Rando Photos

Bob sent some photos of his new VO Rando taken during The Cranbury 600K brevet:

He writes:

I put in 250 miles testing the bike with the combination of components I have laying around and some new parts before I decided in this final configuration. These photos were taken while I was riding a 600K brevet in NJ, "The Cranbury 600K." I am very impressed on how this bike rides, it turned out to be a fast and comfortable bike. It also climbs very well too which surprised me. So far in three week, a total of 640 miles and I am very happy with this bike. A lot of the cyclist riding with me in the brevet where very impressed with the looks and especially the frame, fenders, rack and bag. 

Thanks Bob!

That Frame Doesn't Fit!

We see a lot of folks building up frames which obviously don't fit them well. I think most of these folks know that the frames in question aren't right for them. But usually they explain that it was such a great deal they couldn't turn it down, or they can't afford a new frame. Sorry, but even a cheap production frame that fits well is always better than the best hand-built masterpiece that's too small or too big.

So here are my top three clues that a frame doesn't fit:

• The vast majority of frames should have stems between 80mm and 110mm We don't even sell 130mm or 140mm stems. If you need a stem that long your top tube is too short. By using a super-long stem you are also putting too much weight forward and compromising the bikes handling. Very short stems may be useful on city bikes, but even those are a compromise. 
• 15 to 30mm of seat post setback is all anyone should ever require, even with a Brooks saddle. Needing more means that either the top tube is too short or, more likely, the seat tube angle is too steep. There are those folks who convince themselves that having their seat way behind the BB allows them to apply more power. But that sort of turns your bike into a semi-recumbent. You end up loosing the ability to spin.
• An extra-long seat post on a conventional level-top-tube frame indicates a seat tube that's too short. I'm still in the "fist-full of post" school of fit.

Of course there are a few folks with disproportionately long or short, torsos, arms, or legs. And they often require custom frames for a proper fit. But most of us will find enough choices among the better production frames if we don't want a custom; there's no reason for an ill-fitting ride.

I'll post my simplified frame fit guidelines soon. But for know I just want to emphasize that fit is more important than any other characteristic in a frame. I don't care how famous the builder is, how special the tubing, how beautiful the lugs. If it doesn't fit you well then it's not worth riding.

Great Deals on the Specials Page

You might want to have a look at the VO Specials page. There are some spectacular deals there right now.

Since we're still hoping to have the new website up in a few weeks I wanted to get our inventory cleaned up. So we've been going through the warehouse looking for items that we have over-ordered. There are also some products that will change slightly with the next shipment and we're blowing out the old versions. And there are some items that we won't stock in the future. All these are on sale while they last, or until the inventory levels get back to normal.

On another subject, I stumbled across VO's "customer ratings" numbers from Yahoo Shopping. Of the last 500 ratings (that what's displayed) here's what we got:

447 Excellent

37 Good

3 OK

2 Bad

I do read all the ratings we get, but I've never looked at the numbers. Not too bad.

A Nice Freewheel System

Since we'll be getting our VO Freewheel hubs in a month or two, I've been thinking about multi-speed freewheels. I still don't think VO will make freewheels, but I'm at least exploring remote possibilities. So I dug around in the bins of unusual old parts that we keep for inspiration and found this new-old-stock Maillard 700 "Professional Team Issue" freewheel system.

 
It consists of a BSA-sized freewheel body and a range of cogs (from 13t-22t plus replacements) that can be built up as a 5 or 6 speed freewheel. There is even a removal tool and spare spacer included. I'd forgotten I had this and looking at it again I'm impressed by the idea. You could set up your cogs for each race or route, a straight block for a flat criterium or 13-22 for a hilly road race.

This is the only example of a kit like this that I've seen, but apparently there were five versions available. Note that three were Dural,  which is one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. Those might have been pretty expensive when new. My kit is "acier" or steel alloy.

If we do manage to find a factory that can make freewheels to our quality standards, we may attempt a kit like this one. But making really good freewheels is hard. I remember the problems when we sold Soma's IRD freewheels. So we might all be better off sticking to Shimano freewheels or looking for the better versions of the old Suntour and European units. Frankly, there is no good reason to use freewheels over cassettes on new bikes, other than a certain retro-cool factor. But they are needed to keep all those great older frames original and on the road.

By the way, if any of you collectors want this kit, shoot me an offer. I don't think I'll ever use it.

