banjo_mole 

What do you think?

https://velo-orange.com/vopomfr.html

I kinda like it. However, the 650B wheels and the lack of DT shifter bosses completely guillotine any chance of me buying it.

Right up until then, I was a happy camper. It looked like the ideal touring bike.

But... I like my 700c touring wheels, and my downtube shifters enough to turn my back on this'un.

-Nick

beech333

They look nice enough, but I doubt I would buy one. I just like my older bikes too much. They have more character.

bbattle

It was never intended to be a touring bike, but a city bike. Hence, the 650B wheels. And the kickstand plate. And horizontal dropouts for IGH.

Seems to be a well thought-out design.

Way to go, VO!

High Fist Shin

Here's one built up. I hope they don't mind me posting this photo:



I think it looks great with the porter rack and guidonnet levers.

mkeller234

I think it's pretty nice looking. It's just not for me, only because I don't need a bike like that. I like the flat black color they chose.

norskagent

why are 650b wheels city specific? My 700c bikes seem to do just fine in the city. I would think fatter tires would be more relevant - 28s, 30s, 32s.

mkeller234

Yeah, 700c is fine for the most part. Although, I have some 32mm Panaracers under some sks fenders and it is a tight fit. I don't know which tires people use with 650b wheels... I imagine something like big apples or fat franks?

Amani576

Personally I think 650B wheels make a bike look disproportionate. Even 26in wheels looks better to me. 650's just have an odd look to me. And I also just don't get the appeal of a hard to find tire. (It's different for MTB's though)
-Gene-

cyclotoine

I like it but won't buy one anytime soon and my vintage MTB does the job quite well for now, I'm sure this one would handle the loads better than my mtb with the low trail and lower BB but I'll live with the MTB... plus 650B is expensive if only because you have to seek it out specifically and can't find it cheep and abundant used like you can 26" wheels and tires.

EjustE

I would not buy a TIG-welded frame set for $400, esp if the exact quality/grade of the steel tubing and the weight of the frameset is not specified ("double-butted steel" does not cut it). One can do way much better with vintage framesets and if into TIG-welded, some of the mid' 90s Lemond 853 frames can be had for half as much...

cyclotoine

And don't even come close to serving the same purpose WOO-HOO!

EjustE

Lemond made some decent cross frames out of 853, which is what this bike claims to be...

Chris_in_Miami

I like it, but not enough to buy it - the 650b wheels definitely kill any chance it might have had for me.

I was considering a Handsome Devil to replace my current commuter until I realized that it has the sloping top tube that I dislike, and how they seem to disguise this fact in the photos (though they do mention it in the ad copy.)

mickey85

32's are wide tires? The only tires I have that are thinner than 37 (26X1-3/8) are 27X1-1/4 (32 mm)...The daily 'muter has 38's, and all my other bikes have tires nearly that size.

As far as this bike - I like it. I like that the geometry lends a longer top tube to accommodate the upright bars (as opposed to square geo), and that it can be had and built rather cheaply. I'm holding my breath for the Mixte (although the Soma mixte is really gorgeous...)

clasher

I think it looks sexy.

And I'm sure it's not hard to find a 700c sized frame for city-bike use, or any of the other uses for this bike. VO has always been serving a bit of a niche market, and if I had the cash laying around I'd probably pick one up, it looks great built up like that pic. It's also nice if someone likes the ideas behind the older frame designs but has a hard time finding a decent vintage frame for similar prices... some markets are outrageously expensive and not everyone has the luck of finding a rene herse frame in the garbage

nlerner

The Panaracer Col de la vie tires shown in the photo of the built up V-O bike are $18 each, available at most interweb retailers, such as biketiresdirect.com. Now, compare that price with what folks shell out for tubular tires!

Neal

Mr IGH

Sweet ride! $400 is cheap for a nice frame. I love VO marketing, they know their niche!

tcs

I like the way VO mentions 'planing" but doesn't guarantee the frame will build into a planing bike. Crafty marketing.

tcs

PS: Don't like 650B? There's always 650A...

bbattle

And who can forget the 650C.

I'm guessing the 650B allows the same wheel to be used for the smallest frames and still look good. Too many small frames look odd with 700c wheels under them.

Ah, a website just for the 650B: https://www.freewebs.com/650b/

bbattle

Raleigh Portage with 650B:

Mr IGH

I missed this, what is "planing"?

jan nikolajsen 

You all think that the canti studs on such a 650b frame will allow the use of 650a wheels? The latter has a 6mm larger diameter, meaning that the brake shoes need to be able to move up about a 1/4" from their designed center position. I'm not familiar enough with cantilevers to guess about this.

Amani576

Neal, I meant if one is out touring or whatnot. 650B's are not likely regular tires at an LBS. I know it's cheap online.
-Gene-

nlerner

True enough. I was thinking that having a spare folding 650B tire for the bike I was riding today would be wise for future long rides. I don't plan to tour, but I'm hoping to do a brevet series. Thoughts of trying to fashion a tire boot after being on the bike for 200K miles or so doesn't sound like a good idea. Now, folding 650B tires are a bit harder to come by.

Neal

USAZorro

Nice. I like the stuff that's on it a bit better than the frame. Nothing wrong with it, but I like the Portage a little better (I'm a sucker for lugs). Now if I had a need for a city bike, and didn't feel pike spending for a m.a.p. ...