by Scott
Here are a few of my favourite VO products. My list reflects the kind of riding my wife Melissa and I have been doing more of in the past few years. We have loved to tour for years, my touring times go back to the mid 80's, touring down the Oregon coast and later touring in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden on small back roads as much as possible.
My number one favourite VO thing is the
Camargue. It is such a versatile frame. You can use it to ride in all sorts of places. Melissa used hers in Iceland this past year, we've been riding them through out the fall and winter here in Maryland, doing loops combining the C & O canal, gravel roads and paved roads in Montgomery county and Fredrick county. This year we'll hopefully use them for a tour of southern Vancouver Island.
Number 2 on my list is an
Opinel #8 carbone knife. It comes on every tour and day trip and resides in our knife drawer at home otherwise. It's my go to knife at home for kitchen chores that I do. (Melissa does most of the cooking at home. I'm the sous chef for the most part)
Number 3 is the Stein mini cassette lockring driver. As I mentioned when we first got these in a few years
back, I saw these years back and thought "what a great idea for the touring cyclist" . Weighs practically nothing- 35 gr in the bag with instructions and a zip loc bag.
Number 4 is
saddle loops. These are one of those little items that you put on and never notice again. But if some how your saddle doesn't have them, you quickly realize how much you need them. I instantly threw a pair on the micro fibre saddles when we first got the saddles to test.
Finally, the last of my top five favourite items is the Dajia shallow drop
bars
Both Melissa and I used them on our Iceland trip and we loved them. The length of the ramp combined with the tektro levers we use is very comfortable and the drop is perfect I think. A bar that you put on and don't fiddle with.
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3 comments:
Scott: what tires do you use when riding loops that mix paved and gravel roads and trials like the C&O?
It's interesting you've selected these handlebars as a favorite. The bend is somewhat of a throwback, in that it's traditional, and has been around and worked well. I have similiar bars and also have bars with a randonneur bend, both of which are very different, but I enjoy each equally. Style choices are good, but I can go on an unending chase for the newest "thing". All VO employees should contribute their list of favorite items.
Kilroy
The tires we used for Iceland and for our mixed terrain rides are WTB All Terrain 1.95. Nice tires, Melissa appreciates the extra cushioning and security of the wider tire and does not feel it is slower over all. I think for the Van Isle tour, we will go with the Fairweather 26 x 1.75 tires
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