A Mixte by Johnny

David originally ordered a Velo Orange 650B Randonneur frame for his wife. But as the months passed they decided that since most of her riding was in town, a mixte might be more appropriate. After many e-mails we arrived at this city/rando bike.

What's most interesting is that since there are no high quality mixte lugs available these days, it was decided to build the frame using half-lugs on the head tube. This is a difficult and time consuming combination of fillet brazing and lugged construction. I think Johnny did a magnificent job of it.

The other unusual feature is that Johnny Coast uses an oversized down tube on this very small frame and did not run the mid stays past the seat tube. This is the way he builds all his mixtes. Why not follow the example of the constructeurs? Because he feels this makes the bike laterally stiffer and lighter with little decrease in vertical compliance. Having examined some classic mixtes Johnny felt there was room for improvement.

There are more photos here.

Derek's Velo Orange

Derek sent some very nice photos of his new frame, which was built up for fast riding. Here's what he said in the e-mail:

The bike is lovely, and although it was a bargain, I cannot imagine anybody finding fault with it at any price. It certainly can hold it's own against custom frames costing many times more and the restraint and elegance in lug choice, lug filing, decals and paint color and execution make this bike, IMO, second to none in both aesthetics and build quality - not to mention value!
I can honestly and quite happily say that it exceeded my expectations.
Let me know if you would like any further info...

Build as follows:
Dura Ace 9 speed brifters
Nitto Noodle Bars
Nitto Dynamic 2 stem
Tange headset
Shimano 47-57mm reach brakes
9 speed Ultegra hubs laced to Torelli Master rims
Non-Tourguard 32mm Paselas
Sugino AT crank, Tange bottom bracket, Shimano SPD pedals
9 speed Dura Ace RD
105 triple FD
Sram 12-26 cassette
Nitto Jaguar post
Regal saddle
Salsa cages

Here's an album with the rest of the photos. Thanks Derek!

Mounting Lights and a 60th Anniversary Mercian

I've been promising to develop a little mount to attach B&M mounts to VO (and other) racks. Here are a couple of photos. You could probably make one yourself; it's basically just a strip of stainless steel with a slight "S" bend. As soon as I return from Interbike, I'll meet with a US manufacturer we sometimes work with and have a bunch made. They should be under $10 each.

I'll also ask if they can make the VO handlebar mounted water bottle cage adapter.

Several folks have asked about mounting B&M Retro lights on fenders. All you need to do is remove the included light mount and reverse it as in the photo on the right. Be sure to use a large washer under the fender.

On another subject, does anyone have an opinion on which brand of moderately priced LED blinkey and LED handlebar mounted LED light is best? We're thinking of stocking the B&M models, but are there others we should try?

Kyle just received a new Mercian 60th anniversary frame. If you like beautiful bikes you might want to see this page and this one too. It's nice to see the VO bits on it Kyle; and thanks for sharing.

Links, Updates, and a Question

I've come across a few links you might find interesting:

• Joel at Blackbird has some fantastic porteur photos (as on the right). Note the great chaincases.
  
• Speedplay has a cool museum of pedals.
• Yvon Chouinard is one of the most innovative businesspeople ever and founder of Patagonia. Here is wonderful talk he gave explaining some of his business philosophies. These are ideas that I very much share. In fact I was a serious rock climber and alpinist in my early days and ran into him a few times, so I've followed his progress since. (Thanks for the tip Ethan.)
• The sideways bike! What can I say?
• Is anyone else interested in economics? Economist's View is on my must-read blogs list.
• And a few of the requisite Japanese bike sites: Revolve makes some lovely frames is a pure and elegant style. This site is a basic guide to bike touring. Cyclecafe is, well, you figure it out.

As for updates:

• Umm, those 650B Velo Orange fenders I said would be here in a few weeks won't. Why? I forgot to send the purchase order. Duh!
• All the extra long Honjo fenders and hardware are still expected at the end of the month.
• We've ordered some neat little clips that allow you to add bag loops to any saddle. Think these will sell well?
  
