVsC7ETBzPrFcHZWcX_vSfmrmxD_wNaNSpV7EgLgtlfl1cCPVi2G3u3vNRWpwYIrIgtIR5sNiCF0pGmVQydcdfD469IjmKSnrJL57yXrskkPJQtOsHg_b4Lv8vh0j1Egpw/s2048/DSC01444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6aiBEui3prHGUdfY8MMkO9Z--W7dc-6oTHiJ4pCHo68UfyaVNVsC7ETBzPrFcHZWcX_vSfmrmxD_wNaNSpV7EgLgtlfl1cCPVi2G3u3vNRWpwYIrIgtIR5sNiCF0pGmVQydcdfD469IjmKSnrJL57yXrskkPJQtOsHg_b4Lv8vh0j1Egpw/w400-h266/DSC01444.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>At this point, we rolled through Aspen. Took a quick stop at a grocery store for some last minute supplies and rolled by the art museum. Rico is a structural engineer and his firm did the entryway of this building. Pretty neat. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0_y90uWkvBYDGwmjW9t7_SKsvAAWojfoaob2nabBJYC8878xXQjqgzPZTXDtyFXkcI_0riz1LFo6ekhfcfoR7Y_nhriVPAPBSMGTqullgdyVTfB9bOyXnVumto-HhdRD_ofg8kMOzoxOnuwi8TC_w4SetJFSDcaGavbjgQ9AToZOqsnKmg/s2048/DSC01463.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0_y90uWkvBYDGwmjW9t7_SKsvAAWojfoaob2nabBJYC8878xXQjqgzPZTXDtyFXkcI_0riz1LFo6ekhfcfoR7Y_nhriVPAPBSMGTqullgdyVTfB9bOyXnVumto-HhdRD_ofg8kMOzoxOnuwi8TC_w4SetJFSDcaGavbjgQ9AToZOqsnKmg/w266-h400/DSC01463.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>On the way out of town, we got to ride through some actual aspens. For anyone who doesn’t know the fun fact about aspens - an entire forest can be a single organism, similar to a mushroom or other rhizomes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNeHVwqxLNCunAYrHpTFHyK4xDQRQBek9Vhp52O4E2dvmap4iCmK7qDmyPvLLJCf0ha1e1ydJqryWtGmwcj6NFmQ6OMnDY4jbx5ResGPtursmiAZnoDc8Y6Hu5d8pyPjqLLsirOGS35viTxdiR6UY-pmHvPb_NKGlgXFLvsjhZFd8BQDS0g/s2048/DSC05450.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNeHVwqxLNCunAYrHpTFHyK4xDQRQBek9Vhp52O4E2dvmap4iCmK7qDmyPvLLJCf0ha1e1ydJqryWtGmwcj6NFmQ6OMnDY4jbx5ResGPtursmiAZnoDc8Y6Hu5d8pyPjqLLsirOGS35viTxdiR6UY-pmHvPb_NKGlgXFLvsjhZFd8BQDS0g/w400-h266/DSC05450.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sdLgnXBXXIHKeTXl2JHRBgNun1QDSXbB4eMIzsH5iysPbcNI9xnXUhVBc2feMn04iII8iTklH4AnovboNmXHujcFh4aFgflClM5LNL3h38SLNNpPOoVILteclDwBgzjW8ZYdAUQXsIJWNWg97L4T8HTSCSjsg4g5QMvdN_6gMXE-SCNBig/s2048/DSC05452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sdLgnXBXXIHKeTXl2JHRBgNun1QDSXbB4eMIzsH5iysPbcNI9xnXUhVBc2feMn04iII8iTklH4AnovboNmXHujcFh4aFgflClM5LNL3h38SLNNpPOoVILteclDwBgzjW8ZYdAUQXsIJWNWg97L4T8HTSCSjsg4g5QMvdN_6gMXE-SCNBig/w266-h400/DSC05452.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The Rio Grande trail ends at the edge of Aspen. At this point, we transitioned onto Independence Pass. Let the pass hunting begin! The initial climb was pretty tough. We broke it up into chunks and stopped for a photoshoot at golden hour. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEier_D5-a32WrHZqUuC-0U4nvfQqmLf96p4ylKG5HPWUJ3htPjqCn1NXtDXVzV6ePjYiO--CPOSj6PqQkC5qqF9Eqh2wqhdY3FxG_TxStHvKdyouSQKANz_kWanR37I0tO274zCnlQxW04aL2yPxWqJDhfIoVwZtMvD6a5F9RY5o5gfO-ZW4g/s2048/DSC01494.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEier_D5-a32WrHZqUuC-0U4nvfQqmLf96p4ylKG5HPWUJ3htPjqCn1NXtDXVzV6ePjYiO--CPOSj6PqQkC5qqF9Eqh2wqhdY3FxG_TxStHvKdyouSQKANz_kWanR37I0tO274zCnlQxW04aL2yPxWqJDhfIoVwZtMvD6a5F9RY5o5gfO-ZW4g/w266-h400/DSC01494.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuyuSOq6AefqCgmi6TBE2U1GoylTniu8NxuwawWMIMSfyriGeTUA8MzGorkNfSSnXTZBRBfnlUWpltp6weFTrT4EeqOeA0XOaMWeq1uSsBSm33mppH5CYURHdA8JyA4i449uyd_bYNxBeXa5oJOjeHf3_ppnjTtaoviW5pX6gTJDOelot1w/s2048/DSC05454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuyuSOq6AefqCgmi6TBE2U1GoylTniu8NxuwawWMIMSfyriGeTUA8MzGorkNfSSnXTZBRBfnlUWpltp6weFTrT4EeqOeA0XOaMWeq1uSsBSm33mppH5CYURHdA8JyA4i449uyd_bYNxBeXa5oJOjeHf3_ppnjTtaoviW5pX6gTJDOelot1w/w266-h400/DSC05454.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The end of the first day ended in some unintended hike-a-bike. Silly Google Maps took us on a hiking trail that used to exist with multiple stream crossings. Noting this for next time - take the access road to the campground. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jsxfu6_d-jDAEN390OG7hdHy6pIy8jAC5Ue6s0vXZll_DZE5E52wkP-W5MHsX0bX54gG8wWI7GQLc7P6PrCgWYUey3v67DIY_CnTSLGCluDPvjxPf7j2wQM_cNh5hsyo3iR9VEflZf1vYPKwZQ4Q-22081Q7AUHA77jeq0l4TjQfdlUbdQ/s2048/DSC01571.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jsxfu6_d-jDAEN390OG7hdHy6pIy8jAC5Ue6s0vXZll_DZE5E52wkP-W5MHsX0bX54gG8wWI7GQLc7P6PrCgWYUey3v67DIY_CnTSLGCluDPvjxPf7j2wQM_cNh5hsyo3iR9VEflZf1vYPKwZQ4Q-22081Q7AUHA77jeq0l4TjQfdlUbdQ/w400-h266/DSC01571.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Lincoln gulch is my favorite (and only) campground I’ve stayed at on the pass. We set up camp and got to work on some camp meals! One of my favorite parts of touring. End of day 1.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Rest day</h2><p>We planned our 2nd day to be a rest day. Again - trying to have some type 1 fun. I think it was a good idea. We both wanted to adjust to altitude (almost at 10k feet at this point), hang out on the pass, do some fishing, and take pictures of cool bugs. Honestly the campground is so gorgeous, I could have absolutely nothing to do and still enjoy my time. We pulled out Rico’s vintage Olympus lens to get some vibey lifestyle shots at the campsite for y’all. Rico’s the photography buff here. I’m gonna have to direct all photography questions to him. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQilIYLGJvS7PFuMkBaIE3gby_0JAgkbB_IePiMUOQCIh1EfeuMT1-Q08Ufg67mG9LUZDhuetBh32THHr8BxSBi1n2b3FuqYhbkLY8rQxy4qiyZW_ZEI-Pp2_dsaXQ068wxsRdBxhysHdi5pnYS3aU7NBm_DNnvpdEKDvvey6wPUEB0NF79w/s2048/DSC01576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQilIYLGJvS7PFuMkBaIE3gby_0JAgkbB_IePiMUOQCIh1EfeuMT1-Q08Ufg67mG9LUZDhuetBh32THHr8BxSBi1n2b3FuqYhbkLY8rQxy4qiyZW_ZEI-Pp2_dsaXQ068wxsRdBxhysHdi5pnYS3aU7NBm_DNnvpdEKDvvey6wPUEB0NF79w/w400-h266/DSC01576.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Tf0RYyyFrH3j_qKgNMv3AcBhGOtT3vgb1gN6_CbaFgSu53x_g6qRWrMyTeIsHIhhNkJ6_2ZTXJkLR3cSm45txwv2Z2rt3tYCuvAHXVgpiuWx4vg9kYV1CuUDVMg9ZcC6w1bAUl8n-YAE2yL2tAo8sb1aDmvBzBHZ2-VaqNFYCFROY-JINg/s2048/DSC01698.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Tf0RYyyFrH3j_qKgNMv3AcBhGOtT3vgb1gN6_CbaFgSu53x_g6qRWrMyTeIsHIhhNkJ6_2ZTXJkLR3cSm45txwv2Z2rt3tYCuvAHXVgpiuWx4vg9kYV1CuUDVMg9ZcC6w1bAUl8n-YAE2yL2tAo8sb1aDmvBzBHZ2-VaqNFYCFROY-JINg/w400-h400/DSC01698.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE__8I2i9Vlkmk3ht7hnh8hMvJ0CDimicBmCzY4eDCD6rBsjapdRfPDcTzfc5iWmmgULFLyDLWSPWWxTbW9kxK4nnb5AoqsI_OrXFtCjKGEbt4oUjID8uyEhlT8bNTcdmQ5FfIMsaY3VvWi0yFUyz90086G_I04a_x5dFQZYQnr0r_puDyg/s2048/DSC01716.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE__8I2i9Vlkmk3ht7hnh8hMvJ0CDimicBmCzY4eDCD6rBsjapdRfPDcTzfc5iWmmgULFLyDLWSPWWxTbW9kxK4nnb5AoqsI_OrXFtCjKGEbt4oUjID8uyEhlT8bNTcdmQ5FfIMsaY3VvWi0yFUyz90086G_I04a_x5dFQZYQnr0r_puDyg/w266-h400/DSC01716.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sMGdjrl54bfkys2hLNi2dOKL0kzhYsHkPGMSpYHmoUlTOymsm7ppU3mYxVzqrZKGEdYpvoM_ZLHKBjNedWyNQP39z4UNClnbshpguEdk2iXsQ80KeH1Xip3dOoZ8poB_yMBcP7QjNuxNtkKzR4g6Uy-66kqd3ypCFbyuZCnWBVrxIZF_wA/s2048/DSC01727.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sMGdjrl54bfkys2hLNi2dOKL0kzhYsHkPGMSpYHmoUlTOymsm7ppU3mYxVzqrZKGEdYpvoM_ZLHKBjNedWyNQP39z4UNClnbshpguEdk2iXsQ80KeH1Xip3dOoZ8poB_yMBcP7QjNuxNtkKzR4g6Uy-66kqd3ypCFbyuZCnWBVrxIZF_wA/w400-h266/DSC01727.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA4gmtlJvnX2DsgaToeqW769yYa7y4AI4hyvXu4kxwG_OKXpc7yy3oV5AY5jXOMVuG68J-GgpkLQRQ1lbsmVFjySyOwwfjupiD3UWncd9LnNHWmNuq0uvv5ryMHZCuok4HztbJcaK4AZW_--0gJpNxAneOZjCKX-njrSHDoQHsEuxLTPDow/s2048/DSC01731%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA4gmtlJvnX2DsgaToeqW769yYa7y4AI4hyvXu4kxwG_OKXpc7yy3oV5AY5jXOMVuG68J-GgpkLQRQ1lbsmVFjySyOwwfjupiD3UWncd9LnNHWmNuq0uvv5ryMHZCuok4HztbJcaK4AZW_--0gJpNxAneOZjCKX-njrSHDoQHsEuxLTPDow/w266-h400/DSC01731%20(1).jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD6Go2obN5Z0OmtxdQ6n5MiGLpZI2J4mjoi9mRx1LgmB-QCLtHpLxoWx38BxnZ2gFlEdVIXHXDf8gZrTY4TRnGnu6oyPYTpTePRQoFfg5X2G6KMnAssVitTrJZsBHd_gWUFZysyXP8o3Pxjm4DfbdHV4jcBcM3_N-aFVfNSQABM1V8vHmFA/s2048/DSC01684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD6Go2obN5Z0OmtxdQ6n5MiGLpZI2J4mjoi9mRx1LgmB-QCLtHpLxoWx38BxnZ2gFlEdVIXHXDf8gZrTY4TRnGnu6oyPYTpTePRQoFfg5X2G6KMnAssVitTrJZsBHd_gWUFZysyXP8o3Pxjm4DfbdHV4jcBcM3_N-aFVfNSQABM1V8vHmFA/w266-h400/DSC01684.