Touring Tips from VO Brain Trust

by The VO Brain Trust

So, spring is here (or at least you have an idea that it going to show up someday) and you're itching to get out for a little tour. Nothing huge, maybe no Trans Am for you this year, but a nice tour of an area that you have eyed for a while. All of us at VO have done some touring over the years and we wanted to help with the prep for your trip by offering some tips/advice to make it more enjoyable.

Planning

Start your route planning with either a big paper map or looking at the biggest space on google maps. Figure out where you'd like to go - are there hot springs or some sort of natural sights you want to see? Mark them all on the map and then you can use Google maps to link them using the bicycling route mode. It's really handy as you can break it down by the distance you want to cover per day, and it gives you a rough elevation profile, so you can see how hilly it is. The other aspect to this is to have a Plan B. This can mean a different way to get from A to B, even using public transit to get around. Unless your time is unlimited, and, depending on tour length, you might want to build in a one to three day buffer. You might need some extra rest, have a major mechanical, sustain an injury, or simply come across a cool town or park you'd like more time to explore.

Weight

When measured at the Adventure Cycling offices in Missoula, Montana, my fully loaded bike for a cross-country tour, weighed in at about 85 pounds. I'm also the guy who brought a banjo.

I don't want to belittle any of the so-called "weight weenies" out there, but, in my opinion, touring is not the time to worry about every little added ounce. Trust me, two or three pounds is not going to matter much when you are chugging your way along the trail. I would much rather have a jug of water strapped on my rack than insignificant weight savings. Weight doesn't matter if you can't hydrate! Bring the essentials but remember: you will likely find towns inhabited by other humans who share the same basic needs for food, clothing, and hygiene. This all being said, pack appropriately for the length and type of tour.

One way to get a light touring bike is to go on a "credit card" tour, dining out and staying in cozy B&Bs along the way.

Basic Fix-it Knowledge

(Can you ever have too many tubes?)

Speaking of gearing up, the classic cliche applies: expect the unexpected. More importantly, be prepared. It's best to have some basic mechanical knowledge of the workings of your bicycle. It is a good idea to take a couple basic mechanic courses at your local shop to get more familiar with your bike. Be sure to carry tools and spare parts such as: tubes, tire levers, pump (do not rely on CO2 canisters), multi-tool, chain tool + quick links, small crescent wrench, and a couple spare screws for racks/fenders.

Try before you leave

One thing that a lot of folks forget to do is test everything before they leave. If possible, put all your bags and such on the bike, make sure everything fits and is balanced well, and then take it for a ride. An overnight is best, but it doesn't have to be a huge ride either if time is short. But is it very important to go out for a couple hours over similar terrain to where you'll be riding to assess your equipment and gear. Do the bags need to be tightened up? Is my heel clipping the bag? Does a strap need to be cut down? If you're using a tent, put it together and break it down so you know how it all fits together and packs. We have put many a tent together with fading or no light, so practice. Little things like that will save time and frustration and allow you to better understand how your bike feels with weight on it.

Clothing Options

Think about the clothes that you need and if anything can be multi purpose. I have a couple synthetic and mixed textile shirts from Eddie Bauer that are super comfortable on the bike and are great for hopping off the bike and into a restaurant or museum - i.e. blending in. They're also long sleeve, so I can roll them up and down depending on the temperature. Having multi-purpose clothes means you can pack fewer articles which reduces bulk and weight and generally keeps your clothing kit simpler which is always good.

Learn Some Words

There's a big difference between "trinkwasser" and "kein trinkwasser". One will hydrate you, the other may give you diarrhea. 

If you're going to a country where English isn't their first language, learn a few basic words such as hello, goodbye, please, thank you, bathroom, food. Knowing the absolute basics when entering a store or asking someone for help, at least attempting the local language, puts everyone significantly more at ease. It has happened to me many times where if I am having trouble communicating with one person, they will grab someone else and a team effort begins. People are generally very good. In an pinch, charades is pretty universal - you know, rubbing your tummy for food, holding your nether regions and jumping around for bathroom, and folded hands against your head for sleep.

Always Read the Plaque

The mantra “always read the plaque” comes from Roman Mars and the 99% Invisible podcast crew. Keep that in mind as you go from place to place. If you see a plaque, stop and learn something about the history of the landmarks and towns you pass. It’s a great opportunity to soak in the scenery (and take a break from pedaling).