• We are getting highly polished 45mm x 700c stainless steel VO fenders. They will cost under $40 with all hardware.
  

Finally a Question:

Recently, as VO continues to grow, we've been air freighting some products from Asia to keep them in stock. Air freight is the most environmentally damaging way to move goods, and expensive. Transport by ship is the best way, followed by train and truck. So I'm thinking of making it a VO policy to only use ship and, train, truck transport, except for samples and , occasionally, very light goods. This would mean a longer wait when we run out, but a much lower environmental impact. It might also help keep our prices a bit lower. Plus, I'm getting better about ordering stuff far in advance. What do you think? Would you be willing to wait longer knowing the goods were being transported in a more responsible way?

Good Old Bikes

There is a magazine called Good Old Boat about restoring and sailing older boats. There really should be a similar publication about bikes. It could focus on bikes like these:

It's not hard to find nice used bikes on E-bay or elsewhere, but finding a high-end mixte is another matter. There were simply not that many really nice classic mixtes made. Julie owns one, this Motobecane Grand Record. This is a very well designed and nicely built Reynolds 531 frame. Many would say this was the "sweet spot"in Motobecane's line, good construction with rando-like geometry and Nervex lugs. And are those the lovely new Velo Orange fenders 45mm that we see? There are a few more photos here.

Mike found a lovely blue '86 Nishiki Riviera GT (Grand Touring). It has cantilever brakes and full rack mounts. There are even fender mounts for the Honjo fenders he just bought. Nice bell too, and tapped right into the stem.

Mike also built-up a neat Bridgestone T700 for his wife.

Ice

Two articles in the Guardian last week caught my attention and stayed with me. So this post has nothing to do with bicycles. It is about ice. It is also about global warming.

Let me say up front that global warming is not, or should not, be a political issue. There are virtually no reputable scientists in the world that deny its existence. To do so for political gain is the most shameful and immoral conduct imaginable. Yet there are still politicians who do exactly that. There may, however, be some reasonable dispute over its speed and effects.

The most recent article, Scientists fear ice caps melting faster than predicted describes the speed at which the Greenland Ice Cap is melting. A few quotes:

The glacier at Ilulissat, which supposedly spawned the iceberg that sank the Titantic, is now flowing three times faster into the sea than it was 10 years ago.

/snip/

Prof Correll, director of the global change programme at the Heinz Centre in Washington, said the estimates of sea level rise in the IPCC report were conservative and based on data two years old. The predicted rise this century was 20cm to 60cm, but it would be at the upper end of this range at least, he said, and some believed it could be two metres. This would be catastrophic for European coastlines.

He had flown over the Ilulissat glacier and "seen gigantic holes in it through which swirling masses of melt water were falling. I first looked at this glacier in the 1960s and there were no holes. These so-called moulins, 10 to 15 metres across, have opened up all over the place. There are hundreds of them."

He said ice-penetrating radar showed that this melt water was pouring through to the bottom of the glacier creating a lake 500 metres deep which was causing the glacier "to float on land. These melt-water rivers are lubricating the glacier, like applying oil to a surface and causing it to slide into the sea. It is causing a massive acceleration which could be catastrophic.

The second article, Loss of Arctic ice leaves experts stunned, discusses the melting of arctic Ice cap, all that stuff floating in the arctic ocean. Quotes:

The Arctic ice cap has collapsed at an unprecedented rate this summer and levels of sea ice in the region now stand at record lows, scientists have announced.

Experts say they are "stunned" by the loss of ice, with an area almost twice as big as the UK disappearing in the last week alone.

So much ice has melted this summer that the Northwest passage across the top of Canada is fully navigable, and observers say the Northeast passage along Russia's Arctic coast could open later this month.

If the increased rate of melting continues, the summertime Arctic could be totally free of ice by 2030.

