Bending Forks and Designing Boats

Before VO I started and owned a company where one of my jobs was designing small boats. The photo is of an open water sliding seat rowing boat I designed. Like all boat builders and designers I developed a keen eye for curves. The various curves that make up a hull, the sheer, the stem, the buttocks lines, the diagonals, and a lot more, define both the performance and the appearance of a boat. I spent days tweaking lines in hull design software, on paper drawings, and in the shop to ensuring that each one was as fair and pretty as could be. Sadly there are few curves on bikes and my skills are now little practiced. So I devote considerable thought to the one curve there is, the bend in the fork. I'm rather proud of the nice bends on VO semi-custom frames, though the frame builders are ultimately responsible for them.

Traditionally the French builders had particularly nice fork bends. The blades were thin and the bend was low and smooth. A good example is the fork on my Motobecane Le Champion frame as shown below:


A really pretty fork bend is one of the bigger problems when having frames made in Taiwan. Heck, many custom builders in the USA and Japan don't get it right. It's pretty tough to explain the importance of this subtle detail to a fork factory that makes thousands of forks a month that their customers are perfectly happy with. That's right, forks are usually made in a separate specialty factory, not by the frame builder. One look at the fork delivered with our sample Rando frame illustrates the problem. This is not a bend: it's a bloody dogleg.


Still it's been possible to get a reasonably nice bend as on our city bike. It's not perfect, but certainly better:


We are going to continue working with the frame and fork factory, but I'm, frankly, not sure if they can do much better than the above. I hope to make it back to Taiwan this summer and visit a small fork manufacturer I met with last month who seem interested in this issue. I'll come bearing sample French forks and a check for the required tooling. If all goes well we'll have perfect forks, but not until next year.

On an unrelated topic, we have the rare and elusive canti rack mounting bolts again.

City Frame Update and Notes

The City bike is built up. I think it looks great and rides superbly. We may change the name to something like "multi-purpose" or MP frame because it works pretty nicely as an all around bike. I could see this frame being set up with front and rear derailleurs, even drop bars, and used as an all around, go anywhere machine.


The production MP frame will be painted dark gray instead of deep blue; I'll reveal why in my upcoming post about the Rando frame. We are making a couple of minor changes to get the fender lines just right. And we are trying to get the fork bent in a smoother curve. But overall the prototype frame looks pretty good.

Here are a few notes I made in response to various questions and comments I've received:

• The frame is a low trail (39mm), French inspired design, much like our Gentleman semi-custom frame.
  
• The wheels are 650b. That's really the best choice for riding on bumpy city streets.
• Maximum tire size with fenders is around 44mm.
• Those rear dropouts look funny in photos, as several of you pointed out. In real life they are not so bad. We used them because they are the only readily available short horizontal dropouts with the geometry suited to this frame.
• The reason we used short horizontal dropouts is to allow internal hubs and single speed wheels to be used without the need for a chain tensioner. Longer dropouts would make wheel removal difficult on a fendered bike
  
• There is a kickstand plate.
• A spring between the kickstand plate and the front of the rear fender allows the fender to flex forward for wheel removal, while maintaining proper fender line.
  
• Instead of shifter bosses on the down tube, we'll have two cable housing stops under it. I don't think many folks will want to use down tube shifters on this frame and the stops look much cleaner, especially if the frame is set up with internal gearing or as a single speed.
• The tubing is all double butted CR-MO in traditional, not modern oversize, diameters. This makes for a supple and comfortable ride (not to mention the whole planing issue).
• The first production run will be three or four sizes, probably 51, 54, 57, 60. More sizes may be added later.
• The rear brake cable housing is uninterrupted. I think this is the best arrangement on a city bike, I mean MP. You can sit on the top tube at the cafe without fear of bare cable marring the paint, or your work pants. The cable is not run under the top tube so as not to dig into your shoulder when carrying the bike up the steps to your apartment.

The bike currently has the fenders removed to make taking measurements easier and we are working on the spring mechanism for the rear fender. I'll add photos with fenders installed later. Also, the build was just using stuff we had lying around; it's for testing only and we'll refine it later.

UPDATE, New photos, now with fenders! And new, but still high, bars, like a Dutch bike ;<)

Proforma Invoices

Lots of proforma invoices have been crossing my desk recently. That's great news because a proforma invoice is usually soon followed by a real invoice. And the real invoices are sent when goods are shipped. So this means that lot's of stuff is due to be shipped to us in the next few weeks. And we could sure use more stuff!