Rely on the Kindness of Strangers

The nomadic nature of your fully loaded bike will undoubtedly draw the attention of others. Embrace the strangers with their questions and offers of hospitality. You never know when you might get a invitation to a meal, an amazing story, or a bag of fresh apples. Locals are a great resource.

Cheap Lodging

Do some research or ask around. Camping is typically the preferred option of bike tourists -- and can be as cheap as free -- but on well-traveled bicycle routes you will often find no shortage of churches, hostels, and even homes welcoming cyclists to stay the night. Shout out to WarmShowers too.

Enjoy the Ride!

Every day on the road will not always be your best day. Touring presents many challenges that cannot be anticipated or covered in one blog post. But there is a reason you decided to go on a bicycle tour, whether it's to challenge yourself, enjoy the scenery, or travel somewhere new. So hang on for the ride and enjoy it while you can.

I'll let Ernest Hemingway close things out:

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.

A Future-Proof Polyvalent Touring Bike with Downtube Shifters

by Igor

This Polyvalent build was a lot of fun. I think this is the quintessential touring bike that straddles old and new, practical and elegant, modern and timeless. There isn't anything particularly special about it, but that's the beauty of this composition. It just works and will be dependable for years and years to come.

Let's begin at the drivetrain and gears. Touring bikes should be geared properly because you're either going to be doing a lot of walking or a lot of coasting. Basically, your setup should be wide enough that you can climb most any hill, but also tall enough that you aren't really running out of gear. So while 1x drivetrains definitely have their place in the bikepacking and mountain biking world, I think in traditional touring and Sport Touring, the 2x compact/subcompact really is king.

Most recently, I've been working on builds that are fairly complicated. Well, not as complex as triathlon and full suspension bikes, but still they feature hydraulic brakes, integrated shifters, cables and hoses running every which way. Narrower 11 and 12 speed cassette spacing means your cable tension, derailleur hanger, and limit screws must be perfect, and your front derailleur needs to be perfectly aligned, so your shifting is perfect. The Microshift 9 speed Advent Rear Derailleur is a breath of fresh air. It's easy to set up and the clutch is really a bonus to navigate the rough stuff.

The front derailleur doesn't have the most elegant cable routing but it is very functional and it shifts well. Additionally, the curvature of the cage is the perfect match for our 50.4 46/30t Crankset, so it really looks buttoned up.

11sp Dia-Compe Downtube Shifters pull the derailleurs around. Shifting is clean and easy. I had almost forgotten how much I like good downtube shifter setups. While I could have gone for the regular (non 11sp) version, I may go to 11sp or 10sp Shimano in the future. Interestingly enough, if you want to talk future-proofing, these downtube shifters are gold. They work with every 10 and 11sp rear derailleur.

The cockpit is our Nouveau Randonneur Bars and the brake levers are an aero offering from Shimano. I have always been a fan of these. The profile is slender, medium amount of hood length, great lever throw, and they do not overwhelm the appearance of the front end of the bike.

The tape is a sample. It has a nice texture and thickness, but I'm a bit skeptical of its longevity. We have two other samples we're currently testing that we really, really like. Stay tuned.

A Removable Faceplate Quill Stem secures the handlebars to the threaded fork.

Braking is handled by my favorite mechanical brakes, the TRP Spyres. They are super easy to set up and braking power is great once the pads are bedded in.

Clean, internal routing for the rear brake.

The Polyvalent prefers a front-bias, so a Campeur Front Rack handles the load of both a Randonneur Handlebar Bag and panniers. Be sure to check out this blog post I wrote a while ago about Front Loading Basics if you're front-load curious.

The front fender is mounted directly to the underside of the front rack so that the fender is secure over washboard trails.

The wheelset is our 26" Voyager Rims laced to our Disc Touring Hubs. They're all wrapped up in Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass 26x2.3" Tires. While the tires are exceptionally smooth over gravel and are lightweight, we find they need to be set up tubeless for durability. 

When setting them up with Orange Seal (our preferred sealant) you'll likely need to use a lot more sealant than you think since the sidewalls will both weep and absorb a lot of sealant. I think I ended up using about 7 oz of sealant per tire to have a reserve of sealant inside. As a reference, a 26" mtb tire needs about 3oz. The cost of suppleness.

The Day Tripper Saddle Bag houses all of my tools, tube, and repair bits and bobs I may need out on the trail. By the way, the next round of Day Trippers will have new YKK buckles (not pictured) that will be easier to open and close when using bulky gloves.

