by Scott
It's Valentines day, and what better day to profess my love for bikes? I've ridden bikes at a "serious" level since I was about 15. By "serious" I mean cycling has been my main interest outside of breathing and eating. It's the thing that if asked what I wished to spend, say birthday money on, I could rattle off a list of parts or books that were all centered around cycling or training for cycling.
But I'm not the type of person to own a bunch of bikes. I have a couple bikes at home, and working here at VO usually provides a prototype or two if I desire to do a certain style of ride. I tend to be rather singular in terms of the style of bike I own, and I've always been drawn to the 'all-rounder" kind of bike - a sport touring bike in the 80's, a mountain bike with road tires in the 90's, and an all-around touring bike since 2001. I suppose I was most influenced by bikes of the early 80's that were used for touring and have never strayed too far from that reference point.
So what is it that got me into cycling back then, and keeps me interested all these years later? I suppose it's the same now as it was then - freedom and a sense of exploration. Many people talk about their first bike being the way that they could explore outside of their neighborhood, and I think it was the same for me. I remember going out for rides on a Saturday night, bundled up against the cold of a winter night in Vancouver with a water bottle full of hot tea. The rule was, once the bottle got cold, it was time to go home.
Today, it's still the exploration aspect that draws me to cycling. Going out and combining gravel roads with a section of paved road, and maybe even a little bit of single track in between takes me back to my Saturday night rides in the suburbs of Vancouver. It's for this same reason that I was so drawn to the RSF books - the lure of what was over the next hill. I tried racing for a season at age 16 and it just wasn't for me. I much preferred riding with my touring club around BC and down into the US west coast.
So what draws you to cycling? Is it the adventure, the technology, the competition? Let us know and let's all celebrate our love for life on two wheels!
The Burrito Supreme is similar to the Mini Rando Bag but in a cylindrical shape, rather than a box. The bag is 8" wide, with a 5.5" diameter, for a total volume of ~150 cubic inches of space.
Installation is a breeze. Simply wrap the handlebar straps around your bars and the velcro around your steerer or heatube.
A reinforced, oversized zipper ensures your bag stays closed and your gear is safe. There is also a strip of Molle webbing on the front for anything else that might need to be strapped down.
Carry your essentials in style! These Tool and Saddle Rolls are a great place to put all your roadside tools and accessories.
Three separate pockets (3"x 4" on the sides, center pocket 3" x 5") allow you to neatly organize your quick-fix tools, and a button-snap flap ensures your gear will never fall out. With the flap buttoned down, the bag is 5 1/4" tall, meaning you can fit tools up to 5" long in the pockets. The bag then folds neatly into itself in thirds, and uses a strap and buckle to secure itself to the saddle rails. Also included on the underside is a loop and strap to tether the bottom of the bag to the seatpost ensuring the bag wont move around or slide up on rougher terrain.
By Scott
The folks at Isola Press and author Mark Hudson, who first published the Rough Stuff Fellowship Archives in 2019, are back with a new book: Further Adventures in Rough Stuff. This 208 page book is broken down into four sections: Scotland, England, Wales and Abroad, each with a mix of photos and ride descriptions. The ride reports are taken directly from the pages of the club journal and have a lovely sense of prose that are very in tune with British nature and travel writing.
Of particular note in this edition is the report in the "Abroad" section, about the 6th annual Crested Butte to Aspen MTB ride in 1981. Lots of denim, klunker bars, and folks out amongst the Rocky Mountains on bikes of all sorts.
The photos continue to amaze - lots of bobble hats, mismatched socks, walking bikes through immense landscapes. The publishers have done a great job of reprinting these photos, keeping a wonderful tone to these vignettes of a past generation. While temperatures remain well below our normal here in Maryland, it's great to sit with a cup of tea or coffee and a treat and look over the photos and be inspired by riders who did not let a lack of a tarmac road stop them from going one more mile.
As a further throwback to the high times of exploring the off track world, the inside front and rear covers have historical ads from the RSF magazine for some further insight into the world of the Rough Stuff rider.
We also received more of the original Rough Stuff Fellowship books with this shipment. So if you haven't picked up the first one, here is an ideal position to get both editions and reserve a night or two of sitting by a fire with a warm beverage close by and admire these hardy souls and the places they went.
by Igor
If you're looking for a sturdy and capable off-road tourer, then look no further than the Piolet! It features mounts for every rack you'd ever want as well as a geometry and fit that is suited for both flat bars and drop bars. We've done a bunch of builds, so check out our favorites in Bike Build Ideas, under Piolet.
