VO LUX Frames

In addition to the black components, that I mentioned in the previous post, VO will soon introduce the "LUX" range of frames. We'll use the same well proven geometry as on regular Velo Orange frames, but with very special lugs, custom paint work (or precious metal plating), hand shaped fork crowns, and special packaging (burled walnut travel cases). As you may know, luxury goods are the fastest growing category of products in the world. This is fueled largely by the economic boom in China and other Asian countries. While the LUX frames will be available here, we will concentrate marketing in other countries.

Back from Taiwan

I just got back from Taiwan and the the Taipei Cycle show. We also visited some of the factories that make VO products. Before I get into the product stuff, I wanted to tell you a little about Taiwan.

Many Americans still think of Taiwan as a poor country, and until fairly recently it was. But today Taiwan is 20th in the world by GDP (PPP) per capita according to the IMF. (So it's ahead of the UK, Japan, France, Denmark, etc.) The streets of Taipei are as filled with luxury cars, expensive boutiques, and eateries as Washington, Paris, or Tokyo.

In fact it's the eateries that fascinate me. It's hard to find a city block without a half dozen places to eat, from tiny nooks with six seats to world-class French restaurants. Even the little lanes, some no wider than an alley, are lines with Taiwanese, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Indian and countless other places to eat. Then there are the night markets, street markets that open as locals get off work and don't close until midnight or later. Many, if not most, of the stalls sell street food. Shilin market, the biggest, has over 500 food stalls. Night market staples include oyster omelets, fried squid, anything barbecued, stinky tofu, steamed dumplings, and a lot more. You can get pretty full for $10-$15. Taiwan may be the only country I've visited that's more obsessed with food than the French or Italians.

Bicycling is popular in Taiwan, but not in downtown Taipei. The city is set in a mountain valley so air pollution gets trapped and the smog can be awful. Then there is the car and scooter traffic. A few folks do ride downtown, but I'm not brave enough. A superb subway system, called the MRT, means that you can get anywhere cheaply and quickly, even beyond the downtown area. The MRT has train cars with room for bikes so cyclists can get to the surrounding countryside easily. There are plenty of bike paths, country roads, and lanes in the city's outskirts and beyond.

We started our trip by visiting a few of the factories where VO products are made. We visited the frame factory to discuss a new VO off-pavement touring frame we're working on. It seems that Grant Peterson had just visited so the owners invited us all to lunch. I've known Grant for a few years and it was nice to chat in a relaxed atmosphere.

We saw a new pedal we'd just designed that's based on the old Barelli pedals. These use huge bearings and a lot of new tooling, so it was gratifying to see that everything fit together and looked as it should. We'll be testing them shortly.

We discussed three new fender models at the factory that makes all the VO fenders. We also considered the possibility of a VO rinko fender. This would be primarily for our Japanese customers, but we might sell them here as well. (We'll soon have a rinko headset as well.) The fender factory's owner took us to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. Set in a port town, it resembles a fish market. One room is filled with aquariums and tubs of ice containing dozens of types of fish and shellfish. That's where one examines the offerings and selects dinner.

The Taipei Cycle Show is massive, bigger than Interbike, and, at least from the visitors perspective, much better run with no long lines for badges, better nearby food, and plenty of helpful staff.

We had a dozen meeting with suppliers on the first day discussing various VO products they make as well as looking at other new stuff they were making. We talked with several factories about making a few of our components in black, since we now get that request fairly often. I know it's a radical idea, but we've heard that some cyclists do like black bits. I think we'll start with black Grand Cru seat posts, Grand Cru 1-1/8" headsets, and Grand Cru caliper brakes.

We spent the next two days wandering around talking with companies we don't currently work with and looking for new stuff. Overall I was disappointed with the offerings this year. Usually there are a dozen or more new components and accessories that we find and might at least consider importing. These days we prefer to design our own parts rather than simply importing an existing product, but it's still fun and instructive to see new ideas. Sadly, we saw very few innovations that I would consider worthwhile. I'm hoping it was just an off year and there'll be an explosion of creativity in 2014.

