Exciting New Components???

You've seen ads for "Exciting New Detergents". Were you excited? Well we just received two products that I am honestly excited about because they really are new and actually fill a need.

They are the new VO racks with integrated decaleurs. That means that your rack-decaleur combination is more solid, lighter, and less likely to rattle. Integration is the Holy Grail of constucteur bikes and I feel that these racks a big step in that direction. Both the Rando-integrated and Constructeur-integrated front racks are now available.

Racks with built in decaleurs were sometimes made by the great French constructuers, usually as a very expensive option for their finest custom machines. I don't know of any that were produced in series and sold separately, until now. The new VO racks have a "backstop" that accepts either a U-shaped plug, or a VO decaleur bag mount.

The racks are sold with the U-shaped piece, but without the bag mount since so many of you already own VO bag mounts. But the mounts are available separately.

Another new product is our Grenouille canti brakes that are inspired by the Mafac Criterium brake, or perhaps by the much loved and super expensive German/Lithuanian Froglegs brakes. They are made in a Taiwanese shop owned by a very innovative fellow named Robert. Robert is not just a manufacturer, but an inventor and lover of esoteric bike components. We hope to have more products from his shop soon.

In any case, $35 gets you a whole bike's worth of brakes and all the mounting hardware you'll need, including those very nice straddle wire carriers. The finish is that sandblasted silver that's lately the hot look in Asia. Still, what a deal! BTW, Grenouille canti brakes are also available from VO Imports at wholesale prices to bike shops.

Finally, we have some new MKS pedal dust cap wrenches. No need to mar your dust caps with pliers when servicing MKS, Campy, and many other brands of Pedals. These have been hard to find in the past, get them while you can. And they are much less expensive than the Campy version.

Let us know what you think of the racks.

NAHBS and News

I just got back from the North American Handbuilt Bike Show and it really was great show. Really amazing frame building and some very cool rando and city bikes. It was especially nice to see the many mixtes that seem to be becoming very popular. I had hoped to bring back lots of photos, but my camera turned itself on in my luggage, in video mode no less. So I arrived with an almost dead battery and no charger. But there are over 9000 NAHBS photos on flicker and many more various other sites. Add a URL in the comments if you know of any particularly albums.

One of the highlight of the show was walking around with the owner of Toyo and getting his take on American frame building. The bad news is that our production rando frames are now due in September, not May or June as we had hoped.

I also had dinner with our Japanese agents and got updates on all sorts of ongoing projects. And I learned that two city bike prototypes are due soon from Taiwan.

By the way, the 2009 edition of NAHBS will be in Indianapolis and we at VO hope to have a big display.

The long awaited decaleur version of the constructeur and rando front racks have just arrived along with other racks, about a dozen boxes that we haven't had time to open yet. We'll try to get them into the store tomorrow.

We also just received MKS dust caps and MKS dust cap wrenches which some of you have been waiting for. We also got another shipment of the very popular Sun Chainguards. And we have some very nice, but inexpensive new cantilever brakes. Again, I'll try to get them into the store tomorrow.

Sheldon Brown

In case some of you have not read the comments to the previous post, Sheldon Brown passed away on Sunday. Sheldon was a fountain of bike-related knowledge, one of the best and best known bike mechanics, and an all around nice guy. He also wrote and maintained an incredible bike related web site.

He will be missed by many in the bike community.

The Big Update

I get a lot of e-mails about various projects VO has been working on. I thought it was time for an update on some of them.

• There was a problem with the first batch of the 650b fenders. The manufacturer bent them to fit 700c wheels; oops. So they are making a second batch right now and we should see them in 3-4 weeks. Since it was a "do-over" I decided to change the profile and make a copy of the old Lefol "Le Paon" or "Zeppelin-style" fenders in a 52mm width. These should be very cool!
• The VO polished stainless steel fender samples have arrived and look great. We've not yet ordered a production run. I wonder if we'll soon have too many models.
  
