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With three paint options, including Ghost Matte Army, Ghost Vanilla Blue or this Team paint design, the newest offering to Speedvagen’s Ready Made program is the Team Issue Cyclocross.
You have two build kits to chose from, the CX-R with Force hydro and CX-X with a Shimano mix. Both are fully built, ready to race and starting at $5995. Head to the Vanilla Workshop for more information.
Pit boots make all the difference when it comes to attending ‘cross races. Whether you’re working in the pit, spectating, photographing or partying, they keep your feet warm and dry, and once you’re home, you just spray them off to repeat the cycle next week. Speedvagen’s got the pit boots for your ‘cross season, in stock now and ready for mud. Available in multiple sizes and two colors; black and grey.
Photo by Bob Huff
It seems like the Vanilla Workshop might bring back the Speedvagen Track bikes in their Ready Made program. I know the track bike’s heyday might be waning but surely people would race these at events like the Red Hook Crit or their local velodrome. See more at Vanilla and if you’re interested in a Ready Made track frame, email them with the subject line “track machine.”
The Urban Racer sure did make waves around here when it was launched back in 2015. Like all of Speedvagen’s bikes, it was a bespoke, handmade-in-Portland frame, with all the details we’ve come to expect from the Vanilla Workshop. However, many people didn’t see the value in the Urban Racer. The debate was heated.
Well, now you can get an Urban Racer as part of Speedvagen’s Ready Made program, with a stock build and base pricing down to $3495. You might be inclined to say “that’s still a lot of money for a coaster brake city bike”. And it is. But for some, it might be just what they needed to get in the door on one of these stripped down beauties.
Check out some more photos below, and get the details on the Ready Made Urban Racer at Speedvagen.
Photos by Bob Huff
Modern steel frames with classic-inspired, silver components are hard to compete with. The latest from the Vanilla Workshop proves just that. This Slate-colored Speedvagen, with Ghost Graphics sports Campagnolo’s Potenza 11-speed groupset, Sim Works bars, Industry 9 wheels and Paul Components quick releases. The build is more suited for longer rides with bigger tires and light wheels. Is this something Speedvagen will offer in the future? Details are foggy at the moment, but for now, let’s check out more crystal clear photos below.
If you can’t get enough of the Speedvagen aesthetic, then don’t miss out on these duffle bags, constructed from Portland’s own Beckel Canvas, with durable materials, tough construction and the Speedvagen Ichico pattern. See more at Speedvagen.
The team at the Vanilla Workshop are taking the fit tour to the east coast and brining a full size fleet of OG-1 bikes with them. Here’s a promotional video and if you’d like to arrange a test ride on an OG-1, simply email them.
Photo by Kyle Kelley
Since reviewing the Speedvagen OG1, I really wanted to own one, but as a frame. As of now, if you recall, the OG1 only comes as a complete. Yet after a few emails, I was able to finagle one out of the Vanilla Workshop and two weeks later, it arrived. Not sure if this will be something Vanilla offers in the future, yet their comment on Instagram leads me to believe it might be an option in 2017. Or you could holler at them and beg like I did.
The guys at Golden Saddle will be building this up in the next week, with SRAM Rival and some Chris King special bits…
Our buddy Jeff Curtes is an exceptional photographer and part of the Speedvagen family. Living in Sydney means ‘cross season is here and this season he’s racing for MAAP, an Australian apparel company. When Jeff told me about his new team bike, I requested some photos. It sounded like an awesome build with Di2, a race geometry and no bottle bosses. Yeah…
I can’t even begin to paraphrase Jeff’s words, so check them out below, along with more photos!
Fuck yeah olive drab! I love OD green bikes. In fact, I love anything OD green. There’s something so utilitarian about it. Take something completely ordinary and then paint it OD for it to be even more bad-ass. Even a Speedvagen. Not that Speedvagens aren’t already made from bad-assery, but the paint doesn’t hurt.
This one came waltzing in Golden Saddle Cyclery a few weeks ago, begging to be photographed. Seemed the current owner bought it from someone who maybe rode it two or three times. It’s immaculate and thankfully, now it’s being ridden a lot on Los Angeles’ fine dirt roads and trails.
There’s something so timeless about canti brakes on a ‘cross bike, especially with that seat mast-puncturing cable!
When it comes to custom steel road bikes, It’s safe to say that Speedvagen produces some exceptional machines. Many of these bikes are “Holy Grails” for their owners, who treat these bikes with the utmost care, while riding them every chance they get. In Los Angeles, those rides can take you from Sea Level to 7,903′ at Dawson Saddle and back in one day. There are few places in the USA where you can do that… And you can finish the evening at a museum or sipping on a cocktail.
Jaybe‘s Speedvagen would inspire anyone to get out on the road and push it as hard and as far as they could. With Campagnolo Record 11-speed, Chris King and ENVE wheels, this machine has more than enough performance to take on any ride in LA…
This particular paint scheme was one of my favorites to come from the Vanilla Workshop last year. There’s just something about the Masashi Ichifuru, or “Ichigo”-designed typography, especially with that color palette.
