I'm a short asian guy so seeing Ms. Cools and her pretty and cute bike but still a full-sized bike inspires me as I do seeing petite people enjoy their bikes. It's like finding your people and feeling you're not alone. Haha. I love vintage and vintage-inspired stuff, as well as traveling, so I really enjoyed this. Looking at those bolts on the fork and how wider it is than most forks shows it's meant for the kind of ride I enjoy and dream of. It makes me miss my mini velo. And seriously, there isn't that many classic bike enthusiasts and classic riding on youtube so I really appreciate your channel. Classic gears, chill comfy clothes, riding into nature, straight to the point, geeks out on the gears and the future rides a little, and just having fun. I'm not into the sporty side of cycling. But I love the simplicity of cycling and adventure cycling. And with all your content, your few sport-related videos and talks which seems like mostly rando is acceptable even to a non-sport cycling enthusiast like me. So please keep sharing your lifestyle with your bicycles with us. It's fun too see other people do what we like to do and it creates a sense of belonging and connection even through this digital world. Btw, Omar seems like the unofficial 3rd member of this channel.😄 I hope to find a good bike mechanic like him here or wherever I move to in the future. Anyway, sorry for the long comment. I don't have a bike right now so I'm just enjoying some content and hopefully be able to do the same in the future. Happy riding, everyone!
Great video you two! And thanks for the plug. Ms. Cools, you look so at home on it and it makes my day. Way to go with your gut on sizing and putting together such a great neo-classic build.
I appreciate the thoughtful comment, Omar! It was your expertise in building and guiding Ms. Cools down the right path that made it all possible. She couldn't have picked a better shop. Thank you!
Ms Cools. What a difference to see you riding on this bike and the blue that you had. Custom fitting Omar good job!!!! I am starting to believe in custom treatment!
I started watching these videos a couple weeks ago, starting with the one about the Levi's Gran Fondo. Thanks for doing these. They're a lot of fun to watch and I'm enjoying living vicariously through you. The thing that keeps striking me is the beauty of the northern California countryside and the abundance of lightly-travelled roads that seem so ideal for cycling. I live in a high-density tourist city on the southeast coast and it's such a drag trying to find decent routes to ride. Keep the great videos coming!
Phil Pfeiffer thanks Phil! We’re very lucky to have a nice mix of rural paved and unpaved roads and trails. It’s the main reason I stick around here. Otherwise, the cost of living is a deterrent.
A belated congratulation on the new bike. Beautiful ! I really like seeing the threaded bottom bracket. No creaking, no squeaking. Works fine; last a long time.
Thanks Steve! It's hard to beat the simplicity and price of the threaded bottom bracket. There are also more options with a threaded bottom bracket system. You can use the older style square taper, or outboard cup type, and choose from a bunch of new or old cranksets. As you said squeaking is easily remedied too. The oversize press-fit bearings seem to be an evolution coming from the enormous bottom bracket shells on modern carbon bikes. With all that volume in order to stiffen the frames, it makes using very large oversized bearings possible. Oversized bearings are favored because they have lower rolling resistance, so at 50 kph you might save 0.5 Watt, and the difference of winning a time trial. For me, a round threaded bottom bracket shell is less likely to have the bearings out of alignment and they are easy and cheap to replace.
Henrywildeberry Thanks, Henry An expensive lesson. My $14k 2019 Trek Madone is a BB90 disaster. A real shame because it is a really wonderful machine. All the best to you and Ms. Cools Steve Maybe see you at next year's Levi Grandfondo
Amazing to see just how much influence the original Surly Crosscheck has had on the industry. In 1998 you could have fit 44cm tires on one (along with Reynolds 631 tubing), a full two decades ahead of the modern gravel bike. Know your roots, kids. Stay well.
She sure does. Totally natural and comfortable - a gazillion miles will tend to do that! Reminds me of Stella Carey.* Totally mellow personality, cute as heck, and an absolute monster on the bike. Don't judge a book by its cover!!! *Single speed 24 hour World Champion.
Envious of you guys on the west coast, probably the best place I have visited. As for fenders on gravel rides Dustin Klein has been rocking them for ever and has no trouble. Keep up with the great content and regards from t'Netherlands.