• The roller cable hangers are, or are almost, in production. We hope to see them in 3-6 weeks. They are light enough that they can be air-freighted.
• The Maxi Car-style hubs we tried to have made hit too many snags and so we've sidelined the project.
• The VO bottle cages also hit some snags and we've moved the project to another factory. I'm hoping they will arrive by spring.
• We have the seat post sample and it looks pretty good, but for one small detail. I want to see a sample from another factory before we order them.
• We have heard nothing about the fillet brazed stems from Nitto recently, but I trust they will eventually get to them.
  
• Toyo has been very very busy and our production frames have been delayed and delayed. I was told we might have them by May, but sometime in summer is probably more realistic. I will meet with them soon.
  
• The city bike frames will probably be delayed as well. It's simply beyond our control; the factories that make the best stuff are just swamped.
• The VO aluminum and rubber expandable bar plugs were a disappointment and require a re-design. That's the way it is sometimes.
• Our Jos/Spanninga lights and dynamos will arrive in a week or two.
  

I plan to go to Taiwan, and possibly Japan next month and try to facilitate some of these projects and research a few others.

A Few New Items

We have a few new items:

MKS has introduced a leather covered version of their very useful half clips. I'm a big fan of these. They allow you to spin fast without the hassle of straps or special shoes. Half clips are great on kid's bikes and especially on city bikes. With this new version I can arrive at work with my spit shined wing tips unblemished.

MKS also has a nice new model of toe clip strap, the Fit-A-Spirits. Like all MKS products these are very well made, but what's great is the traditional colors, especially the honey.

The TA Tevano cranks I wrote about a few weeks ago have arrived. They are really classy.

And we have Sugino XD600 triple cranks with the new logo. These are Sugino's top of the line triple and they are really well finished. For you traditionalists, we'll have more of the old-logo cranks in about a 6 weeks.

Tom's New VO Gentleman Bike

Tom saw my VO Gentleman bike at Cirque last year and was impressed enough to order a frame on the spot, even though he already had a city bike on order from another builder. He also got the first one in the new brown color, which I really like. The frame was fillet brazed by Ahren Rogers.

Here are a few quotes:

"The ride is something spectacular, I've never ridden a frame that had fork trail and rake that allowed such a short slow turn that didn't also handle badly in higher speed turns , or feel like the bike could only track well in a straight line, but not the case with this frame , the ride is just terrific."

And later:

"The bike is now in one configuration the I call "light errand" and one such errand was ridden today in light rain and wet roads to pick up by car from servicing. Later when it is warmer I'll install a front rack for regular runs to the winerys in the area to have lunch and pick up a couple of bottles of wine. ( The bike is so light right now I am almost reluctant to add any other weight.) The ride today was the first test of 650b tires (Panaracer Col de Vie) over rough surface, railroad crossings , and wet roads, all of which I am familiar with on my other bicycles, and the contrast is remarkable, what a nice ride."

And what a nice build, neat saddle bag, Belleri Portuer bars, CLB guidonet levers, Simplex 440 long cage dérailleur, Suntour shifter... The photos speak for themselves. Thanks for sending them Tom.

As always, click on the photos to enlarge them.

Basket Case

Finding really good bike baskets is hard. Many of the cheap Asian baskets are just plain junk, though there are a few good ones. In addition to the Amish baskets we stock, we now have a couple of Basil models.

Who says bike baskets have to be wicker or wire? The BLOSSOM-BASKET (top photo) is made of a tough woven fiber material. It has a steel frame and carrying handles. The stable double hooks can fit over your handlebars or rack, allowing the Blossom to simply lift off for carrying. This a fine example of stylish, yet practical, Dutch design. Everyone who has seen this basket so far really loves it.

The BERN front bike basket is made of steel, mesh and has a removable carrying handle. It has double handlebar hooks, and a cut-out for a headlight. This is another very practical utility basket that can be removed in seconds. And at $24 it's very affordable.

Baskets like this make any bike practical for a quick trip to the market or even for the occasional commute. We'll probably order some rear rack baskets too. Take a look at the Basil site and see if there are other products you'd like us to stock.

Dutch Panniers and VO Handlebar Bag

I've been waiting a long time to get these. They are top-of-the-line Dutch style shopping/commuting panniers from Basil.