One new product we'll import is bag loops that clamp to saddle rails. We used to sell the Japanese Viva loops, but they became hard and slow to import and these new ones seem like a sturdier design. We are also looking at several classically styled plastic saddles, we hope to find one that feels like our ever popular Model 3 saddle.

There are other new developments and products, but for competitive reasons I'll keep those secret for a while longer. It's always a treat to visit beautiful Taiwan and enjoy the food and conviviality. The people are always so very friendly and helpful to clueless foreigners, and most speak at least a little English. I can't wait to go back, just wish it was closer.

Info Overload

We covered this topic in a previous post back in 2009, but we wanted to revisit it since now everyone and their mothers has a smartphone and GPS.

“Sweet. This is what 15 miles per hour feels like.” I was super excited when I got my first handlebar mounted computer.  From then it was downhill so to speak. I talked about cadence, lightweight components, and KOMs.  I replaced the batteries every time it died, but this one time I got lazy and put it off. Then something amazing happened. I started riding without all the information, without the knowledge about how far I had gone, what my average speed was, or what my cadence was. I felt free.

Not caring about numbers and just enjoying your surroundings is amazing. You’re free you can take in the landscape, ride because you like it, and think about things completely unrelated to biking like how to best cook that random can of SPAM in the cupboard. I know how far my regular loop is and if I want to go somewhere new, I do one of two things: a) go on the internet and see what roads I need to take or 2) get on my bike, start pedaling, and go wherever I want.

Scott knows several randonneurs who cycle brevets without a computer. Years of experience has resulted in the ability to judge their speed very well. Some wear a watch, just so they can keep track of the control closing times, as well as provide feeback about their pace.

I’m not advocating that everyone gets rid of their computer. It is a valuable tool for certain riders and in certain situations; but with the rise of smart phones are they as necessary as before? I use the smartphone and the MyTracks app in my pocket as an aid to know where I’ve gone and where to go if I get too lost. It knows where I’ve been and can upload the map to my computer to see the route when I get home.  Others have taken up using GPS units that not only triangulate your position, but also tells you your speed, distance, cadence, heart rate, and segment info amongst other things.

So this whole thing begs the question...do you keep an eye on your performance and if so, how do you do it?

Btw, we uncovered 4 sets of MK1 50.4 cranksets and 5 sets of Dajia Lowrider Racks and we're blowing them out.

-Igor and Scott

Wheel Obsession

By Igor

I’m obsessed about wheels. Hubs, rims, spokes, and (ahem…) nipples.  There is something about building a wheel that leads to such a deep connection with the bike.  The selection of parts, building, and truing entails decisions that will make you honest with yourself and bring out real emotions. The bicycle wheel is an amazing, delicately balanced creation.

The choice of components of a wheel build is not something to be taken lightly. The rim is the most important part of the wheel, for it takes the load, shock, and deformation of the wheel to accomplish a comfortable and safe ride.  A rim out of round will lead to complications during building and an uncomfortable ride. A rim that has been manufactured by cutting corners to cut costs will save a customer money at first, but will only lead to costly repairs and replacements down the road (pun intended).

Hubs have more to do with frame design: spacing, gearing, braking, and application.  There is something to be said for all types of bearings. Sealed bearing (cartridge) lasts a very long time because they are kept away from the elements, so they are perfect for city riding and touring. Ceramics are fast and light but can wear out and damage steel races. Loose ball bearing is traditional and can be adjusted and overhauled, but requires much more care and maintenance [than cartridge].

Oh the spoke…the seemingly lowly spoke.  Much of the time when I hear people talk about the newest bike they build up, how much it weighs, the components it has, the type of wheel or X laced to Y without knowledge of the spoke attributes. The spoke is a very important consideration because they are dynamic. They change with shock and stress from frame distortion.  There are so many different styles of spokes that I won’t even get into all the benefits and drawbacks of each one in this post, but it is an important conversation to have with your wheel builder regarding your application and stress factors.

Nipples. Brass. Always.

Anyway, here's a few pictures of my latest build for Adrian's Bertin. 32h Campagnolo Record hubs, double butted DT Swiss spokes, VO Raid Rim, brass nipples.