Great bike, was excited to see it. Seems like it fits Ms. Cools properly. Waiting for the specs as I'm interested in what components are used for the gears (shifters, derailleurs)
If there is enough interest we may do a follow up video. This was really just a first look. Like she said it would be great if Omar could give us the run down on the components.
Hello Ivan! Here are some specs, thanks for inquiring; shifters-VO dia compe eneciclo, rear derailleur-sun XCD, front derailleur- campagnolo veloce, crank-VO Grand Crew 110 Triple, stem- soma sutro quill, handlebars- nitto grand randonneur, rims- velocity blunt, front hub-shimano alfine, rear hub-shimano deore, tires- compass rat trap pass
Wildberry & Cools, Thanks for inviting me to join you in your adventures. I met y'all at 3rd St Aleworks and loved your Monikers. I have watched lots of your vids and enjoy them. Thank You. Are those your real names?
Could you do a video on how you and Ms Cools met? And the components on the new Velo Orange. Love all your videos, have watched most of them,great job,great on the camera work. Thanks Paul
Thanks Paul! We're working on a build video. She has a very interesting mix of components. Hopefully it will help if you're into classic meets modern bikes.
Henrywildeberry Classic meets Modern is what I like. I've been Cycling sense 1980. I'm planning to build a bike almost like Ms. Cools. Thanks. You're got a good thing going with your video's. Paul
It is a nice bike and fits you well, I was wondering how many pounds of air pressure on the tires ? Again, I must say you look very nice on your bike. I have a carbon road bike and an aluminium ''city bike'' with an Alfine 8 speed and disk brakes rides kind of likes yours, except that it has studded winter tires. I am enjoying the off road capabilities of my comfy bike.
Tereese,love your new Bike. How much in total did it cost? Like the down tube shifters,breaks,and drop bars. Good luck on your steed. Would your mechanic ship the bike after its built? Thanks Paul from Florida.
Lovely bike. I bump my knees on the bar end shifters on my Schwinn voyageur sp. Am thinking going to down tube is better. Yes you can shift without taking any hands off handle bars ,, but is it really that dangerous to steer with one hand ?? PS, does that bike frame have any toe overlap? Not a fan of...
Hi Recycle Spinning. One of the big advantages to low trail bike frame design is toe overlap. The large fork offset essentially eliminates this issue. The steering does feel different than a mid trail bike, but it doesn't take long to get used to it. I have fenders on my bike with low trail and I still don't have toe overlap. I think that, along with a more flexible fork was why the old randonnee bikes were made that way. Check out Rene Herse, Alex Singer, Peter Weigle, C.S. Hirose, Grand Bois, and others for inspiration on low trail designed bikes.
This summer I ditched my 10 speed 105 brifter setup in favour of an 8 speed mixmatch downtube friction setup. When your riding partner announces a last minute turn up a steep hill, from riding in any gear, I can reach down with one hand and shift to the little ring and the largest rear sprocket in around 1 second, and feels a lot more satisfying than the manic flapping of levers that is required to do the same with the sti setup. What's more, I can replace my chain and cassette for around £20 brand new. If I were racing, of course, the sti shifter is better, its like a sequential paddle shifting race car after all. I wouldnt want or need that sort of transmission on a daily vehicle though, I would want a manual transmission because even when damaged, the user is in control of shifting and can skip the broken gear, or otherwise finesse their way around a problem. The same is true with my bicycle.
Ok so any upgrade is good but why not get STI hand shifters? Downtube shifters are difficult in comparison because of all the moving around when shifting. You don’t realize it until you try them. And riding off road is much easier on a hybrid with nobby tires. Good choice getting steel because aluminum beats you to death but carbon fiber is a dream. I used to come home exhausted from pounding on pavement but then I got a carbon fiber bike & my arthritis is hardly a factor after a long ride. I don’t ache all over because it absorbs so much road shock. Your bike looks ready to go coast to coast with a Bob trailer. The color is awesome. 👍☮️🌞🚲
Cools rides the best platform pedals of all time....no question. Those are the MKS Sylvan Touring pedals and i have found none better. Such a great look and the function is even better. ITs the only pedal i run on all my bikes and i recommend them to everyone. Affordable too at ~$25 a pair.