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>Also worth mentioning, we met Captain Jack at the campground. Coolest 62 year old from Florida we’ve ever met. Captain Jack and Rico had a little fishing contest. I’ll brag for Rico - he pulled out 8 rainbow trout, 1 brown trout, and 1 brook trout on our rest day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-_jW656OXklRRfP0z9LHR7AgqS5GoreBAlj2nbGQnA_K5tKP_eJEWwVt4ZUiZ0wY2mjJKLkg6hdrvmo27xfB7mlS8kDLXquzqsRSqG0N__XSWnGDXK2QcLThBExTO_T-8SzWKUU-KWtEsQ77p_9-iVUaC_O6MxfLJLpnrNcAT6d_1VlNCA/s2048/DSC01629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-_jW656OXklRRfP0z9LHR7AgqS5GoreBAlj2nbGQnA_K5tKP_eJEWwVt4ZUiZ0wY2mjJKLkg6hdrvmo27xfB7mlS8kDLXquzqsRSqG0N__XSWnGDXK2QcLThBExTO_T-8SzWKUU-KWtEsQ77p_9-iVUaC_O6MxfLJLpnrNcAT6d_1VlNCA/w266-h400/DSC01629.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4V9V7luXL2PX8mMqC1xPllbrIBic7t8MWqzkZgxjp1aNhZS4TcyPvVRXSUrSbxnpSkWS26zREx1n3KCp02m0coqS-FW9Va9IfyeX5e3Ig4Fpo49YKJTppEDIM1iJBWWzdgnKtNuv3d_ZlXypuYuXsWKXfUdBQehwo4QnrQln610kiQaCyQ/s2048/DSC01656%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4V9V7luXL2PX8mMqC1xPllbrIBic7t8MWqzkZgxjp1aNhZS4TcyPvVRXSUrSbxnpSkWS26zREx1n3KCp02m0coqS-FW9Va9IfyeX5e3Ig4Fpo49YKJTppEDIM1iJBWWzdgnKtNuv3d_ZlXypuYuXsWKXfUdBQehwo4QnrQln610kiQaCyQ/w266-h400/DSC01656%20(1).jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>A lot of “I bet you can’t pull a fish out of there” followed by Rico pulling a fish out of there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RH7dlSQFS7OBY6yq7MK-SiSim3B2zbjoijEIOYmJbwCrRcYucePC48DDBoIaYoQ138C11QAU8BHBxMR4zNZrU1e_Ni7Gw8QUHYyCGL9w45hd-RCZuVJQBR1JWoI30AQ7k1zp_bax0Zs_e2MJwkjQqO6RFLBK0R0JR-dHZklO0aHHp75mkw/s2048/DSC05524.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RH7dlSQFS7OBY6yq7MK-SiSim3B2zbjoijEIOYmJbwCrRcYucePC48DDBoIaYoQ138C11QAU8BHBxMR4zNZrU1e_Ni7Gw8QUHYyCGL9w45hd-RCZuVJQBR1JWoI30AQ7k1zp_bax0Zs_e2MJwkjQqO6RFLBK0R0JR-dHZklO0aHHp75mkw/w400-h266/DSC05524.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>End of rest day. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 3 - Summit day and Leadville</h2><p>The main reason for the rest day was to be fresh, rested, and acclimated for summit day. Time to bike up to 12k feet! I think, for the most part, it worked; however, the weather had other plans for us. To sum it up, it rained for a good three quarters of the day. Made for a lot of ups and downs, both emotionally and physically. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTlPepytXErmKZnNlMoMZyyMk7g8AwUmpMWABOWHnKCFHpIfVSHU9QynzMcVrIi7A2R1dHMuNaqz7-uclxtksev9JY8OhK6nJdd08xpkQhgtriK9r5VpEk2PzocGNoV8Yohlx-nddblTccMVlDOcKZ0P-GUnJ-l29e4Vqv4qKatkzO2I9AA/s2048/DSC05572.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTlPepytXErmKZnNlMoMZyyMk7g8AwUmpMWABOWHnKCFHpIfVSHU9QynzMcVrIi7A2R1dHMuNaqz7-uclxtksev9JY8OhK6nJdd08xpkQhgtriK9r5VpEk2PzocGNoV8Yohlx-nddblTccMVlDOcKZ0P-GUnJ-l29e4Vqv4qKatkzO2I9AA/w266-h400/DSC05572.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3tRq26RW3-AgdBcyKa5EWY-oOnJXDknfFSI-010sO-1CZeILVzmSb4_O4eVRWzqfcSzpYA7COIHGu233Xe9lurN1UssnQJpC_n-44s6g1tXqrapkgXtl1kdHHLNsABiPmS2W128iT6lqUyImp2YXsAq1tAMVHV_lBLGf0li-9f8JUcwxug/s2048/DSC05583.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3tRq26RW3-AgdBcyKa5EWY-oOnJXDknfFSI-010sO-1CZeILVzmSb4_O4eVRWzqfcSzpYA7COIHGu233Xe9lurN1UssnQJpC_n-44s6g1tXqrapkgXtl1kdHHLNsABiPmS2W128iT6lqUyImp2YXsAq1tAMVHV_lBLGf0li-9f8JUcwxug/w266-h400/DSC05583.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>Clouds broke as we summited! We met a dude, Nate, in his converted ambulance at the top and he offered us warmth, a coffee, and a photo of the two of us. Very grateful for Nate. He’s done his fair share of thru hiking and bike touring as well. It was nice to share a quiet moment with a cool guy before bombing down the opposite side of the continental divide!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cSeENU-_vg3_A1ZCiYfYomb4xB5dq8afrJkludPtdT-Nlk8eCG3Ft7YqR7R9LUrsJtiM2NLzYiKX1Yhfw-2rHAytqrLwOuUJN2DyXFZXoh5SfvQoD0m96BsE-16NA6tqFAOLOsuGrz_4pzkR3SaHylj2zlq8RKdqWiHz6NVAtkXgeFLcTw/s2048/DSC01816.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cSeENU-_vg3_A1ZCiYfYomb4xB5dq8afrJkludPtdT-Nlk8eCG3Ft7YqR7R9LUrsJtiM2NLzYiKX1Yhfw-2rHAytqrLwOuUJN2DyXFZXoh5SfvQoD0m96BsE-16NA6tqFAOLOsuGrz_4pzkR3SaHylj2zlq8RKdqWiHz6NVAtkXgeFLcTw/w400-h266/DSC01816.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Silly grins and breathtaking views down the backside of the mountain. So glad the weather cleared up enough for this portion of the ride. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDJec6wmM7wg8WrpIrW0HJhdJcLlos6LT7BTQ72BnZe0Q_5CHPieJiqP6lbepeXtnKmsfR7jcvVNDxCC09V23zCa534OHGjbJ1MmuWVBUm8pwHsbz9DwQDPQvPzyAGscO46gWaFnlC2L5rwNzA2Vecl0wL5yX1ly5vTSqI7lOQvXPNddSHw/s2048/DSC01857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDJec6wmM7wg8WrpIrW0HJhdJcLlos6LT7BTQ72BnZe0Q_5CHPieJiqP6lbepeXtnKmsfR7jcvVNDxCC09V23zCa534OHGjbJ1MmuWVBUm8pwHsbz9DwQDPQvPzyAGscO46gWaFnlC2L5rwNzA2Vecl0wL5yX1ly5vTSqI7lOQvXPNddSHw/w400-h266/DSC01857.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUCgL60dRzPdUARChYWEpielae5rcoLrukKHonFLu3bQLa-pEBCocppJ9ihT2HNEHNC8QqERr_F-0XGcxpWGJwESRPYo8fqbV9RfSrWrW6QBdZjjaFYDuCK0i0k4V34011zYwszKpHTR8jL_PC7cTydfUA1esrJR8hgcJDB8f-aQbHniY_g/s2048/DSC05604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUCgL60dRzPdUARChYWEpielae5rcoLrukKHonFLu3bQLa-pEBCocppJ9ihT2HNEHNC8QqERr_F-0XGcxpWGJwESRPYo8fqbV9RfSrWrW6QBdZjjaFYDuCK0i0k4V34011zYwszKpHTR8jL_PC7cTydfUA1esrJR8hgcJDB8f-aQbHniY_g/w266-h400/DSC05604.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOss-gqDQmOz2tk1bJg21LAI1VL_L7SmG6fxSmc0ABJco60VXIpi9UZ0gPptzJaRSBSHoJGgrSOETbXxn4DuNXW2PiWtghU-j2T8TQlgPwn3B_3Z8uv_HUeC-pwa4tEhKsDMQqwjBqfJ0zLuGiRUPK_kSi1JhOaCCWNaeFWCTX3lLnpBD4dQ/s2048/DSC05627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOss-gqDQmOz2tk1bJg21LAI1VL_L7SmG6fxSmc0ABJco60VXIpi9UZ0gPptzJaRSBSHoJGgrSOETbXxn4DuNXW2PiWtghU-j2T8TQlgPwn3B_3Z8uv_HUeC-pwa4tEhKsDMQqwjBqfJ0zLuGiRUPK_kSi1JhOaCCWNaeFWCTX3lLnpBD4dQ/w266-h400/DSC05627.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>The end of our day 3 ended up being the most challenging for me. Rain picked back up just as we were entering busy roads. I didn’t quite remember the speed limit being so high and the shoulder so small on the road south of Leadville. No photos here. Just taking it one piece at a time, pulling off for larger vehicles to pass. I’ll probably skip this part of the ride next time. </p><p>We made it into town just in time to check into our hostel, walk downtown, and eat an uncomfortable amount of carnitas. </p><p>Pass out at the hostel and End of Summit Day.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 4 - Leadville to Eagle</h2><p>We took our time after day 3, both to recover and enjoy Leadville. I can’t wait to go back to Leadville! The outdoors scene in town is rad. So many folks are there for the mountains and they’re intense! Can’t believe they do what they do at 10k feet. </p><p>A couple of notable spots to stop by in Leadville. Definitely check out ZeroDay for Coffee. Hannah made us some delicious drinks and we chatted with Tony for a while about local climbing and biking. Looking forward to hanging out with these folks again soon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhKNSBAKQIoz9H9nlCOFFCwsnyZdEfKW8Yz2xPb3HMpYcV7FbjSvcJO5H4S4Jzou1SVl42ay3LD3uvMrANgiLSYW13q0qDyfv_1AXaRfYQLizDZ7H6qVxKAoC53NzgocYGO7woTC-C_iBxB8WMdsJZ3ax86Yhw9sgVxTvpGUm9SUVXAl5pQ/s2048/DSC05654.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhKNSBAKQIoz9H9nlCOFFCwsnyZdEfKW8Yz2xPb3HMpYcV7FbjSvcJO5H4S4Jzou1SVl42ay3LD3uvMrANgiLSYW13q0qDyfv_1AXaRfYQLizDZ7H6qVxKAoC53NzgocYGO7woTC-C_iBxB8WMdsJZ3ax86Yhw9sgVxTvpGUm9SUVXAl5pQ/w400-h266/DSC05654.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>As for a bike shop, I highly recommend Bici Cas. Talk to Rafa. He’s so cool. I was drawn in right away by his weird custom single speed mountain bike hanging in the window. He’s super knowledgeable about routes in the area and has a huge stock of bikepacking gear all crammed in a tiny, but well organized shop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OBMin-n0BV5mPxz-5WOMSU3Mn9-9UCK_WeMXr3egTL7DU65nhGumLZ-_MQ2VGnHayu4_Mttk5wWyE3nM7HkB4Y9g0nENOTKVE2Hryrc552yjLU5MdLH99WWOjahZarfX-RS0dBfIS11VQNBM7JqNTJXS4nqbyi7Su1fdgHUZBf7Y9x_CqA/s2048/DSC01911.