If you've been shopping at our site you may know that we are out of too many items. As I've mentioned before, we've had a great winter. Except for a couple of weeks after Christmas, there was no slowdown of the sort many bike shops expect in winter. In fact VO's business has almost doubled since last year. Thank you! But the bad part of this is that because we must place orders with factories 3 to 6 months ahead of time and because we hadn't anticipated the increase in sales, we are really low on inventory. That's not a good position to be in during the even busier Spring season.

In other news, we are starting to get quotes and samples of products we requested in Taiwan. At last count we were looking at over 80 new products. I just approved production of one of the new chain guards. The rackaleur is now in prototype stage. Stainless steel decaleurs, porteur racks and rear constructeur racks are about to go into production in a new factory (the samples look terrific). Then there are the frames; I'll have a post about them soon. As always, it's busy at VO.

New Dyno Hubs, Skewers, Grips

A few new items have found their way to our warehouse. In fact we received 52 cases of parts from Taiwan this morning and our staff is still sorting through it, but here are the highlights.

We now have the Novatec dynamo hub I mentioned last July. Tom has been commuting with one since then and it has proven to be 100% reliable. These have a little more resistance than the Shimano or Son dyno hubs, but then they only cost $50. At this price they'll make a reasonably priced wheel for city bikes and commuters. Randonneurs and cyclo tourists on a budget will also find them attractive.

Like most dynamos, they generate 3w at 6V and so work with almost any dynamo headlight and taillight. They include a VO quick release skewer and wire with plug. 36-hole only.


Speaking of VO quick release skewers, those arrived as well. They are designed for 130-135mm rear spacing. As I wrote in January:

Signore Campagnolo got the design right the first time. His skewer had an internal cam that gripped well and was protected from dirt. But in the 1980s someone decided to "improve" his design by using an exposed cam. This made the skewers a few grams lighter and they looked more modern. But they required a larger cam that offered considerably less holding power when the same amount of force was used on the locking lever. Riders found that they sometimes slipped on bikes with horizontal dropouts or track ends. In addition the cam was exposed to road grime. Unfortunately exposed cam skewers have become the norm.

So we decided to make reasonably light, well made, and inexpensive internal cam quick release skewer.... The acorn nut, the one without the lever, is alloy, but it has a chrome steel face pressed on for better grip and durability. It also has a nylon insert to prevent loosening. The other end also features an alloy housing, however the lever and cam are chromed steel so they won't break when you over-tighten them.

We also have some new soft Kraton rubber grips. They have a basket weave pattern that we think looks nice on classic-style bars. The color was specially mixed for us to match Brooks honey saddles. They fit 22.2mm bars easily and 23.8mm (road sized) bars with a little effort.

Challenge Tires

We've decided to start stocking two models of Challenge tires. As you may know, Challenge is among the last companies producing hand made tires. Dugast, Veloflex, and one model of Gommitalia are the only others I'm aware of. Andre Dugast makes some nice wide touring tubulars that cost a fortune. Veloflex makes a selection of expensive racing tires and Gommitalia makes a well regarded racing tubular. So for the randonneur or cyclo-tourist who wants clinchers, the two models of Challenge are about it.


Hnad made tires are said to offer a superior ride, lower rolling resistance, and very high quality as compared to production tires. Of course hand made tires are expensive; some cost well over $200; the two models we sell are a fairly reasonable $65

The Parigi-Roubaix model is a clintcher, nominally 27mm wide, though it sits 1-2mm wider on many rims. It weighs around 280g, has a 260tpi casing, and is said to have very low rolling resistance.

We are also stocking the 32mm wide Griffo XS in both traditional and white colors. The Griffo is intended as a tire for hard packed cyclo cross courses, but it's also a great tire for cyclists who ride both on pavement and on dirt and crushed stone trails

Both models share the following:

• All Challenge tires are completely hand-made.
• Tread is glued onto fully-inflated casing to achieve a neutral tread state when tires are in use
• Casing fabric is woven from thread spun at the Challenge manufacturing facility
• Reinforced polyester casing provides added resistance to moisture damage
• 260tpi reinforced polyester casing for excellent moisture resistance and durability
• Anti-puncture strip included in tire casing

I'll be putting the Parigi Roubaix tires on the VO production Rando frame tomorrow and hope to offer a full ride report in a few weeks.

Sneak Peak

Here are photos of the final prototypes of the VO production Rando and City frames. These frames, and the forks, should arrive here next week and I'll have more pics then.