This year, the Leave it on the Road crew left their homes in Portland bound for Los Angeles, California to raise money for City of Hope, a non-profit organization that specializes in patient care, research and education for cancer.
Tara’s part of the Fireflies West, a group of riders based in California. This year, they met Leave it on the Road in SF and completed the ride to Los Angeles with the group. Once they hit Ventura, Woody from Golden Saddle Cyclery met the ride and finished the last leg to Los Angeles, which is where I photographed Tara’s bike.
These Horizon paint schemes have been updated with polka dots and Tara’s baby blue and magenta colors really pop! If you like this design, Speedvagen has opened a special order up for a Leave it on the Road Edition bike, so head over to read more.
Or if you just like completely dialed road machines, check out more in the Gallery.
Speedvagen and Leave it on the Road have once again teamed up for a charity ride down the PCH. They’ll be riding from Portland to Los Angeles in 12 days. This year, they’ll be raising money for City of Hope’s cancer fighting efforts. To help support LIOTR, Speedvagen once again made custom road bikes for the program leader Michael Tabtabai and six new riders, all of which ride for the Fireflies. You can follow them on their journey on Instagram.
These new bikes are beyond gorgeous, so check out some more of Bob Huff‘s photos below and if you’d like to order one of these special edition frames, holler at Speedvagen.
Yesterday, Jonathan and I rode up to the blacktop in Griffith Park to catch the sunset. As we’re sitting there, talking about life and this transition I’m going through, up rolls Bryan and his son Alden in a Burley trailer, being drug up the crazy steep hill by an older Speedvagen team ‘cross bike. It literally happened in slow motion for me. Maybe it was the light, or the fact that a young human being is having the best introduction to cycling. Whatever it was, I was engaged.
Luckily, I had my camera on me from shooting a few photos of Jonathan for the #HotBoyzofCycling calendar, so I was able to capture this moment in the last seconds of sunlight. I love the logos, especially the EDGE logo which really dates this frame. The asymmetric Paul touring canti is a nice touch as well, but like with all Speedvagens, the paint was so good!
I’ve seen a lot of amazing stuff in Los Angeles, but this just made my day…
Hey Aussies! Get ready, the 2015 Speedvagen Australia Fit Tour is heading your way!
“Sacha White and The Vanilla Workshop are preparing to take off on the second leg of the Speedvagen Fit Tour. This trip takes Speedvagen to Australia, specifically Sydney and Melbourne. In addition to fitting new Speedvagen customers, there will be rides in each city as well as evening events open to the public. Fresh off the success of the California Fit Tour, extending the program is a natural progression, reaching customers that would normally not make it to Portland for a personal fitting with Sacha.
There are limited spots available, as each fit takes 2-3 hours. Spending this much time working with each customer allows Sacha to understand each rider’s unique strengths, needs, and limitations. The end result is your dream bike, completely tuned to your riding style. Learn more about the Australia Fit Tour or schedule a fit session with Sacha here.”
Sydney Dates: August 24th – 30th at the Rapha Cycle Club
Melbourne Dates: Sept 1st – 6th at Shifter Bikes
The most essential component in a custom bicycle is the fit. It’s difficult to have an in-person fit experience these days with customers ordering from across the country or around the globe. Because of this, builders will chose to rely on either previous bicycle’s geometries or body charts. While it is possible to hit the nail on the head with these metrics, having the proper fit can be difficult without letting a builder witness how your body relates to the bicycle and vice versa. Hence the Speedvagen Fit Tour. Bringing the builder to the customer.
For Speedvagen and Sacha White, the owner of the Vanilla Workshop, fit is paramount for frame design and execution. In short: a bicycle should fit like a tailored suit. Every millimeter counts. Sacha’s fit philosophy is obsessive, thorough and merits a total fit experience. One that coincidentally, has been mobile for the past few weeks as it took to the road in California.
Life’s tough when your day-to-day routine consists of a few behaviors, both innate and learned. For Stella, the resident shop dog at Golden Saddle Cyclery in Los Angeles, her mornings usually start out with a nap in the morning sun, followed by the inevitable first run to the corner store snack begging session, a quick piss in the alley, then more begging before greeting the afternoon clientele’s ascension to the back alley bench.
From there, it’s beg relentlessly for food to no avail, back to napping (this time in the middle of the doorway), maybe a sniff or a scoff here or there when you try to pet her, before finally scoring an avocado chip or a loose pepperoni. Yeah, for Stella, it’s all about sniffing messenger bags, licking sweaty legs and cold lamping on a chilly Los Angeles springtime afternoon… Until the next pair of unsuspecting legs waltz through the door of the shop.
Here’s to the cold lampin’ shop dogs.
If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on a new road bike, you might want to check out the 2015 Speedvagen Road Guide Book. It goes through the ordering process, pricing, standard and custom features, as well as timeline for delivery and how to order. This year, the new paint scheme is Ghost. An olive drab coat in matte finish with the graphics inlayed, creating a 3d effect on the frame. It’s something else. Read more about the paint at Speedvagen and while you’re there check out the 2015 Road Guide Book.
