2014 Vanilla Stainless Disc CX

[pdmtong]

News from Portland... (https://www.flickr.com/photos/42587323@N08/sets/72157648184210364)

[pdmtong]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/28/f9e0cc7a9d40be1eac6c5fc54fc6ee09.jpg

[cdn_bacon]

that's purty.

[MattTuck]

When was the deposit put down on this? During the Bush or Obama administration? :banana:

Looks awesome!

[pdmtong]

When was the deposit put down on this? During the Bush or Obama administration? :banana: Looks awesome!

It's not mine :-(

[ColnagoFan]

Campy on a CX bike always looks odd to me. Don't know why.
Not that I don't love Campy stuff.

Also that bike looks super badass.

[mvrider]

Hmmm, is that a tapered head tube? Looks much better than the usual beer can for oversize head tubes.

[RedRider]

Ahh... I love some paint on ti.

[soulspinner]

campy on a cx bike always looks odd to me. Don't know why.
Not that i don't love campy stuff.

Also that bike looks super badass.

+1

[Steve in SLO]

Straight stays on a Speedvagen?!? Heresy!
That being said, it's pretty cool.

[DreaminJohn]

Yea, I'd ride that.

[pdmtong]

Straight stays on a Speedvagen?!? Heresy!
That being said, it's pretty cool.

note the thread title and the headtube logo.

It's NOT a SV (welded by guest torch bearers) ...its a Vanilla (welded by SW)

[Limonade]

interesting take on the integrated seat post...with what looks like a thomson post inserted? why not a mast topper like we'd usually see?

[Auk]

Love the bike, hate the stem. The Enve stem just looks so out of place on any bike that has spacers under the stem.

[JMacII]

Doesn't do much for me.

/edit

Also fully agree on the stem. Awkward bulbous thing.

[MattTuck]

Is there a treatment (either tape, or something else) that they do on the boundary of the paint? That seems like it would be prone to chipping at that spot, and that chipping could propagate further and further into the painted area.

[Hermes_Alex]

What's the price/leadtime like for Vanillas these days? I've heard stuff like 6-8 years thrown out there.

[abalone]

What's the price/leadtime like for Vanillas these days? I've heard stuff like 6-8 years thrown out there.


I think it is like 2-5 yrs, depending on how much money you have to get into the 4-6 month line.

[oldpotatoe]

Nice frames from a great guy but I wish he'd lose the seatmast.

[Steve in SLO]

note the thread title and the headtube logo.

It's NOT a SV (welded by guest torch bearers) ...its a Vanilla (welded by SW)
Wow, I can't even say that I posted pre-coffee.:eek:

[Martygarrison]

nice

[joosttx]

Straight stays on a Speedvagen?!? Heresy!
That being said, it's pretty cool.

I saw a cross disc SV last week. It had curvy stays.

[layneo59]

Tough crowd...sounds like some people need spring riding season to come ASAP...

[fuzzalow]

Sometime I think that Sacha has lost the plot with his touch for aesthetics and design. And then he pulls something like this outta his creative portfolio. And I'm reassured once again that he will always have his craft and creative eye to fall back on to unerringly pull him through. And Sacha finds a way to press the bicycle creative boundaries forwards once again.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7445/16197553687_ef49cdacbf_z.jpg

Great work here. Working in stainless, fillet brazed. Courageous in the naked seat cluster braze unveiled for all to see. With the purity of line and joinery to have brazed in silver rod to maintain the seamless aesthetic - metal flowed like mercury as if stealing a riff from the CGI effects of James Cameron's Terminator 2.

FWIW I am glad that the curvy seatstays are not a part of this Vanilla. I have always found the curvy stay to be a distinctly SV-like affectation and incongruent to the elegant simplicity more attuned to the flagship Vanilla marque. I insisted in straight stays when I had my Vanilla built in 2012. And I always trust my taste.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iKVESDHK4_4/UYJ2Qa8wWwI/AAAAAAAAAWU/onnek1KDk1I/s640/dsc00258.jpg

[pdmtong]

What's the price/leadtime like for Vanillas these days? I've heard stuff like 6-8 years thrown out there.

I think it is like 2-5 yrs, depending on how much money you have to get into the 4-6 month line.

People who got on the list to get on the list back in 2008-2009 are getting called now.

[R3awak3n]

the paint doesnt do it for me either. I think part is definite the stem and the break up of color because of the hs and the spacers but something about it.

I am sure rides amazing though.

[abalone]

People who got on the list to get on the list back in 2008-2009 are getting called now.


Yeah I know, but when you have a big bank account you pay more and get in the VIP line.

[CSKeller]

Love the Vanillas...this one is especially sweet. I really want a Vanilla or a Speedvagen!

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I don't care for this at all.

[christian]

Doesn't do anything for me.

[gearguywb]

Doesn't do much for me.

/edit

Also fully agree on the stem. Awkward bulbous thing.

