Sad Headset News

The legendary Stronglight A9 headset has gone out of production. This was one of the best all around headsets ever produced. From VO's product description:

The roller bearing Stronglight A9 headset is one of those special components that defy time. It's roller bearings last for ages, it is very light, it does not develop indexing, it has classic good looks, and it is reasonably priced. In fact, it makes you wonder why anyone else bothers to make headsets.

1-inch threaded; weight: 82 grams; stack height 37mm.

We've sold hundreds of these. I can't imagine why such a popular component would be discontinued. I was told that a replacement headset would be available in spring.

You may remember the Delta headset that was discontinued last year. It was like the legendary A9 headsets and used the same roller bearing, but the Delta had improved seals for cyclo-cross and mountain bikes. They are one of our all time favorite headsets. Well we found a small stash of them, but only in French thread.

I suppose it's time to look for a new headset to stock.

Vegan Cycling and Wooden Frames

Like many cyclists I have an interest in nutrition. In fact, I've even made feeble attempts at being vegetarian. Though I rarely eat meat, I've realized that I simply don't have the constitution for total vegetarianism. There is too much temptation. My French friend's mother sends him foie gras which he serves at one of our regular joint family feasts. My heart may go out to those tortured French geese, but I cannot resist. My favorite Washington DC bistro has cassoulet on the menu and my willpower melts like a rosette of herb butter on an entrecout. A little hotel in Tuscany serves a plate of local cheeses and cured meats at breakfast. The Osteria down the hill has handmade pici with boar sauce....

So I have nothing but admiration -- well, perhaps with just a pinch of jealousy -- for Team Vegan. This is from Cycling News:

Organic Athlete, the first vegan cycling team, is partnering with Calfee Design to ride, co-promote and help develop their bamboo bikes. The team's message of personal health and social change now manifests in the form of a green, renewable bicycle. The elite team, started in 2007, consists of athletes who focus their diets on whole, plant foods and eschew animal products.

It seems that they plan to offset their carbon use through planting trees.

Perhaps some of these trees will eventually be used to make bike frames. One of the most interesting displays at NAHBS was the Renovo wooden frame. Check out their web site. The bikes are fascinating.

Writing this made me hungry; it's time for lunch!

Danger! Danger!

I just got a disturbing e-mail from a customer. The attachment screws for his front rack loosened while he has riding and the rack, and load, tilted forward and hit the ground in front of the front wheel. He and his bike are unhurt.

This is not the first time I've heard of the screws on a rack loosening while riding. It even happened to me once. That's why we include lock washers with VO racks. Use them! Really tighten the screws with a long Allan wrench. And re-tighten them once in a while. A little Locktite would be a good idea as well.

Handlebar Basics, Part 2

Now that I've stirred up some dissent with my views on bar width and height, it's time to ramble on about the mechanics of handlebars.

Stem Clamp Size: This is easy; most modern bars have a clamp area of either 25.4mm or 26mm. If you want to use a 25.4mm bar in a 26mm stem you need a shim, like this lovely Nitto product. The other way round won't work, unless you can find one of the rare negative shims on E-bay.

Most older French bars and stems use a 25.0mm clamps. I've used these bars in 25.4mm stems, but it's best to make a little shim from some beer can aluminum. (BTW, obtaining shim stock is the only acceptable reason to drink beer from cans. I seem to need lots of shims.)

Older Cinelli bars and stems are 26.4mm and there are a few other odd sizes. So it's wise to check when buying older European bars.

Stems and Forks: Again this is simple. Most 1-inch forks use 22.2mm stems. Older French forks use 22.0mm stems. Fortunately these are close enough that a 22.2mm stem will sometimes fit in an old French fork. And if it doesn't, 10 minutes of sanding (on the stem not the fork) will allow it to slide right in.

Inexpensive older American and Japanese frames sometimes used a smaller diameter, 21.15mm, stem that is becoming very hard to find. This size is also common on BMX bikes.

There are also some newfangled 1-1/8" forks and stems, but it's too soon to say if they'll catch on. And some tandems use 1-1/4" forks/stems.

Bar Diameter: The outside diameter (OD) of bar tubing varies a bit by manufacturer, but the standard for road bars is 23.8mm and MTB and city bike bars are around 22.2mm. That means that MTB brake levers and shifters will not fit on road bars.

The inside diameter (ID) of road bars is around 20mm and for MBT bars it's about 17mm. This varies with the exact type of tubing used, but inverse brakes and bar end shifters generally will not fit MTB/city bike bars. They commonly require an ID of not less that 19.6mm.