It was mainly fit issues. This bike replaces the Rawland Ravn, her off road bike. Unfortunately, the Ravn was just too big, so she sold it. She was complaining about how it was handling for her, so she decided to start looking around for something smaller. If I recall the Ravn was a 60cm frame. She looked into a new Rawland, but their offerings at the moment are slim. Basically, she prefers a rando style bike, but with the extra clearance for large tires. She considered a Crust bike, but when we met Omar (All Rounder Bicycles), he was getting in a shipment of frames, and could help her build it. This bike will feel much like her randonneur, so switching between the two will hopefully feel close to the same. One day I think she would like to get a new randonneur, in a slightly smaller frame too.
Is Ms Cools a school teacher? Reason I ask is my best friend's now wife was a school teacher and we called her Miss Tran for several years. Funny also she looks exactly like Ms Cools. Of course we're all into bikes a bike riding!
It's a really good looking frame, it reminds me a lot of my 1978 Peugeot Pro 10 in the Fork rake. The Pro-10 has tire clearances for 38 mm, just. The DuraAce brakes make contact after that.
Wow! Such a beautiful bike. Could you please list some specs? I would love to know what the components were chosen for the build. Are those 650 wheels?
Hi Miguel. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll get a list of components for the description. In the meantime, the wheels are 26-inch hand built by Omar at All Rounder Bicycle, in Emeryville. He used Velocity rims with Shimano front and rear hubs. The front Hub is a Shimano dynamo for lighting the future headlight. The bars and stem are Nitto, and I'll work on getting better specs on the levers, brakes, racks, etc. The tires are Compass Rat Trap Pass in a standard casing set-up tubeless. The tire pressure was set to 25 psi front and 30 psi rear and Ms. Cools definitely felt like she could lower the pressure even more. We weighed the bike with the Ruthworks handlebar bag (empty of course) and it came out to 28lbs.
Hello Miguel! Here are some specs, thanks for inquiring; shifters-VO dia compe eneciclo, rear derailleur-sun XCD, front derailleur- campagnolo veloce, crank-VO Grand Crew 110 Triple, stem- soma sutro quill, handlebars- nitto grand randonneur, rims- velocity blunt, front hub-shimano alfine, rear hub-shimano deore, tires- compass rat trap pass
Fantastic! I love those wheels and tires....26 inch is alive and well. It's nice to see someone using friction shifters and regular shoes and pedals. Using friction makes the diverse component choice work just fine too. Velo Orange makes great stuff, I have used their drop bars , seatposts and stems. Beautiful bike in a beautiful setting!
Hi Jim! Good questions! These are 2.3 inch tires rolling on 26-inch wheels. Ms. Cools has long held out on clipless pedals. When I asked her this question before she said she likes being able to wear comfortable shoes, so when she gets to her destination it's easier to walk around. She barely drives a car so for her it's mostly a practical choice. Her bike is her main mode of transportation.
That's right! The tires are the compass rat trap pass-26x2.3. I haven't switched to clipless because I haven't felt a pressing need. I am pretty comfortable with toe clips, even on the longest, hardest rides.
clipless pedals are over-rated; even mtb versions with shoes you can walk in. i would wonder, though, if ms. cools had tried the SKS Urban Platform Road -- thats a great pedal!
bicycleutopia no, I haven't tried them but I just looked into them and they look intriguing! I might be in the market for a new set of pedals for my other VO so thanks for the suggestion!
Ha! At the beginning, when the song was playing (too loud for my liking, sorry), I thought the bike make or model must have been 'Barracuda'! It's certainly a nice-looking bike.
float down the russian river? hahaha. thats a good one... well, in my view ms. cools got a great bike!! i was there at Velo Orange World Headquarters when they were fiddling with the frame and getting it out to you....but i was sworn to secrecy... what is NOT to like about that color?! stupendous! fabulous! as for the welds....well, it is well known that Maxway makes lots of bikes for all sorts of bike companies....and many (most?) of the welding artisans are WOMEN! i love my Velo Orange bikes and am so glad to support a FEMINIST bicycle enterprise from (near) the Middle Kingdom... i also want to know, given ms. cools t-shirt, if her bicycle-bad-assery-performance is fueled in part by connecting to the Dark Side of the Force?... lastly, while Gretchen Wilson is a right wing imbecile, and she sure can sing, Jerry Cantrell on guitar here is simply awesome! listen to that heavy tone!!: ua-cam.com/video/BqQkECIn738/v-deo.html
Nice cover! I hadn't heard that before, so thanks for the link. Interesting to know a little more about the frame builders. Ms. Cools is loving her new bike, and is very pleased with the color. I was wondering how the frame seemed to show up so quickly. I had know idea there was anything special going on behind the scenes. That's really cool!
the crew at Velo Orange are well aware of your videos, and of ms. cools' bicycle bad-assness. im going by there early next week, and i will take some behind the scenes video...