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OBMin-n0BV5mPxz-5WOMSU3Mn9-9UCK_WeMXr3egTL7DU65nhGumLZ-_MQ2VGnHayu4_Mttk5wWyE3nM7HkB4Y9g0nENOTKVE2Hryrc552yjLU5MdLH99WWOjahZarfX-RS0dBfIS11VQNBM7JqNTJXS4nqbyi7Su1fdgHUZBf7Y9x_CqA/w400-h266/DSC01911.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Afternoon rolled around and it was time to start riding again. After drying out the remainder of our gear from the previous day, we started making our way towards I-70 via highway 24. We were more than a little tired from the day before and very excited for a mostly downhill day. We made lots of stops to check out the new scenery.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqluRWEeIOSXrX3SXB94epCY7kSqmIPnAA4X7jEemfVpfkdfXTMlaZJG6KnlI8Ug1IirutdiX0ohmTn7RPXxNrP_8bPlJb71lJmYVSMsnFo-lEI-C9WUXau-QvRC3NZ9v3Uzsgn0yAPrxd1P04PpwRZH83m_OrVGgy9v7lpueSzpfazjAXNg/s2048/DSC05668.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqluRWEeIOSXrX3SXB94epCY7kSqmIPnAA4X7jEemfVpfkdfXTMlaZJG6KnlI8Ug1IirutdiX0ohmTn7RPXxNrP_8bPlJb71lJmYVSMsnFo-lEI-C9WUXau-QvRC3NZ9v3Uzsgn0yAPrxd1P04PpwRZH83m_OrVGgy9v7lpueSzpfazjAXNg/w266-h400/DSC05668.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtkLmpGUyaLGg5hBUncdBJ0IMrgve1aJVUQ07RbbdSqaq_eUDgUufXlwZVRnsxmHoRpJNEEocqbdF6cQl6LYcft3TQcLq10fcqmdm6DjmT71nRXp02WNCU5oW7BXCgX5aFWo3NO-55ng9PPLrShs4nCT0Y_R7zQt6CCg2q_YXUyU_ZCC2kQ/s2048/DSC01967.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtkLmpGUyaLGg5hBUncdBJ0IMrgve1aJVUQ07RbbdSqaq_eUDgUufXlwZVRnsxmHoRpJNEEocqbdF6cQl6LYcft3TQcLq10fcqmdm6DjmT71nRXp02WNCU5oW7BXCgX5aFWo3NO-55ng9PPLrShs4nCT0Y_R7zQt6CCg2q_YXUyU_ZCC2kQ/w400-h400/DSC01967.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The few hills on the route definitely kicked our butts and threats of rain again in the afternoon definitely spooked us a little, but check out this cool bridge! I’d like to come back to do the ride under the bridge. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmccVF7CaYx-B0fyH3yu9lhOhpRUhFQy6sekpT4u7YXPgxGvRJQvyklkEDB6iPN9GDUpolwJYPcLxk-X2PG-OlFcNj4WLbzPa2bbufI6-Loh41xdusCOZwZr1fS0LdAxE6MDoc2NfBh_zO-GBUj6UqBtcqw1jGM-SQrKotHt10T7HKjr9hw/s2048/DSC05698.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmccVF7CaYx-B0fyH3yu9lhOhpRUhFQy6sekpT4u7YXPgxGvRJQvyklkEDB6iPN9GDUpolwJYPcLxk-X2PG-OlFcNj4WLbzPa2bbufI6-Loh41xdusCOZwZr1fS0LdAxE6MDoc2NfBh_zO-GBUj6UqBtcqw1jGM-SQrKotHt10T7HKjr9hw/w400-h266/DSC05698.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We made it to Minturn. The bulk of the ride was over at this point. Basically no more hills to climb. “Mostly flat” according to the metric Google Maps uses for bikes. We got burritos at a shop Rafa recommended. Great burritos with cool skateshop vibes. </p><p>After our first dinner was a turning point. Entirely type 1 fun from here. We were back down at a more reasonable elevation. It’s hard to describe, but despite being completely exhausted from the day before, we were feeling pretty buff. Neither of us were getting out of breath on the hills. So much oxygen (relatively)! Highly recommend this part of the ride. Not quite as scenic, but the riding is super fun. We alternated between bike paths and highway 6 until staying in Eagle for the night. </p><p>We stopped at the City Market to replenish calories and commit some culinary sins. There were corndogs, grocery store sushi, several pounds of mac & cheese involved. I won’t go into detail. After that, we headed back to the hotel and turned in for the night. I enjoy staying in hotels as well as tent camping. I’ve got nothing to prove :)</p><p>End of day 4.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 5 - Last day!</h2><p>The last day flew by. The dreamy I-70 corridor bike path day. This part of the highway is pretty in a car, but you get to see so much more on a bike. This was our easiest day mileage and elevation-wise, so we took it easy and made lots of stops.</p><p>Rico wrapped up the trip by catching his biggest dang brown trout to date! I’m especially bad at taking photos of people holding fish so please just enjoy this picture of the scenery. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53Gsjc9PpDwBDqhso2W29QnxLlwQwAhmXpe5WHrbvrvD6YInHfOAbiUIWmt3tsYGZsoX2dkOxlhurfSCvxvevIV3eNkRZc_f4f0E-n5El70fOZcmeO4e3y7EqEiHZHQBzbdOSX-b2GzUT6J5Ij3QQYbKnqKOH6eMV4XZygEyrqUfGjVImHQ/s2048/DSC02110%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53Gsjc9PpDwBDqhso2W29QnxLlwQwAhmXpe5WHrbvrvD6YInHfOAbiUIWmt3tsYGZsoX2dkOxlhurfSCvxvevIV3eNkRZc_f4f0E-n5El70fOZcmeO4e3y7EqEiHZHQBzbdOSX-b2GzUT6J5Ij3QQYbKnqKOH6eMV4XZygEyrqUfGjVImHQ/w266-h400/DSC02110%20(1).jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk34ptscqG_ENoiZit-H7DFmVFDl-G4q1_JLohIWgrAfX4U0Ka9wt0KTKoPigFKJOLC6B8wBehgV6svDeRMfghUAk1513PtFtufijKqnlJByQvh5tdGdYp_T2iJOS_PuydKKD62AAMlWy9HyUatGKF-wQ9yt2PJaUw2dUsxPtlfYuOct3hQ/s2048/DSC02121%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk34ptscqG_ENoiZit-H7DFmVFDl-G4q1_JLohIWgrAfX4U0Ka9wt0KTKoPigFKJOLC6B8wBehgV6svDeRMfghUAk1513PtFtufijKqnlJByQvh5tdGdYp_T2iJOS_PuydKKD62AAMlWy9HyUatGKF-wQ9yt2PJaUw2dUsxPtlfYuOct3hQ/w266-h400/DSC02121%20(1).jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>We also stopped by this spooky burnt down forest by bike path. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MQuto1az5M8sxE7DzxCw6JGi_6wLyLfMc5e7cQfU8yZYUTALy8Dpz5EbUTGx9PqDXLbXqX45xMpIuwRQ5bB-ybub7G69FvjkZvAvafq9u_oCPUO4pmPX_VB5XAFpKkracO0eWJyyhZAy5Kwnd_yzNNPl_90jZCsddOASoIdpF6PtlF52pw/s2048/DSC05728.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MQuto1az5M8sxE7DzxCw6JGi_6wLyLfMc5e7cQfU8yZYUTALy8Dpz5EbUTGx9PqDXLbXqX45xMpIuwRQ5bB-ybub7G69FvjkZvAvafq9u_oCPUO4pmPX_VB5XAFpKkracO0eWJyyhZAy5Kwnd_yzNNPl_90jZCsddOASoIdpF6PtlF52pw/w266-h400/DSC05728.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>Also now that we were back down to about 6k feet of elevation, there was plenty of *air* to be had hehe. Thanks Rico for the photo. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEN6eoyWbibytCnIvgH2zRJJ1FI7f7pLZMFrCx8ImkOtAkbJj8TTP09906VKa_ktgyK-7IND2vQzYnDI3eYVHTEoBxtjchzq-gvwln9wGEp5jvgJDLosCF0ZWGCeTz80A9ONaQ2TDPq_IRLlqCSkahdQuFYL8tnzJ5go53ZOjATwFEWNHIog/s2048/DSC05713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEN6eoyWbibytCnIvgH2zRJJ1FI7f7pLZMFrCx8ImkOtAkbJj8TTP09906VKa_ktgyK-7IND2vQzYnDI3eYVHTEoBxtjchzq-gvwln9wGEp5jvgJDLosCF0ZWGCeTz80A9ONaQ2TDPq_IRLlqCSkahdQuFYL8tnzJ5go53ZOjATwFEWNHIog/w266-h400/DSC05713.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>The canyon was, by far, the coolest part of the day. Easy riding, great views, completely isolated from cars. We biked by Hanging Lake. I didn’t even know such a feature was there. Definitely going back to check this out. I think the coolest part about the bike path is how many folks were utilizing it! It makes me so happy to see so many different people out using the bike infrastructure. Folks on road bikes, rented e-bikes, old dudes on 90s mtbs headed toward the breweries. Some folks were even packrafting. Ride up to float down. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0uIeRWwPi5f1-7LUof2j3M0kvXTI-jV4HCpA6WGo83FDgIGSkyog7cZljQ-BADLiP3X9NzNiO14Kh7vdJjOxFpQO-M6zZlgDMZs66puTLSalfckOU9o_c5OACRdfefHryecPJCelMPwwat3Hnslr99BHABb7r2SrAr01iBFLFOk9UAIa_A/s2048/DSC02146.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0uIeRWwPi5f1-7LUof2j3M0kvXTI-jV4HCpA6WGo83FDgIGSkyog7cZljQ-BADLiP3X9NzNiO14Kh7vdJjOxFpQO-M6zZlgDMZs66puTLSalfckOU9o_c5OACRdfefHryecPJCelMPwwat3Hnslr99BHABb7r2SrAr01iBFLFOk9UAIa_A/w266-h400/DSC02146.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>We passed through Glenwood Springs, stopped for ice cream and jumped back on the Rio Grande trail to head back to Carbondale.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRqkdzwd09W3zeQ5aJsz_UQctAUoJKq0y0P9a5n1_DtYibExDRuB_rx4DAcfjwi_9Zvy_6a859te3Wq_MnnzoGayZdYCSmr5yn_QOOzQaQF_kqE-b7Zkd3okvx6TbJQFgeX10baIheVClbEZPrmavodXCEqLi1447JaV1BFlr_YzZF1OotA/s2048/DSC02199.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRqkdzwd09W3zeQ5aJsz_UQctAUoJKq0y0P9a5n1_DtYibExDRuB_rx4DAcfjwi_9Zvy_6a859te3Wq_MnnzoGayZdYCSmr5yn_QOOzQaQF_kqE-b7Zkd3okvx6TbJQFgeX10baIheVClbEZPrmavodXCEqLi1447JaV1BFlr_YzZF1OotA/w400-h266/DSC02199.