And the Randonneur Handlebar Bag is convenient for quick access to my camera, snacks, extra layers, and the like.

Lastly, the fenders are our 650b Smooth in Polished Silver which also have a great radius for these tires.

Can't wait to take this thing out on some Sporty Tours this season! You can find the full and complete build list here, and if you're interested in having us build up something similar, check out our Bike Build Ideas and give us a shout!

Fender Mounted Light Bracket for Blinky and Dynamo Lights

By Scott

Introducing the Fender-Mounted Light Bracket, a nifty way to affix a rear light onto your fender! We've stocked the E3 light mounts from Frame Builder Supply for a number of years now. Last fall, Igor and I were talking about light mounts specifically to mount to the rear fender. A lot of us ride with generously sized saddle bags without quite enough room for a seatpost mounted light. Alternately, if you use a rear rack top bag, the bag will likely cover the light. We find that mounting the light elsewhere like a dropout or seatstay is too exposed, or will be covered up by panniers.

So we took a couple of the E3 mounts that we sell and looked at the rear of the Polyvalent, and what we wanted to see was the light attach to the fender, in a similar way to the reflector we sell, attaching directly to the fender. We mocked some brackets up using scrap paper, and came up with some ideas to send to Tony at FBS. We went back and forth about the measurements and such and voila - a new light mount. The great part is that you can use it for a blinky light or a dynamo light. There is still a slot in the middle of the bracket so the wire can pass through easily.

An added benefit to this setup is the ability to run multiple rear lights. Coming from a randonneuring background, I always had two battery powered lights. For night time riding, having two rear lights really helps. You always kept a spare on hand in case something happened. You could also set them up in different positions, which I found made me more obvious to drivers (I always ran them in solid mode - being in a group of riders with a blinking rear light was seen as impolite as the riders behind you would have their night vision ruined by the constant blinking and power of the light).

I think it looks really cool and certainly makes for a more classy/elegant mounting solution.

Cost is $15.50 ea and can be found on the site here. They're currently only available in Silver.

Today's New and Re-Stocked Arrivals

by Igor

Though the weather outside is frightful, we were greeted with a container this morning filled with fresh frames, parts, and accessories!

First, a big thank you for everyone who pre-ordered Neutrinos this go-around. They're currently getting inspected and sent off. If you're outside the lower 48 States, keep an eye on your emails with additional shipping details and if you wanted to get anything else along with your order, let us know.

If you plan to travel with the Neutrino, check out this step-by-step video we made disassembling the bike and putting it into an Odyssey Traveler Bag. We're getting some of these bags next week, hang tight.

Because the Neutrino uses a 31.6 seatpost, we decided to adapt our current Zero Setback integrated clamp design to a 31.6, 400mm Seatpost with Medium Setback. The original design of the Neutrino spec'd a 27.2 seatpost, but with the increased post lenth exposure, we found it a bit too flexy for our liking, thus we went with 31.6 and it was a good choice.

While the seatpost's intended application is for the mini-velo, 31.6 is turning out to be the new standard for stouter bike applications and bikes with dropper posts. It's currently available in Polished Silver and Noir.

The Polyvalent gets a new look wearing Rainbow Sparkle Black paint! All of the specs and geometry remains the same. I can't wait to see these built up! We also still have a few 51cm Polyvalents in Emerald Green on super sale. Get them while you can.

We also still have a few 51cm Polyvalents in Emerald Green on super sale. Get them while you can.

We also restocked on some popular parts and accessories:

• Handlebar Accessory Mount
• Grand Cru Brake Levers
• Fluted Single Cranksets
• Copenhagen Kickstands
• 650b Fluted Fenders
• 700c Fluted Fenders
• 26" Snakeskin Fenders
• 650b Smooth Fenders
• Sabot Pedals
• Voyager Rims
• Enterprise 27" Rims

Are E-Bikes the Apple Watch of Bikes?

by Scott

Wolfgang's Pol-e-valent with a Velogical e-bike kit

Loyal readers of this blog may recall my comparison a few years back between watches and bicycles. I was thinking back to this comparison this week when I was listening to a podcast discussing the most influential watches of the past decade - watches that came out in the past ten years and the impact on the market and in some cases on wider culture and such. One of the watches mentioned was the Apple watch. When one looks at the sales numbers for these watches, an estimated 23 million of them were shipped out in 2018, you can see why it is on a list of the decade's most influential watches.