It is important to remember that the melting of floating ice does not raise sea level. However, it may well cause a far more serious disaster, the likely collapse of the Gulf Stream. This, in turn, would cause profound climate change for the US east coast and Europe.

"This summer we've got all this open water and added heat going into the ocean. That is going to make it much harder for the ice to grow back."

Changes in wind and ocean circulation patterns can help reduce sea ice extent, but Dr Serreze said the main culprit was man-made global warming.

"The rules are starting to change and what's changing the rules is the input of greenhouse gases."

This is too complicated a topic to fully discuss here, but I urge you do a bit of research on your own.

As for me, I'm going for a nice bike ride along a cool trout stream today. When I return I'll savor a little ice with a splash of pastis. Might as well enjoy it while we can.

Modernist Randonneur Bars

A couple of weeks ago we had a discussion of modernist design and bikes. So it was impossible to resist stocking a few of these NOS Modolo Gran Fondo handlebars. Imagine someone starting from a blank sheet and designing a rando or cyclo cross bar, someone with a strong taste for Bauhaus or perhaps Cubism.

Anyway, if you can get over the odd looks, these are great bars. They are made of very strong heat treated 6082-T6 aluminum, and you know how much Nitto heat treated bars cost. They have a super flat ramp, so they should be very comfortable when riding on the hoods. The drops also offer a nice flat place for your hands and a fair bit of flair. The tops angle back so you can really sit upright when you like. There is a single groove for aero bake cables. All in all this is a very intelligent, if bizarre, design. I'm saving a pair for the Toyo prototype.

They are available in 41cm and 43cm sizes. But wait, that's measured center-to-center at the tops. The ends of the drops flair to about about 7cm wider than the dimension given. So if we measured these in the usual way they would be 48cm and 50cm; like I said, "bizarre". The clamping area is 26mm.

The cost is $30 for now and we only have a small quantity. But if you like them I know of a little warehouse in Europe with a bunch more. So what do you think? Are they ugly enough to be cool?

Web 2.0, Corporations, Wikis, Socialists, Blogs, and Bicycle Design

Yesterday's Guardian has an article entitled The Wiki Way. It's about Don Tapscott and his book, Wikinomics, which I happen to be reading. The interesting thing is that it describes what we, that is the author and commenter on the VO blog, are doing.

Don and his coauthor, Anthony D. Williams, postulate that the effects of the internet have only begun to change business and society. This is due to the continued development of mass collaboration. From the article:

"Ronald Coase had noticed something odd about capitalism. The received wisdom, among western economists, was that individuals should compete in a free market: planned economies, such as Stalin's, were doomed. But in that case, why did huge companies exist, with centralised operations and planning? The Ford Motor Company was hailed as a paragon of American business, but wasn't the Soviet Union just an attempt to run a country like a big company? If capitalist theory was correct, why didn't Americans, or British people, just do business with each other as individual buyers and sellers in the open market, instead of organizing themselves into firms?

The answer - which won Coase a Nobel prize - is that making things requires collaboration, and finding and linking up all the people who need to collaborate costs money. Companies emerge when it becomes cheaper to gather people, tools and material under one roof, rather than to go out looking for the best deal every time you need a few hours' labour, or a part for a car. But the internet, Tapscott argues, is radically lowering the cost of collaborating. Companies - certainly big companies - are losing their raison d'etre. Individuals, and tiny companies, can collaborate without corporate behemoths to organise them."

Tapscott goes on to explain that while it is not unusual for companies to have input from customers "Collaboration can occur on an astronomical scale, so if you can create an encyclopedia with a bunch of people, could you create a mutual fund? A motorcycle?" Or a bicycle perhaps?

He uses the Chinese motorcycle industry as an example. This is an industry that produces 15 million motorcycles yet is not dominated by large companies such as Honda or Yamaha, but rather it is made up of hundreds of small companies: "Their representatives meet in tea-houses, or collaborate online, each sharing knowledge, and contributing the parts or services they do best. The companies that assemble the finished products don't hire the other companies; assembling the finished product is just another service. A "self-organised system of design and production" has emerged..."