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>One last stop before completing the tour. While he enjoys fancier foods sometimes, Rico is a huge fan of McDonald’s. Guilty pleasure food from childhood. The last goal of our tour was to stop by a McDonald’s. Rico kind of got into the whole commuting, touring, x-biking, non-competitive side of cycling thing after a short 1 mile ride to McDonald’s. So you can say this was our longest ride to McDonald’s to date. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSpPwuyQRQ_lgzyylTdftuPUNMOqRJ9UOK8qcetdJbeKq2OwhWWWrh5sOt37_VjRHjY5Smp61NqzM7R3vnE7T6RUEoDHhGljqHXS52gkKsUt5I3Rk0_-aJk6wzKU41Rg4JD2NCKzMH2-O4e1HJ2U8AO6Gyjfd_v920IZGVFKVDO4-6kPy_g/s2048/DSC02202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSpPwuyQRQ_lgzyylTdftuPUNMOqRJ9UOK8qcetdJbeKq2OwhWWWrh5sOt37_VjRHjY5Smp61NqzM7R3vnE7T6RUEoDHhGljqHXS52gkKsUt5I3Rk0_-aJk6wzKU41Rg4JD2NCKzMH2-O4e1HJ2U8AO6Gyjfd_v920IZGVFKVDO4-6kPy_g/w266-h400/DSC02202.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Conclusion</h2><p>We made it back to the car with ease. Both of us were satisfied, and excited to have completed the tour. Would I do it again and/or recommend it to a friend? Probably not, but it was definitely worth it. Mileage, elevation gains, and weather I would happily experience again. I wasn’t crazy about some of the Rt 24 interactions with cars. That was, mentally, the hardest part for me. That being said, I am very excited to explore more of Independence Pass and the surrounding side roads. I can absolutely recommend that part of the ride to anyone. The I-70 corridor cycleways are also amazing if you don’t want to deal with all of those elevation gains. </p><p></p><p>It was great to meet so many cool people and see so many folks on the trails having fun and riding bikes.</p><p>I’ll be back with a part 2 talking about the gear on the trip and more ride report posts if you’ve enjoyed this one. </p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO7ZRLQ2ynkn2gNq6bdbeuP5a_CDSQ1cMfenc6enypi0PlZ8r7IGIHWpMEQVSRZKXixbLQ3tAjNp_ziwWOZpvreP6dM4hYQYxlNg0_W4dsXNo2fTCM8jrCsF9zfSZky0f73s6UiCHpjxqJq8l5uPSTgjOptyYdXLmcm5F4qijmhbEPx4YOg/s2048/DSC05796.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO7ZRLQ2ynkn2gNq6bdbeuP5a_CDSQ1cMfenc6enypi0PlZ8r7IGIHWpMEQVSRZKXixbLQ3tAjNp_ziwWOZpvreP6dM4hYQYxlNg0_W4dsXNo2fTCM8jrCsF9zfSZky0f73s6UiCHpjxqJq8l5uPSTgjOptyYdXLmcm5F4qijmhbEPx4YOg/w400-h266/DSC05796.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ride safe!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Update: Clint put together a Google Maps route, which can be <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Carbondale,+CO+81623/Aspen+Art+Museum/Lincoln+Gulch+Campground/Inn+the+Clouds+Hostel+%26+Inn/ZeroDay+Coffee/Leadvelo+Bicicasa/Rocky+Mountain+Taco/City+Market,+Market+Street,+Eagle,+CO/McDonald's/Carbondale,+CO/@39.5233327,-107.3597163,9.7z/data=!3m1!5s0x876a91240ffa4395:0xc144c127d8e739c8!4m62!4m61!1m5!1m1!1s0x8741ab97250b21d7:0x77d06179f7934acf!2m2!1d-107.2111628!2d39.4022054!1m5!1m1!1s0x87403bd6174ee195:0x40c03558862e1a02!2m2!1d-106.8166387!2d39.188152!1m5!1m1!1s0x874022eb3bdccd91:0x57124929d5a50d67!2m2!1d-106.695868!2d39.1172116!1m5!1m1!1s0x876a913b6f8b229f:0xe86f6cb9a122e16a!2m2!1d-106.2851067!2d39.2513649!1m5!1m1!1s0x876a9118273425c7:0x91c4eaf728c02231!2m2!1d-106.2911673!2d39.2500596!1m5!1m1!1s0x876a91aef019223f:0xd895291eaef8f1b2!2m2!1d-106.2925176!2d39.2500357!1m5!1m1!1s0x876a7b91d302d28b:0x3ccd9a91f0a846ae!2m2!1d-106.4302351!2d39.5867059!1m5!1m1!1s0x8741c167741d7947:0xd16c145c975c1d40!2m2!1d-106.8258244!2d39.6627622!1m5!1m1!1s0x8741084f2a602d8d:0x778fc984b2fef1c4!2m2!1d-107.3199554!2d39.5195096!1m5!1m1!1s0x8741ab97250b21d7:0x77d06179f7934acf!2m2!1d-107.2111628!2d39.4022054!3e1">found here</a>.</div><br />VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-75949496046503503232022-09-02T16:12:00.002-04:002022-09-02T16:40:53.607-04:00Good News for the VO UTILITY BARS and RACK<div><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Igor</span></div><div><br /></div><div>A while back, we posted (<a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.blogger.com/u/3/blog/post/edit/24415034/7594949604650350323#" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CciXKZ0LXMl/">on Instagram</a>) a sneaky preview of a new handlebar and rack system we've been developing and testing. Dubbed the Utility Riser Bar, Utility Flat Bar, and Utility Rack, it is a chromoly handlebar and rack system that pairs together to create numerous portaging setups to carry all your stuff. After many iterations of testing, new butting profiles, and heat treating, we are happy to announce the bars have passed MTB testing and they will be going into production!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPbw79h4BhHxHXaWUp6_NF8DGKJu4NcLmgY5dXiBJjlIr091wX1L5yK8lvAYkr6_ZWNjOwE5_iOK1JlVgIkE1kokcaRI3wpa4flMpIo6DFS5AoBl_t4aZ0AINUMMf6fpeqlePO4_kZx5OtABRKiUf1ipxN-eYpsXxMfTupJqb1G9KJ_zOSQ/s2047/convert_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPbw79h4BhHxHXaWUp6_NF8DGKJu4NcLmgY5dXiBJjlIr091wX1L5yK8lvAYkr6_ZWNjOwE5_iOK1JlVgIkE1kokcaRI3wpa4flMpIo6DFS5AoBl_t4aZ0AINUMMf6fpeqlePO4_kZx5OtABRKiUf1ipxN-eYpsXxMfTupJqb1G9KJ_zOSQ/w400-h266/convert_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcumIGdzluHqKn5Axfg3X1pjdkZkogg2StrwDWzsPDZ0yqu7xv_fAnB_R_lblD7DbkYZ27sWCDt0DLg6Eqm88yYlLJn9fdh44-xN5ZksI0S09pyaAR9NQSTYswY8gRKxjlOKTAJ7XL1qYY5A6chUiTOcAjPUTg8n8HNXN4zAlnqjB6jgqHjw/s2048/convert_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcumIGdzluHqKn5Axfg3X1pjdkZkogg2StrwDWzsPDZ0yqu7xv_fAnB_R_lblD7DbkYZ27sWCDt0DLg6Eqm88yYlLJn9fdh44-xN5ZksI0S09pyaAR9NQSTYswY8gRKxjlOKTAJ7XL1qYY5A6chUiTOcAjPUTg8n8HNXN4zAlnqjB6jgqHjw/w400-h268/convert_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>I'm super excited about these. I've enjoyed using the bars and rack riding around town, picking up produce from the farmers market, and picking up books from the library.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEyDEo6lGjWiqBZ14AkjUh_vak-EkRoOO46ZKF1L8MK75iRGhuFlc-mLc-5jY5KLyPofRHLK8IPjdyiNV2o86ZeDefeD3TZQd2noc6MN7k817sgtfM0fevOvvocJuggxdH9ZyB3hbHID-vE9E7zxLwTblWw7wqjmbw-C8AMrAXyX8UpdX3w/s2048/convert_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEyDEo6lGjWiqBZ14AkjUh_vak-EkRoOO46ZKF1L8MK75iRGhuFlc-mLc-5jY5KLyPofRHLK8IPjdyiNV2o86ZeDefeD3TZQd2noc6MN7k817sgtfM0fevOvvocJuggxdH9ZyB3hbHID-vE9E7zxLwTblWw7wqjmbw-C8AMrAXyX8UpdX3w/w400-h266/convert_11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Additionally, for big handlebar bike-packing style bags, you should be able to strap them to the rack and be done! This is especially useful for shorter folks where tire to handlebar clearance might be an issue.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSXajCbPGRCBEqF4WmPOwZsZMEqTQsQs4ShmX4WHOJ7dIpaoly-hBoKtoyHfJm4_PbUqgeWKZ93FvfY4MBQin0iLbbEdgTO5swxw1DGDKLfjg32yOVx5Iy02JdGEL2lJuss1CqB2AGZS-ZobMrHi-G93CjYydrX4TBAWW6-CiiygWxHbsAw/s2047/convert_22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSXajCbPGRCBEqF4WmPOwZsZMEqTQsQs4ShmX4WHOJ7dIpaoly-hBoKtoyHfJm4_PbUqgeWKZ93FvfY4MBQin0iLbbEdgTO5swxw1DGDKLfjg32yOVx5Iy02JdGEL2lJuss1CqB2AGZS-ZobMrHi-G93CjYydrX4TBAWW6-CiiygWxHbsAw/w400-h266/convert_22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Clint and his friend Enrico recently put them to the final test with a multi-surface tour on <a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/pass-hunter">Pass Hunters</a> through the Colorado mountains. They were very creative in mounting gear to both the top and bottom of the platform. There are all sorts of ways you can affix things to the rack, and we look forward to seeing what you put together! Clint will be putting together a couple blog posts soon about their adventures and setups - stay tuned.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpyyb9rDzQasW_8RS2BK7G15TzZGWIR6nWdNhB_qxGYoZv-KxmXkYNA_kS2LrTPhCSgfIR3FcxshB74FOFqKKJKRPi9gaHxbksouHiLUKkFvWLHpRj72HgHmQ-wWzAmo0nA89PLvOYThD4rQ3qM57K9pz5IlWP8VMRQhdyMl_dXc5LDjTbg/s1363/DSC05713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="1363" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpyyb9rDzQasW_8RS2BK7G15TzZGWIR6nWdNhB_qxGYoZv-KxmXkYNA_kS2LrTPhCSgfIR3FcxshB74FOFqKKJKRPi9gaHxbksouHiLUKkFvWLHpRj72HgHmQ-wWzAmo0nA89PLvOYThD4rQ3qM57K9pz5IlWP8VMRQhdyMl_dXc5LDjTbg/w400-h400/DSC05713.