This and That

A few random notes:

The New York Times had a nice article about the bike lending scheme in Washington DC. I'm a huge fan of these programs which have been fairly successful in Europe. Actually, some early attempts had problems, but the newest models seem to be working.

Our TIG welded production city bike prototype will arrive late next week. I'm very excited.

We will also get the frame that may be the basis for a possible multipurpose bike. I'm still working on this concept, but the idea is a bike that's halfway between a city bike and a touring bike, wide 650b tires, wide gearing, light lugged frame, porteur bars, chain guard... It'll be fun to build up. Any ideas?

Stupid Bike Lanes

Annette found this mildly amusing video about stupid bike lanes. Just the thing to waste a few minutes on a Friday afternoon.



And here is Part 2.

More VO Products and Fender News

My trip to Asia is starting to pay off. We now have a number of new products on order including:

• A silver VO two-bolt seat post with very generous setback and fine adjustment.
  
• Very pretty and fairly priced all silver polished aluminum no-logo stems for 1-1/8" threadless forks. This is something a lot of folks have asked for.
  
• VO 1" threaded headsets with sealed angular-contact bearings. It's time to move beyond the recently discontinued Stronglight A9 and Delta and these should prove even more durable and weatherproof.
  
• VO 1" alloy high quality ball-bearing headsets.
• Beautiful VO 1-1/8" sealed-bearing headsets. You'll be pleased at how nice and fairly priced these are, but some current high end HS manufacturers may not be too happy.
• A range of VO sealed-bearing square taper bottom brackets with alloy cups and boron axles.
• Replacement dérailleur jockey wheels made from a special high-wear low friction composite.
  

I'm still working on hubs, pedals, and a bunch of other projects. The items above will start arriving in 2-3 months.

Fenders:

The 650b VO fenders have been delayed by a few weeks. There was apparently an issue with our new tooling and some adjustments were needed. It was one of those cases where I was not told until well after they should have arrived. The factory says they are very close now.

We've also ordered a run of 45mm polished stainless steel fenders. If they look good, and the samples looked very nice, we may also make them in 50mm.

We are also getting some wide 26" VO fenders that should take tires up to 2.25". A number of you have asked for these.

Also:

We received the following comment in an e-mail:

"Straddle wire hangers - fantastique!

I ordered two sets of your straddle wire hangers and just wanted to let you know that they are WAY better than the originals on my '64 Herse..."

The New VO Crank

OK, it's not really the new VO Crank, but I found some of these new-old-stock Universal Aduprat 3-pin cranksets.

I know that there is no good reason in the world to use cottered steel cranks today. As for not so good reasons, they are very slim and elegant, they are chrome plated, they definitely look retro, and they will not break.

Anyway, I couldn't resist and we bought a few. They are 170mm with 48/40 rings. The British thread BB is included and they take French thread pedals, though they can be tapped to British. If you want a set to restore an old bike or just to be different, they cost $55.

We also now stock Salsa "Halter Top" brake levers and And Tektro RT345AG brake levers. The Halter tops are a very well made and nicely polished inline brake for touring or cyclo-cross. The Tektro Rt354AG is a nice, but inexpensive brake for city and MTB bars.

Frame News

Here are a couple of shots of frame prototypes.

The fork is the prototype of the one for our production TIG welded city bike. This bike will be very similar to the VO Gentleman frame that we now offer. A mixte version is also in the works. This frame is, more or less, on schedule and I still hope to see them this summer.

The lugged frame is another prototype that's much like our city bike, but may eventually morph into an all-around model. It may become our third production model.

The production Rando frame has hit a roadblock. The Japanese company we ordered the frames from has simply taken too long. So I just canceled the order and gave it to a company in Taiwan. The design work is done, lugs are selected, so I'm hopeful we can get it into production soon

We also plan to offer this frame as the basis for a complete bike that will include a generator hub, Brooks saddle, front rack, etc.