I think the Rando frame looks nice, but for three small things. The head tube probably will not be extended. The chain stays should should go higher up on the seat lug. That means using a longer cap (or plug), which is very easy to change. And I'm not 100% happy with the appearance of the rear dropout, though it will work perfectly well. I might search for one with more of a retro look. These small changes won't neccesitate a new prototype, so if the bike builds up and rides as excpected they should be available in about 90 days. This frame has exactly the same geometry and tubing thicknesses as our semi-custom frame.


Here is the 650b city bike. Again there are a couple of very minor changes we may want, but overall it looks good.


I don't have final pricing yet, my best guess is around $800 for the Rando and $450 for the City (including the fork). If all goes well with testing we'll with break with tradition and accept pre-orders, or at least deposits, for the first production run.

Two New Frames

A lot of you have been e-mailing asking for a large sized mixte frame. The problem is that such frames lack stiffness. I tried to think outside the box and find away to make such a frame and still keep it reasonably light. After contacting many frame builders we think we found a solution. We'll have the new VO carbon step-through frames next month in sizes up to 68cm.



I have always been a bit disappointed that VO missed the whole hipster fixie trend, you know, white saddles, pink anodized rims with matching tires. But now that we've see that sort of bike in almost every booth at the Taipei show, it's clear that the hipster fixie thing has gone mainstream. It is clearly past its peak. Of course predicting the next bike trend is tough, but we're betting on a combination of extreme-retro and modern materials being the next fad. So here is the new VO fixie:

Little Things

I often write about the larger projects here at VO, things like new racks or frames or bags, but we spend a lot of time on some very minor improvements to our parts that few notice. For example:

This is a new dust seal for our upcoming French thread bottom brackets.


Here is a new, but more retro, design for the top of our VO alloy headset.


These are some of our new fender hardware bits.


What do you think of this new fender stay design we're testing? It's very easy to adjust and does not require cutting.

New Velo Orange hang tags; you might soon see these in your local bike shop.


And, finally, this is a new alloy chain guard we'll be importing. Our version will be silver.

Nice Bike Bits

Russ, The Epicurean Cyclist, applied toe clip leathers on his VO Retro cages with very nice results.


Austin on Two Wheels has a nice, and very positive, review of the VO model 8 saddle.


John's Saluki build is beyond nice. It is absolutely stunning! Note the Nitto stem he had chrome plated. And the Luxor taillight. Wow! The rest of the photos are here.

Taipei Cycle Show Update #3

The new factory that will be making our racks has all the tooling set up and showed us production samples of porteur racks, rear constructeur racks, and decaleurs. They are all stainless steel and look fantastic. The quality is much much better than I'd hoped for. These are the new pre-drilled versions that should make mounting much simpler. We will have the samples in our office in a couple of weeks (They didn't fit in our luggage.) As soon as we check all dimensions and mount them on a few bikes we'll OK the production run. They should arrive here 8-10 weeks later. The front rando racks, in canti mount too, are the next project.


We dropped off plans for the Rackaleur plans and should be getting prices for tooling and production in a few weeks.

Here is a photo of the 110/74 Sugino double crank I mentioned. It will be silver; they make strange colors for display. It has outboard bearings. I don't have pricing yet, but would imagine $150-$175 with the BB. The crank is aimed at Gran Fondo riders.


At the factory that makes our fenders we analyzed and discussed fender hardware for a very long time. The owner was very receptive to our needs and seemed glad to get the feedback from our customers that we passed on. His factory has been making metal fenders for bikes and scooters for more than 30 years, but I get the feeling that it's rare for clients to be so involved in the design process and he seemed to appreciate it. The factory will make several changes to our hardware that should, I hope, make it even better than Honjo hardware. I'll also soon post a photo of a new stay design that we may use. By the way, we will have a VO Daruma bolt. Additionally there will soon be polished versions of VO alloy fenders. A little later we'll have a VO hammered fender or two and we'll be ordering tooling for some new shapes.

Our handlebars are made at three different factories and we discussed the new VO drop bars with two of them. I hope we see at least one of the new models this summer. I was glad to see sophisticated testing machines at the various factories. The photo is of a machine that tests handlebars for fatigue failure; it repeatedly pushed down on the bars.


We are also looking for a second model of VO seat post. This one will have moderate setback and cost a little less. We saw a few interesting new designs, but this one struck me as being particularly well thought out. It is very smooth and easy to adjusts as well as being light. There is another 2-bolt post I'm considering as well.