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQJHAK6h7Zhq2qPJvNYpKr5LJDk4AE7Lp8SnBcvFw_rGbrfzexvAnVVQzAmB1vSbqGCmv3vdfDtdB2appThSOxwnlqnCyTp9YYzE2mznTF5XwSCDC4-eHqQSzEVIG4SET9UVUstsTpYeYb0rWtsxaHRa3ydKaZiy_rnqvYJPFoRk3GTAxLw/s2048/DSC02199.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQJHAK6h7Zhq2qPJvNYpKr5LJDk4AE7Lp8SnBcvFw_rGbrfzexvAnVVQzAmB1vSbqGCmv3vdfDtdB2appThSOxwnlqnCyTp9YYzE2mznTF5XwSCDC4-eHqQSzEVIG4SET9UVUstsTpYeYb0rWtsxaHRa3ydKaZiy_rnqvYJPFoRk3GTAxLw/w400-h266/DSC02199.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Here is generally how it works:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The front of the handlebar has threaded inserts all the way through the handlebar to bolt the rack to the bar.</li><li>The mounts are spaced for <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/cages">water bottle cages</a> and if you aren't using the rack, you could put bottles on the front of your bar. </li><li>The rack has multiple configurations to really dial in how you want to fit the bag/backpack/lunch bag/whatever you want to strap down. Flip it up or down depending on the load.</li><li>The rack also has an eyelet for a front light in both orientations.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgbtDa5eju-SgE0d4kKqEeS_sN9L9PHcMNuSo1V_rEI5uzvQdC_POEAowWatDOyOpXNg_ut-7zmvnki69dlFR-HJszCAVZLgyzUh0oOoCgjnA3rKqGefMnQQiHefMa2Bt2fUxvokqRuha_AwDIzs3f8r6tHxw0CbMJ3v3PsCwIDVmzkH9JQ/s2048/convert_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgbtDa5eju-SgE0d4kKqEeS_sN9L9PHcMNuSo1V_rEI5uzvQdC_POEAowWatDOyOpXNg_ut-7zmvnki69dlFR-HJszCAVZLgyzUh0oOoCgjnA3rKqGefMnQQiHefMa2Bt2fUxvokqRuha_AwDIzs3f8r6tHxw0CbMJ3v3PsCwIDVmzkH9JQ/w400-h266/convert_10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihu1YR2CHQCCpSIesihI5hMni6Jsjo4595PnflRSv9xCbjI6AgoU7MvLUEv6Z1blAMM6kXvV4kw5MhDfTj9I9rEMH2sQF-aZAjhhzU3SY_YmKIeLtmG5itVBq3_W4TZt6mSoLdbkWNL5FF4eebOHyL1XTvXpiS-RSfB9hmGVJdIqD7JOK85g/s2048/convert_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihu1YR2CHQCCpSIesihI5hMni6Jsjo4595PnflRSv9xCbjI6AgoU7MvLUEv6Z1blAMM6kXvV4kw5MhDfTj9I9rEMH2sQF-aZAjhhzU3SY_YmKIeLtmG5itVBq3_W4TZt6mSoLdbkWNL5FF4eebOHyL1XTvXpiS-RSfB9hmGVJdIqD7JOK85g/w400-h266/convert_13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There are two handlebar styles called Riser and Flat - you see the utilitarian theme here? The Riser has, you guessed it, rise and some upsweep. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7b-vTiLXjZ9ia_5Ncds43QQChbibvvppYXVw0Th6F4WpYkyKTtOWgRRC3gqjzJ9sYSby7CAOPYTEZ6Va_qMR0kYCH2nNOCje-JvZOpNI7SZFhIIMDzllgd4XNHh_WvulZy1XaQVXUGhkHr1DDUQ6xEBtfnGwcfZ4jYGNzAYoeu1VHnsARVg/s2048/convert_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7b-vTiLXjZ9ia_5Ncds43QQChbibvvppYXVw0Th6F4WpYkyKTtOWgRRC3gqjzJ9sYSby7CAOPYTEZ6Va_qMR0kYCH2nNOCje-JvZOpNI7SZFhIIMDzllgd4XNHh_WvulZy1XaQVXUGhkHr1DDUQ6xEBtfnGwcfZ4jYGNzAYoeu1VHnsARVg/w400-h268/convert_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The Flat is, you guessed it, flat. And it can be rotated up or down depending on your clearance and preference. The middle U-piece on the Flat Bar has a threaded middle hole for cargo cage compatibility.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-2q5PbdF00_JM3I41z4ODh54cTq_OxdWqzvuW2itjY9UpE5z-BRHF40JQNjh9yPvYQq6gsSgmdlcj9_cZUH7YvBamWOdfNKtCMf6e3CpFbYVV25752QWvntiTNg5QRuW4-hlHtUKSL94NGbI5zzK71mu9htptBVWjAWTp8O7ffdKzmB53g/s2048/convert_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-2q5PbdF00_JM3I41z4ODh54cTq_OxdWqzvuW2itjY9UpE5z-BRHF40JQNjh9yPvYQq6gsSgmdlcj9_cZUH7YvBamWOdfNKtCMf6e3CpFbYVV25752QWvntiTNg5QRuW4-hlHtUKSL94NGbI5zzK71mu9htptBVWjAWTp8O7ffdKzmB53g/w400-h266/convert_12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapSJSbGOIqts05fxCLX-jD0u4_LijGVx3kMl50qGIaRilI5MWPZQZ3eI6nWEEkBhcNyovM44Q0O-xQZ2_-ZIDFykapUWuAuO8yZXDZJ_b_UMMzX0BIvFNdz8Sgw4Zs2gPW7aIzVbuS7Vok-_hRwtlQwdT7F5UKuDf1UWnEixfRAkmYS5kOw/s2047/convert_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapSJSbGOIqts05fxCLX-jD0u4_LijGVx3kMl50qGIaRilI5MWPZQZ3eI6nWEEkBhcNyovM44Q0O-xQZ2_-ZIDFykapUWuAuO8yZXDZJ_b_UMMzX0BIvFNdz8Sgw4Zs2gPW7aIzVbuS7Vok-_hRwtlQwdT7F5UKuDf1UWnEixfRAkmYS5kOw/w400-h266/convert_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Honestly, in writing this post and trying out different setups over the year+ of development, "the only limitation is your imagination"ⓒ. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUl_GK4JLPNYXYCHYwE3pBX6pjIbc3CoegNQePMBIZxH_aAe8XcrtZF39cW_dmAlOPaDwX85wAu-wp33QhPsQakZyUmqDnicRL-D1Y3nEIMhjOelTau49-ACq9m9JooG0DU_vZLBWtj-jMlSaqH1XvsQSjoIUSrWjMyc6mZBt7ED_kxf3qQ/s2048/convert_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUl_GK4JLPNYXYCHYwE3pBX6pjIbc3CoegNQePMBIZxH_aAe8XcrtZF39cW_dmAlOPaDwX85wAu-wp33QhPsQakZyUmqDnicRL-D1Y3nEIMhjOelTau49-ACq9m9JooG0DU_vZLBWtj-jMlSaqH1XvsQSjoIUSrWjMyc6mZBt7ED_kxf3qQ/w400-h266/convert_14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>We'll keep you updated with developments and timelines, but we think this will be a very cool offering.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>In other announcements, VO HQ will be closed in observance of the Labor Day holiday on Monday September 4th. We'll re-open and resume shipping orders out on Tuesday the 5th. Have a great weekend!</div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-12735355384911101952022-09-01T11:39:00.002-04:002022-09-01T11:40:16.408-04:0090s Waterford Gets a Parts-Bin Makeover<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Igor</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_X2eA2S29kgjutMVoQ-5lQh1vzvwE5WIAxH4N-jLgqSEFMnWkauEl839FEEmUbKoer5B1Jab9PGihwJw-iQXftJF-9fERh7U7Ybqj0Xj93iL6NXKdDI53DG0yoRtYNPM1pYRq83AmCuQB3psJ1Rm47FM08LC8kFpiGoKx00sezyjZcfHJLg/s2047/convert_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_X2eA2S29kgjutMVoQ-5lQh1vzvwE5WIAxH4N-jLgqSEFMnWkauEl839FEEmUbKoer5B1Jab9PGihwJw-iQXftJF-9fERh7U7Ybqj0Xj93iL6NXKdDI53DG0yoRtYNPM1pYRq83AmCuQB3psJ1Rm47FM08LC8kFpiGoKx00sezyjZcfHJLg/w400-h266/convert_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Parts bin builds are some of my favorite. For very little budget, you can put something together that is unique and fun. This particular Waterford has been through a few iterations with mostly new parts including <a href="https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2018/05/igors-new-go-fast-bike.html">Campagnolo Athena</a>, then Shimano 11sp bar ends with a new fork and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/front-racks/products/vo-randonneur-front-rack-with-integrated-decaleur">Randonneur Rack</a>, then <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFuuFlzJ9oo">upright</a> with <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/flat-and-upright-bars/products/curvy-too">Curvy Bars</a>, and now in its more roadie edition.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWIZI2cJQoGW8Vl0qYxpCeqTB2oFhvM_aS54ZEIm_CDHBxMJ2jd3rWNkCQ9S2smaubtTqyslBgggvu_qn68vtqSYEcuzZe56Sn25-MmIsRbFQ1w25td6_LdTCqP5y2x3DZftUTh4XWWIxyDutkuhbWn046qz53-RSe-PpoEQvaEXiOwi6WQ/s2048/convert_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWIZI2cJQoGW8Vl0qYxpCeqTB2oFhvM_aS54ZEIm_CDHBxMJ2jd3rWNkCQ9S2smaubtTqyslBgggvu_qn68vtqSYEcuzZe56Sn25-MmIsRbFQ1w25td6_LdTCqP5y2x3DZftUTh4XWWIxyDutkuhbWn046qz53-RSe-PpoEQvaEXiOwi6WQ/w400-h266/convert_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Starting from the hoods, we used some 6600-G 10 speed Shimano integrated shifters. What's the G you ask? Well, Shimano did a <u>G</u>rey addition of the 6600 series because it looks cool. There are matching derailleurs out there, but, you know, parts bin. The shifters had been sitting for a long time, and if you know, that generation of brifters suffered from assembly lube that gummed up over time. I've seen them nearly fossilize on bikes that had been sitting for years. No worries, some WD-40 into the shifter guts got things moving around again and the shifters were right back to clicking and clacking.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNyXWlNuqalU5NeHMrveNuIurkGtatHDGNifMUxqYfYEZupdN-p5RnymmMveFzMTNvHNSbxEjbnXzC62hxCA9WZO9pdRe3o3U2oan9PKr4p2jjGORL69UahFQTogItUWkXggHQSECvgku1xLhyYDW9P55qAdp2cfx8wG1PcFhEP12nWWX1g/s2048/convert_31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNyXWlNuqalU5NeHMrveNuIurkGtatHDGNifMUxqYfYEZupdN-p5RnymmMveFzMTNvHNSbxEjbnXzC62hxCA9WZO9pdRe3o3U2oan9PKr4p2jjGORL69UahFQTogItUWkXggHQSECvgku1xLhyYDW9P55qAdp2cfx8wG1PcFhEP12nWWX1g/w400-h266/convert_31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Connor wrapped the bars using <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/handlebar-tape/products/tressostar-cotton-handlebar-tape">Tressostar tape</a> in a harlequin-style to match the paint's red-blue fade and it looks super.