There are some elements of this in the Taiwanese bicycle industry, and here at Velo Orange. Of course our example is not quite as developed, but by cooperating with Johnny Coast, Ahren Rogers, Mr. Yoshikawa (of Nitto) and many of our customers who post here or send me lengthy e-mails describing products they would like to see, we are creating a sort of Wiki. The new porteur rack, for example, is based on plans sent by a customer. I wonder how we can further develop this concept?

The photos are of the Ostrich panniers; a few folks wanted to see more detail.

Lugs and the Look

The photo shows the lugs we are planning to use on the production Velo Orange randonneur. They are made by Long Shen and the quality is first rate. The top lug will be 73 degrees, not 74 as shown. The tubing will be traditional size, and that limits the choices since most lugs made today are for oversize tubes.

Now back to the new blog look, seeing as a few of you prefer the old style, I'll make some changes to add more orange, etc. The new template will remain because it offers the following advantages: There is a button to easily go to the posts past the first page. There is an Atom feed button. This template expands to full width on most screens. It is much faster for me to make edits and add links.

If I had more skill, or any skill, with HTML I could add all this to the old template, but I don't and can't. Nonetheless, it is gratifying (and perhaps a bit weird ;-), that there are 32 comments on the previous post.

Finally, we will be closed on Labor day.

A New Look

I was bored last night and decided to redesign the blog. I think it looks a little cleaner. What do you think?

The photo is from Velorution, a fun blog from a bike shop in London.

You Asked...

We now have, or are soon getting, a number of items our faithful customers have asked for:

We just received Honjo 43mm smooth and hammered fenders. These work well for tires up to 32mm wide, though some use them with 35mm tires.

The special extra long fenders in smooth and hammered are finally on a ship and steaming East. We also have extra long fenders in new sizes, 650B hammered, 35mm smooth and hammered, and 45mm hammered. This shipment also includes lots of extra stays and hardware that will be available separately.

I'll soon be adding some prototype racks and decaleurs to the specials page.

We've ordered rubber slap guards in muted red and in blue since many frame builders have asked for them.

Several of you have asked us to stock the new Tektro CR720 cantilever brakes. they'll be here Monday and will sell for $27 per pair. They feature forged aluminum arms, linear spring design, and dual micro tension adjusters. These are a cool retro design and the geometry should make for a very powerful brake. Kudos to Tektro; they are launching one great product after another.

Velo Orange silver inverse brake levers are soon to be in production. They are not as elegant as we had hoped. The cost and logistics of having the molds made proved to be too much. But these new levers will be nicer and less expensive than any available now.

We'll soon have some nice ViVa bag supports. The cost should be around $40. A nice seatpost mounted bag support is something I've always wanted. It should be easy to remove and be perfect for any larger saddle bag. And it won't mar the bike's paint. It's just the thing for those of us who like inn-to-inn tours, but don't usually need a rear rack. Getting these support has been like pulling teeth; George (our agent for Japan) is surely sick of my constant e-mails and calls about them. So I'm very curious to know what you think of this support. Will it be worth the effort? And let me know if you want to reserve one.

A Shipment From Nitto

We just received several boxes from Nitto. Inside I discovered a long awaited shipment of water bottle cages. I'm delighted every time I see them, Japanese aesthetics expressed in a humble water bottle cage. They are at once graceful, elegant, practical, and strong. Nitto cages are nothing less than works of art beautifully crafted in 18-8 stainless steel and polished to a mirror finish.

There are two models. The curvaceous model R (racing) weighs only 53gm. Then there is the rugged model T (touring) that weighs but 2 grams more and hints at a '50s French style. You might also be interested in knowing that we've lowered the price of the cages from $55 to $39.

They are almost too pretty to put on your bike.