You should always talk to your wheel builder about these choices and lacing patterns. They are the most valuable resource for the quality and safety of your ride.

Wheels are the component of the bike that I’m most passionate about. The whole process of lacing, truing, dishing, rounding, truing, dishing, rounding, truing, rounding, truing, dishing, and truing is something that I find therapeutic and intensive at the same time.

Scott’s obsessed about bike luggage and rumor around VO is Casey has never slept due to thinking about bikes 24/7/365. So what keeps you up at night? Headsets? Pedals? Bar plugs?

Nic's NAHBS Report

By Nicholas Carman (Gypsy by Trade)

The North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show (NAHBS) is always an exciting place to view bicycles. Builders are challenged to push form and function to new heights, exploring ideas new and old to make the best bicycles possible. This year's show in Denver, CO was ripe with new wheel dimensions including 650b mountain bikes, over a dozen fatbikes (26x4.0”+) in every frame material imaginable, and the new 29x3.0” size pioneered by the Surly Krampus. Titanium frames were plentiful and bamboo frames had a strong presence. Even the custom carbon market seems to be growing.

More bikes featured disc brakes this year, including touring, rando and city bikes. One beautiful lugged steel rando bike mated Campy 11-speed equipment to new TRP cable-actuated hydraulic disc brakes. Many bikes were wearing lightweight luggage in the modern bikepacking style, including a Cielo (Chris King) touring frame with luggage made by Tanner in Portland, OR of domestic canvas and leather, attached to the frame without racks. Such a refined statement may help persuade some riders into lightweight touring.

It is always interesting to see how Velo Orange products are used in the wild. How about Ultegra brifters on a VO Porteur handlebar, attached to a bike with a carbon fork? That's not what Chris had in mind when he designed those bars, I'm sure. What about 650b Diagonale rims with a SRAM XX carbon crankset and a classic aluminum chainguard? Of course, there were more traditional pairings as well, mating lugged steel to shiny alloy cranks, fenders, and racks. Take a look.

Geekhouse
Geekhouse bikes are a mash-up of modern function and retro styling, and sometimes retro function with modern styling They featured several VO parts including 650b Diagonale rims on their pink Brentwood porteur bike, which paired an aluminum chaingaurd and a 1x10 SRAM XX drivetrain. A similar purple city bike spent some time at the Brooks booth, displaying a VO stem and rear constructeur rack with Brooks luggage.

Littleford
Jon Littleford's Expedition Touring bike spared no detail for the long haul, including a rust-coat with a clear coat finish and expedition-grade racks with stainless coverings to minimize abrasion from pannier hooks. Dynamo lighting and internal wiring connected to a vintage Cat-Eye tail light and a modern headlight. A Grand Cru headset and VO bar tape were prominent up front, while a VO touring hub made the rear end shine. I asked Jon to display the features of this hub. He shifted onto the smallest cog, lay the chain on the chainrest and unhooked the brake, removed the wheel, and after removing the QR skewer, he quickly removed the entire cassette along with the oversize aluminum axle. This process would have been no more difficult along the roadside, and within seconds, one could replace a spoke on the drive side of the wheel, which is usually obscured behind the cogset. Additionally, the freehub pawls are exposed for cleaning or lubing, and sealed cartridge bearings can be removed and replaced without tools. Reassembly is just as smooth. During this process-- no more than a minute-- I held the bike upright on the table while snapping photos.

Vincent Rodriguez
This fast city bike featured a steel frame and a carbon fork, and was built with a VO fluted double crank, Grand Cru headset and a VO Porteur handlebar with Ultegra brifters neatly attached.

Helavna
This young builder from Tokyo brought a nice rando frame to the show, unpainted, to show his tidy brazing. His bike featured a 50.4 VO double crank, and a Cinelli aero bottom bracket shell.

Curtis Odom
Curtis machines exquisite hubs inspired by vintage styles, but with modern guts. Several wheels were built with VO rims. Most of his wheels were built with Ghilsallo wood rims from Wheel Fanatyk.