This is from the Basil site:

KAVAN II NATURAL, double rear bag, strength.,strong and water-repellent canvas w. leather,no interference heels/bag through rounded sides, cover 'Soft Filling',reflective str.on all sides,topside two leather bands for LED/straps/child's seat.

Dimension: each bag is 37*17*35; 45L

I am very impressed with them. One immediately notices that they are rugged, very large, and rather heavy, but obviously made to last for a very long time and withstand the rainy Northern European climate. The workmanship and materials are very nice. As with many natural materials, I suspect that the canvas and leather will wear for ages and develop a beautiful patina as it does.

As for the down side, well they will be too big and heavy for some. Unless you really shop on your bike or need to carry a fair amount on your commute, they may be overkill. The two bags are linked by a the central straps that go over the rear rack, so cannot be used separately. And they are not cheap.

We'll be getting a few more Basil products soon, but the supply of these panniers is very limited. We probably won't get another case of them until Spring.

The second photo is of the latest VO handlebar bag prototype. It still needs some work, but it's getting there; one more prototype round should do it.

NITTO R Cages are Back in Stock

This is just a quick note since so many people have been e-mailing asking when the next shipment of what may be the world's most beautiful water bottle cages will arrive.

We also have a new VO bottle cage mount that fits on, yes just as you requested, handlebars. It's made of extruded aluminum and are intended for city bikes, so fit bars up to 25.4mm. The cost is $3.50.

(I know some of will want to use them on the 26mm "sleeved" road bars. In that case you'll need to file just a touch off the top edge of the "hinge" section so it opens a little wider. Of course, it's no problem to use them on "bulged" road bars or beside the sleeve.)

Ciclovia and "StreetFilms"

Ciclovia is a program in Bogotá, Columbia to open the city's streets to bicycles and other recreational uses. If you've followed Bogota's recent history, you know that this city that was once known mostly for it's role in the drug trade has undergone a remarkable transformation into a progressive and eco-friendly modern city. It has one of the most extensive and comprehensive network of bike paths of any city in the world.

The film below is a heart-warming production from StreetFilms, a small video production house with a wonderful body of work concerning urban transport, bike use, and other issues that concern us all. Ciclovia, both the idea and the video, will certainly put a smile on your face and make you wonder why we in the US don't have such innovative and simple urban ideas.



If you're interested in watching other bike related videos, you might check out:
Physically Separated Bike Lanes, How to use a Bike Box, and Berkeley Bike Boulevards. The StreetFilms site also links to: A Great Bicycling Video from Copenhagen and at least a dozen other short films worth watching.

If you find other must-watch stuff on the site please leave a comment.

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show will be held in Portland, Oregon February 8-10. This should be a truly spectacular show, probably the biggest ever. If there is any way at all that you can attend, you really should.

Velo Orange won't be exhibiting this year; it's not like we need more frame orders; but I'll be there to see the bikes and chat with other builders. I'll also be meeting with a couple of our Japanese suppliers who are flying over to attend.

VO will remain open and orders will continue to be shipped while I'm gone.

Hope to see you there!

More about the Pass Hunter Frame

Here are some more details about the Pass Hunter frame:

• Each frame is built to measure based on your measurements, weight, and riding preferences.
• Columbus, Dedacciai, or Reynolds tubes; tube choice based on frame size and rider’s weight
• Slightly extended head tube (10mm)
• Head tube and seat tube angle: 73-degrees, Trail: 43mm
• BB drop of about 75mm and chain stays of 44.5cm, but dimensions are adjusted slightly to suite frame size
• Fork blades smoothly bent in the “French fashion”. (Fork crown type still to be determined, probably the same as on our city bike.)
• Vertical dropouts with single eyelets
• Set up for cantilever brakes. I feel the power of cantis is needed for a pass hunter and canti's give you the most stopping power for the buck. Centerpulls have better modulation, but this is meant to be an affordable frame and Paul Racers are very expensive.
• TIG welded in the US by Ahren Rogers, who builds our fillet brazed city bikes and formerly built bikes for "SEVEN". The quality simply cannot be compared with any Taiwanese TIG welded frame I've seen. Also remember that weld quality is only part of the picture; alignment, for example, is just as important.
• Room for VO 45mm fenders and 35mm tires. Again In keeping with the VO philosophy of trying to absolutely nail the handling, we recommend a rather small range of tire sizes, 28-35mm for this frame.
• 1-degree top tube upslope
• Loops on the fork for a VO rando constructeur front rack.
• 700c wheel size.
• Simple and elegant decals under clear coat.
• Very high quality powder coat finish. Powder coating is more environmentally friendly and tougher than "wet paint". And since we don't need to keep the paint thin to define the lugs, powder coat is the best choice.