Spanninga

 I'm very impressed with Spanninga's latest lights. Since their acquisition of JOS and Hella, this Dutch company has been continually introducing new products and technologies.

The most interesting is their "Reverse-Beam Technology". They claim it's one of the most efficient LED systems available. The LED bulb is mounted just behind the lens and aimed rearward at a mirror that focuses and reflects the light. This  minimizes light loss and gives a strong focused and lateral beam. We just received a shipment of lights from from this Dutch manufacturer and two of the new models incorporating this system. The other Spanninga trend is that the new models are generally much lighter and smaller than the previous, while putting out more light.

 The first is the long awaited LED version of the Micro FF dynamo light. This light also has a safe stop feature that keeps the light on for about 4.5 minutes after you stop pedaling, very useful at traffic lights and stop signs. But what's most amazing, other than the brightness, is how tiny and lightweight (54g) this light is.

Though the Micro FF comes with a bracket and reflector, we usually remove them and use a VO light bracket to mount it on the front rack. This results in a lightweight and very compact, but powerful, headlight.

 The other new light with reverse beam technology is the Mega LED battery light. Again, this is a compact, light and very very bright unit.

The new rack mounted Plateo LED lights are available in dynamo and battery versions. The Plateo has a very bright steady light (not flashing) that can be activated automatically when it gets dark or turned on/off with the switch. It's very thin (22.4mm for the battery versions) and also very light (65g for the battery versions – incl. batteries). The dynamo version is even thinner and lighter. The mounting system allows it to be used on brackets with standard 50mm spaced holes (common in the USA) or on European racks with 80mm hole spacing. That dual spacing mounting is something we've been pushing for for years.

There is also a new and (excuse the repetition) lighter, smaller, and brighter fender mounted taillight, the Pixeo. Again it has the safe stop feature. A battery powered version is due in a few weeks.

Finally we have the new "Compact" taillight. It uses two AAA batteries that last about 140 hours in steady mode or 600 hours in flashing mode. With the "Light-Guide Technology" (patented by Spanninga), the Compact Rear offers an optimal rear and lateral visibility (220° visibility) since the light is also visible from the sides.

A Low-Battery-Indicator warns when the batteries need replacement. It's shock and water resistant. The housing is easy to open without any tools to replace the batteries. The Compact light offers various mounting options: it includes brackets to mount on a seat-posts or a seat-stay. It can also be clipped on a saddlebag or on your jersey pocket with the built-in clip. Not bad for $18.

Cirque du Cyclisme

This is a reminder that the 13th annual Cirque du Cyclisme takes place this weekend in scenic Leesburg,  VA.

In addition to rides, seminars, and more cool bikes than you'll ever see in one place, there is the swap meet. VO will be there with lots of seconds, prototypes, and overstock parts that have been taking up space in our warehouse.
 
Go to the Cirque site for all the details

Needle Bearing Headset

A few of you have asked about the upcoming VO needle bearing headset. I thought you might like to see this neat drawing:

I'm also kicking around the idea of a roller bearing bottom bracket.

We just received the final prototype of the Grand Cru high-low hub. We were going to use an alloy cassette body, but I changed it to chromo. It's just more practical and durable.

Some, but not all, versions of the VO-Maxi  hubs are in production, or very close.

Fender Update

Just wanted to let you know that we got another fender shipment and we have the new polished alloy VO 58mm fluted 650b fender. These fits tires up to 46mm wide.

We also have a more of our popular 45mm x 700c hammered fenders. These are selling very fast so we'll probably run out again.

And we have the VO 48mm x 700c fluted fenders again.

Finally, the 37mm x 700c alloy fenders are back. These fit tires up to 28mm.

Dajia Racks

We're importing a new rear rack. The Dajia Expedition Rack a sturdy stainless steel rack intended for loaded touring. It's not as nicely made as a VO rack, but both the quality and price are impressive.

It has a sandblasted gray finish and is perfectly sized for 700c wheels, but can be used on 26" and 650b frames as well. There a rear light mount with holes at the standard 50mm spacing. There are pump pegs spaced at 235mm. Maximum load is 25kg, or about 55lbs.

Note that this rack is intended for real touring frames, so if your frame has short chain stays and you have big feet, there might be heel clearance issues.

Matching front low-rider racks should arrive by late summer. Velo Orange front and rear camper racks are also in the works, but they will be considerably more expensive.