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6pTvLSPVg8OnH00c3SCViJIbCjP_OGBm0tqHmwP5R3GlT-8FoawYAKiuR72RiyhFWngs9-X2JXRYMRycW7Z9aGsuqvKn6Mui7kmJSlPhrOzynwKSHxFzrrePwAysH93a6KGbMYXuLcQVkbuB_pOZ4F3SxnPS2pJsFL_qE62zwdf372fqmw/s2047/convert_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6pTvLSPVg8OnH00c3SCViJIbCjP_OGBm0tqHmwP5R3GlT-8FoawYAKiuR72RiyhFWngs9-X2JXRYMRycW7Z9aGsuqvKn6Mui7kmJSlPhrOzynwKSHxFzrrePwAysH93a6KGbMYXuLcQVkbuB_pOZ4F3SxnPS2pJsFL_qE62zwdf372fqmw/w400-h266/convert_5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The rear dangler is a Dura-Ace unit that has lived on many bikes and shifts up and down the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/chains/products/10-speed-cassettes?variant=41328318841007">11-28 cassette</a> perfectly. The front pusher is a non-series 10sp braze-on offering from Shimano. It's fine and shiny.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvy7zElYEiq2ip256RXih60vlaG2cdiR1ffLZbSfGVsy8jW1wGqvPUzZ5CeupSX9loHLXE-RZaFwWaG6ia_DmRtAcK1EDmFri2JDWCinGqyz-wzQN1sNi8AM0j4mzBe9JO6cbbDtsbq3_fx_XXDVDLVOIMwOW1zt8CUp1y3MtkpcxjZJLpg/s2048/convert_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvy7zElYEiq2ip256RXih60vlaG2cdiR1ffLZbSfGVsy8jW1wGqvPUzZ5CeupSX9loHLXE-RZaFwWaG6ia_DmRtAcK1EDmFri2JDWCinGqyz-wzQN1sNi8AM0j4mzBe9JO6cbbDtsbq3_fx_XXDVDLVOIMwOW1zt8CUp1y3MtkpcxjZJLpg/w400-h266/convert_9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The wheels have been on there for all of the iterations of this frame. They were expertly laced up by <a href="http://cutlassvelo.com/">Cutlass Velo</a> in Baltimore a few years back and have stayed perfectly true.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sOpcUU3Iuhyj6tFhUPT3jPUYjS1Rb4CLIrwCGIttko42LolYyxXVTblxS8r0IReLQTKWyO3SfHuwObuq4cMCcz1pBPaP7W4hzXmOJaRD6G5AK8RfteIfm88l34h1qpDhUHt97ePvVYlmfUVeUb-lgyfSPftnZX721q-7pyuan-PAkmKf8w/s2048/convert_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sOpcUU3Iuhyj6tFhUPT3jPUYjS1Rb4CLIrwCGIttko42LolYyxXVTblxS8r0IReLQTKWyO3SfHuwObuq4cMCcz1pBPaP7W4hzXmOJaRD6G5AK8RfteIfm88l34h1qpDhUHt97ePvVYlmfUVeUb-lgyfSPftnZX721q-7pyuan-PAkmKf8w/w400-h266/convert_13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBInP28QmeT1YTS1DUVlBEUxFI1qKmGhXwzDhlqOrMGn0IQBjznUpJynn7a98B-8zLShSaO4YsrNV-zCXMrvi1F8gqWT54qqoUS4WRkYoWfPf6CF7Q86P1wryzs1YCMS76iKfkHbJaGGKdWy_uLx_nGf63om0pdb1tCteuAbXYxpkPpeK8JQ/s2048/convert_34.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBInP28QmeT1YTS1DUVlBEUxFI1qKmGhXwzDhlqOrMGn0IQBjznUpJynn7a98B-8zLShSaO4YsrNV-zCXMrvi1F8gqWT54qqoUS4WRkYoWfPf6CF7Q86P1wryzs1YCMS76iKfkHbJaGGKdWy_uLx_nGf63om0pdb1tCteuAbXYxpkPpeK8JQ/w400-h266/convert_34.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The 1" steel fork is a replacement of the aluminum/carbon fork with unknown history the bike came with. It is raw with a few layers of clearcoat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG7olRr6mOn3tZENZY5RbOW4hOSrkHicPXkMHcPwUg-KNTKH-yi3KkDe1HxisDzMWgHoZxIeNxwuHaj4-5y0FlU_bDIWyWObHNqo__R3anq3aPgNb2OVvZI6ZR5HKDFeCKOHextf7NR1X3_9-RebMGDzxFcfQ7rZ1QVQ-R4xVqgRXnQdOzw/s2047/convert_20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG7olRr6mOn3tZENZY5RbOW4hOSrkHicPXkMHcPwUg-KNTKH-yi3KkDe1HxisDzMWgHoZxIeNxwuHaj4-5y0FlU_bDIWyWObHNqo__R3anq3aPgNb2OVvZI6ZR5HKDFeCKOHextf7NR1X3_9-RebMGDzxFcfQ7rZ1QVQ-R4xVqgRXnQdOzw/w400-h266/convert_20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>This stem and headset combo is something I've wanted to try for a while. Even though the steerer is threaded, we added some spacers on top of the upper locknut and under the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/shims-adaptors-accessories/products/vo-threadless-stem-adaptor">adaptor</a> to create the <i>illusion</i> of a threadless system. I think it looks pretty good. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflcimOTcldxSPbSnHRCZKtmsyhcvRy6OM24hHq1Kg5floKE4IMOTn3OHssL3mt0urmzLYxAvptDaQQXQH7BLoqaVGwYIDiDkaWm9-LXvSyNOAEyY5qTABh4F4YfjMfmKExfAV8LbUezJmLf6BgI-ij9ZtRATXbRSPvFj6dQJJVSJhu51dbA/s2048/convert_21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflcimOTcldxSPbSnHRCZKtmsyhcvRy6OM24hHq1Kg5floKE4IMOTn3OHssL3mt0urmzLYxAvptDaQQXQH7BLoqaVGwYIDiDkaWm9-LXvSyNOAEyY5qTABh4F4YfjMfmKExfAV8LbUezJmLf6BgI-ij9ZtRATXbRSPvFj6dQJJVSJhu51dbA/w400-h266/convert_21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VItUct3oANwm6dFuJoKamXG9A8t8BwRncrzT6BPPjqnm7OZtkchwtL4OEjSfNVt-RJ4Oqtg_pVV12gB6GVX4S0_iTwKuIWfRPhWPonL8-TdHu_llw3DerXm0Rb4dofRwf4zbOIhujCxcxVn8j4N7wOesmHyNT2P3HnSl7esYxRj7fd5Dlw/s2047/convert_26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2047" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VItUct3oANwm6dFuJoKamXG9A8t8BwRncrzT6BPPjqnm7OZtkchwtL4OEjSfNVt-RJ4Oqtg_pVV12gB6GVX4S0_iTwKuIWfRPhWPonL8-TdHu_llw3DerXm0Rb4dofRwf4zbOIhujCxcxVn8j4N7wOesmHyNT2P3HnSl7esYxRj7fd5Dlw/w400-h266/convert_26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The perch is a titanium VO saddle we carried a number of years ago and the post is an American Classic in an obscure 27.4 size. There are reports of people trying to put 27.2mm seatposts in the frame and cracking the ears on the seat lug. So if you have a Waterford like this one, use the correct size post.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihds75cS7d3pKVALX3XuAkcO9LrrKLZl25raULZXGBIwOWctWF7Djv5IYFKSHoMyCRKhKzj0uXHqeGXGrMFdPFM42P4TyKX4yg1U7CGYTsrATsJW8yIuPWS5v2ZIGcPm6Oj13wnan3BYkTz5m8DMkZdcg2rCYFXoXlrsOZkX9npKggBtnKUQ/s2048/convert_36.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihds75cS7d3pKVALX3XuAkcO9LrrKLZl25raULZXGBIwOWctWF7Djv5IYFKSHoMyCRKhKzj0uXHqeGXGrMFdPFM42P4TyKX4yg1U7CGYTsrATsJW8yIuPWS5v2ZIGcPm6Oj13wnan3BYkTz5m8DMkZdcg2rCYFXoXlrsOZkX9npKggBtnKUQ/w400-h266/convert_36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Aside from the handlebar tape and the cassette, this build was completely assembled from stuff we had lying around. Do you have any parts bin builds in the works? </p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-39680716911259796412022-08-26T13:44:00.000-04:002022-08-26T13:44:20.479-04:00Six Must-Haves for Your Home Shop<p>We're all a bit geeky when it comes to tools here. A lot of us have worked in shops and have a variety of tools in our own tool boxes that are not the box standard tool box entries.<span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwDe3vSfDCtc1v8HthmL188oSOZ5tp1iNjucqdYafreNOT3YUcV0cJ_m6KDcw4b9yNS9hmueGNj0e0hSQ3C7JRiG8Lsc2SwSNMM6Iz82hS6-aLoRIUHpqOJRMvud6Uj98OG9QBmWcgdH4zLHkUO239x8JfruIv_PIvuv7vn8DLVbyehuUiA/s2048/convert_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwDe3vSfDCtc1v8HthmL188oSOZ5tp1iNjucqdYafreNOT3YUcV0cJ_m6KDcw4b9yNS9hmueGNj0e0hSQ3C7JRiG8Lsc2SwSNMM6Iz82hS6-aLoRIUHpqOJRMvud6Uj98OG9QBmWcgdH4zLHkUO239x8JfruIv_PIvuv7vn8DLVbyehuUiA/w320-h400/convert_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>1) A "secret sauce" item in the tool section is Lilly Lube chain oil. Connor discovered this product when he worked in a local shop in Maryland. <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/lilly-lube-4-23oz-bottle">Lilly Lube</a> is designed and manufactured by Jason Lilly, out of Southern California. It's made of a proprietary blend of wet and dry lubes, and formulated to offer the benefits of each. Application is simple - drip it liberally on your chain, allow it a few hours to set up, then wipe clean and enjoy a noise free drivetrain for hundreds of miles to come! It doesn't splash onto your pants like a very oily wet lube does, and doesn't attract the dirt and dust like a thicker, drier lube does. </div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj5fqGsu7dtcYl8-mbbyDo2dj35aAauhHFFqiA7Nr3R9tB-j52hDdOZpjXVtgIdY7K62iyE2qeIcK1NHrr5dSBtEx1XKiesnc0Ye68FlLo7_XCZm_SV2WFdwKuwTvybWVuuvmxdS5zhmrCb-Wn-qBSR1fmwVS2VZnlTyvA-6t-4z5-QNNwQ/s1380/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.07.22%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1036" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj5fqGsu7dtcYl8-mbbyDo2dj35aAauhHFFqiA7Nr3R9tB-j52hDdOZpjXVtgIdY7K62iyE2qeIcK1NHrr5dSBtEx1XKiesnc0Ye68FlLo7_XCZm_SV2WFdwKuwTvybWVuuvmxdS5zhmrCb-Wn-qBSR1fmwVS2VZnlTyvA-6t-4z5-QNNwQ/w300-h400/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.07.22%20AM.png" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>2) Reaching back into the memory banks, the<a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/ja-stein-crank-puller-for-classic-stronglight-or-ta-cranks"> JA Stein Crank pullers for TA or Stronglight cranks</a> is one of those, if you need it, you need it, tools. The threading on TA and Stronglight cranks were, well, different, and thus won't work with a standard <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/park-22mm-crank-puller">Park tool crank puller</a>. Thus the great machine workers at JA Stein created these crank pullers to fulfill the needs of those of us using these great cranks.