Braze-On List:

• Top tube cable stops at lower left
• Down tube shifter bosses
• Rear derailleur cable stop
• Two sets of water bottle bosses
• Brake cable hanger
• Chain hanger
• Pump peg
• Fender attachments on bridges and crown and the bridges and crown are carefully placed for a perfect fender-line. I think this is a very big deal and something I still don't see on many frames.
• Front rack eyelets on fork blades

The photo is of our son, Alec, in a triathlon, not on a VO bike though.

The New VO Passhunter Frame

VO Rando frames have been very popular and as a result there is now a long waiting list for them. They have also gotten a more expensive as we now actually try to make a small profit on them.

So it's time to launch a more affordable custom frame, the Pass Hunter. The new frame has the same geometry as the Randonneusse, uses fairly similar tubing, and is also built to measure. But there are major differences; this frame is TIG welded by Ahren Rogers. It uses a wider fork crown so it can fit tires to 35mm, and it uses cantilever brakes. There are no options on this frame, other than paint color, orange, brown, black, and green. The "paint" is a high quality powder coat with a clear coat.

The idea is to build a very versatile machine that can be used for all around riding, brevets, inn-to-inn touring and, yes, pass hunting.

The price is also a big difference. The first few "semi-prototype" frames will be $999 and then the price will climb to around $1250. The lead time for the frames is currently about 4 months and will undoubtedly climb if they prove popular. Order quickly if you want the lower price.

The photo is of a little Basque town in Spain, right in the middle of the Pyrenees. It would be a good base for some serious pass hunting.

Bike Related News

Here are a few news stories that caught my eye:

From ASAHI SHIMBUN comes a story about very sensible new bike related laws taking effect in Japan:

Proposed revisions this spring will ban cyclists from holding an umbrella, listening to music, gabbing on the phone and riding in other reckless ways, sources said.

In particular, wearing headphones while listening to a music player or talking on the phone and steering with one hand will be banned.

"Triple-riding," an unsafe practice in which a rider carries two children on a bicycle in attached front and rear seats, will also be prohibited.

/snip/

Parents will be required to ensure their children wear helmets while riding their own bicycle or when riding as a single passenger on a bike.

Other more minor infringements, such as constantly ringing a bicycle bell while riding on a crowded sidewalk, will also be discouraged.

Of course some of our friends in London, Seattle, and Portland may see more of a need for brollies than we do. Speaking of Portland, the New York Times had a piece about efforts there to prevent bicycle traffic fatalities. While I applaud these efforts, I would also like to see bikes viewed as real vehicles, at least in city centers where speed limits could be set at 15 or 20mph. That is, they should occupy a full traffic lane, as does a motorcycle or scooter.

“Ghost bikes,” riderless and painted white, were placed at two busy intersections in Portland, Ore., last October, makeshift memorials to two bicyclists killed when they were hit by trucks in accidents that month.

This spring, at those same intersections and at 12 others across the city, “bike boxes” will be laid out on the roadway to provide a clearly designated place for cyclists, in front of and in full view of drivers, to wait for traffic lights to change. The boxes will be marked with signs and wide stripes alerting drivers to stop behind them at red lights.

The Europeans really know how to encourage bike use. From the very very cool Copenhagen Bike Culture Blog:

Employees in the southern region of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration [Statens Vegvesen] are rewarded for riding their bikes or walking to work. They can look forward to an extra week of holiday per year.

Senior Engineer Rune Gunnerød rides to work more or less all year round. The right clothes, a good bike and good, cleared bike lanes have made it possible - now it is just pure pleasure.

