Barb's Velo Orange Polyvalent Low Kicker
Our next entry in the Bikes of Goodspeed Blog is from everyone's favorite Saturday morning ride leader, Barb (sorry Dan). Barb's bike for kicking it low around Homewood is so classy I can't even stand it. Just a little bling in all of the right places...
I mostly do road riding and a few years ago I sold my Trek 7200 hybrid step-thru bike (casual ride around town bike) thinking I was ‘past that style of bike’ but I’ve missed it ever since. It’s hard to let go of bikes – especially when you ride them!
I mentioned to the GSC crew I wanted my next bike to be a step-thru. Graham and Josh knew Velo Orange just came out with the Low Kicker model of their Polyvalent – a do-it-all bike. Sounded perfect and then the color!! I couldn’t pass it up!
The journey to make this bike into what I wanted was interesting because I wanted it to be around-town comfort but performance oriented. (Well, I am used to a road bike!) I went with MicroShift bar-ends shifter to try something different knowing I can always change them out in the future; but, so far I’m kind-of digging the bar-ends. They work well with being in an upright position.
Velo Orange Polyvalent Low Kicker frame, Grande Cru silver headset, brake levers and pedals , Wavy 58mm silver Fenders, Randonneur Front Rack, Wald basket, Nitto Albastache handlebar (for style and sweep), Nitto Lugged cro-mo stem and seat post (an extra touch of beauty)
Rene Herse double crank – because I couldn’t resist and why not?, Shimano 105 5700 derailleurs and 10 speed cassette
Wheels built with Velocity Blunt SS Silver rims with Teravail Rampart 650x47 tan walls and Onyx Vesper front and rear thru hubs – quiet as heck!
Brooks B67 saddle, mud flaps and Selle-Royal bar tape
Other details include a gold chain, gold IS mount disk brake adaptors, gold spokes, brass spacers and top cap, brass bell (side-mounted on stem), and Frost River Echo Trail saddle bag.
Basketpacking 4 Life
Those cranks!
Brass!
We can't wait to see this thing on Choo-choo rides in the very near future!