Bishop
This classic road bike uses vintage bits and VO elkhide bar covering. From a distance, this looks much like a few VO Rando frames I have seen. Chris Bishop builds bikes in Baltimore, MD, one of the nearest framebuilders to VO headquarters.

Note: Many framebuilders remove manufacturer decals for shows like this, so it was a challenge to verify the identity of metal fenders, which adorned bikes in abundance. None are pictured here but most likely, some were from VO.

Blank Plume Alaire Design Contest

Many classic French city bikes had beautiful chainguards with the manufacturer's logo. In that tradition we made this blank Plume Alaire chainguard for frame builders and others who want to add their own logo or graphics. The chainguards are highly polished aluminum so you can etch, engrave, or paint them. You could even make a circular decal to fit.

With not much to discuss at yesterday's staff meeting, we speculated on fun chainguard graphics. Casey created the example below, but we'd like to see what our customers might come up with.

So we welcome anyone who would like to try their hand at a design or logo. We'll pick the one we like most and post it on the blog in about 4 weeks. This is only for fun; VO won't use anyone's artwork. The winner gets a $100 VO gift certificate plus a chainguard (blank, or not, as you prefer).

You don't need to buy a chainguard to participate. Simply download the .png files of the chainguard's outline. The basic png file can be found here. And here is a file with dimensions. To enter, email us a .jpg or .png file with your design.

Update: The last day of the contest is 4/1/13

Container is Here

Good news everyone! Our first spring container has arrived and in addition to the items that are going back in stock, there are a few new items that will blow your mind.

First: You know how we have a Fluted Double and Triple? Now we have a Fluted Single.  Bam!

• 3/32" chainring
• CNC'd Stainless 46 tooth chainring for maximum durability
• 110 BCD
• Available in 165 or 170mm.

Second: We’ve gotten a lot of requests from frame builders and shops to offer a blank chainguard for custom applications and installations. So here’s our Plume-Alaire with no etching, no drilling, and no logo. Make sure you send us pictures with your custom etchings!

Third: Our Gran Compe brake levers have gone drilled! These will make you faster…because they’re drilled.  Plus they look awesome.  We are one step closer to making a drillium group.

Here's a short list of things that are back in stock, or will be coming back in stock the next couple days as we comb through the container load:

• Sabot Pedals
• Porteur Rack
• Various Fenders
• Constructeur Rear Rack
• Thumb Shifter Mounts
• 36 hole PBP Rims
• Plume Alaire Chainguard
• Braided Brake Cable Kits
• Dajia Accessory Mounts
• Grand Cru Quill Stems
• 118 English Bottom Brackets
• 170mm Fluted Triple Crankset
• Grand Cru Caliper Brakesets
• FL-750 Brake Levers
• Leather Handlebar Tape
• Wingnuts
• Dajia Expedition Rack

Make sure you sign up for product alerts to receive an email when the item is back in stock.

-Igor

Gone Ice Fishin'...

Our technical staff is on its way to Minnesota for Frostbike. Hopefully we'll see some of you at our booth.

While it's always best to email your technical questions, this is especially true for today (Friday) and Monday (2/25). They won't be answered as speedily as usual, but they will be answered.

New Handlebar Bags, made in Maryland

This is the final prototype of a new bag we'll be stocking. It's being made for us by an artisanal
sewing shop right here in Maryland. They are in an old stone mill overlooking a trout stream. A very cool shop with a very talented staff..

The fabric is heavy treated cotton canvas. The color is hunter green (my camera phone didn't get the shade right.) Wickett and Craig of Pennsylvania provide the oiled bridle leather for trim. The hardware is brass. One of the neat features is the stiffener which goes in a long sleeve so no plastic is exposed.

They are designed to be used with, or without, a decaleur. I think quality is better than the Ostrich bags we used to import from Japan. They are very roomy, a little shorter than the Ostrich bags front-to-back, but also  a little taller.

We should have the first small batch in a few weeks. Cost will be around $200.

Inconvenience Sale Extended...

The mail truck we almost filled yesterday.
Most orders go via Fed-Ex Ground.

A guest post by Annette

I'm pretty surprised by the overwhelming response to the sale; you'd think we'd never run one before. We're so swamped that we won't be able to clear out the backlog at least until tomorrow (Feb 13), and international orders are even worse.