The offer from Vegvesenet is part of a larger environmental strategy. Employees who bike or walk to work recieve 4 hours free each month and that adds up to a week of holiday in the course of a year. In addition, the employees must exercise four hours a month in order to qualify.

And:

In Denmark, the Socialistisk Folkeparti [SF] - one of the nation's largest political parties - has always been known for it's environmentally friendly policies and proposals.

They came up with a clever one eariler this year, aimed at reducing illness. In short, reducing VAT on healthy foods and paying people to ride their bike to and from work.

Danes should be healthier and illness should be prevented rather than treated. SF proposed paying cylists 1.78 kroner [€0.23 / $0.36] per kilometre to commute by bike. Companies and the city would pay the wage which should be tax-free for workers and tax-deductable for companies.

Lorna's Mixte

Here are a few photos of the VO "Madame"mixte that Gunnar built-up for his wife, Lorna. Pretty nice job, I'd say.

From Gunnar's blog:

It has an 8 speed, internal-geared Sturmey-Archer rear hub, 650b wheels, Honjo hammered aluminum fenders, a vintage Perle chainguard, T-A crankset, Paul centerpull brakes, and a Brooks saddle and bag. The handbars are covered with laced-on elkhide, tough, yet soft to the touch. Our friends Eli and Lovina Hershberger, an Amish couple from Viroqua, made the basket.

New Item Photos

Here are some photos of a few new products.

Our new 45mm Velo Orange pre-drilled and anodized fenders have a lovely light silver satin finish, like that on some Sugino cranks. All the holes are drilled and the fork crown bracket is attached, so they are very easy to install.

We also now have 52mm smooth fenders for 700c bikes.

The second photo shows our new leather bar tape which is available in honey and in black. With Brooks bar tape selling for about $70, you'll be happy to hear that the VO version is only $40.

The TA Tevano cranks I wrote about a few post down arrived.

TA finally sent our pedals and we know have plenty in stock, but don't delay ordering them. The next shipment will be considerably more expensive.

We also have some new soft brown rubber grips. I liked the shape and color of these and they are very comfortable. They might look just right on an all-weather city bike.

Circus Bikes and Yellow Tape

One type of bike we've never discussed here is the circus bike, you know, the type that clowns ride. Now some of you may consider that a good thing, but I bring this up because I keep answering e-mails about the shortage of yellow cloth handlebar tape. Recently a large and internationally known circus company bought our entire stock of yellow Tressostar handlebar tape. That was over 500 rolls! And they asked if we knew where they could get more. I know; I should have asked why a circus needed 500 plus rolls of yellow bar tape. That's a lot of clowns on little circus bikes.

We'll have more yellow tape in a few weeks.

If anyone has more to add regarding circus bikes, please leave a comment.

Update

I'm back from vacation and completely overwhelmed. There are hundreds of e-mails to answer and orders to process, and a ceiling-high stack of deliveries to open. Here are some of the items that arrived:

We have the new VO leather handlebar tape in honey and black. It looks really nice, cleanly skived (beveled) with good quality mounting tape and nice consistant color. There is a diagonal joint in each piece as on Brooks tape, but it's nicely sewn. I'll take photos and have it on the site soon.

We have a new model VO fender for 700c and 27" wheels. It's like our current 45mm fender but with a satin finish anodized finish and these are pre-drilled so mounting is very easy.

Our 650b fenders are not in the shipment as they should have been; I'll investigate.

We have a new VO bar plug that's a bit like the Velox plugs, but nicer.

We recieved our new expandable silver VO aluminum bar plugs.

I'll write more tomorrow and try to post a few photos of these and other new products.

Happy Holidays

Velo Orange will be closed from December 24th until January 7th.

It's been a terrific year for VO thanks to our many loyal customers. We've been growing at a rapid rate and many projects we started at the beginning of the year are coming to fruition. But now we need to take inventory and go on a short vacation.

Happy holidays to everyone!



The image is from the Tarwheels Bike Club, thanks.

RH Hanger

I know that a lot of you have been waiting for our reproduction Herse-style hangers. The final prototype just arrived by Fed Ex. They are now going into production. They will sell for around $20-$25 a pair and will also be available at wholesale prices to bike shops.