Yep, I agree. The whole bike looks a little off to me, but hey, thats why we have choices!

[El Chaba]

If I waited 7 years for that and opened the box to find THAT ugly thing, I would be physically sick.

[yashcha]

No way to cleanly run Hydro disc on that bike, which I think is a shame.

[JMacII]

Sometime I think that Sacha has lost the plot with his touch for aesthetics and design. And then he pulls something like this outta his creative portfolio. And I'm reassured once again that he will always have his craft and creative eye to fall back on to unerringly pull him through. And Sacha finds a way to press the bicycle creative boundaries forwards once again.



Great work here. Working in stainless, fillet brazed. Courageous in the naked seat cluster braze unveiled for all to see. With the purity of line and joinery to have brazed in silver rod to maintain the seamless aesthetic - metal flowed like mercury as if stealing a riff from the CGI effects of James Cameron's Terminator 2.



FWIW I am glad that the curvy seatstays are not a part of this Vanilla. I have always found the curvy stay to be a distinctly SV-like affectation and incongruent to the elegant simplicity more attuned to the flagship Vanilla marque. I insisted in straight stays when I had my Vanilla built in 2012. And I always trust my taste.



https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iKVESDHK4_4/UYJ2Qa8wWwI/AAAAAAAAAWU/onnek1KDk1I/s640/dsc00258.jpg



It's a bike dude.

[fuzzalow]

Hey, what can I tell ya, ya like what'cha like.

I'd admit the bulbous Envel carbon stem and the setup of the frame geo is not to my liking aesthetically. But there is always a fine line between talking about a the craftwork & aesthetic of the bike versus getting caught up in criticizing the way it looks because that's how the owner needs to use it. It is all done in service of the ride which makes it all good.

Some of the responses posted in this thread are honest, some are contrived and some are trifling. Whatever. But in the interest of good conversation I can tell you why I think it's good or bad. But hey, that's just me and we're all just talkin' here about bikes.

[soulspinner]

I was wondering why more dont fillet stainless. Is it harder to work with?

[JMacII]

Hey, what can I tell ya, ya like what'cha like.



I'd admit the bulbous Envel carbon stem and the setup of the frame geo is not to my liking aesthetically. But there is always a fine line between talking about a the craftwork & aesthetic of the bike versus getting caught up in criticizing the way it looks because that's how the owner needs to use it. It is all done in service of the ride which makes it all good.



Some of the responses posted in this thread are honest, some are contrived and some are trifling. Whatever. But in the interest of good conversation I can tell you why I think it's good or bad. But hey, that's just me and we're all just talkin' here about bikes.


I hear you. There's a bunch of Vanillas out there that are killer. The craftsmanship is always top notch. But, let's be honest. While pretty welds and beautiful brazes add to the pride of ownership, they don't make the bike ride any better. Same geometry, same tubes = same ride. Maybe that's why I ride an I unpainted Ti bike. It's industrial, but it has a certain purity of function and purpose that I like. It's not so much a piece of art as it is piece of work. Or perhaps it's absence of expression is an expression after all. I like the vanilla aesthetic, the paint, the logos, but I wonder at what point it ceases to be about the bike and becomes about that image. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Anyone who owns such a bike I'm sure enjoys it, as they should. And like I said, there are many many vanillas out there that I think are beautiful rides. I guess, bottom line, I was reacting to your dissection of the bike and my perception that you perceive it as a piece of sculpture first, bike second.

/end ramble.

[Gaucho410]

I was wondering why more dont fillet stainless. Is it harder to work with?

You have to use silver as your filler material instead of brass, which is a lot more expensive.

[mvrider]

You don't "have" to use silver. That's Sacha's choice. Sure looks sweet.

Check out the Soma Triple Cross:
http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/triple-cross

http://www.somafab.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/soma_smoothie_ss_sttube_cluster700-370x300.jpg

[Mr.Bean]

There should be more Campy CX bikes

[sparky33]

Love the Vanillas...this one is especially sweet. I really want a Vanilla or a Speedvagen!

I have a SVCX. It rides really well, particularly at the edge of racing. Stiff and nimble. It is also pretty, for now.

Though in hindsight, I might have been better off with an aluminum Rock Lobster or similar because that is light, stiff, 1/3 the price, just as functional and less conspicuous.
I will probably end up killing my SV at some point, and then I will have purged the need for ridiculously spendy racing bikes from my system.

[Peter P.]

There's some talk in this thread of people paying to be moved up in the Vanilla queue. Is this just rumor?

FYI: The 2015 Speedvagen brochure is now available. Instead of them being built 1x per year, there is mention of them being built several times per year so wait times are now in months.

[sparky33]

There's some talk in this thread of people paying to be moved up in the Vanilla queue. Is this just rumor?



FYI: The 2015 Speedvagen brochure is now available. Instead of them being built 1x per year, there is mention of them being built several times per year so wait times are now in months.