VO Roller Hangers are Here

And they look great, maybe better than the originals. These were the style of hangers used on some of the finest constructeur bikes. You'll see them on bikes by Singer, Toei, Routens, Alp, Reyhand, Goeland, etc.

The workmanship is beyond my expectations and the polishing is much nicer than the photos show.

Annette and Heidi say they'll make nice earrings for those of you who don't have the right bike.

They are $20 a pair in the VO store. Used originals sell for well over $100 and the only reproductions made previously sell for $75. They are also available to other bike shops at wholesale prices through VO imports.

New VO Rando Frame Photos

Here are a couple of brand new VO rando frames.

The first is for Kathryn in a custom creme color. I wasn't sure I'd like this color, but I think it looks great on the finished bike. The paint is so shiny the photos appear wavy. More photos can be found here.

The second bike is Steve's and is now being painted. These photos show the just brazed frame. The next step is sanding filing and cleanup prior to painting. Note that while all the lugs are silver brazed, the fill in the dropout attachment is brass because of the gap to be filled. More photos are here.

Low Down Light Mounts

Steve and Dick make light mounts. They make them one at a time by hand on a lathe here in the US. They start with a solid aluminum rod, turn and drill it and press in a steel insert so the threads won't strip. Then they neatly wrap each one only in thin paper to cut down on packaging. They call them "Low-Down Light Mounts".

They are tiny and they replace the nut on you hub skewer allowing you to quickly mount a handlebar type light on just about any bike, even one with a big front load that would block a normal fork crown or handlebar mounted light. The light is a bit lower than is ideal, but then a bar mounted light is far too high to be ideal. A lower light does better illuminates the texture of the road than a high one making it easier to spot road hazards. For $27 they should be polished, but otherwise they look great. Yes, I know that Nitto sometimes makes a mount like this, but those are unavailable at the moment and the last price was $37.

The photo shows the Type 1 mount which is for a battery light. I hope I'm not giving away industrial secrets when I tell you that they will soon have one for dynamo powered light, the Type 2. I have prototype and it's really neat because it accepts a Spanninga, or B&M light with no bar mount. And you don't need much wire if you have hub generator.

Speaking of light mounts, we've made small batches of our of our VO rack-type light mounts and they keep selling out. I guess folks like them. So we're making a real production run this time and will probably have them in stock for a long while. We'll also sell them, and the Low-Down brackets to other shops through VO Imports.

And finally, we may get some of the coolest light ever made from Japan. They are hand made in a one man shop and some Japanese/American friends have been working with me to import a few. The price will make you choke, but you will like them. No photos yet, sorry.

New French Style Handlebars

We just received two new models of VO/Nitto handlebars.

The first of these is the Montmartre bar. Montmartre is an area of Paris known for its cafes and artist's studios. The Montmartre bar is a very traditional French city bar. It accepts bar end shifters or inverse brake levers. It does not, however, accept MTB levers or shifters. As you guessed, the diameter is the same as on road bars.

Like most traditional French bars, the Montmartre bar is narrow, 42cm center-to-center. The streets of Montmartre are narrow and it wouldn't do to knock over a drink at a cafe table or snag a Citroen's rear view mirror with the wide Harley-style bars that seem so popular on this side of the Pond. Besides, a proper low trail city bike has geometry that allows it to hold a straight line with almost no input, yet turn with only the gentlest touch. We are piloting a fine bicycle, not driving a tractor!

The rise on the Montmartre bar is about 6cm. We do want to sit up so we can enjoy that greatest of all Parisian pursuits, people watching, even when cycling.

We went a bit wild with the second bar's design. It is a full 49cm wide and the grips flare outward a bit to appeal to the less restrained cyclist. Given its radical nature it can only be named the Left Bank Bar, after that section of Paris, the Latin Quarter on the left bank of the Seine, that was historically populated by students and leftist philosophers. The Left Bank Bar is also made for inverse levers or bar end shifters, and not for MTB bits.