For the first 15 years of this century, watch companies had bemoaned a drop in sales. Many felt this was due to younger generations forsaking watches for smartphones. Why have something on your wrist to tell time, if you have this telephone/computer/camera timepiece to tell you what time it is and if you are late for an important meeting? With the rise of smart watches in general (I type this with a Garmin fitness watch on my wrist), and the Apple watch in particular, the trend of wearing a watch has come back.

So what does this have to do with bikes you ask? Well, I see an analogy to bicycles. Currently, one of the only areas in the overall bike business that shows significant growth is e-bikes. When we go to industry trade shows, the vast number of booths show either e-bikes or parts for e-bikes. Most of these products do not have much to do with us, but sometimes parts can have a cross over aspect to them. Our Happy Stem is one product that was designed and tested for e-bikes, but you wouldn't know it by looking at it.

 

(Photo from Bike Radar- https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-electric-bikes/)

The bigger question I see is will the e-bike bring people back to cycling? Will e-bikes open up opportunities for people to ride more/longer than a standard non e-bike? With companies like GM and Harley Davidson looking into e-bikes, will the situation in 10 years be where e-bikes become the standard bike being sold, and non e-bikes are for the enthusiast only? I don't have a crystal ball (believe me if I did, I'd be sitting on a nice warm island having picked out the 6/49 lotto numbers) so I have no idea how this will go, but it sure will be interesting to see what happens. Where do you see e-bikes in the market - on the rise or on the fringe? Let us know in the comments.

Neutrino Pre-Order is Live!

We're receiving our next production run of Neutrino mini-velos around mid-February. As they tend to get claimed fast, we thought now would be a good time to open up the pre-order for Neutrino framesets and completes! We're also happy to do custom builds if you want something different than the stock complete build.

All the specifications have remained the same, but we have introduced a new size, XX-Large. This frame size is good for tall folks up to 6'4". Note that due to the increased frame size, though, it does not technically fit within the 62 linear inches the airlines require for a standard checked bag. But! Some airlines have reduced or eliminated the bicycle oversize charges, so check with your airline regarding baggage fees prior to booking.

If this is the first time you're hearing about this wonderfully fun and versatile offering, here are the details:

Whether you're a frequent traveler, apartment dweller, multi-modal commuter, or just enjoy a fun N+1 bike, the Neutrino Mini-Velo will fit perfectly into your heart.

For city and apartment dwellers, you'll get great acceleration for stoplight racing as the wheels spin up quite fast. When you've reached your destination, getting the bike into the building, walking up stairs, and parking it in your apartment is so much easier because the physical length of the bike is greatly reduced. You can much more nimbly negotiate stairwells and since it's warm and cozy inside, you don't have to worry about it getting ripped off overnight.

For multi-modal traveling, it's easier to take the bike in a train car without taking up a ton of room and attracting disdainful looks from fellow commuters. Oh and Rinko. Forget cutting fenders, removing handlebars, and wheels. Just loosen the stem, turn the handlebars 90 degrees, and put the whole thing into a Rinko bag!

Traveling with the Neutrino is also a breeze. Since we often travel to our cycling starting point by airplane, train, car, or bus, overage fees for checked bags, storage, and transportation add up quickly and are a real drag. To take full advantage of the traveling abilities of the Neutrino, the bike can be disassembled and inserted into the cardboard box that it comes with - so tell your shop to hang on to it! We're working on a bag and video on how to pack the bike up.

Simply put, the Neutrino is a blast to ride around. It'll put a smile on your face every time you throw your leg over.

For additional details about fit, geometry, and travel, check out Clint's Neutrino Build and Travel Tips! We also have some bike build ideas for the Neutrino to get your creativity flowing.

Here are all the details about the frameset:

• 4130 double butted chromoly frame and fork that accepts fenders and rack.
• Unicrown fork with accommodations for Fenders, Randonneur Rack, and even a Mojave Cage or a bikepacking-style cage.
• Seattube, downtube, and under-downtube bottle cage mounts.
• 406 Bead Seat Diameter wheel size. That's BMX, so high-quality rims and tires are cheap, plentiful, and strong.
• Clearance for 2.3" tires WITH fenders. Holy cow!
• Sliding, 135mm QR dropouts for geared, single speed, or internally geared hubs.
• Disc brake mounts (POST rear, IS front). We suggest 160mm rotors. 
• Full length, external cable routing.
• 1 1/8" threadless steerer.
• 31.6mm seatpost, compatible with external droppers.
• Paint is Cool Gray with Galactic Glitter.