Speedvagen units are built in batches now, several batches per year. They tend to be building road batches before road season and cx batches before cx season. Turn around is pretty quick unless you opt for Surprise Me paint.

I doubt Vanilla allows line cuts for cash. They are nice people who seem pretty fair about things.

[tigoat]

This bike looks to be a TIG welded not fillet brazed. What special about this builder that warrants 5 years wait? There are so many good builders out there that can deliver an exceptional custom bike within months. What is wrong with you people?

[abalone]

Speedvagen units are built in batches now, several batches per year. They tend to be building road batches before road season and cx batches before cx season. Turn around is pretty quick unless you opt for Surprise Me paint.

I doubt Vanilla allows line cuts for cash. They are nice people who seem pretty fair about things.



There are no line cuts involved. If Vanilla says your frame is going to take 5 yrs, the. It's going to take 5 yrs. If Sachs says its going to take a 7 yr wait, that's how long it's going to take also. If any other builder says its a 9 yr wait, it's a 9 yr wait...but...

Framebuilders have a line and only they know how long that line is. Sometimes people get in line and decide they want out of line. I have seen people selling their spot on other forums and ebay for their spot in line.

There are other ways to have a framebuilder build you a custom frame and get it to you faster than their average customer, and it wouldn't involve cutting in front of anyone. Those builders, if offered, may decide to forego a couple weekens, holiday, time off, to work on a custom frame for you. That is, if offered. And if that offer is sufficiently high enough for them to miss whatever it is they weren't going to miss. That's not cutting in line. That's cutting into their vacation time.

[Peter B]

<snip>

This bike looks to be a TIG welded not fillet brazed.

I'll agree. Looks tig'ed to me also.

[d_douglas]

People who got on the list to get on the list back in 2008-2009 are getting called now.

Yeesh! I got a 2009 Speedvagen and decided to enlist myself immediately, just for the halibut. If he were to call me tomorrow, I would have to say 'no' and be bumped off the list! Well, I still look forward to the call! Maybe I will win a lottery in between now and then :).



PS when I corresponded with them about a year ago and asked about disc brakes, the person I spoke to said that Sacha wasn't doing them because he didn't think the brake options were good enough. I guess he changed his mind the the meantime? Those look like lowly Avid BB7s...? He poopoo-ed those brakes a year ago!

[Ryun]

Not to add to the thread drift but... re:Vanilla's wait.

I hesitate to speak for them but the line is still pretty long. However what type of bike Sacha is building when does change. As i understand it, he may get on a road kick (not necessarily a "batch") and build those for a few months. Generally he does one Vanilla at a time. If you are in the que and want a cx touring etc a person wanting a road may bump up or if someone says not ready at the moment they shuffle production accordingly.


I ve never heard of money coming into play with Vanilla in terms of when your bike is done. Just not the case.

I do know of two other builders that have a year long que that both offer an express lane for a surcharge available for repeat customers. It is more along the lines of them cutting into off time rather than affecting the rest of their production.

[Limonade]

are wait times really that ridiculous or are people really exaggerating?

[pdmtong]

Not to add to the thread drift but... re:Vanilla's wait.

I hesitate to speak for them but the line is still pretty long. However what type of bike Sacha is building when does change. As i understand it, he may get on a road kick (not necessarily a "batch") and build those for a few months. Generally he does one Vanilla at a time. If you are in the que and want a cx touring etc a person wanting a road may bump up or if someone says not ready at the moment they shuffle production accordingly.

I ve never heard of money coming into play with Vanilla in terms of when your bike is done. Just not the case.

I do know of two other builders that have a year long que that both offer an express lane for a surcharge available for repeat customers. It is more along the lines of them cutting into off time rather than affecting the rest of their production.

For those who got on the "original list" pre-2007, when their name came up, Sacha would build whatever bike they wanted - road, track, cx, rando, city, touring, fixie etc. using whatever fabrication methodology the buyer desired.
I would think Fuzzalows fillet road was one of the last "have it your way" builds, that with a 5-6 year wait.

What is happening now is Vanilla's are being built in group of a particular genre. The letter that went out last summer spoke about a lugged road - so folks wanting that on the list to get on the list were called. if you wanted a track bike, you didn't get called. no idea which genres and in which order as no roadmap was "announced".

We've all seen Ryun's SVs, yet his number came up when it came up, not because he has sent them a small chest of benjamins over the years.

are wait times really that ridiculous or are people really exaggerating?

They wait times are indeed 6+ years. Back when folks who are now getting bikes got on the list I think there were fewer builders working at a very high level. Now one could argue there are more proven choices at the top of the craft. Its up to each person to decide where Vanilla falls on that spectrum, but I am not alone in acknowledging their fabrication quality and ongoing innovative aesthetic sense.

[abalone]

are wait times really that ridiculous or are people really exaggerating?



You guys should do a search on Google for something called scarcity marketing. Very very very interesting stuff and highly applicable for custom handmade objects.