So for the continued inconvenience, Chris has decreed the sale be extended to 11:59pm today, February 12, Eastern Standard Time. The same exceptions apply: no sale on frame kits or complete builds.

Those who ordered after the first cutoff of 11:59pm February 10 will be credited the 20% to their credit cards (once all of the orders are packed and outta here)

Moving Sale and Shipping Delays

A guest post by Annette

We all must suffer through a move; there's just no way to do it without stress, no matter the amount of planning, coordination, lead time, and promise of a new coffee system. At some point you just have to stop, unload the shelves, and pack the boxes. And while we're engrossed in physically moving and organizing 4100 square feet of stock and furnishings into 7000 feet of space, we can't be packing orders, and we won't be able to respond to emails as quickly as usual.

New couches in the design/meeting area

Our move is Wednesday, February 6. We pack for two days before, and we unpack for two days after.

So the cutoff for placing orders for shipping this week is Friday, noon EST, February 1. Orders placed after noon February 1 will not be shipped until Monday, February 11. 

Now this doesn't mean you can't place orders as usual; goodness no, our web store is untouched during our relocation. But you'll have to wait an inordinate amount of time before the orders are finally shipped. 

For this inconvenience, from to Midnight Saturday February 2 to Midnight Monday February 11 (EST), everything except frame build kits and complete bikes is 20 percent off to retail customers (frames are included in the sale, just not our already rock-bottom priced kits and builds). A screamin' moving deal, customer appreciation days, Ravens Won the Super Bowl Sale, call it what you'd like, it's 20 percent off for (most) retail orders placed during this period.

Thanks as usual for your business and support. We'll soon see you at:

1981 Moreland Parkway

Bldg. 3

Annapolis, MD 21401 USA

Cynthia's Paintings and Eric's Bikes

Peugeot mixte

Cynthia Meyer is a talented artist who paints lovely California scenes. Some of her paintings include bikes that my friend Eric has put together. I really like both the style and subject matter in Cynthia's work, even the paintings without bikes. More of her work can be found on her site.

Eric, Cynthia's husband, is an interesting guy. We met when he called me out of the blue, and said, "This is Eric. I used to have this company called Simple Shoes, but then it got complicated. So I sold it and now I mostly ride around on my bike." It turns out he uses lots of VO parts in his builds and I used to wear Simple Shoes.

I've visited Eric a couple of times in central California and found that he builds up some really neat bikes. He also restores cool old cars, rebuilds old houses, serves on the planning commission in San Luis Obispo, and is involved with a center for young entrepreneurs.

Sear's best, made in Austria

Flanders Bike Shop

Eric's orange Atala

A few  photos of Eric's bikes can be found here. You'll find lot's of VO parts, many powder coated. His blog, The Movement, is worth reading.

Don't Forget, VO Warehouse Sale is Tomorrow

Despite predictions of upwards of two inches of snow this afternoon, which will bring Washington DC traffic to a skidding halt, the VO yard sale will take place tomorrow. Those of us who have lived in snowy climes can't help but shake our heads when schools close, as those in Annapolis have just done, in anticipation of a dusting of the white stuff. In fairness, a huge segment of our local population is not from this area, having come for government related jobs. And many appear to have never driven or biked in snow.

In any case, we have lots of cool stuff for sale that's 50% or more off retail price. In addition everything, except build kits and complete bikes, is 20% off. That includes stuff on the specials page. So it's worth skiing or snowshoeing in.

Finally we'll have espresso and donuts so you can refuel after that snowy trek.

Here's the fine print again:

• In-person only. No internet orders, sorry.
• Cash or credit only
• We won't hold anything or offer a list of what will be available. It's strictly first come...
• 20% off the retail price of anything we have in-stock except build kits and complete bikes. Even items on the specials page are an extra 20% off.
• 9AM - 12PM at 1819 George Ave. Annapolis, MD 21401

Customer bikes

In case you missed it on our Facebook, here is a small collection of beautiful bikes submitted by our customers. Enjoy!

Don't forget our warehouse sale this Saturday January 26th. More details and fine print here.