These bars are made by Nitto exclusively for Velo Orange and both display Nitto's usual superb workmanship and finish. The clamp diameter is 25.4mm on both and the bars are bulged, rather than sleeved, so they will not squeak.

I recommend traditional grips on these bars, either three layers of cloth tape or leather grips. We already have a leather grip kit for them.

Both bars and grips will be in the store later today. We also just received Nitto S83 seat posts and Sugino "old logo" triple cranks.

V0 Retro Cages

Two factories, two countries, four prototypes, and more than 6 months later, the VO retro cages are ready. Ready to go into production, that is.

You see two versions. The one on the left is based on the original design and is also the model that's currently copied by Toei of Japan, though their version costs $95 and our will be under $20.

The one on the right has a loop to further secure the bottle. I thought this might be needed for folks who ride unpaved roads, but after playing with the prototypes I don't think it's necessary.

Just to be clear, this cage is based on an old TA design from the '40s or early '50. It is a one-handed cage; you put in the bottle just like on any other cage; but it holds the bottle very securely. The little tabs allow you to spread the cage for an oversized bottle. Say you're in Belgium and need to carry a pint of beer.... We at VO try to think of these eventualities.

Please don't ask when they'll be in stock, 2-3 months maybe. Do you think it was/is worth the wait?

RFP for BCD

RFP is "request for proposal", a term that's often bandied about in our near-the-beltway town. I'm looking for feedback, proposals, on the BCD to be used on new VO cranks. Since the the comments in the previous post degenerated, or generated, into a discussion of various crank preferences and BCDs I thought this would be the perfect time get into this.

My inbox often contains messages with ideas for new products including cranks. Here are some options that have been suggested.

• 86bcd, the old Stronglight 99 pattern. The smallest ring possible is 28t. The person who suggested this is a well known frame designer/manufacturer.
  
• 50.4bcd, this is the pattern used on TA Pro-5-Vis, Stronglight 49d, Nervar, Sugino PX, etc. It's also the oldest BCD still made. The smallest ring is 26t.
• 110/74bcd; we all know this one and VO is already sourcing this crank, but using an existing mold to keep cost down. It may have outboard BB bearings! The RFP is for a crank using new molds. And though I like the TA Zephyr we won't make a copy; the Sugina Alpina is close enough.
  
• The old Rene Herse BCD, 3-pin, is a very pretty crank.
• 94/56bcd. I've never used this size.

I am currently leaning toward using 50.4bcd. It seems to be the most practical; it's very light, allows a low q-factor, looks nice, and takes a huge range of chain rings. The arms can be set up as a single, double, triple, or quad! We would also make VO chainrings in the most popular sizes, 48,46,30,26... This would ensure a supply of rings from two manufacturers. The shape of the arms would loosely resemble the Stronglight 49d. Waddaya think?

In other news, The RH-style roller hangers are done and on the way. The TA/Toei-type water bottle cage is ready for production, based on the latest sample photos. And those 650b fenders should finally be ready.

Tom's Toe Clip Straps

Some of you may not understand why it takes so long to get new products made. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I do. But here is a little conversation with a toe clip strap manufacturer to give you some idea of how even the simplest products can be very complicated.

I saw a very nice range of toe clip straps from a small manufacturer I had not previously heard of. Tom, who works with me on developing and sourcing new products, and I decided to have a chat with them. C is me, T is Tom, M is the manufacturer. Of course this is all condensed from memory and just meant to illustrate the complications involved.

C: We'd like to get a quote on some of the straps you manufacture. We're most interested in the thicker ones with stainless steel buckles. Can you do colors other than brown and black.

M: These are our best straps. We can probably make them in other colors for a large order.

T: These buckles are stainless?

M: Yes, of course.

T: Is the rivet stainless?

M: Yes.

T: Chris, what do you think about the way this rivet is set? Maybe the washer could be larger.

C: Hmmm.

T: Is this spring stainless.

M: The spring can be stainless or not as you wish.

C: Wouldn't a non-stainless spring retain it's "spring" longer?

M: I don't know, but I'll find out.

