Hah! Good point. It's all relative, I suppose. But if there's one rule I have for what I acquire it's that I'll at least break even if I sell something off. I do have a couple of outliers to that proposition, usually because I put further $ into them w/ re-painting or powder coating.

And I'm serious about reducing the herd, too!

Neal

There are still some deals in urban environs.


I got the Peugeot Orient Express for $20 at a garage sale in north Orange County back in May of 2009. Yes, I spent some money on it after I got it, but it's a great bike, and I still ride it every week.


I got this one for $130 from the classified advertisements at a local university. It is a 1983 SR Semi Pro, and it's also a great bike.

Both of these were bought in Orange County.

^^^ And some folks would say you paid too much

And who would those folks be?

Overpriced or not, that's the first frame I've seen from VO that really does encompass the classic rando character about it. I wholeheartedly approve.

-Kurt

Yes! I whole-heartedly agree, bring on more sport/touring bikes. It's the perfect transition for us middle-aged racer types that aren't ready for the old fart tourers.

* Identifies with this *

For me, the most important part is that it's lugged - and (thank god), it isn't flat black (hipster rando?).

-Kurt

Living in suburban Clev, OH with it's over 10% unemployment beater bikes are going for some serious money on CL. There's just no way you can buy Waterford Paramounts for the kind of money mentioned earlier.

I still stand by the statement that the VO is a deal for a new frameset.

Few and far between if you are looking on CL or in shops that sell "rebuilt" gems.

My wife and I walked down to Highland Village two weekends ago for a bite to eat, and she darned near killed me.

I came back with a RB2 and a very nice Marin MTB for less than $125.

The boys had 'em cleaned up and sold in two days.

Jeesh, my kids came back the other day with a fabulous Schwinn Tempo for next to nothing.

They certainly won't let it go for that price though.

As for the VO bike, looks like a nice start on a brand new adventure bike.

I've recommended them to friends that are looking for something different than the Surly Cross Checks that dot the paths locally.

I'm building one next weekend for a friend's wife.

Another bike frame I am recommending is from the Handsome line:

https://www.handsomecycles.com/ha/

and the new Salsa Casseroll:

https://salsacycles.com/culture/intro...ted_casseroll/

The VO has a lot of company in this segment.

max tire w/ fenders is 28mm. that sucks.
and why no low-rider bosses on a bike w/ a front load bias? that's kinda asinine.

velo orange: when mediocre is good enough.

aaah! There it is. Let the VO bashing begin. Not sure why, but it always seems to happen. I think they make nice products that are priced fairly IMHO. Some people like to buy new bikes. It's the reason why all of you guys have C & V bikes now. Some people want modrn componets that they don't have to tweek to get on or have some bizarre compatability issues.

+1

There is absolutely nothing wrong with their products.

Don't like 'em, don't buy 'em.

So simple really.

Many things in life are so exceedingly simple yet seem to become so horrifically complicated...it boggles the mind sometimes.

28mm is an ideal size for most people building such a bike. That's the size I use. It's not designed to be a loaded touring bike. Even still, racks are available to mount to the handlebar bag mounts, dropout eyelets or anywhere else using P-clamps. I trust you don't solve problems for a living. I think they provide useful products at a fair price.

Oh snap!

I'm just happy to see new road frames made with Canti bosses. Bikes like the Salsa Casserole are nice and all, but I want to build something closer to the touring end of the spectrum as a cargo/touring bike. I already have a nice 80s racer that has become my first choice bike, and my Cyclocross bike just doesn't feel as useful anymore. Some people might think touring bikes are codgerly, but carrying a lot of stuff on a bike can be downright useful, and that works a lot better if you've got brakes that are up to it.

Not only identifies with but is living. It sucks to get old.

the best is when the person 100 miles away need to come to the city any way and will drop it at your house w/o demanding extra

I agree with kurt and rothen. While I happened to pick up a Univega specialissima which is basically similar to this from a BF member in a trade, I waited years to find a good double butted sport touring frame with raze ones that would be appropriate with a long reach caliper and have clearance for 28s and fenders, which is exactly how I have it set up for fast medium distance trips (maybe some long distance randonneuring one day) and I commute on it. The VO bike is the same and the features are hard to find.

At TT, it;s a rando bike, not a touring bike. Not all rondonneurs are insane about oversized tires, in fact the best super long distance road man in Canada is probably the one I know from Victoria who has probably ridden 100, 000 kms in a year uses 25mm tires now after years on 23 and he is in his 60s. Besides this bike comes with a rack for a HUGE bar bag, which is all one would be expected to carry on this machine.