Stuart's Outlaw Mixte

Luke's Peugeot Porteur

Justin's Univega

Harry's custom touring bike

Darryl's Elkhide Wrap on TT bars

Kengo's award winning Fuji Porteur

Jo's LHT VO'd out

Projects

The blog has been a little quiet lately as we prepare for our move but we're still working on lots of new projects and considering a few others.

The Pass Hunter prototypes have been delayed a little because of the new year holidays in Taiwan. We'll get both red and blue prototypes and post photos for your input.

We're designing a 63cm version of the Campeur frame. It's been selling well and if that continues we'll expand the sizes available.

We hope to have a new Grand Cru pedal in a few months. It's a single sided pedal designed for folks who use toe clips, or half clips. Like the Sabot pedal it will have platform designed for street shoes. It will also have over-sized, bordering on huge, bearings for long life and no-worries touring duty.

Importing a very impressive new Dajia platform pedal is also under consideration. It's an off road pedal (like the VP001) but higher quality. I'm not sure that off-road oriented platform pedals will remain popular with touring or urban cyclists as more road-specific platforms become available, but they'll remain a good option for those who tour off-pavement.

We have a daily "morning staff meeting" were we discuss new products and design issues, among other things. Today we kicked around the idea of bringing back the old VO courier rack. It's smaller than a Pourteur rack and works well with handlebar bags, but the large platform makes it more versatile than a Constructeur front rack. Not sure about this one so we thought we'd run the idea up the flag pole and see who salutes, this blog being the flagpole. Anyone saluting?

In another news:

Gypsy by Trade shares his "Second Impressions of the Campeur"

Here are a few photos of a cool Campeur build. 

Don't forget that the biggest ever VO yard sale takes place this Saturday from 9 to 12.

The Most Important Thing About Moving

a guest post by Annette

We were handed the key to the new space today. We have to choose paint and carpet colors. We still must order warehouse shelving. The service order for Comcast is in, electric and gas will switch on Feb. 1, the storage container out back will be removed Feb. 8.

But the most worrisome of items to coordinate, the topic of hottest concern here is: should we get a new coffee maker, and if so, what style? 

While we have a Francis! Francis! espresso machine, she has only a single boiler, which is a pain and a wait for steamed milk or hot water for Americanos. Our current warehouse is located within quick driving and biking distance from three coffee outlets, so the blood-need for caffeine can be filled quickly. But the new space, although not far from here, means several lights and turns (especially nearly impossible left turns) to get anywhere; the coffee will be cold by the time we return to the shop. 

Here are the options:

The Keurig system. The pros are: it is clean (no grounds!) and quick, everyone can have his/her favorite flavor, and you could dispense hot water for tea if you bought a large enough unit. The cons are the K-cups are ridiculously expensive and the coffee is not hot enough, unless the machine is hard wired into the water supply. We could save on the coffee itself if we got a "refillable K-cup," but that would negate the whole "no grounds!" argument.

Good old Mr. Coffee and his offspring. Pros: it's inexpensive, and sometimes you can coax a good cup out of it with a brand as inexpensive as Folgers, and they're not just ugly white or black any more. Cons: grounds, the horrible smell of old coffee in the pot... and some staff members would quit if we went with that. 

Double boiler espresso machine. Pros: hot water on demand, no wait for steam build-up for frothing milk, and it looks cool as hell. Cons: Costly upfront cash outlay, too much maintenance what with backflushing, new gaskets, etc. And then there's the grounds, as it's my experience that no one except me empties the knockbox (though we do have a grassy area out back for a garden, and espresso grounds are supposedly great for the soil). 

French Press or Pour Over. Pros: nice individual coffee to your taste and simple to prepare. Cons: grounds, constant clean up in the bathroom sink, and the French Press system is fussy (boil, pour, stir, wait, press, or is it boil, pour, wait, stir, press?)

Short of some enterprising soul's opening a coffee shop in the warehouse district, none of these options is ideal. Maybe we can talk the banana-bread commercial bakery next door into opening a coffee bar. Your thoughts?