We also restocked VO Crazy Bars! These rad bars are intended for touring on paved and unpaved roads, single and double track, gravel and crushed limestone, and everything in between. They're a fan favorite for good reason.
The main, swept back section provides excellent control and leverage on rough and tumble surfaces, while the the bullhorn section offers an aero position for smoother roads and headwinds. The junction of the horns and sweeps feels similar to being on the hoods of drop bars and makes for a nice, neutral position.
We currently have them in Silver with Noir arriving in about a month.
We also received a shipment of other parts and accessories to button up your bike:
by Igor
2021 was another fantastic year for VO: we moved to a new facility, hired a couple more employees, are trucking along with new projects, made new connections for suppliers, and are making more investments in inventory.
Before we dive into what we've been up to this year, a quick holiday announcement. To give our staff time with their friends and families, VO will be closed from December 24th through January 2nd, and will reopen on January 3rd. If you need your order to go out before we close, please place it before 2pm ET on December 23rd.
The big one this year was our move! We went from 7500 sqft to almost 15,000, with 11,000 dedicated to just warehousing. It means we can keep more inventory on hand and provide consumers and shops with more product availability and cool, new designs.
1x Cranksets - these are a great solution for those wanting to change to a 1x drivetrain, but will still work with single speed drivetrains.
Next Gen Crazy and Seine Bars - We teased these last winter but took a while to actually get them in due to raw material delays. But we're getting a LOT more early in 2022.
1x Sensah Components - I've explored Sensah components before and have heard good things. So when we experienced supply chain shortages, we decided to take things into our own hands and made connections over at Sensah to bring in their SRX and CRX 1x11 components. They've sold well, so we're going to bring in more offerings next year.
Diamond Polyvalents - While I think the Low Kicker design is perfect for many people's needs, the Diamond frame variant does have the classic lines and big main triangle look many people like.
Biggish Bag - Not too big, not too small, we designed the Biggish Bag to be the perfect size for all of your sport touring adventures, city errands, day-long gravel rides, and everything in between.
Pistachio Neutrino - The builds I see online based on the Neutrino frameset continue to inspire and impress me. I've seen Rohloffs, singlespeeds, ebikes, drop bars with carbon rims, bikepacking rigs, and even fixed gear builds. Here's Josie's build, it's a favorite of mine.
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| https://www.instagram.com/p/CW7HuuKFU46/ |
Component standards, preferences, aesthetics, and fit can make cyclists a hard bunch to shop for. But have no fear! We have compiled a list that is gifting ready and will make any cyclist smile with delight.
I carry my well-worn, well-patina'd Opinel no.8 Carbon on every ride. It's great for cutting up meat and cheese for an on-the-go charcuterie or opening boxes around the house.
There are two blade styles: Carbon and Stainless Steel. Carbon will age and is easier to sharpen, but you will need to take more care of it. Stainless will stay shiny and sharp longer, but is a little harder to sharpen.
Reusable, ergonomic, and cute. These Cable Cherries are the perfect bit of jewelry for the end of brake and drivetrain cables.
Simply put, this is likely the nicest 15mm Wrench you can buy for your track or fixed gear bike. They're ergonomic and a beauty to hold in your hand. We also have a To-Go sized 15mm Wrench.
These Top Caps add form to function. They're handcrafted by master copperware craftsman, Mr. Kazuya Watanabe. They are stunning and would make even the most weight-weeny roadie accept something non-carbon on their bike.
These Reflectors add an element of elegant safety. They mount securely onto nearly any fender. Simply drill a hole!
Ding-ding! These Bells can either mount directly around a quill or with an 1 1/8" headset adaptor. Keep it safe and stylish.
Safety and fun for the whole family! Design your favorite slice of pizza with the included toppings and mount on your bike.
Gifts are all about accessories, so why not an Accessory Mount? These clamp around the handlebar and give the rider lots of options for mounting lights, GPS, computers, etc...
The fabulous folks at Steel Vintage Bikes in Berlin, Germany have produced a book showing a collection of steel bikes they have restored over the years. With bikes ranging from 1927 to 1989, there are bikes you've never seen along with technical elements sure to excite.
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