We also have more M12 racks and the exquisite Nitto SP72 "Jaguar" seatpost.

Shorts

A few short notes:

Grand Bois tires are in stock again. We have both the 700C x 30 and the new folding version of the 650B x 32. Bicycle Quarterly says: "One of the best tires we have ridden: light, fast, and comfortable." The already legendary Grand Bois tires are a reproduction of classic French randonneuring tires. They are made in Japan to a very high standard and are now my standard tire; I love them. They are as close to a classic handmade touring tire as can be found today. I expect we'll sell out soon.

We bought a small quantity of 43mm hammered and smooth standard length Honjo fenders from another importer. We hope these will give us enough stock to last until our big shipment from the factory arrives, but they might sell out fast. They should be here next Wednesday.

All the TA cranks have arrived except for the box of 170mm crank arms. Those seem to have been held up at customs.

We'll be closed this Friday.

Interbike is only a month away and I hope to get several new product samples there. What new stuff should I look for?

Finally, would anyone be interested in a stainless steel version of VO fenders?

Paris-Brest-Paris, and Paris

Paris-Brest-Paris is being run August 20-24, 2007 and many of our customers and friends are riding. I case you don't know what PBP is, here is a description from the Randonneurs USA site:

First run in 1891, the 1200-kilometer Paris-Brest-Paris, or "PBP" as it is commonly called, is a grueling test of human endurance and cycling ability. Organized every four years by the host Audax Club Parisien, the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneurs is the oldest bicycling event still run on a regular basis on the open road. Beginning on the southern side of the French capital, it travels west 600 kilometers to the port city of Brest on the Atlantic Ocean and returns along the same route. Today's randonneur cyclists, while no longer riding the primitive machines used a hundred years ago over dirt roads or cobblestones, still have to face up to rough weather, endless hills, and pedaling around the clock. A 90-hour time limit ensures that only the hardiest randonneurs earn the prestigious PBP finisher's medal and have their name entered into the event's "Great Book" along with every other finisher going back to the very first PBP. To become a PBP ancien (or ancienne for the ladies) is to join a very elite group of cyclists who have successfully endured this mighty challenge. No longer a contest for professional racing cyclists (whose entry is now forbidden), PBP evolved into a timed randonnée or brevet for hard-riding amateurs during the middle part of the 20th century. The event is held in August every four years.

You can track riders through the official PBP site. Yes, we'll be watching you.

Many folks have e-mailed me asking what bike related things to do while in Paris. My advice is not to do anything bike related! You'll be riding 1200 bloody kilometers; forget about bikes for a few days and enjoy the city of light. Eat, drink, walk, go to museums, sit in cafes. That's what Paris is about.

First, to get into the mood, go see Ratatouille (the film) and count the 2CVs. Even the French love this film. I took my 7-year old to see it and it was great.

One of my favorite restaurants in Paris is Aux Charpentiers, 10 Rue Mabillon, 6e, where, if you look confused enough, the chef/owner, clad in jeans and a tweed jacket, will graciously help you with your meal.

Eat the bread from Poilâne bakery or one of the other great Parisian bakeries. You will be astounded. If you ask nicely they'll let you go down into the basement bakery.

Not all great food in Paris is French. Try Bouillon Racine for superb Belgian cuisine and the best Creme brulee in the world (according to Annette).

If you enjoy art, take the short trip to Giverny and visit Monet's house and gardens, a truly magic place, as well as the The American Art Museum and the Vernon Museum. Giverny is one of my favorite towns in the entire world.

If you must do something bike related, ride around on one of the new rental bikes that are everywhere. Check out this article from today's Guardian. By the way, the Alex Singer shop is closed for vacation during August and I've never bothered to visit any other bike shops in Paris. But you can get quite an education in city bikes by just noticing what's parked on the street. I've seen plenty of neat constructuer frames by just wandering around, but expect them to look well used; they are.

Finally, good luck to Ralph (and/or Joel), Jan, Ed, Chris, Mike, David, and everyone else who's riding PBP.