Miscellany

Random things:

I see so many bikes with incorrectly installed toe clip straps. Here is how they should look. Note that straps should be a tight fit through the holes in the pedal body. This is so they don't shift while pedaling. In addition, it's wise to add a twist in the strap to further prevent shifting.

I've also seen a few bikes with fender eyelet bolts incorrectly assembled. Usually the problem is that the cup-washer is reversed and the stay rattles in the eyelet bolt. Below is the proper assembly sequence. Note that the cup-washer faces up so it tightens on the stay. The fender goes between the flat washer and cup washer.

I think white Pasela tires look really cool, especially if you ride in a Panama hat. We have them in 700 x 28mm size.

We've decided to introduce VO needle bearing headsets. They are already in production and will be priced between the VO and Grand Cru headset. Stack height will be 37mm and they will be available in ISO size only. Needle bearings have more surface area than ball bearings so they usually last longer. The added surface area also prevents indexing, the clicking that results from little pits formed by worn ball bearing races. Needle bearing headsets are also said to reduce fork shimmy.  We should have them in late August.

Rinko Fenders

I've written about Rinko in the past. "The basic idea is that if you put your bike in a "rinko-bukhuro" (a lightweight nylon bike bag) you can take it with you in the passenger compartment of a Japanese train. Since Japanese trains are fast, punctual, and plentiful, this seems a fantastic way to tour various areas of the country in one visit."

To facilitate Rinko, Honjo makes fenders that have removable sections. We ordered a sample set of 50mm hammered Honjo fenders early last year. They finally arrived. We had planned on stocking them, but ever increasing Honjo prices mean that they would now sell for over $250. That's a lot for a pair of fenders and I doubt we could sell enough to justify importing them. Still, I thought you'd like to see a couple of photos.

This set is designed for a bike with a front rack. The front fender is one piece and, presumably, will be attached in the normal manner and to the front rack. The rear fender has a quick release that allows the back section to be removed. Thus, when the fender section and both wheels are removed, the bike fits into a fairly compact Rinko bag (or into a Japanese closet.)

In addition to the joint in the fender, the Rinko fenders have special hardware with wing nuts at the dropout eyelets, so the stays can be easily removed without tools.

Before you ask, Perry already bought this set for his upcoming Banjo Camper frame. And, no, they cannot be special ordered unless you want 50 sets. Sorry.

The New Site

We're messing about with graphics and design elements for the new and improved VO web site. Kyle made this image, which I think is great.

Site development is coming along nicely and we're hoping to have the new version up in about 6-weeks. There will be a lot of added functionality and features, including re-stocking notification via e-mail and more shipping options. Are there any features or functions on other web sites you've seen that we should consider?

The LumiWink and Other New Stuff

 

We have a few new items. The strangest of these is the Japanese market Shimano Nexus LumiWink light that Tom managed to find. It has an LED bulb that flashes whenever the dyno is turning. It also has a standard 2.4w halogen bulb that lights when a photo cell detects low light level. There is no on-off switch. The instructions are in Japanese only, but there are pictures. Being Japanese, it mounts on the right side of the bike. This is a special purchase item and is non-returnable, but then they only cost $18 $10.

VO front Constructeur racks have made it back into production. The constructeur rack is a medium sized front rack that is attached to the dropout eyelets. It's made from polished tubular stainless steel, just like out other racks, and has eyelets for lights and a fender mount. We've received a small shipment by air freight and the rest should be here in about a month.

We also received more of the perpetually-out-of-stock Porteur racks.

Finally, we have a rather clever new rear quick release cable stop. It uses a keyhole-shaped slot to hold the stop/adjuster part, so it can be instantly detached to open the brakes for tire changes.

Pacenti Pari-Moto Tires

We just received the first shipment of Pacenti Pari-Moto 650b x 38mm tires. In fact, I think we're the first shop to have these.

Pari-Motos are a new very high quality and supple tires made by Panaracer in Japan. Panaracer also makes the Grand Bois, Col de la Via , and various Rivendell tires, but these are made in a new mold. The tread is a fine herringbone pattern, my favorite. The width is an honest 38mm on VO Diagonale rims. I suspect they will stretch to 39mm in a few days. That makes them a touch wider than Col de la Via tire and about as wide as the 42mm Hetre tires (which measured 39.5mm on my bike).