Warehouse Sale and Test Bikes for Sale

As you may know, we're moving to larger quarters next month. We'd like to get rid of as much stuff as we can prior to the move so we're holding our largest ever warehouse sale. It'll take place on Saturday, January 26th, from 9AM to 12PM. We'll have the usual assortment of returned items, demo components and accessories, prototypes, a few frames, a bunch of stuff we plan to discontinue, and more. Most items will be about half the retail price. We'll also offer a 20% discount on most regular items bought during the sale.

Here's the fine print:

• In-person only. No internet orders, sorry.
• Cash or credit only
• We won't hold anything or offer a list of what will be available. It's strictly first come...
• 20% off the retail price of anything we have in-stock except build kits and complete bikes. Even items on the specials page are an extra 20% off.
• 9AM - 12PM  at 1819 George Ave. Annapolis, MD 21401

Speaking of stuff for sale, we have this 57cm Rando bike we've been using to test various new VO, and other, bits.  It's being replaced by a new Pass Hunter prototype so this one is for sale. It's got a Campy drivetrain, a prototype Ti saddle and Challenge tires among other neat stuff.

Another bike used for comparison purposes is my old orange 60cm Ebisu. Since I have several VO bikes  I'm selling the frame and fork (I don't like to keep things that I don't use.) A headset and seatpost are also included. Save for a few tiny paint chips the frame is in like-new condition. It's the All-Purpose model and. details about the model can be found here. Cost is $925 (half the new frame price). BTW, the name Velo-Orange was inspired by this bike. Update: It's sold.

Happy New Year...the Site is Up

Updating the VO store site has taken a bit longer than expected, but it's working now. Please email us if you find any glitches. 

We are sorry for the delay. Since you've been unable to browse over the holidays, we've extended the free shipping promotion for another week.

Merry Holidays and VO is Moving

All of us at Velo Orange wanted to wish our customers, staff, and friends happy holidays and a prosperous new year. Today is the last day of the year for VO. (We'll be closed until Jan. 2nd). We also wanted to thank our customers for another great year. Thanks to you, we've grown every year since the VO was founded, almost 7 years ago.

In fact, we've now outgrown three locations. In February, VO world headquarters will move to a new warehouse/office space that is twice as large. The new space is only about a mile away from our current one and will be easy to visit; there is even a bike lane out front. We look forward to having a permanent photo studio, air conditioning in the warehouse, and a nice open office layout. More details next year.

Again, thanks for your support and feedback.

Closed for the Holidays

Just a short note to remind everyone that VO will close for the Holidays on December 22nd and not re-open until January 2nd. Nothing will be shipped during that period, nor will phones or e-mails be answered. Our staff will be enjoying a much needed rest, except for Casey who will be exploring New Zealand.

Please order anything you'd like shipped this year before this Friday, the 21st.

We are also taking advantage of this holiday break to upgrade our website, an upgrade that is long overdue.  This may take a few days if everything goes smoothly (or more days if it doesn't, which we don't want to think about). When the site is down, you'll know it when you try to access our store.

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Campeur Racks Are Here, and a Container

The Campeur Racks are finally here. I know, I know, they should have been here this past spring. We can't think of many VO products that required as much time, testing, and effort to make. In addition to half a dozen geometry changes, we completely redesigned the mounting system and hardware not once, but twice. I still wince at the cost of all the tooling we had had made that will never be used. And the engineers at the factory were probably even happier than I was when we finally signed-off on the last prototype.

In any case, The rear rack has a wrap-around lower rail. The lower rail keeps weight low and allow easy pannier removal even with the top platform loaded. It's designed to be mounted to canti-brake studs or rack bosses on the seat stay.

The front rack has integrated low rider platforms and an integrated decaleur.  The decaleur to makes handlebar bag installation and removable easy. A U-shaped plug is included for times when you don't use the decaleur. The front rack is designed to be mounted to canti-brake studs and dropout eyelets.

Both front and rear fit most bikes with 26", 650b, 700c, and 27" wheels. Construction is all stainless steel tubing with our usual polished finish.
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Also in the container were some items that flew off the shelf quickly. We have restocked just in time for the holidays.

