#Speedvagen

tag

Skip Town on the Speedvagen GTFO

Reportage

Skip Town on the Speedvagen GTFO

I’m up in Portland to document the Vanilla Workshop Build-Off bikes and hang out in town for a few days. We’ll go into the event in-depth later, but the gist is, there are six bikes on display designed by various brands and individuals, of either completely new concepts, or simply a new paint scheme. The attendees and web-users will get a chance to vote on the best bike and that will become the next ready-made bike.

One of those bikes is perhaps the most unique builds to come from the Speedvagen brand. The team began with the idea of the Urban Racer – a stripped down, fast-paced, innercity bike – and expanded on its usage to the city and beyond. After design meetings and prototype, the GTFO was born, a bike designed to get you out of the city as fast as possible for an overnighter.

The GTFO will come with Syntace dropouts, making it easy to run either geared or singlespeed, in two models; the PRO model will come complete with Andrew the Maker bags, a painted to match bullmoose cockpit, and ZIPP wheels, or the normal package, which comes sans bags, a standard painted to match stem, and EA70ax wheels.

If this bike gets the “people’s choice” vote, it’ll join the ranks of the OG-1 and Urban Racer in Speedvagen’s Ready Made program and price will be determined then. We’ll be posting at a later date with details on how to vote!

____

Follow Speedvagen on Instagram.

Speedvagen’s California Fit Tour

Radar

Speedvagen’s California Fit Tour

Speedvagen is super excited to travel south for another round of their official Speedvagen California Fitting Tour. While on the road, they will be sharing stories of steel bikes, stopping to surf along the way, and enjoying the California sunshine on some rides. First up is a stop in San Francisco at Taylor Stitch, June 22nd-25th.

‘Vagen will then head south and set up at Golden Saddle Cyclery in Los Angeles, from June 28th-30th. There will be events, bikes on display, as well as doing fittings for new Speedvagen customers at both locations. If you are in the area, stop into either location to learn everything you’d like to know about the brand, the bikes, and the people who make the wheels spin at their Portland-based shop.

Spaces are filling up fast so reach out to Info@speedvagen.com to book your fitting spot.

Speedvagen Announces the 650B Rugged Road Bike

Radar

Speedvagen Announces the 650B Rugged Road Bike

It was only a matter of time! Speedvagen recently updated their catalog to include this 650b Rugged Road model, equipped to handle on and off-road riding with a plush, 650b tire. While this bike is on display at the Sram Road booth at Sea Otter, their product photos came out beautiful for those of us not attending the event this year. This 650b Rugged Road model is only available as a custom complete and features new Speedvagen custom chainstays, flat mount thru axles, 160mm rotors, and is coated in 2018 paint schemes.

$1000 deposits locks in your spot and Speedvagen are only making 111 full custom bikes this year across all custom models. See more information at their 650b Rugged Road site and a few more photos below!

We’ve Re-Upped a Few Inside / Out Galleries

Radar

We’ve Re-Upped a Few Inside / Out Galleries

As noted last year, we lost our 2015 Image bucket do a server swap error. It was a huge bummer when I found this out and have been slowing re-uploading the files. Since NAHBS is right around the corner, I wanted to re-up a few from my favorite frame builders and makers. Included in this re-up are:
An Afternoon with Paul Component in Chico
Inside / Out at the Vanilla Workshop
Inside / Out at Black Cat Bicycles
Todd’s Black Cat Steel and Carbon Road Has 8 Lives Left
Inside / Out at Hunter Cycles
Watch out for the Hunter Cycles Bushmaster!
Inside / Out at Strawfoot Handmade

Radar

Leave it On the Road in Ireland

LIOTR’s “the Big Lap” project video is live and I must say, it’s a great watch!

“Conor Brady grew up in Ireland, where his father Bill would leave every August on a two week ride around the country. A ride he called “the big lap.” Bill Brady lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in 2013, and Conor never got to share that ride with him. In the summer of 2017, Conor pieced together his father’s route from his old maps, and he and the Leave It On The Road crew set out to recreate The Big Lap, riding 1,000 miles in 10 days to raise donations for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer.

To date Leave It On The Road has raised over $100,000 for cancer-fighting non-profits by planning epic rides with purpose. Learn more and get involved at leaveitontheroad.com

Speedvagen’s Ready Made Team Issue CX Rig

Radar

Speedvagen’s Ready Made Team Issue CX Rig

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.