Hello sc71blazer. Are you specifically asking about the Rat Trap Passes or Compass tires in general? If you are asking about the Rat Trap Passes, I'll have to divert you to Therese (et al.), as I have not given them any real measurable test rides (aside from rolling around on Therese's bike in the parking lot). If you want an opinion on Compass tires in general my thoughts are they get better as the size increases. I have a few videos on Compass tires if you're interested. In order to give you a fair answer, a little background is in order. I started out in early 2015 or 16 (I forgot now) on my first pair of 32mm extra ledger (extra light casing) 700c Stampede Pass tires, and discovered right away they were much more "supple" (I know that word is getting overused) even at the same air pressure I was used too on other similar sized tires. With only a few miles of test riding, I launched those tires immediately on touring ride across the state and into the Sierra mountains. I experienced two flats on the first day. Man, it was hot and I was dissapointed! Fixing both flats on a busy highway with lots of glass, debris, nails, screws, etc in 100-degree temperatures was a major downer. I pretty much wanted to toss them in the bin. Later during the trip when I finally got on better roads in the mountains without having to "hug the shoulder" the tires started to perform better (meaning no flats). I started to think maybe it was just a string of bad luck? On the return trip through the same area I flatted, and again it was due to metal debris on the shoulder. When I got home I parked the bike and didn't ride it for awhile and returned to riding my regular road bike. Winter finally arrived and I decided I needed to ride my touring bike because it had fenders. Riding in the rain with fenders is really a joy! In fact, I can almost say I like riding in the rain, almost. During those winter months I picked up yet another flat but this time it was from glass, and it was then when I finally realized how to ride these tires. They are puncture prone, so it's imperative to look out for glass and metal objects in the road especially when the rubber is wet. You cannot be as careless with these as you can be with other tires like Gator Skins for example. For some people that's a deal breaker, and I completely understand. Compass tires are designed to be very thin in order to reduce rolling resistance and to make them light in order to make them fast. Furthermore, the tan walls (some call them gum walls) use a different rubber compound. Tan rubber has less (or none) carbon added to the rubber compound. Some compare Compass tires to the old tubulars made out of gum and cotton. As I understand adding carbon to rubber gives it more strength, but at a slight increase in hysteretic losses (e.g. energy lost due to converting displacement into heat). I know that's a technical description for rolling resistance. This lower strength means it's easier for the side walls to get cut. The upside is a supple tire with low rolling resistance. SO, the reason the larger Compass tires work so well in my opinion is because the larger volume can be run at lower pressure. A tire with lower pressure has less tension in the side wall allowing it to conform better to sharp objects. Also, lower tension in the tire tread means it will have less chance for puncture too. In all my recent tire research and 3 years of practical experience I have more confidence in Compass tires, but I also know they are not for everyone. The downside to Compass tires are first, price, second you have to order them, and third the quality control is not that of larger bike tire manufacturers (at least that what it seems like to me). I've personally had one tire I felt punctured too many times, and Therese has purchased a few tires which had manufacture defects (wobbling on the rim). I've also noticed a common issue showing up on Instagram are side wall gashes. Compass quickly replaced the tires we had trouble with, so I feel that's just the nature of the small bicycle business dilemma. Small companies struggle to compete and sadly the bicycle industry is really a labor of love. I think Compass is doing the industry a service and I'm thankful there is someone out there offering something unique and it helps to pressure other companies to research and improve too. Therefore, if you have a problem with the tires, I would suggest you return them. Compass needs to know how their product is performing, and given you paid a pretty penny you deserve a quality tire. Those are my thoughts, I'm sure others have different things to say. I'm not sponsored and I have no financial connection with any bike companies, FWIW. This YT stuff is just a labor of love too. Sorry for the long winded response, but I felt there needed to be some context to better answer your question. All the best! HWB
Oh, and I should mention Compass tires are manufactured in Japan at the Panaracer factory. Supposedly, the tires are made to Compass specs. There are other tires made there too such as the Soma Brand and Sim Works brand tires. I believe they also make the Grand Bois tires in the Panaracer factory as well. So for comparisons check out those tires too.