Does anyone else have favorite spots in or around Paris?

TA 60th Anniversary Cranks and VO 650B Fenders

The very last of our TA Pro 5 Vis 60th Anniversary cranks have arrived in the US and will be in our shop in a few days. They will be available in sizes from 162.5mm to 175mm. We will sell them at the old price, $225. This is your last chance to get them new. TA assures us that they are permanently out of production now. The only reason we got these is that they didn't get polished with the rest of the production run; yes, they've now polished them for us.

You can e-mail me to reserve a pair. Here is what I wrote about them in an earlier post:

One reason why so many people like the TA crank is that it has about the lowest Q-factor (width) of any crank ever made. This is because the crank arm is straight and very close to the outer chainring. So front derailleurs that have thick outer plates sometimes hit the crankarm, But all Campy models and many others work. These cranks will work with modern drivetrains, even 10-speed. Another reason to use TA Pro Vis 5 cranks is that they can replace a triple crank when set up as a double. You can run 28t and 46t rings with a 12-27 cassette (for example) and have almost the same range as a triple, but with a lot less overlap. Rings 26 to 68 teeth are available. By the way, TA sells the cranks and rings separately; there are no stock combinations. So why did these wonderful cranks go out of production? The big chainrings, above 50t or so, are too flexible for racing. And they are very expensive.

We will also have more, lots more, TA crank decals.

I've also heard that the aluminum 49mm fluted 650b Velo Orange fenders have been made and are waiting to be shipped. we should have them in a couple of weeks. The price will be $35, just like the 700c fenders. I've heard nothing but very positive reports from folks who have already bought the new VO fenders. The more experience I have with them the more I like them. We will also have extra fender hardware available for all models of VO fenders.

That last photo is from Neil B. Thanks.

Notes

It's been very busy here at VO, but I wanted to post a few notes:

• Brooks has substantially raised saddle prices. Titanium rail saddles, in particular, have jumped 30-40%. The weak dollar in relation to the Euro is responsible for much of this. The other factor is that a worldwide increase in demand for titanium and resultant price increase are affecting many industries.
• Speaking of the weak dollar, we should expect rising prices on all European components. So I'd suggest buying Stronglight headsets and cranks, TA products, etc sooner rather than later. The Yen exchange rate looks better so we'll be getting more attractively priced Japanese products.
  
• Regarding Honjo fenders, I just received this from our agent: "Sorry, but Mr. Shimamura at Honjo said that they are swamped and they said that the orders are now scheduled to be done in mid to late August. I will keep you posted."
• We have all models of decaleurs in stock again!

Little Projects

The thermometer read 104-degrees when I left Velo Orange yesterday. So I retired to the little workshop in our garage to bend little strips of metal into various shapes.

I was pleased with my first effort, a handlebar-mounted water bottle cage bracket. It'll be handy for carrying coffee on my city bike, though I'd prefer a beer in this weather. I think we'll try to get some of these made. Would you buy one?

My second project was a solid blinkey mount for the rear fender. I'm not as pleased with this design. It just looks a little clunky. I'll try again in a few days. It may be that I just selected a light that's too tall?. Thoughts?

Ostrich Panniers

A lot of folks have been waiting for Ostrich panniers; they finally arrived this morning by Airmail straight from Japan.

These are very traditional canvas panniers that would look right at home on a 1950's Rene Herse camping bike. They measure 130mm deep, 350mm long and 300mm tall with a 13 liter capacity (each). The attachment is via traditional leather straps. The quality, as with all Ostrich products, is simply superb. I find they are a good size for either front or rear mounting. I've been using one to carry my briefcase and laptop and occasionally for shopping.

Like several other companies that make cool and desirable bike products, Ostrich is very busy and their products often take many months to get. We only have a small quantity of the panniers at the moment so get them while you can. The same is true of the handlebar bags, our last shipment is almost sold out and we probably won't see more until September.