Functionally they are not a great improvement over other hangers, but they did adorn most Rene Herse bikes and many from Singer and other constructeurs. Even today they are used by Toei. And they are pretty enough to hang from your Christmas tree. How's that for bike bling?

Update: I forgot to thank Mike Barry of Mariposa, one of the world's finest constructeurs, for providing us with details, measurements, and photographs of his original RH hangers that are the basis of our reproductions. And thanks to Peter Weigle who arranged all that.

BTW, Mike is retiring today; there will be no more Mariposa bikes.

Belleri Bars and International Trade

We have received another, and probably the last, shipment of Belleri "Porteur" handlebars. This box is all seconds, that is bars that had at one point been mounted on new bikes and taped. We speculate that these came from unsold bikes from a large shop or factory in France.

These bars have been very popular and we've had nothing but glowing reports from customers who have tried them. I've heard that there are a couple of hundred more of these bars available somewhere in Europe and perhaps we can track them down. In any case, we plan to have a similar bar made by Nitto in the future.

On another subject, I am distressed by what I sometimes see as an anti-Chinese or even anti-Taiwanese bias among American cyclists. My own attitude is very different. VO is committed to sourcing both expensive parts from Europe and Japan, and less expensive alternatives from other countries. It would be great if everyone had TA pedals, but some can't, or won't, spend that much on pedals, no matter how nice they are. It makes sense to stock two or three lines of pedals of various quality and price levels and offer customers a choice. So I'll look to Taiwan, China, anywhere for alternatives.

I'm very anti-nationalist and am happy to source stuff from any country in the world if I think it's well made, a good deal, and made by a small company that I think is well run. But I won't source anything from a concern if I even suspect they don't treat their employees properly. People are people and a worker in the US or Europe has no more right to earn a living than one in China simply because he or she was lucky enough to be born here. Too many people forget that we are citizens of Earth first; being citizens of a particular country is a very distant second.

The whole anti-China thing that we sometimes encounter in the US smacks to me of nationalism and even racism. Trade and open communications are what help people, not sanctions, boycotts, and and political posturing. I'm sure, for example, that our neighbors in Cuba would be a lot better off if the US had taken a more friendly tone 40 years ago. Governments, like people, respond best to positive stimulus, not punishment.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now and go back to sourcing parts.

Note: As I mentioned in the very first post. This blog is not just about bikes. It's my policy to occasionally go off on a tangent and stir up some discussion about environmental, political, social, or economic issues.

TA Tevano Cranks and ITM Stems

I've found a few TA Tevano cranks. These are interesting and very beautiful components. By the late 1970s it was obvious that the Campagnolo Super Record crankset was the reigning king of racing cranks. The Campy SR cranks were on almost every bike in the pro peloton and the long favored TA cranks had finally been completely eclipsed, though not among tourists and randonneurs. So TA made their own version of the Super Record crank and named it the Tevano. This 144bcd crank was virtually identical to the SR and it's hard to say which was better made, but my vote is for the TA. They came in both track and double versions. One of our Follis tandems even has a tandem set that was converted to a triple.

We will have them in 165mm and 170mm. If you'd like to reserve a set they will cost $245 for the arms, just e-mail. We can also get some tandem sets. Idon't yet know how many genuine 144bcd TA rings we will get, but there are good quality Asian rings available and Campy rings also fit. Obviously, these are not ideal for a rando or touring bike, but for a racing-style, track, or city bike, they would be way cool. The images are from the CR site.

Speaking of Italian-style components, we just got some lovely new "Pro Race 400" ITM stems. If you don't need the extra quill length of a Nitto Technomic, they are a very nice, and economical, choice for a high-end bike. Forged 6082 aluminum with a 135mm quill length (or about 80mm above the min. line) and a 26mm clamp.

Also, our VO 650B fender are done and should arrive within a couple of weeks.

Toys for the Holidays

Here are a few new items we're thinking about stocking:

These canti brakes may be a new VO model. They are well made and good looking, at least to my eye, and fairly inexpensive. They will replace the Tektro "Mafac/Froggy" brakes we now stock. Our version will have nice cartridge-type brake shoes.