T: Is the buckle roller stainless on this model, and how about on this other model?

M: One roller is a stainless spring type roller, the other is chrome plated brass.

T: The brass one has a nicer shape. Could we have it in this buckle?

M: Yes

C: Americans have huge feet, can we adjust the strap length.

M: Yes, we can make them any length.

T: I don't like this attachment method. The one on this model looks much stronger. Can we have this metal reinforcement on the other model?

M: Yes; we can do that.

T: Would it be stainless?

M: I have to check with the shop, but I think so.

C: What about leather? I see two types.

M: This is split hide and this is full grain. The full grain is more expensive.

C: Is this one artificial?

M: No this is another type of split grain hide.

C: Is there any problem with getting an embossed logo?

M: No problem.

T: OK. Please send us samples and pricing for the model we've outlined. I'm sure we'll think of a lot more questions later.

C: Now lets talk about the track style straps...

Imagine a conversation about a new crankset.

The VO Taillight

The VO Taillight can be mounted on a seat tube braze-on, on a seat stay using the clamp, or on a chain stay.

They are hand machined from a solid aluminum billet by a small shop here in the US. We are having them made because I had the prototype on the blue bike in the photo and got a bunch of e-mails requesting that we make them. So far as I know, this is the only seat post boss taillight made today.

Many people have French constructuer bikes with a mount for one, but the price of an original JOS light is over $600

The price for our version will be about $48 (sorry). It should be available next week.

NOS Nervar 50bcd Cranks

We found a small box of Nervar cranks in the proverbial, and literal, dusty warehouse corner. They are almost like TA Pro-5-Vis cranks, but there are a few differences:

• They use common 22mm dust caps and extractors
• They have a slightly wider tread and so work better with chainguards.
• They cost $77 less than the TA version! The finish is almost as nice.
  

A few caveats, These are old so there may be a tiny bit of shop wear. Not all of them have original dust caps. When the ones with original dustcaps are gone, you'll get plain silver caps. All are British thread, but some have been re-tapped from French and so don't have the little "BSC" stamp on the back. They use the same chainrings as TA cranks. 170mm length only.

We've also added to our selection of tires and started stocking 110/74bcd chainrings. We'll have even more tires and rings soon.

Spanninga/JOS Lights and Dynamos

We just received our first shipment of Spanninga/JOS lights and dynamos. As you may know, JOS was the legendary French lighting company who made lights for the finest European rando, city, and touring bikes. They were eventually bought by Spanninga, a Dutch lighting manufacturer. If you've ever been to Amsterdam, you know that the Dutch are expert at city bikes and accessories so, naturally, Spanninga lights are among the best in Europe.

The items we now have in stock include battery and dynamo powered fender-mounted taillights, a great complete light set called the "SAFE Set", high efficiency dynamos, headlights, and a large rack mounted tail light for ultimate visibility.

It's been a super busy week, so it may take a few days to get every light into the store. In the meantime please have a look at the Spanninga site and feel free to suggest any products you'd like to see in our next shipment.

Bike store owners please note that Spanninga/JOS products are available through VO Imports.

Vafac Racers and Neat Brake Shoes

About a month ago I received some revolutionary brake shoes from a company we work closely with. While in Taiwan I confirmed some details and we have placed an order for the shoes.

So what's so special about them? Well, they are straight post replacement cartridge shoes that allow toe-in, and other, adjustments. This is accomplished with a sort of ball-joint in the shoe. It's locked down with the 8mm nut at the base of the post.

Now you can give your old Mafac, Dia-Compe, Wienmann, or Universal centerpulls brakes the adjustment of modern brakes. And you can use any pad compound you like.

We'll have them in stock in a month or two.

But what's even cooler is that it allows us to proceed with two new projects. The first is the gold version of the current Grenluille canti brakes. The new version will include the new shoes and another nice refinement, an adjuster for straddle cable length. This model will be more expensive and, taking an idea from the top-of-the line Mafac brakes, be gold anodized. They are already on order and perhaps even in production.