Jay's All Terrain Piolet in Classic Blue

by Igor

Jay wanted to build his Piolet to handle both the rigors of riding the C&O Canal as well as taking care of daily errands around town. He wanted the bike to float over gravel, have fenders to keep him and his drivetrain clean, and have a Randonneur Bag fitted for quick access. Introducing Jay's All Terrain Piolet!

This frameset started life out as a Gen 2 Piolet prototype painted in the Desert Stan color. He loved the frame but didn't love the color, so he got it powder coated the 2020 Pantone color of the year: Classic Blue. The contrast with the Rust Randonneur Bag and the mix of silver and black components really makes this a stand-out ride.

The build is very similar to our standard complete (SLX 1x11 drivetrain, Deore Hydro Brakes) with a few notable exceptions. He selected our Granola Bars for a better view over traffic in the city, as well as a more upright position for rail-trail riding.

This neat seatpost is a Cane Creek Thudbuster. It features an elastomer which smooths out all the small bumps and gravel chatter that you'll experience on a somewhat maintained rail-trail. I built a few bikes back in the day with these, mostly for stokers on tandems. The elastomer can be replaced and dialed in to the rider's weight, position, and style which makes it a really flexible platform for all sorts of riding. I really wish they made it in silver, but c'est la vie.

The Schwalbe Thunder Burts in 29x2.1 are a favorite of mine for packed earth and general mixed terrain riding. The smaller knobs don't buzz on asphalt, but hook up really nicely on washed out gravel. They're also lightweight and tubeless, so they won't hold Jay back at all.

The 700c 63mm Fluted Fenders wrap around the wheels nicely. Plenty of room for mud clearance and plenty of coverage to keep everything clean and tidy.

The Randonneur Rack with Integrated Decaleur is mounted directly to the front fender and is rock solid.

Most of the Piolet builds we do are on the more off-road, singletrack end of the spectrum, so it was nice to build one up with more utility for everyday use but also capable enough for a weekend tour. Happy Riding, Jay!

Check out the complete build list here: https://velo-orange.com/pages/copy-of-piolet-build-list-jays-classic-blue-all-terrain-rider

Holy Bells!!

By Scott

I'm a bit young, not by much, but still a bit young, to remember the whole drillium craze of the 70's. Losing weight was the be all, end all of that time frame. People would drill out their chain rings, derailleurs, brake levers, etc. It's where we got the inspiration for the drillium cranks. It was 100% a racing thing. Touring cyclists never jumped on this trend, but lately I've seen a couple pictures of folks drilling out our bells! I wondered, hmmm, how tough is this and does it change anything as to the actual usage of the bell? I mean, it's all good and well to drill the bell out for the looks, but if the tone goes off, it isn't worth it as I do need the bell to be useful/effective in its job.

For reference, the weight of the bell prior to the holes being drilled (with the clamp) is 57 gr.

Some lessons I learned while drilling out a brass bell:

1- Mount the bell in a vise. Trying to drill the bell while holding it in your hand will not end well.

2- Marking where you want to put the holes is ideal. I eyeballed it in terms of hole pattern, so a couple are a bit off the others. I used a sharpie to mark where I wanted to drill the holes. If I wanted to be more precise, using a paper template of where to put the holes would be helpful.

3- Start small. Use a small (sharp) drill bit to start with. The domed/curved nature of the bell means the drill bit can skid about if it is not at a 90 deg angle to the surface. A good sharp bit can dig into the brass a lot easier then a dull one. Use the small hole as a pilot hole to go a size or two up, depending on what sort of look you are going for. As with anything involving drilling- make sure you have proper eye protection.

4- Fine sandpaper is your friend. You can use it to get into the inside of the holes to smooth them out. Small round files also help to clean out the inside of the bell and can help channel your inner Peter Weigle.

Ideally, I'd use a drill press for this, but I had a portable drill and it worked fine. I think a sharp bit is one of the keys to drilling the hole.

So in the end, I drilled it out and...how does it sound? The tone is a bit lower then the non drilled original. Our resident musicologist Kevin stated that, "because there is less metal, there is less to vibrate and therefore it has a lower tone." Weight saved (3 gr with the holes I drilled out), cool factor increased, and it still works as a bell. A win/win/win all around.