There are two versions. The all black tires use a 127tpi casing while the tan-wall tires use a 67tpi. This means that the black tires should, in theory, be a little more supple. In practice I doubt you'll notice a difference. The black version weighs 280g, while the tan is 300g.

Grand Cru 110bcd Crank

Here is a sneak peak of the Grand Cru 110bcd crank due in mid-summer. This rendering is not 100% accurate, but it's very close. The rings will be 48/34 and there will also be a triple version later. The crank is cold forged and the rings are full CNC 7075 alloy, so the rings should be super durable. The Q-factor is about 139mm and weight is around 670g. The price will be around $190. This crank will be one of two Grand Cru cranks; the other is the 50.4 bcd version. You like?

Leather Touring Shoes

We have long wanted to stock a traditional touring shoe that was reasonably priced, shoes that you can wear on a club ride or with office clothes.

The SRT707's uppers are full grain leather and the sole is rubber for easy walking. The midsole is fiberglass-reinforced nylon for comfort on long rides. They are SPD cleat compatible.

I know that I said  VO was not going to get into apparel, at least not for a year or two, but I really wanted a pair of these shoes for myself. And since I wanted them, wouldn't others? I've owned a couple of pairs of vintage touring shoes and loved the way the looked, but they never fit quite right. These are a little wider than the old European models, though I would call them medium width by modern standards, and the fit is much better. I also like that I can wear them with jeans or kahki shorts and they look like nice simple sports shoes, rather than futuristic carbon fiber space pods.

Velo Orange Saddle Care

For many years I've been wearing hiking boots made by Peter Limmer and Sons. Since 1919 this small New Hampshire company has been creating what are among the finest custom-made boots in the world. In fact, I used to live a few miles from their Intervale, NH shop and remember when they also had a climbing shop on the premises.

Many years ago I had a long discussion with Peter about leather care. I thought the latest high-tech treatments were the way to go, but Peter patiently explained how they broke down the leather and shortened the leather's useful life. He had developed a natural leather treatment that would not over-soften or break down the leather over the years. I've used it on my boots and saddles and briefcases ever since.

So when we decided to make a VO leather treatment we called Peter Limmer. It turns out that Peter rides a Brooks saddle (we're sending him a VO saddle ) and agreed to make a leather saddle treatment for us. It contains natural hydrocarbons, lanolin, silicone, oils, and a just little white camphor oil. That camphor oil was added because Peter's dog tried to eat the original mix, plus camphor oil smells nice.

A four ounce (118g) jar costs $8.50 and will last for many years. Compare that to $9.75 for 28g of Proofide!


By the way, I have a size 11.5W  11W pair of Limmer boots that's too small for me if anyone is interested. Update; they are sold.

Odds and Ends

A few new products and miscellaneous notes.

We have a small quantity of the new Kool Stop 4-bump Mafac-style brake pads. This style of pad has been very hard to find and we think it's great that they are being made again. So you can now rejuvenate those great old Mafac Raid brakes and put them on your new VP Rando or Mixte frame. We have only a small quantity now, but more are on the way.

 Our VO brake pads are now brick red (except the MTB straight-post). They are the same compound as the black and stop equally well; we simply like the look of the red pads.

Simplex retro-friction shifters may well be the best downtube shifters of all time, but they used an odd cylinder-shaped cable end. And replacement cables have been hard to find. Fortunately the new VO shift cables have a Simplex and and a standard end; cut off the one you don't need. Simplex produced shifters for several other companies, so if you have old shifters that require funny cable ends, try these. BTW, this was Tom's idea so all of us Simplex fans should thank him.

We have three new VO wheels, a 650b Diagonale/Formula fixie rear wheel, 700c Diagonale/Novatech dynamo, and 650b Diagonale/Shimano Nexus 8-speed. Several of you asked for the fixie wheel; let us know how you like them.

We are working to post better photos of our components. Kyle shot new VO and Grand Cru headset photos that I think are are a big improvement over the originals. There are also photos of the headsets dissembled so you can see the bearing and races. Now he'll have to shoot the rest of our components; see what happens when you do a good job.

On another subject, communication with VO, there have been some small changes of late. As we keep growing my duties here are shifting. For example, I no longer have time to personally answer technical and product information e-mails. That task has fallen to Kyle, Perry, and Pat. I think you'll find that they can take more time and provide a more thorough answer. Also, if you have questions specific to your bike, rather than general questions/comments related to a blog post, please e-mail rather than asking in the comments section.

That's all for now.