The arrival of these new shoes has also inspired me to start another VO project. Yes, you guessed it, Vafac centerpull brakes. We just started the design phase and looking for a manufacturer, but a modern version of the Mafac competition centerpulls is our goal.

Glenn's VO Cyclotouriste

Glenn posted some photos of his newly built Velo Orange 650b Cyclotouriste.

He writes:

The idea was to have an all-purpose bike and the pictures show 3 configurations: with handlebar bag, for randonneuring; with basket, for small errands; and with trailer, for big errands. The lowrider mounts on the fork make a light touring configuration possible, too, although I haven't tried that yet. I use the 3 shown every week. Switching from one to another is easy: the BicycleR Evolution trailer attaches with a quick-release compressor fitting and rubber straps attach the basket to studs (bolts, really) on the front rack.

Good job Glenn! Check out the lights and the Sugino PX cranks. The rest of the photos are here.

Brett's Rando Frame

Here are a few photos of the latest VO frame. The color is a custom metallic blue. These photos aren't the sharpest, but I think you'll agree that Johnny's work is very impressive. It really shows restraint and elegance. The workmanship is so perfect that it stands on its own. There is no need for flashy graphics, stainless steel ornamentation, weird cutouts, or the other embellishment that we too often see today. There is simply no need to add more. The rest of the photos are here.

Tourist Pics

I posted a few tourist photos from Taiwan in this album in case anyone is interested.

Taiwan Update

I'm about to leave for the airport after a super busy week in Taiwan. I met with dozens of manufacturers and saw some fantastic new products. There are now a few manufacturers here that are ready to challenge Campy, Shimano, and TA at the very top of the quality range. Here are some of the items we're working:

• A Japanese cartridge bearing headset that's as nice as any available in the world.
• A VO cartridge bearing headset that's close to the above in quality, but half the price in both 1" threaded and 1-1/8"-threadless sizes. High polish and, maybe, gold/orange anodized finish will be available.
  
• Aluminum fenders made by a new process that have the potential to be nicer than Honjos.
• Leather saddles that appear to surpass Brooks in quality (but only three models are available). Also, matching bags.
  
• Two models of VO cartridge bearing pedals, track and all-around. The finish is close to that on the MKS RX1, but I don't have the exact specs on the available bearings yet.
  
• A very nice, but inexpensive 110bcd VO brand crank with 48/34 rings.
• Reproduction Rene Herse cold forged cranks and rings at under TA prices. This will take many many months of development, but the manufacturer loves the idea and they make some of the nicest racing components around, so quality may be better than the originals.
  
• VO sealed bearing alloy cup, hollow axle, bottom brackets.
• I examined the first sample of the new VO city bike frame, without paint, and was very impressed by the quality. They will ship two painted samples in a few weeks and if the paint quality is up to the build quality we should have finished frames in about 3-months.
• Straight post cantilever/centerpull brake shoes that are adjustable for toe-in with an 8mm wrench will soon be in the VO store. I have these in my briefcase right now and the first set is going on my bike. They are available only in black now, but we are ordering a run in silver.
• I'm not sure yet if we'll import them, but I examined a short reach racing brake that looks to be lighter, stiffer, and have better geometry than the current Dura-Ace. I looked at both at the same time, but didn't have a Campy Record caliper to compare it to. The manufacturer gave me a set for my Bottechia ;<)
• The new long reach VO caliper brake was tested by the manufacturer and a local racer; they claim that it is far stiffer and stops better than any long-reach caliper brake made today, including the Shimano R650.
  

We are awaiting samples, final pricing, etc, for the above and more. I'll provide more details when I get back.

Update: I'll keep adding details as I wait to board and later when I change planes in Osaka and in Detroit.

Taiwan

I'm off to Taiwan tomorrow and return on the 18th. VO will remain open and orders will continue to ship without delay, but no one will be here to answer technical questions.