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lQvXnF6m69PHZIRig388RtUtWbF7pP1C87dkmVvHyjAgUJXOAissplCdnrap4WAQ8lDBV9c2JVyTYryW4JzvEsM6kaKWNf5yuuPfVcHJv8z3OYRwylkUudL3qaZj1V_QADFeoO9z3gsZDRfxMDZU1LZtsdBn7mY_hmZY5POku_NSZiCpWA/s1386/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.09.12%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1384" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lQvXnF6m69PHZIRig388RtUtWbF7pP1C87dkmVvHyjAgUJXOAissplCdnrap4WAQ8lDBV9c2JVyTYryW4JzvEsM6kaKWNf5yuuPfVcHJv8z3OYRwylkUudL3qaZj1V_QADFeoO9z3gsZDRfxMDZU1LZtsdBn7mY_hmZY5POku_NSZiCpWA/w400-h400/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.09.12%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>3) A product that embodies the ideal of a tool - beautiful to look at, wonderful to use and comes in silver and gold is the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/15mm-wrench?variant=37559298687151">Runwell 15 mm wrench.</a> This gorgeous tool is great to use to tighten up the hub nuts on your track bike or the kid's 20" wheels after you fixed that flat, again. Brilliantly thought out in terms of how the handle is shaped, as well as how the head is angled so you don't end up jamming your hand between the fork or seat stays when using it. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dVpV5xQKaQll6AikexaNQopfCoWES9tPZBTFA3S9tUr78Yf84BX74VvQz4vhB8VwKThYK4NhHqe_2t8h0CmUHzUG8n7QeOjoA-sh99lMX2h9dkYzGCS4fnh5Dfn__03kim4H3k6Mbfk_R0lPONJB58m7xekq0Z8VpwCbKvpD6lL__m7Jhg/s1600/No%208%20Carbone%20open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dVpV5xQKaQll6AikexaNQopfCoWES9tPZBTFA3S9tUr78Yf84BX74VvQz4vhB8VwKThYK4NhHqe_2t8h0CmUHzUG8n7QeOjoA-sh99lMX2h9dkYzGCS4fnh5Dfn__03kim4H3k6Mbfk_R0lPONJB58m7xekq0Z8VpwCbKvpD6lL__m7Jhg/w400-h166/No%208%20Carbone%20open.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>4) Finally, everyone needs a knife. You can go two ways with a knife. You can go classic with an <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/opinel/products/opinel-no-8-carbone-knife">Opinel #8 Carbone Knife.</a> Works for a huge number of tasks. I use my daily when cutting up strawberries at home for example - and they are easy to keep sharp and clean. Igor has had his for years and uses it for camping. If you want to quickly patina the carbon blade, check out our article about <a href="https://velo-orange.com/blogs/favoritewriteups/using-onions-to-patina-your-opinel">using onions for a quick patina</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblEGU9K5noa43r0EAUPpsSHSIGCeDUc8PGNtQ6tV7UEdJEzsK8Aj2vzI9AMVC2Kg0uBUGqofI_m0I0TYtC2Pa0BJ2yF8tffwjETfFQdGfmcvUmEe2HGFrn1HEFq8b6rXPHc6OFDPhdVBr_x9DI78F0VysXYdm0wzboDM-XfXrOpKQk5qXAg/s1600/meat%20and%20cheese.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblEGU9K5noa43r0EAUPpsSHSIGCeDUc8PGNtQ6tV7UEdJEzsK8Aj2vzI9AMVC2Kg0uBUGqofI_m0I0TYtC2Pa0BJ2yF8tffwjETfFQdGfmcvUmEe2HGFrn1HEFq8b6rXPHc6OFDPhdVBr_x9DI78F0VysXYdm0wzboDM-XfXrOpKQk5qXAg/w400-h268/meat%20and%20cheese.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJtRlgjx3HYd4oC0T-Qj3QpDdvTmyZareKoYY42-BoNWRknj4h0NDWwoikTr2n_TTNEKObpqdZMFz0L28OHWu01awIBQGyBsx9AbsxrRBJmohBSBkWe7LFWb2nhh4UBsRsqRoLUKiWH9XPOC2BuzUEkd5H04CDB7X8Bk7jDtcLBioBqISJA/s1388/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.28.17%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1388" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJtRlgjx3HYd4oC0T-Qj3QpDdvTmyZareKoYY42-BoNWRknj4h0NDWwoikTr2n_TTNEKObpqdZMFz0L28OHWu01awIBQGyBsx9AbsxrRBJmohBSBkWe7LFWb2nhh4UBsRsqRoLUKiWH9XPOC2BuzUEkd5H04CDB7X8Bk7jDtcLBioBqISJA/w400-h400/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.28.17%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>5) On the more modern side of the spectrum, the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/opinel/products/opinel-no-8-expedition-knife">Expedition #8 Knife</a> is the do-all knife that can handle almost any situation. The stainless steel blade is a mix of plain edge and serrated which is useful for: cutting rope or tomatoes, emergency whistle built into the plastic body, and since the body is plastic, there is no worry about wood damage. You can even use the cord on the end of it to attach it to the deck rigging on a kayak or hang it at your campsite.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKlSRQjl9Kv7rGOm5OQRiAeHklhaBKHhMJi_qIPVCkJNjsAi9bbTqJmLsu6Nx1eu4rJaJkH6TDbKXi_GuO6BQrPnitud1UlWPPXWCgnDPvq1m1bKIw4Ym4ocwoPO5_bOcZO0C2sSAGkMMB8Oct_btU6KoTv5MFuYllQnlNtJ7sY1obDCbBQ/s1388/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.35.46%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="1388" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKlSRQjl9Kv7rGOm5OQRiAeHklhaBKHhMJi_qIPVCkJNjsAi9bbTqJmLsu6Nx1eu4rJaJkH6TDbKXi_GuO6BQrPnitud1UlWPPXWCgnDPvq1m1bKIw4Ym4ocwoPO5_bOcZO0C2sSAGkMMB8Oct_btU6KoTv5MFuYllQnlNtJ7sY1obDCbBQ/w400-h399/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2011.35.46%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>6) Lastly, every shop needs a good set of hex wrenches. I'd venture to say 98% of the bolts and screws on your bike use metric hex heads - on Adrian's Neutrino the only bolts that aren't hex are the dropout screws. Look, I know these <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/tools/products/var-professional-hex-wrench-set">VAR wrenches</a> aren't cheap, but they exceptionally nice. They're a joy to use and their tolerances are excellent. We use them every day and they haven't failed us.</div><div><br /></div></div>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-86454081855101110292022-08-19T12:37:00.001-04:002022-08-19T12:37:15.159-04:00What Makes a Good Rando Bike?<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Scott</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0O3TRUDH1bpuEPJRBWjpoQ2fIpyUUBZ3hHnOloraEOZXKeiyxKT25uJ1wiic1_QP0xWzm6cNMm-i5bBV80U14VypUDeCMCrK4r0SA2LzsG2y0XWZaFqR1a1Nzi8VspGrAcYTgxF3NqCMnBv8Xjre_CC1Ta6j6av-RWVKYcGIYy6gOUv4jCA/s1600/conversion_16.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0O3TRUDH1bpuEPJRBWjpoQ2fIpyUUBZ3hHnOloraEOZXKeiyxKT25uJ1wiic1_QP0xWzm6cNMm-i5bBV80U14VypUDeCMCrK4r0SA2LzsG2y0XWZaFqR1a1Nzi8VspGrAcYTgxF3NqCMnBv8Xjre_CC1Ta6j6av-RWVKYcGIYy6gOUv4jCA/w400-h320/conversion_16.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://velo-orange.com/blogs/favoritewriteups/keith-barr-randonneur">Keith Barr Randonneur</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some say that the best bike for the job is the one you have. And for many things, I think they're right. You don't need something fancy for commuting for example. A mid 80's mtb is a great starting point for a commuter that is tough and ready to hit the urban streets. For other cycle-born adventures, something a bit more specialized is sometimes required for the task. Take for example a bike for randonneuring. What is randonneuring you ask? Well, check out my post about it <a href="https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2019/01/randonneuring-101.html">here</a> for a detailed discussion. But to sum it up, randonneuring is an "organized ride of a distance equal to or greater than 200 km (125 miles) along a set route with a series of check points (controls) along the way. Time limits exist for the rides." </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOLVclKKT6VzFWCPxFubfnRjio7uzqjX5aFE4tmYh-VlonfLB1mGviVRyTmMapVzBGCo8Hup2g7R2OeyMhBEVIPCEZZiT7IVy_O824hqmaRGd3ViS-BeAWnITFcaiB3ImpayzzTGaObzci8DN3tmqd-k11H_Tl8uHNEx38AKtTQxSmFKEqA/s1024/48632831107_bf5db80398_b.