I completely agree with this review of compass tires! they are excellent tires, but they are more prone to puncture, but thats because they are very high performance. if you ride in urban areas or through debris fields you WILL get more punctures; and yes, the sidewalls dont need much of a hit to tear. and these are expensive tires.... ive often split the difference: use a compass tire on front (always a big fat one, at least 44mm), and a Schwalble or similar tire on the rear, that has much better puncture protection, since i get more flats at the rear. sadly, im often relegated to the shoulder here in the NE USA, and especially around washington dc, and there is simply little care for road condition in the usa, except for cars, so the road shoulders are rarely swept, and full of *unavoidable* debris. oh well, the usa was a good try...
Thank you, bicycleutopia! It's hard to give someone a tire recommendation, because there are so many variables and inevitably what works for one doesn't work for another. Mixing and matching tires is another way to balance the pros and cons of each. Great idea!
I loved the long winded response. Thank you for taking the time to give me all that information. I very much appreciate it. I think I am going to buy some Compass tires in the near future to give them a go. I have already been drawn to the bigger ones so your advise validates that choice. All the best. I enjoy your videos.
Hi Ms Cool, hope you returned and made the necessary adjustments. In the video you seat need to be move forward so when your pedal in a 3 o'clock, your knee is over the ball of your foot. I'd recommend you replace the drop down bars for the more ergonomic "Soma Sparrow' ones. Drop down are for the pro's that want to makeup time in headwinds, downhill and speed trials. We aren't pros so lets save our wrist, neck and backs well into our senior years.
Looking forward to your long term evaluation of them. Surly DT 700c with 42mm Armadillo tires coming Saturday so I have a New Bike Day coming myself :) LOVE your channel guys, especially the rotational physics lesson a while back. Keep up the awesome work.
I'm a short asian guy so seeing Ms. Cools and her pretty and cute bike but still a full-sized bike inspires me as I do seeing petite people enjoy their bikes. It's like finding your people and feeling you're not alone. Haha. I love vintage and vintage-inspired stuff, as well as traveling, so I really enjoyed this. Looking at those bolts on the fork and how wider it is than most forks shows it's meant for the kind of ride I enjoy and dream of. It makes me miss my mini velo. And seriously, there isn't that many classic bike enthusiasts and classic riding on youtube so I really appreciate your channel. Classic gears, chill comfy clothes, riding into nature, straight to the point, geeks out on the gears and the future rides a little, and just having fun. I'm not into the sporty side of cycling. But I love the simplicity of cycling and adventure cycling. And with all your content, your few sport-related videos and talks which seems like mostly rando is acceptable even to a non-sport cycling enthusiast like me. So please keep sharing your lifestyle with your bicycles with us. It's fun too see other people do what we like to do and it creates a sense of belonging and connection even through this digital world. Btw, Omar seems like the unofficial 3rd member of this channel.😄 I hope to find a good bike mechanic like him here or wherever I move to in the future. Anyway, sorry for the long comment. I don't have a bike right now so I'm just enjoying some content and hopefully be able to do the same in the future. Happy riding, everyone!
I appreciate the thoughtful comment! I hope you find a bike soon and can get out and enjoy the ride. Thanks for the topic suggestions too.
the holy grail of first contact holy grail🚴🚴♂🚴♀🛕🛕🛕🛕🛕
Great video you two! And thanks for the plug. Ms. Cools, you look so at home on it and it makes my day. Way to go with your gut on sizing and putting together such a great neo-classic build.
I appreciate the thoughtful comment, Omar! It was your expertise in building and guiding Ms. Cools down the right path that made it all possible. She couldn't have picked a better shop. Thank you!
Ms Cools. What a difference to see you riding on this bike and the blue that you had. Custom fitting Omar good job!!!! I am starting to believe in custom treatment!