Here is a water bottle we're looking at. It is less expensive than the ones we now sell, it has no logo, and the caps work better. On the down side, the caps are not as well made, the shape is not as pretty, and there is no option for a flat cap. What do you think?

Next, VO presents the prototype leathered trouser bands. The ends will be sewn shut on the production version; these prototypes are just to get the sizing right. This is not a product that anyone was screaming for, but I thought that if you commute to work in nice pants you might not want to use bare metal bands.

I have just heard that the first run of Velo Orange leather handlebar tape will arrive soon. We'll have it in brown and black at prices well below Brooks leather tape.

You may have noticed that we dropped the silver expandable bar plugs. That's because we'll soon have much nicer VO expandable bar plugs made from aluminum instead of plastic.

Our agent has also informed me that handlebar bag, high-end glove, and some other prototypes will be shipped in the next couple of weeks. I'm most excited about the VO pedals and seatposts, but those might be along a bit later. Of course some projects seem to take forever. The factory making the VO battle cages is having a bit of trouble with our quality requirements after the first prototype, but they are still working on it. The Herse-style hangers arenow waiting to be made. And we did get some VO handlebar prototypes and are now just waiting our turn for the production run.

Finally, prices on VO Randonneur frames are going up to $1850 on Saturday.

Feedback is appreciated!

TA "Cyclo Touriste" Cranks Redux

I've written about TA Pro-5-Vis cranks a couple of times; that's the official name of the "Cyclo Touriste" cranks, by the way. We just found and ordered a couple dozen more sets. They've been selling especially briskly since the article by Jan Heine in Vintage Bicycle Quarterly.

Jan thinks they are the best cranks of all time. I won't argue with that, but there are a couple of small errors in the otherwise super article I wanted to correct.

First, Pro-5-Vis cranks have about the narrowest Q factor, or tread, of any crank made. That's a good thing for most of us. In fact some experts claim that most riders pedal more efficiently on low Q-factor cranks. But there is a small percentage of riders who are more comfortable on with a wider crank. You probably know who you are and you should not buy Pro-5-Vis cranks. Simply using a longer bottom bracket, as the article suggests, will throw off your chain line and, in my experience, may result in balky shifting.

The other bit I wanted to correct is that all these cranks did not go to Japan, nor were they re-imported from Japan. You can just look in our stock room to see that.

Which brings us to the bigger issue of, "Will they be made again?" We were told, twice, that the last production run would be it. Forever; period; no more; finished. But apparently this past run sold so quickly that that decision was reconsidered, according to both Jan and my French contacts, and there may indeed be more runs. I'm happy about that since they really are great cranks. But I feel like I misled our customers by repeating what I'd been told about there being no more ever made. My apologies.

Here is what I wrote previously about these cranks:

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.

To the above I'd add that other reasons to use them include: The chainrings are very durable and last a long time while the crank itself won't ever wear out. So you are buying a crank that will probably last you for the rest of your life. And these cranks weigh about as much as modern carbon fiber cranks. (Now that's progress!)

Finally, I've been told that prices for the next production run will be a fair bit be higher.

Sanden Lights

I've always liked integrated generators and lights. They offer a bolt-on solution for those of us who don't need a light all the time. Put it on in the winter, or for a long brevet, and take it off later.

Long time customers may remember that we once sold the French Soubitez lights shown on the left. Of course those were new-old-stock and we can't get more.

For a few months I've been trying to get a hold of some Sanden lights from Japan. Three models finally arrived today. It turns out that the factory is actually in China, though the brand is Japanese, I think.

The top of the range model, shown above, looks nice. For some reason they call it the mountain bike model. The light uses a halogen bulb and has a nicely shaped reflector. The generator seems to run very smoothly There is a huge soft rubber roller that rides on the rim, if I understand the pictographs correctly. The only bad bit is the fork clamp, which is the usual cheesy stamped steel. But even the expensive old JOS lights had cheesy stamped steel clamps.

I'll give it a good test ride on my beater city bike after tomorrow's snowstorm. Any one interested in a light like this? Should we stock them?

On another lighting note, we'll soon be distributing Jos/Spanninga lights.