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOLVclKKT6VzFWCPxFubfnRjio7uzqjX5aFE4tmYh-VlonfLB1mGviVRyTmMapVzBGCo8Hup2g7R2OeyMhBEVIPCEZZiT7IVy_O824hqmaRGd3ViS-BeAWnITFcaiB3ImpayzzTGaObzci8DN3tmqd-k11H_Tl8uHNEx38AKtTQxSmFKEqA/w400-h300/48632831107_bf5db80398_b.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://chasingmailboxes.com/">Chasing Mailboxes</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The basic touchstone that I've always worked from for a rando bike is that the bike must be comfortable, efficient, and reliable. Going back to that blog post, a key aspect of brevets is self-<span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">sufficiency</span></span>. You need to have a bike that doesn't break down and the parts are robust. And if something does break, can it be repaired roadside or commonly found in a bike shop?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA95ym7cni14sKfz2L_cRMI76Ipoba2B93nkO2jjZ3hELT0caLus5GUlsdpJ63aZwVnsstZG3gSsc8o3sKD9JOXBqdcWKWAMVD4tCbRJCd2qDWcOj2cosjryW1q08v1AOt3uPVtQNkWOV-Ab1kTID_oT_VReyxCYbI5NnAC0shhuPJA80Q_w/s3984/2015-09-27%2009.36.01%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2656" data-original-width="3984" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA95ym7cni14sKfz2L_cRMI76Ipoba2B93nkO2jjZ3hELT0caLus5GUlsdpJ63aZwVnsstZG3gSsc8o3sKD9JOXBqdcWKWAMVD4tCbRJCd2qDWcOj2cosjryW1q08v1AOt3uPVtQNkWOV-Ab1kTID_oT_VReyxCYbI5NnAC0shhuPJA80Q_w/w400-h266/2015-09-27%2009.36.01%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Igor's bike got hit by a car during a lunch stop. Wheel was un-taco'd and fender straightened roadside.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As far as personal must-haves for a good randonneuring bike: solid and dependable drivetrain, <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/drop-handlebars/products/nouveau-randonneur-handlebar">comfortable handlebar</a> and saddle, fittings for fenders, and clearance for wide-ish tires (28mm minimum) is a solid foundation. Hub-powered dynamo lighting, from-saddle accessible luggage, and electronic navigation would be the next step up - but not completely necessary.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERd3n4oLUBrPCbcd93TwAuqDiL1U7P-oJF0qS9R7PaxPTbr98JumM6CEPjDH4V0eWH4GbmSMdsqq4DhRUvQ-Q0n98d0cy0UgTA-EYYZ6Ip7s9dBHmp94bmSQKhumuQUmjft89W8wVaN9M16nlnluZisT-Y0_0kNoD_CKg7oIxb_pwlqCwgA/s2048/convert_4%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERd3n4oLUBrPCbcd93TwAuqDiL1U7P-oJF0qS9R7PaxPTbr98JumM6CEPjDH4V0eWH4GbmSMdsqq4DhRUvQ-Q0n98d0cy0UgTA-EYYZ6Ip7s9dBHmp94bmSQKhumuQUmjft89W8wVaN9M16nlnluZisT-Y0_0kNoD_CKg7oIxb_pwlqCwgA/w400-h266/convert_4%20(1).jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Bike fit is absolutely paramount. You want to be comfortable on the bike for hundreds of kilometers. Super aggressive positions are rarely encouraged. An even saddle and handlebar position is a good starting point, with many opting to raise the handlebars a bit higher. We've always encouraged people to leave 5-10mm on top of their threadless steerers for future adjustment when building up their bikes.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2RKBT83xENLOwdIJtfb5JyDJmdk4UPvX4Sbj1Q1X44dO54gduCpLCv-V3YmIXl7VFFjwb91aMUkkjLwDywTwM3phxjzsM6PHdjw8U8BtJINZuctvo9-3g2IxrpvyLeE8v4wpz5pOt-F6CeJ_jwil3FPzatgi66-R9cquKgIWLKNsfpZHiQ/s500/scott-gater_endless-mountains1_small.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2RKBT83xENLOwdIJtfb5JyDJmdk4UPvX4Sbj1Q1X44dO54gduCpLCv-V3YmIXl7VFFjwb91aMUkkjLwDywTwM3phxjzsM6PHdjw8U8BtJINZuctvo9-3g2IxrpvyLeE8v4wpz5pOt-F6CeJ_jwil3FPzatgi66-R9cquKgIWLKNsfpZHiQ/w400-h300/scott-gater_endless-mountains1_small.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My actual brevet bike before hanging up my reflective vest</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Does it have room for <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/fenders">fenders</a>? While it may not be a necessity if you live in Southern California, brevets are held rain or shine and 200km (the shortest distance) is a long way to go with a wet bum. If you have room for fenders, I'd always suggest installing them, for peace of mind and protection against that rain storm or errant puddle splash that is sure to happen if you don't have them fitted.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiya6Czk0Ybz6ily-n8dcqiPHaNGDH8UO1h7OCiBUUo5N1Re7m7HF0hna4FbZraE3X92Z-fLj8Y-lVMIrIHprQMIdI-Q3QjJFrGX7hx5RYty9Y49jnwEKWmBnujvaeBRIfeaNnQyxyuOSG_aBkBwUoOkrRlVZ2PhZce7PwwkM6tPvk7lqKTzQ/s2198/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-19%20at%2010.53.47%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1758" data-original-width="2198" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiya6Czk0Ybz6ily-n8dcqiPHaNGDH8UO1h7OCiBUUo5N1Re7m7HF0hna4FbZraE3X92Z-fLj8Y-lVMIrIHprQMIdI-Q3QjJFrGX7hx5RYty9Y49jnwEKWmBnujvaeBRIfeaNnQyxyuOSG_aBkBwUoOkrRlVZ2PhZce7PwwkM6tPvk7lqKTzQ/w400-h320/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-19%20at%2010.53.47%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Build list <a href="https://velo-orange.com/pages/polyvalent-build-list-randonneur-with-campagnolo-athena">here</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Does the bike have sufficient clearance for a reasonable size tire? Again, take a look at what you have installed already on the bike. If your bike has something between 28-35 mm (for 700C tired bike) you're probably in good stead for staying comfortable on a brevet. If your bike has 25mm, check and see if there is room to put wider tires into it. Can you ride a brevet with 25mm tires? Yes, but it can be uncomfortable for some, <span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">particularly</span></span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px;"> </span>those of us over 40, whose hands and backs are more "sensitive" to bumps and such. For 650b, it seems like 38-42mm is the sweet spot for quality tires. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcx1whpR_SHEPMyLv9zDvyCKQF8peXPPBVd5ezEXReSL_XmIvVIGuAbUgwI3XEASQZeGHhYsGfSk2TF89uM8AB2JsjUdQZ_siPPWOg1MnrYDKKhwFhOTrhHep9UTG9pOnUE2JqtzU9wXXJgyafFCmpfMLCLi_7w6IY_3dPkGScv1slhmEjIg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcx1whpR_SHEPMyLv9zDvyCKQF8peXPPBVd5ezEXReSL_XmIvVIGuAbUgwI3XEASQZeGHhYsGfSk2TF89uM8AB2JsjUdQZ_siPPWOg1MnrYDKKhwFhOTrhHep9UTG9pOnUE2JqtzU9wXXJgyafFCmpfMLCLi_7w6IY_3dPkGScv1slhmEjIg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>When we were designing the <a href="https://velo-orange.com/products/pass-hunter">Pass Hunter</a> and <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/polyvalent">Polyvalent</a>, all these questions came to mind. We wanted to have frames that had sufficient clearance and fender and rack fittings for different setups. I think a Pass Hunter with a set of cable actuated disc brakes, a solid 10 or 11 speed set up with a compact double crank would be all I'd need to get through a full set of brevets this year and for many more years to come.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfFemFcilSSt8acv4qGlSM2TrZmK8L7V7XsyN0LIVbHKryeT5BM6Vp_oR1I2vpqbsz6AWEUZ1cKz6Gck5SIFd-u-iL5QY0HMFavtU4DTzTExy6NdlMizy9f8OZWDydqFWoZGE_42vSeoDGw4Yx0GQIPNRjbIu2YZVsjhd8TvRToieGrn2u3g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfFemFcilSSt8acv4qGlSM2TrZmK8L7V7XsyN0LIVbHKryeT5BM6Vp_oR1I2vpqbsz6AWEUZ1cKz6Gck5SIFd-u-iL5QY0HMFavtU4DTzTExy6NdlMizy9f8OZWDydqFWoZGE_42vSeoDGw4Yx0GQIPNRjbIu2YZVsjhd8TvRToieGrn2u3g=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br />There is a huge variety of randonneur bike styles, so by no means is this comprehensive, just my opinions from years of riding brevets. Some people ride electronic drivetrains and time trial bikes, others ride super traditional setups with big, boxy bags. Someone even rode PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris) on a scooter back in 2015. It really comes down to what works for you and what you're comfortable with!<br /><p></p><p>What is your favorite randonneuring bike? What makes it so special to you? Let us know in the comments and share it with the wider world.</p>VeloOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814029344407654254noreply@blogger.com10