I started watching these videos a couple weeks ago, starting with the one about the Levi's Gran Fondo. Thanks for doing these. They're a lot of fun to watch and I'm enjoying living vicariously through you. The thing that keeps striking me is the beauty of the northern California countryside and the abundance of lightly-travelled roads that seem so ideal for cycling. I live in a high-density tourist city on the southeast coast and it's such a drag trying to find decent routes to ride. Keep the great videos coming!
Phil Pfeiffer thanks Phil! We’re very lucky to have a nice mix of rural paved and unpaved roads and trails. It’s the main reason I stick around here. Otherwise, the cost of living is a deterrent.
A belated congratulation on the new bike. Beautiful !
I really like seeing the threaded bottom bracket. No creaking, no
squeaking.
Works fine; last a long time.
Thanks Steve! It's hard to beat the simplicity and price of the threaded bottom bracket. There are also more options with a threaded bottom bracket system. You can use the older style square taper, or outboard cup type, and choose from a bunch of new or old cranksets. As you said squeaking is easily remedied too. The oversize press-fit bearings seem to be an evolution coming from the enormous bottom bracket shells on modern carbon bikes. With all that volume in order to stiffen the frames, it makes using very large oversized bearings possible. Oversized bearings are favored because they have lower rolling resistance, so at 50 kph you might save 0.5 Watt, and the difference of winning a time trial. For me, a round threaded bottom bracket shell is less likely to have the bearings out of alignment and they are easy and cheap to replace.
Henrywildeberry
Thanks, Henry
An expensive lesson. My $14k 2019 Trek Madone is a BB90 disaster. A real shame because it is a really wonderful machine.
All the best to you and Ms. Cools
Steve
Maybe see you at next year's Levi Grandfondo
Amazing to see just how much influence the original Surly Crosscheck has had on the industry. In 1998 you could have fit 44cm tires on one (along with Reynolds 631 tubing), a full two decades ahead of the modern gravel bike. Know your roots, kids. Stay well.
Beautiful views!
Sweet looking bike, and it looks very functional for touring/gravel riding. It's also nice to know that small, boutique bicycle companies persist.
Love watching it!!!
Most beautiful bike i've seen in a long time! Great build. 👍
Great bike. Ms Cools has great form on the bike. Panache points!
She sure does. Totally natural and comfortable - a gazillion miles will tend to do that! Reminds me of Stella Carey.* Totally mellow personality, cute as heck, and an absolute monster on the bike. Don't judge a book by its cover!!!
*Single speed 24 hour World Champion.
Killa ride Ms. Cools ! I love the mix of old school and new. Great song to start the video !
Thanks Zipp!
Thank you!
That’s so awesome!!
Absolutely stunning. I’d personally use a modern groupset but to each‘s own. I love the uniqueness.
I like both modern and retro. They both have unique qualities, but something about pulling levers to change gears is nice.
Stunning bike! Enjoy 😊
Envious of you guys on the west coast, probably the best place I have visited. As for fenders on gravel rides Dustin Klein has been rocking them for ever and has no trouble. Keep up with the great content and regards from t'Netherlands.
Great bike, was excited to see it. Seems like it fits Ms. Cools properly. Waiting for the specs as I'm interested in what components are used for the gears (shifters, derailleurs)
If there is enough interest we may do a follow up video. This was really just a first look. Like she said it would be great if Omar could give us the run down on the components.
Hello Ivan! Here are some specs, thanks for inquiring; shifters-VO dia compe eneciclo, rear derailleur-sun XCD, front derailleur- campagnolo veloce, crank-VO Grand Crew 110 Triple, stem- soma sutro quill, handlebars- nitto grand randonneur, rims- velocity blunt, front hub-shimano alfine, rear hub-shimano deore, tires- compass rat trap pass
I like that you still have a triple up front 🤘🤘
Wildberry & Cools, Thanks for inviting me to join you in your adventures. I met y'all at 3rd St Aleworks and loved your Monikers. I have watched lots of your vids and enjoy them. Thank You. Are those your real names?
Stephan Utterback glad you’re enjoying the videos! They are our “real” names! We made them up ourselves.