VO Mixte Frames Now Available

The VO Mixte is a fully lugged step-through frame. It is brass brazed from double butted chrome-molly tubing. It makes for a comfortable a city bike, but this is a light and stiff frame that will also be a pleasure on weekend tours or even club rides.



While mixte frames are traditionally though of as woman's frames in the US, in Europe they are often ridden as city bikes by men who values quick mounting and dismounting.

The Mixte has full braze-ons for fenders and racks, including douple drop-out eyelets. There is one bottle cage mount.

It is brass brazed from 4130 double-butted chrome-moly tubing. The wheels are 700c and maximum tire size is 38mm. It uses extra-long reach caliper brakes. Note that the rear caliper is elegantly mounted on the mid-stay, so there is no awkward cable routing as with many mixte frames. The rear dropouts are horizontal so either internally-geared or derailleur drive trains work perfectly. Frame geometry can be found here.

The headset is 1" threaded (ISO), brakes are extra long reach (55-73mm), BB is standard ISO (or British) with a spindle length to match your choice of crank, 27.2mm seat post, we suggest 45-55mm fenders, 132.5mm rear spacing so both road and MTB hubs fit.

We had a fairly small run of these made, so they may not last long. The price is $525, which I think is pretty remarkable for a double butted, fully lugged, mixte.

Polyvalent Mini Build Kit

We are introducing a mini build kit for the Polyvalent. It includes:

• A Polyvalent frame set
• VO Diagonale/Shimano 105 Front Wheel
• VO Diagonale/ Shimano 105 Rear Wheel
• Grand Cru sealed bearing headset
• Grand Cru seat post
• Roberto Components Canti Brakes in black

 These items would total $757, but the kit price is $595. The kit is currently available only with the exact components listed above.

And any other parts ordered at the same time are 10% off.

Gran Rapide Components

It's funny how companies don't always follow our well considered road maps. For example, we seem to be selling more VO seat post to racers and triathletes than to randonneurs and "country riders". Hardly a day goes by without an e-mail asking for a 31.8mm and/or carbon version. The reason is that all those folks riding too-small frames find benefit in increased set back. We see a similar interest in our stems. So we'll be introducing a new component line called Gran Rapide to meet this need.

Our first product will be an aero seat post.  We'll introduce aero stems next, then a deep-V version of our PBP rim. It's a new direction for VO, but we think it has great potential for expansion. Any ideas for new Gran Rapide products?

Taiwan Report, Part 2

Here are a few more projects we're working on. As I mentioned, we're looking at about 100 new products. So these next few weeks will be very busy with plans, price sheets, and specifications buzzing back and forth between Taiwanese factories and VO world headquarters. As usual I'm probably too optimistic about delivery times, so take take them with the proverbial grain of salt.

• The new VO seat post will use a popular design first developed in Italy, but used by many manufacturers. It'll be less expensive, heavier, and have a less setback than the Grand Cru post. But it will be available in a wide range of sizes.
• Dia Compe Gran Compe CNC machined long-reach center-pull brakes will soon be here. A matching front mini-rack, ala Mafac, is also on the way.
• We are looking at VO front derailleurs.
• We'll have a second finish option on the Grand Cru headsets and new graphics
• Grand Cru road pedals are in the design stage. They will be a bit like the old TA or Mavic quill pedals.
• We'll have a neat new LED mini dyno headlight and a compact fender-mount tail light, but these are not VO products.
• Speaking of dynos, several new companies are working on hub dynamos. At least one of the new designs appears to be a "game changer" and might make all those expensive German hub dynamos obsolete. I sure wouldn't buy a top of-the-line hub dynamo until next year.
• And there's a lot more in the works. We'll have a new thermos bottle that fits in a bottle cage, several new types of bar tape, and, perhaps, a new line of modern bike luggage.

Italian BBs and new Cable Colors

We've added some new products:

We now have Grand Cru bottom brackets in Italian sizes. They are JIS taper so you can use Sugino and most other popular cranksets, including the upcoming VO and Grand Cru models. Here is an article that explains BB threading and selection. Like our other BBs, these have alloy cups, alloy bodies, over sized sealed bearing, and hollow boron axles.

We also have three new colors of cable kits, brown, orange, and dark green. Of course we'll still stock black, white, red, blue, and metallic braid. All colors are available in both shift and brake kits which include cables and ferrules. The new production kits are a little longer; this is a running change in all colors.