Finally, here's another interesting stem design.

Taipei Cycle Show Update #2

We spent most of Taipei Cycle Show day 3 and 4 looking for new products and found a few cool components including these stems:

How about this fillet brazed chrome plated stem? The manufacturer can make a quill version too. These are on our short list!


Or you may prefer a chromed lugged stem.


Or an adjustable stem? Or two?



I was also impressed by this dynamo headlight, very bright and with a wide range of mounting options.


And there are these new and less expensive barcons for 9 and 10-speed.


Here is a new bar shape that might be worth trying.


There's a lot more, but I didn't have time to photograph everything. There is a new and relatively inexpensive double kickstand that gets narrower when raised, not unlike the Pletcher we now stock. We saw a new Sugino 110/74bcd double crank. We also investigated making a new VO saddle bag support with a quick release feature.

Tom has a post about the show too.

Taipei Cycle Show Update

The first two days of the Taipei Cycle Show have yielded some very pleasant surprises.

Not 30 minutes after getting to the show we ran into a manufacturer we work with who told us they could make the VO chain guards. We had previously approached a number of manufacturers about making these and none were interested, so this was indeed a pleasant surprise. We still have to work out the details, but I'm hopeful that we can come to an agreement on tooling cost, minimums, and price. The same manufacturer also has a new stock alloy chain guard that we may import.


We found a new brake lever that some might be interested in. And there was a grip specially made to work with inverse levers on 22.8mm bars. The grip has a groove for a brake cable.


We have ordered samples of the mixte frame I mentioned earlier. If it passes our testing we should have frames in the Fall. We will spec fender mounts and all the usual VO details, but this is not our design; it's basically the manufacturer's stock design.


I was very excited to finally see the new VO saddle model that will compete with the Brooks B-17.

We found a very nice MA2 style rim extrusion that can be made for us in 700c size. It's light, 19.5mm wide, and can be fully polished. Samples will arrive in a few weeks.

We also saw a number of new bits from various manufacturers that might be worth investigating. Among these is a new LED dynamo headlight purpose-made for rack mounting (or fender mounting?), cloth bar tape from a new manufacturer, and several new models of quick-release pedals.

Of course we had several meetings about ongoing projects and new components such as VO drop bars.

In short, it's been one meeting after another and both Tom and I are completely beat. The next two days will be a little easier with fewer meetings scheduled, so we'll have time to walk around the show looking for new products from manufacturers we've not worked with in the past. Then we hop on the bullet train and head south to visit factories and see, among other things, how our new racks are progressing.

Showroom and Sugino

Since Tom and I will be in Taiwan and it's been super busy on the web site, we've decided to close the showroom next week. We'll re-open it on Tuesday, the 23rd. Web orders will ship as usual. Tom and I will try to answer tech question in the evenings, but we would appreciate it if you held off on non-essential questions until our return.

VOI just received a huge shipment from Sugino and have a new crank set, the XD700 with 48-34 rings. This makes a less expensive alternative to the Alpina.

We also have the Sugino chain ring guards in stock again, now in two sizes.

One new thing we will be looking at in Taiwan is a rather traditional production lugged mixte frame. A certain factory, and almost certainly not the one you're thinking of, may be offering such a frame as a stock item. It's not a VO quality frame, but if the quality and price are reasonable we may import it anyway. I'll try to convince them to add a low-trail fork and fender mounts. Maybe with lilac color paint?

If you have any last minute suggestions for other stuff we should look for (there was a post about this previously) please comment.

Fender Mounting Instructions

We've updated our VO and Honjo fender mounting instructions and here they are. Feel free to add additional tips in the comments.

Installing Velo Orange and Honjo Fenders

Tool list:

• Allen wrench set
• Hacksaw or big wire cutter for cutting stays
• Phillips head screwdriver (on some models)
• Pliers
• Tape measure
• If mounting undrilled fenders you'll also need a drill and 5mm bit. Plus a 3mm bit if attaching an L-bracket.
• A file and sharp punch or nail are also nice to have.
• 8mm wrench (for Honjo R-clips)
• 10mm wrench or socket (for Honjo Daruma)

Attaching the Fender Stays:

Attach the stays to the fenders using eyelet bolts. We 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.

Most Honjo fenders use two eyelet bolts per stay. The VO fenders use slightly thicker aluminum and so require only one per stay. Thread the stay into the draw bolts 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, fenders without L brackets can simply be attached with 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. Note that leather washer must be ordered separately.