Could you do a video on how you and Ms Cools met? And the components on the new Velo Orange. Love all your videos, have watched most of them,great job,great on the camera work. Thanks Paul
Thanks Paul! We're working on a build video. She has a very interesting mix of components. Hopefully it will help if you're into classic meets modern bikes.
Henrywildeberry Classic meets Modern is what I like. I've been Cycling sense 1980. I'm planning to build a bike almost like Ms. Cools. Thanks. You're got a good thing going with your video's. Paul
beautiful bike
Nice tyres. Comfortable riding
It is a nice bike and fits you well, I was wondering how many pounds of air pressure on the tires ? Again, I must say you look very nice on your bike. I have a carbon road bike and an aluminium ''city bike'' with an Alfine 8 speed and disk brakes rides kind of likes yours, except that it has studded winter tires. I am enjoying the off road capabilities of my comfy bike.
a-m-a-z-i-n-g video!!!! beauty bicycle!!
Thanks, Dario!
The cameraman has a knack for capturing great views.
Gorgeous bicyclette !!! 😍😍😍
Je vois qu’on a les mêmes passe-temps 😀
Une vraie petite fée du vélo, celle-là. Je comprends pas bien s’ils sont ensemble ou pas.
Tereese,love your new Bike. How much in total did it cost? Like the down tube shifters,breaks,and drop bars. Good luck on your steed. Would your mechanic ship the bike after its built? Thanks Paul from Florida.
Really enjoying your videos. 🖐️😄
Thanks Jacob!
Lovely bike. I bump my knees on the bar end shifters on my Schwinn voyageur sp. Am thinking going to down tube is better. Yes you can shift without taking any hands off handle bars ,, but is it really that dangerous to steer with one hand ??
PS, does that bike frame have any toe overlap? Not a fan of...
Hi Recycle Spinning. One of the big advantages to low trail bike frame design is toe overlap. The large fork offset essentially eliminates this issue. The steering does feel different than a mid trail bike, but it doesn't take long to get used to it. I have fenders on my bike with low trail and I still don't have toe overlap. I think that, along with a more flexible fork was why the old randonnee bikes were made that way. Check out Rene Herse, Alex Singer, Peter Weigle, C.S. Hirose, Grand Bois, and others for inspiration on low trail designed bikes.
This summer I ditched my 10 speed 105 brifter setup in favour of an 8 speed mixmatch downtube friction setup. When your riding partner announces a last minute turn up a steep hill, from riding in any gear, I can reach down with one hand and shift to the little ring and the largest rear sprocket in around 1 second, and feels a lot more satisfying than the manic flapping of levers that is required to do the same with the sti setup. What's more, I can replace my chain and cassette for around £20 brand new. If I were racing, of course, the sti shifter is better, its like a sequential paddle shifting race car after all. I wouldnt want or need that sort of transmission on a daily vehicle though, I would want a manual transmission because even when damaged, the user is in control of shifting and can skip the broken gear, or otherwise finesse their way around a problem. The same is true with my bicycle.
Ok so any upgrade is good but why not get STI hand shifters? Downtube shifters are difficult in comparison because of all the moving around when shifting. You don’t realize it until you try them. And riding off road is much easier on a hybrid with nobby tires. Good choice getting steel because aluminum beats you to death but carbon fiber is a dream. I used to come home exhausted from pounding on pavement but then I got a carbon fiber bike & my arthritis is hardly a factor after a long ride. I don’t ache all over because it absorbs so much road shock. Your bike looks ready to go coast to coast with a Bob trailer. The color is awesome. 👍☮️🌞🚲
Nice bike. Why such a large frame? the seat post seams short. I have never ridden this type of frame, just wondering? I really enjoy your videos..
Awesome bike.
Fantastic 👍
Cools rides the best platform pedals of all time....no question. Those are the MKS Sylvan Touring pedals and i have found none better. Such a great look and the function is even better. ITs the only pedal i run on all my bikes and i recommend them to everyone. Affordable too at ~$25 a pair.
Try the Catalyst flat pedal,just for grins. They work great and are comfy and fast.
May I know the tire size ms. Cool is running with this bike... Great build!
Meanwhile, 2 years later... 26" x 2.3" René Herse tires.
What were the drivers for the purchase, i.e. fit issues, desire for wider tires, disc brakes?