One way around this problem of compatibility is to buy old French city bike bars which were often made with road bar diameter tubing. With these you can use bar ends, inverse shifters, and some of the old-style brake levers with band-type clamps.

A way to make everything fit is to use chrome molly, rather than aluminum, bars. The steel is stronger than alloy, so it can be thinner, resulting in bars with the OD of MTB bars and the ID of road bars.

As with most thing, there are some odd, mostly French, bar diameters out there.

Digital Calipers: Cheap digital calipers are available for about $15-$20. If you work on older bikes they will save you countless headaches. And you don't even have to learn to read a vernier scale. Try Harbor Freight or E-bay. Maybe we should stock them?

What have I left out?

Handlebar Basics, Part 1

We've been getting a lot of questions about handlebars lately so I thought I'd share what little I know.

Width: In recent years many riders have been fitting ever wider bars on their bikes. I did this myself and found it a mistake. Certainly on mountain bikes and CX bikes the additional leverage of wide bars makes sense, but not on low trail city and road bikes.

A well designed low trail bike should feel almost as if the steering is linked directly to your brain. The bike will hold a line through a corner with little input. It will also track straight without the need for constant attention. After all, the steering is optimized for a tired long distance rider. The bike should take care of the rider and this sort of bike has been doing exactly that for many decades.

It is the bike that is based on racing geometry that may feel better with extra wide bars. They deaden overly quick steering and improve control on a high trail design. But there is an aerodynamics and ergonomic price to be paid for that width. It's true that beginning riders can feel more comfortable on very wide bars, just look at the "cruiser' bikes at the local shop, but one soon get used to slightly narrower bars.

The same holds true for city bikes. The last thing you want is wide bars to snag on passing cars and cyclists. The city bike must be narrow and if the geometry is correct narrower bars will feel just fine.

Bar Height: There has also been a tendency to raise drop bars well above saddle height. Certainly there are people with bad backs who benefit from this, but there are many more riders who set their bar too high simply because they've read that that's the way to do it. Again, there is a price to be paid in aerodynamics. I'm not suggesting that you set the bars several inches below saddle height as the pro racers do, but most people are soon perfectly comfortable with the bars at saddle height or an inch below. And cruising along at 15-20mph you'll really feel a difference.

City bike bars can vary greatly in height, some folks want city bikes that feel like road bikes and will lower the bars to below saddle height. Others will want to sit straight up with their bars at chest height. Just remember that if you like to sit up, which makes a lot of sense in heavy traffic, get bars that sweep back; otherwise you'll feel like you're riding a chopper.

Drop: I favor shallow drop bars because most non-racers are not comfortable on the drops if they are two low. And if you can't use the drops, you might as well just cut them off and save some weight.

Ramps: Most models of Nitto road bars have fairly flat ramps; that is, when you are riding on the hoods your hands don't angle down. There is no question that this is more comfortable than racing bars with downward sloping ramps. Add wide and long brake hoods, as on modern Tektro and Campy brake levers, and you'll see a big improvement over the bars and levers we used 20 years ago.

Part 2 tomorrow.

Exciting New Components???

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let us know what you think of the racks.

NAHBS and News

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sheldon Brown

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

He will be missed by many in the bike community.

The Big Update

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

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

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

A Few New Items

We have a few new items:

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

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

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

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

Tom's New VO Gentleman Bike

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

Here are a few quotes:

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

And later:

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

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

As always, click on the photos to enlarge them.

Basket Case

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

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

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

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

Dutch Panniers and VO Handlebar Bag

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

This is from the Basil site:

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

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

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

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

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

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

NITTO R Cages are Back in Stock

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

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

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

Ciclovia and "StreetFilms"

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

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



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

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

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show

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

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

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

Hope to see you there!

More about the Pass Hunter Frame

Here are some more details about the Pass Hunter frame:

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

Braze-On List:

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

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

The New VO Passhunter Frame

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

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

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

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

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

Bike Related News

Here are a few news stories that caught my eye:

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

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

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

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

/snip/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And:

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

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

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

Lorna's Mixte

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

From Gunnar's blog:

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

New Item Photos

Here are some photos of a few new products.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Circus Bikes and Yellow Tape

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

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

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

Update

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

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

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

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

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

We recieved our new expandable silver VO aluminum bar plugs.

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

Happy Holidays

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

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

Happy holidays to everyone!



The image is from the Tarwheels Bike Club, thanks.

RH Hanger

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

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

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

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