Installing VO or Honjo Fenders

I should write some instructions for installing metal fenders for those of you who have never done this, or who think it's difficult. But first some observations on the new VO fenders:

• I'm pleased to report that all the hardware fits and works perfectly.
• There are even little marks on the stays to help you center them.
• Installing VO fenders is almost exactly like installing Honjo fenders.
  

Tools required:

• 8mm and 10mm open end wrenches
• Alan wrench set
• Drill with a 5mm bit (and sometimes a 3mm).
• Hacksaw or big wire cutter for cutting stays
• Screwdriver
  
• Pliers
• Tape measure
• A file and sharp punch or nail are also nice to have.
  

Attaching the Fender Stays:

Attach the stays to the fenders using draw bolts. I like the bolts about 15cm from the aft end of the fenders, but the exact distance is not critical. Some model fenders come with one draw bolt per fender, others with two. Our Honjo extra long models are pre-drilled for the bolts. On other models, mark the location of the bolts and make an indent with a punch or sharp nail. Drill a 5mm hole for each bolt.

Thread the stay into the draw bolt and secure the bolts to the fender with a washer and locknut. If using two bolts per fender you'll need to flex the fender and stay to insert both bolts at once.

Installing the front fender:

If your bike has a fender boss under the fork crown, as VO frames have, simply drill a matching hole in the fender and secure it to the crown with a 5mm bolt and washer. But be sure to use a leather washer between the crown and fender. The leather washer absorbs vibrations and cushions the fender, helping to prevent cracking at the bolt hole.

If using a VO or Honjo L-bracket, drill two 3mm holes and mount the bracket as shown in the photo. Secure it to the brake bolt.

If using a fork crown daruma, hang the daruma from the brake bolt and drill a matching 5mm hole in the fender. Again, the extra long Honjos are pre-drilled. Secure the fender with a flat washer and nut, but only after adding a leather washer between the crown and fender.

Place the R-clips on the stays and screw them to the eyelets on your front dropout with 5mm screws. Hint: removing the quick release skewer makes it easier. Adjust the stays for a perfect fender line. You'll notice that the stays are too long; mark and cut them to length with a hacksaw or wire cutter. File or sand down the ends so they aren't sharp.

Installing the rear fender:

Ideally the front edge of the rear fender should extend a few centimeters below the chainstay bridge. On a VO or other well-designed frame there will be bosses at the brake bridge and the chainstay bridge and plenty of room for the fender. All you'll need to do in that case is drill matching holes and screw the fender into place. Again, don't forget the leather washers.

On many production frames things are a bit more difficult. You may even have to bend or trim (with tin snips) the front of the rear fender to make it fit between the chainstays then bolt it into place through the hole in the chainstay bridge. But don't do this yet; first install the sliding bridge bracket. The VO version is made of mallable metal that you fold over the fender; the Honjo sliding bridge bracket slides on over the fender from the end.

Bolt the bridge to the brake bridge and slide the fender forward to the desired location. Now drill the hole to bolt it to the chainstay bridge. Remember the leather washer. Pinch each side of the sliding bridge bracket with pliers to lock the fender in place and so it doesn't rattle

Finally attach and trim the stays to the dropout eyelets as you did on the front fender. Check that all the screws, nuts, and bolts are tight, (don't forget to reinstall those quick release skewers) and go for a ride.

The VO Baguette

Another new product just arrived. Our VO Baguette is a saddle bag and a mini handlebar bag. This is one bag that serves both purposes; the straps are spaced to allow it to hang on either end of your bike. It's big enough for a Quicker pump, rain shell, tools, tubes, a banana, a wallet, and even a camera. Or just take a baguette (broken in half).

The color of both current VO bags is now lighter and the leather is a tan color now instead of brown. The material is a heavy waxed canvas.

Progress is once again being made on the TA-style handlebar bag too. That has been a long and painful development process, but we may have them before the end of the year.