Speedvagen’s Operation Hawt OG 1 Road

Radar

Speedvagen’s Operation Hawt OG 1 Road

The OG 1 road bikes are exceptional machines and while I’ve favored the more subdued colors in the part, one can’t deny how sick this bike looks!

“The “Operation Hawt” OG 1 will be available in two build packages: our stock OG1 complete build for $5245.95 -or- a killer deal on a full Enve package including painted to match Enve carbon stem, Enve carbon Hbars and Enve SES 3.4/DT Swiss240 wheelset and our brand new Speedvagen carbon/ti skewers all for $7295.95.”

Available for 3 weeks only, that includes the special build kit pricing. Pre Order ends Nov 6th. You can put a $500 deposit down at Speedvagen.

Want the full scoop? Head over to Speedvagen. Want to just see more photos? Check them out below…

Radar

Speedvagen’s 2017 Surprise Me Design

Over the years, Speedvagen’s “Surprise Me” designs have provided vibrant designs on their road and cross bikes. This year, Speedvagen returns to their much-loved polka dot design from a few years back, with a few tweaks to the design and new colors. Watch this video for insight into Speedvagen and see a full gallery of the 2017 Surprise Me designs below!

Leave it on the Road and the Big Lap

Radar

Leave it on the Road and the Big Lap

To honor Bill Brady and to fight cancer, Leave it on the Road gets ready for this year’s big trip:

Leave It On The Road is proud to present another epic cancer-fighting ride. Beginning Sunday August 6, 2017 six riders will ride 1000 miles in 10 days around Ireland in honor of Conor Brady’s father Bill, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in 2013. Bill’s racing career evolved into a love for multi-day rides, the most ambitious of which he called The Big Lap. We are honored to recreate this ride with Conor and share the story with you on Instagram. ”

And of course, they get to ride these sweet Speedvagens. Check out more photos below.

Cross is Coming: Get on a Speedvagen Team Issue Cyclocross Bike

Radar

Cross is Coming: Get on a Speedvagen Team Issue Cyclocross Bike

With ‘cross season right around the corner, Speedvagen unveiled its new Ready Made race frame. These stock-sizing frames come in two Team Issue bike kits, the CX-R with SRAM Force 1 and CX-X with Shimano 1x and begin at $5,995 with three paint options. The pre-order is open for two weeks (July 18th – Aug 1st). Once the window is closed, they’re going to move into production and get your bike to you in time for Cyclocross season. Check out more photos and specs below and head over to Speedvagen for ordering information.

Speedvagen’s Ready Made Urban Racer

Radar

Speedvagen’s Ready Made Urban Racer

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.

The Speedvagen OG Classic

Radar

The Speedvagen OG Classic

After the reaction that beautiful Speedvagen we posted a couple of weeks back received, the Vanilla Workshop decided to offer it as a build option for a limited time. The OG Classic comes with a Campagnolo Potenza groupset and other modern, yet classic looking components. You can head over to the Vanilla Workshop to read more…

The Eleven Bikes of the 2017 Paul Camp Builder Fleet

Reportage

The Eleven Bikes of the 2017 Paul Camp Builder Fleet

Paul Camp is a magical week where Paul Component Engineering invites journalists from all over the US to check out their day to day operations through a series of hands-on workshops. Each journalist is assigned a CNC machine, or workstation and is taught the skills needed to machine brakes, stems, and other components. From there, they camp out on the property, eat sandwhiches and run the machines 24 hours a day, in shifts. This gives the employees of Paul a chance to ride during the week. Everybody wins!

Just kidding. In reality, Paul gives the journalists a tour of the shop, where he walks them through the process of fabricating everything in the Paul Component Engineering catalog. From there, they are able to select a bike from one of eleven builders and go on a ride in the hills of Chico. Swimming usually ensues, along with a Sierra Nevada Brewery tour, some dinner and then everyone goes home. It’s a rad time, or at least I’ve heard it is, because each year, for one reason or another, I cannot attend this Bicycle Journalist Spring Break.

Feeling like I owe Mr. Paul something, not only because we’re friends, but because he had these eleven bikes just hanging out, waiting for a proper photoshoot, I planned on heading up to Chico once I got back from my European travels. Last week, I loaded up the truck and drove straight up California for 10 hours until I reached Chico, Paul and these bikes.

A Classic Speedvagen with Silver Components

Radar

A Classic Speedvagen with Silver Components

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.