• Grand Cru Plume Alaire Chainguard
• VO Zeppelin 52mm Fenders, 650b
• VO Hammered 45mm Fenders, 700c
• VO Porteur Rack
• VO Rando Rack
• VO Cork Grips
• Grand Cru 42cm Course Handlebar
• VO Bar Plugs
• Fender Hardware:
• VO R-Clips
• VO L-Bracket
• Back by surprisingly popular demand: Dia-Compe Knob Grips

Holiday Stocking Stuffers

Got stockings to stuff? We've got what you need. We've taken about 20 percent off nine great holiday gifts.

• Grand Cru Leather Saddle Bag - $ 95

• Planet Bike Front/Rear Light Combo - $ 55

• VO Socks - $ 9

• Grand Cru Laminated Toe Clip Straps - $ 19

• VO Comfy Cotton Handlebar Tape - $ 8

• VO Deep Half Clips - $ 11

• VO Steel Toe Clips - $ 9

• VO Temple Bell (Mirrored/Brass) - $ 7

• VO Bungee Cargo Net - $ 5

Order soon so we can get it to you in time...

A Pedal Manifesto

My first pair of bike shoes had traditional cleats that fit over the back plate of quill pedals. When used with toe clips and straps, those cleats really locked you in. In fact, I fell over a few times when I couldn't get my foot out fast enough. The shoes had thick hard plastic soles and I could hardly feel the pedal. (They were also wicked slippery and I occasionally fell over after getting off the bike.)  Eventually, clipless pedals were introduced and all but the grouchiest of retro-grouches breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Yet even when we were no longer wearing cleated bike shoes, we continued to use quill pedals designed for them. It wasn't so bad when I wore thick soled running shoes, or boots. Eventually I learned that thin soled shoes not only improve the bio-mechanics of walking but are also very comfortable. The plates dug into the soles of my new shoes and my feet. That's when I began to suspect that using quill pedals might not be the best strategy.  I'm far from the first to figure this out. There were plenty of platform pedals on the market, but most were lower quality.

Barelli B-10

Fortunately there were a couple of notable pedals that met my needs. The British firm Barelli had the high quality B-10 model which had flat areas to reduce pressure and could be used comfortably without cleats. I think this is one of the best pedal designs ever. The other notable pedal of this type was the French Lyotard M23 'Marcel Berthet' pedal.

That Lyotard pedal was so great that White Industries now makes a very high quality copy called the Urban Platform Pedal. I own and like this pedal, but the finish is a little rough and the price is, well... it's $242. Not to be left out, MKS has recently introduced a less expensive copy (that we currently sell). Curiously the MKS version is also called the Urban Platform Pedal.

MKS Urban Platform

Here at VO we'd been selling the VO Touring Pedal, which offers pretty good support. And now we have the very-well-received Grand Cru Sabot pedal. We also have the MKS Lambda pedal and the previously mentioned MKS Urban Platform.

Given my own experience with pedals, I can't see VO developing any more quill pedals. In fact we're discontinuing a couple of models and they're on sale in the specials section. We're currently working on another Grand Cru large platform pedal. This one is meant to be used with toe clips or half clips. It'll also have some serious bearings.

Speaking of bearings, I think most pedal bearings are undersized, even those in most MKS pedals, in most Wellgo pedals (the best of the big Taiwan pedal manufacturers and maker of some VO pedals), and in most VP pedals (almost as good as Wellgo in my opinion). They just don't last as long as they should, based on seeing worn out bearing in older pedals we've sold.

Sabot pedal. Three sealed bearing (no bushings),
 light weight, rounded pins. It's not just a recycled
 BMX pedal.

So here is the manifesto part; I see a revolution coming in pedals. Cyclists are throwing off the chains (straps) of traditional pedal design. But too many of the current offering are not really designed for serious everyday riders. There is a need for high-end, long lasting, pedals designed for street shoes, even minimalist street shoes, not for stiff-soled bike shoes. They should have big strong bearings, and not bushings or loose balls. There must be models for those who ride with toe clips and dual-sided models (like the Sabot) for those who don't. The struggle will be to make pedals like these at a reasonable price.