I'll be meeting with many Japanese and Taiwanese manufacturers. And with a bit of luck, we'll place orders for some neat components and accessories previously unseen on this side of the Pacific.

I am also hoping to do a bit of hiking in the beautiful Taiwanese mountains, visit the National Museum, which has the finest collection of Chinese art in the world, and soak in at least one hot spring.

BTW, have a look at the photos in the update to the previous post.

Miscellaneous Bits

Here are a few things that I thought were worth sharing.

Chain Guard Envy: You've all seen hammered fenders, but what's even cooler are the old French fenders which had an embossed crocodile scale pattern. I can't remember the name of the manufacturer or even find a photo at the moment. Can anyone help? I've always wanted a set and still have not found one, but I did find a NOS matching chain guard.

Constructeur Tail Light: In about two weeks we'll have some custom bullet-shaped LED battery lights that mount on a stud behind the seat tube. It's about time!

Porteur Chaincases: We just got more in with the 110mm opening.

On Cars: A letter to the Financial Times from a car designer (via Velorution):

“Absurdity is when a 70kg adult commutes alone in a 1,400kg car, meaning that for every litre of fuel he or she buys to transport him- or herself, another 20 litres is purchased to propel the vehicle. When the vehicle in question is a 3,000kg sports utility vehicle, absurdity becomes an obscenity.
“Even if we can make cars totally emission-free, running on sustainable energy, if their profusion causes constant gridlock they are no longer a means of transport, merely destructive, wasteful and expensive items of vanity.
“Sadly, particularly considering the pathetic return on investment associated with carmaking, the majority show depressingly little inclination to change themselves from being merely manufacturers of cars to being complete providers of mobility."

UPDATE: Jim found some photos of "Croco" fenders taken by our friend Lesli while she was in Paris. Thanks!

And Mike sent us some photos of snake skin fenders. Thanks also!

Old Stuff and New Stuff

In the late 1920s a frozen-fingered Italian bike racer named Tullio Campagnolo invented the quick-release skewer and launched an empire. Of course there are some of you out there that think it was all downhill after that needless bit of complexity. It is for you that we found a supply of old fashioned axle wing nuts. I'm not sure how many will abandon quick releases, but you must admit that they look very cool. And even I look forward to using them on one of my bikes. We now have the Gripfast models #1 and #3 in stock.

For you folks still running French threaded cranks we now found some lovely "Olimpic" track pedals and NOS Atom 700 road pedals.

We also have some Nitto "Crystal Fellow" Dynamic 626 (phew; what a name!) seatposts.

And we got a few things we've been out of for a while including:

Yellow Tressostar handlebar tape
Hershberger Baker's Baskets
Sugino RD track cranks
Sugino XD500 double cranks
Stein 23.35mm Stronglight crank removers

So, will wing nuts make a comeback?

Logos, Packaging, and More on Headsets

In the long discussion about headsets in the comments to the previous post a couple of interesting points came up. One was that folks don't want big logos, or advertising, all over their bikes. I very much agree. Unless I'm being paid by a company to advertise their products on my bike (not likely in my case) I don't want their big logos on it.

I'm sure that many of you have noticed that most VO brand products have no logo at all.

Someone mentioned the Chris King headset and their huge and, IMO, obnoxious logos. They now refuse to sell their headsets without their logos and so we won't stock them. Fortunately there are threaded sealed bearing headsets made in Taiwan that are as nice as the KC. Remember the fantastic old Richey sealed bearing headsets? It's just that no one imports them. I'll see what I can do about that at the upcoming Taipei show.

As long as I'm on an anti-commercialism kick I'll mention my little effort to eliminate excess packaging. Whenever possible we are now ordering components without the boxes they normally come in. Some manufacturers offer OEM packaging, usually just a plastic bag. It's intended for "original equipment manufacturers," companies that install the components on their bikes rather than sell them. And this is what we now specify when possible, but we do tell the manufacturers that they are for retail sale in case there are any instructions or extra hardware that needs to be added.

Please note that this post was written with recycled letters and punctuation.

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.