If using a VO or Honjo L-bracket secure it to the brake bolt. On undrilled fenders you'll need to drill two 3mm holes and mount the bracket as shown in the photo. On some forks it's necessary to bend the top of the L-bracket outward a little bit to allow it to clear the headset.

If using a fork crown daruma, remove the brake, hold the daruma inside the fork crown and thread the brake bolt through the 6mm hole in the daruma. On undrilled fenders, drill a matching 5mm hole in the fender. Again, the extra long Honjos are pre-drilled and “dimpled” so the fender sits right over the wheel. Place the large metal washer, then the rubber washer over the threaded end of the daruma.. Secure the fender with a flat washer and nut.

On fenders that don't have a pre-formed “dimple” for the daruma, push the fender forward, making a small dent in the fender under the fork crown. This compensates for the fork rake, allowing proper fender alignment with the wheel.

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 large wire cutter. File or sand down the ends so they aren't sharp.

Installing the rear fender:

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. Don't forget the leather washers between the frame and fender.

On most production frames things are a bit more difficult. You may have to bend the front of the rear fender to make it fit between the chain stays then bolt it into place through the hole in the chain stay bridge. But don't do this yet; first install the sliding bridge bracket. The VO version is made of malleable metal that you fold over the fender then pinch shut with pliers. The Honjo sliding bracket slips on over the fender from the end and is then pinched shut. An L-bracket may be substituted for the sliding bracket.

Bolt the bridge bracket to the brake bridge and slide the fender forward to the desired location. Now bolt the front of the fender 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. After a few miles check that everything is still tight.

Corporate Responsibility, Retro Cranks, Stinky Tofu...

I'm trying to catch up after my mini vacation, so no time for along post today, but Tom wrote a couple of interesting things on the VOI blog.

First is an article about our trip to Taiwan next week and about corporate social responsibility. Here's the link.

Speaking of Taiwan, I can't wait to go to one of the the night markets in Taipai for street food. I actually like stinky tofu and dried squid and bubble tea.

It seems there is some interest from a major crank manufacturer in producing a TA Cyclotouriste-style crank set. This is not the same project as the crank set VO still hopes to have manufactured one day. A bit more info here.

Finally, we try to run a mostly paperless office here at VO. Even your receipts are e-mailed instead of being printed out. We do, however, include paper instruction with some products, though not all. I think we should start including paper instructions with fenders, rather than asking you to go on line to read them. It seems to me that having the paper copy in front of you when installing them is far more convenient. Any thoughts?

The Anonymous Commenter

I'm very gratified that this blog has evolved into place for serious discussion about bike, and other, matters. We get more comments and better discussion than most of the bike blogs I've seen. But I've noticed more and more impolite comments here lately. In fact, I've noticed a breakdown in civility recently on several other blogs too. In almost every case the offending words are posted by an anonymous commenter. So I'm considering changing the blog settings so only registered users can leave comments. Basically, you would have to use a screen name. Is that a good idea? Anyone have an opinion?

Also, I'm off to Puerto Rico for a few days of hiking and swimming. VO will continue to function normally, but I may not be able to answer e-mails as there is some ambiguity about web access where I'll be staying. Tom, however, will respond to technical questions.

Wheels and NAHBS

We just got back from the hand built bike show. I must admit that I was skeptical about a show held in Indianapolis, but it turned out to be great. Attendance was good and there were folks there from all over the world. I ran into number of acquaintances from Japan, Taiwan, and Europe. Quite the cosmopolitan place, Indianapolis. And lots of good local beer; Tom apparently tried every brew at least once ;<) Now we are madly trying to catch up here, so this will be short. We've got some new wheels. It occurred to me that a lot of you would like to be able to order good quality and sturdy hand-built wheels at reasonable prices. Here is what we have so far:

• Shimano 105 hubs laced to Sun CR18 rims. They are available as sets, or as just front or just rear wheels.
• Strumey Archer 8-speed internal gear hubs laced to Sun CR18 rims
• Shimano DH-3 Dynamo hubs laced to Sun CR18 rims.
• And we still have our fixed gear wheel sets.

All the wheels are 36-hole and 700c sized only. We are still working on the 650b rims.

I've posted a few NAHBS photos here. These are just random things that I found interesting. There are far better and more complete NAHBS photo-sets out there; please feel free to add links in the comments.

Also, we had an unusually heavy snow storm here in Annapolis so many orders placed over the weekend and Monday will arrive a day later than normal.