Velo Orange??
06-22-12, 08:13 AM
#1
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Velo Orange??
I have just come across this company/website and the items look pretty nice.
Are they considered a higher end product?
Are they considered a higher end product?
06-22-12, 08:34 AM
#2
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Yes. I have not bought any of their branded items like cranks and other items but lots of the people in the C&V forums use and love them. They try and copy the flavor of the greats like Herse and others and produce not only top quality products but also products with lots of style and panache'
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
06-22-12, 09:01 AM
#3
My grandpa LOVES them.
06-22-12, 09:28 AM
#4
Old. Slow. Happy.
06-22-12, 09:32 AM
#5
Banned
they also have Taiwan import sources , pretty much how its done , in the US anymore ..
US manufactured parts cost more than many, I read on this forum, are willing to pay.
i recognize parts they order in polished finish other brands get in black or some other finish.
I see some of their stuff in other distributor's catalogs .. retail same cost, so must be co shipped from Taipei
to the distribution warehouses of other companies.
US manufactured parts cost more than many, I read on this forum, are willing to pay.
i recognize parts they order in polished finish other brands get in black or some other finish.
I see some of their stuff in other distributor's catalogs .. retail same cost, so must be co shipped from Taipei
to the distribution warehouses of other companies.
Last edited by fietsbob; 11-23-15 at 10:04 AM.
06-22-12, 09:47 AM
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I've ordered from VO a few times. The only time I wasn't happy was with items that weren't right for me. The quality of items was fine. The service and shipping was fine. The prices seemed reasonable.
I just got a new package in yesterday: city bars and inverse brake levers for my single-speed.
I just got a new package in yesterday: city bars and inverse brake levers for my single-speed.
06-22-12, 11:32 AM
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I got the long setback seatpost for my Brooks, and I felt it was a poor quality. The bolts or nuts (not sure what to call them) distorted when I tightened it down a little too much while adjusting the angle on the seat. They sent me new parts, but I had decided I didn't like the seat by then, so I sold the seatpost with the new parts.
06-22-12, 11:34 AM
#8
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I buy a fair bit from them. They are the main supplier of vintage appearing parts that look period correct on an older bike. Everything I have ever purchased from them has been a good value to me.
Were you looking at something in particular or just the entire line? One caveat, if you see something you think you want, you had better buy it because it may not come back.
Aaron
Were you looking at something in particular or just the entire line? One caveat, if you see something you think you want, you had better buy it because it may not come back.
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
06-22-12, 02:20 PM
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I haven't dealt with them yet, but with my new project I plan on spending a good chuck on money on products there.
06-22-12, 07:50 PM
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I've used them off and on for the last two years and have been happy with the stuff I bought. Not the place to go if you are looking for high performance race oriented components. More towards city bikes and randonneuring.
06-23-12, 10:06 AM
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Not a high end place by any means. Most is for entry level rando bikes or the very cost conscious. I still believe you get what you pay for!
06-24-12, 12:29 AM
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I built a bike for a friend using a lot of their components. They seemed fairly decent quality with one exception: the crankset. The chainline was way off with the suggested bottom bracket and I had to go with a really narrow width to get the front derailleur to work properly. Not cool. On the other hand, the polish sure is nice to look at.
06-24-12, 12:46 AM
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I also got a long setback seatpost for my Brooks from them. I think it works great Two screws allow micro adjustments. Finish seemed nice. All their products have a "Look". Not the lightest stuff.
11-22-15, 11:16 AM
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I think they were a high end product some years ago but the quality seems to have really slipped. Their frames used to be handmade by American builders whereas now they are just mass-produced in Taiwan. They seem exactly like the Kogswells of yore. Even their racks are now mass produced: I bought a very early "Porteur" rack from them many years ago, which was handbuilt in the USA and was quite solid although I needed to have some reinforcements welded in. I recently purchased another and it is made in Taiwan and pretty darn flimsy. Definitely more show than go.
11-22-15, 03:12 PM
#17
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I was having problems going through Shimano UN54/55 bottom brackets more rapidly than I thought I should. Not that they were completely unusable, just grinding some and developing a bit of play. I bought a square taper bracket from VO and it is still smooth as silk after several thousand miles. Smoother right from the get go and feels as good today as the day it was installed, maybe better. Cost about 3x as much but well worth it IMHO. My newer road bike has a more modern 105 10sp double, so the older square taper DuraAce (yep, its that old) doesn't see that much use any more. Sad, it's still a great bike.
Last edited by GravelMN; 11-22-15 at 03:15 PM.
11-22-15, 03:53 PM
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I also don't like/trust the bike stores that do the Rivendell/Velo Orange thing of basically trying to set up a mythology instead of just selling bike stuff. All that French crap, with the Nouveau Beaujolais thing on their blog, calling their (cheapo) components "Grand Cru" and the breathless descriptions of things, really turns me off. It just seems so affected. And directly leads to disappointment when the article purchased has none of that magical fairy dust but is rather just a made-in-Taiwan part much like any other.
Last edited by cicliste666; 11-22-15 at 04:01 PM.
11-22-15, 04:50 PM
#19
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Did you reopen this three and a half year old necro- thread because your rant got moved to the Mfg feedback forum? You are persistent!
11-23-15, 08:50 AM
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I got the long setback seatpost for my Brooks, and I felt it was a poor quality. The bolts or nuts (not sure what to call them) distorted when I tightened it down a little too much while adjusting the angle on the seat. They sent me new parts, but I had decided I didn't like the seat by then, so I sold the seatpost with the new parts.
It took me 3415 miles to break the first bolt and finish my ride seat-less, starting at 185 pounds for the first mile and finishing at 154 on the last:
I replaced the stock metric 10.9 bolts with 12.9 having 20% higher yield strength.
It took 1693 miles to break the front bolt again, although my weight decreased over that period from 154 to 140 pounds.
I gave up at that point.
Last edited by Drew Eckhardt; 11-23-15 at 07:54 PM.
11-23-15, 07:52 PM
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I think they were a high end product some years ago but the quality seems to have really slipped. Their frames used to be handmade by American builders whereas now they are just mass-produced in Taiwan. They seem exactly like the Kogswells of yore. Even their racks are now mass produced: I bought a very early "Porteur" rack from them many years ago, which was handbuilt in the USA and was quite solid although I needed to have some reinforcements welded in. I recently purchased another and it is made in Taiwan and pretty darn flimsy. Definitely more show than go.
11-23-15, 07:59 PM
#22
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I also don't like/trust the bike stores that do the Rivendell/Velo Orange thing of basically trying to set up a mythology instead of just selling bike stuff. All that French crap, with the Nouveau Beaujolais thing on their blog, calling their (cheapo) components "Grand Cru" and the breathless descriptions of things, really turns me off. It just seems so affected. And directly leads to disappointment when the article purchased has none of that magical fairy dust but is rather just a made-in-Taiwan part much like any other.
11-23-15, 08:28 PM
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11-24-15, 04:57 AM
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Specialized didn't hire Lance. (I was only using Trek as an example.)
The bigger companies are also adopting the mytholgies (like "gravel grinding") that these other companies focused more on (instead of the common industry standard "racing" one).
Companies like Rivendell, Velo Orange, and Compass sell stuff geared towards a small market that the bigger companies won't touch. That's a good thing. The things they sell need to be good quality.
"Affected" is correct (both can be used).
The bigger companies are also adopting the mytholgies (like "gravel grinding") that these other companies focused more on (instead of the common industry standard "racing" one).
Companies like Rivendell, Velo Orange, and Compass sell stuff geared towards a small market that the bigger companies won't touch. That's a good thing. The things they sell need to be good quality.
"Affected" is correct (both can be used).
Last edited by njkayaker; 11-24-15 at 05:15 AM.