It was mainly fit issues. This bike replaces the Rawland Ravn, her off road bike. Unfortunately, the Ravn was just too big, so she sold it. She was complaining about how it was handling for her, so she decided to start looking around for something smaller. If I recall the Ravn was a 60cm frame. She looked into a new Rawland, but their offerings at the moment are slim. Basically, she prefers a rando style bike, but with the extra clearance for large tires. She considered a Crust bike, but when we met Omar (All Rounder Bicycles), he was getting in a shipment of frames, and could help her build it. This bike will feel much like her randonneur, so switching between the two will hopefully feel close to the same. One day I think she would like to get a new randonneur, in a slightly smaller frame too.
Is Ms Cools a school teacher? Reason I ask is my best friend's now wife was a school teacher and we called her Miss Tran for several years. Funny also she looks exactly like Ms Cools. Of course we're all into bikes a bike riding!
Yes! She is a teacher 😃
Nice bike. Quill stem, down tube shifters and disc brakes. You don't see that every day.
It's a really good looking frame, it reminds me a lot of my 1978 Peugeot Pro 10 in the Fork rake. The Pro-10 has tire clearances for 38 mm, just. The DuraAce brakes make contact after that.
Wow! Such a beautiful bike. Could you please list some specs? I would love to know what the components were chosen for the build. Are those 650 wheels?
Hi Miguel. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll get a list of components for the description. In the meantime, the wheels are 26-inch hand built by Omar at All Rounder Bicycle, in Emeryville. He used Velocity rims with Shimano front and rear hubs. The front Hub is a Shimano dynamo for lighting the future headlight. The bars and stem are Nitto, and I'll work on getting better specs on the levers, brakes, racks, etc. The tires are Compass Rat Trap Pass in a standard casing set-up tubeless. The tire pressure was set to 25 psi front and 30 psi rear and Ms. Cools definitely felt like she could lower the pressure even more. We weighed the bike with the Ruthworks handlebar bag (empty of course) and it came out to 28lbs.
Hello Miguel! Here are some specs, thanks for inquiring; shifters-VO dia compe eneciclo, rear derailleur-sun XCD, front derailleur- campagnolo veloce, crank-VO Grand Crew 110 Triple, stem- soma sutro quill, handlebars- nitto grand randonneur, rims- velocity blunt, front hub-shimano alfine, rear hub-shimano deore, tires- compass rat trap pass
Fantastic! I love those wheels and tires....26 inch is alive and well. It's nice to see someone using friction shifters and regular shoes and pedals. Using friction makes the diverse component choice work just fine too. Velo Orange makes great stuff, I have used their drop bars , seatposts and stems. Beautiful bike in a beautiful setting!
@@theresecools3079 nice bike.
Hi
What size are the tires? Why doesn’t she go with clipless pedals? Appears to be a great bike!
Hi Jim! Good questions! These are 2.3 inch tires rolling on 26-inch wheels. Ms. Cools has long held out on clipless pedals. When I asked her this question before she said she likes being able to wear comfortable shoes, so when she gets to her destination it's easier to walk around. She barely drives a car so for her it's mostly a practical choice. Her bike is her main mode of transportation.
That's right! The tires are the compass rat trap pass-26x2.3. I haven't switched to clipless because I haven't felt a pressing need. I am pretty comfortable with toe clips, even on the longest, hardest rides.
clipless pedals are over-rated; even mtb versions with shoes you can walk in. i would wonder, though, if ms. cools had tried the SKS Urban Platform Road -- thats a great pedal!
bicycleutopia no, I haven't tried them but I just looked into them and they look intriguing! I might be in the market for a new set of pedals for my other VO so thanks for the suggestion!
Rat Trap Pass are 2.3" nominal if you go by the numbers on the sidewall, although they measure around 2.1" on most setups.
Ha! At the beginning, when the song was playing (too loud for my liking, sorry), I thought the bike make or model must have been 'Barracuda'! It's certainly a nice-looking bike.
Would Ms. Cools care to elaborate on her experience with disc brakes vs. the cantilevers she had previously? Those are obviously cable actuated.
float down the russian river? hahaha. thats a good one...
well, in my view ms. cools got a great bike!! i was there at Velo Orange World Headquarters when they were fiddling with the frame and getting it out to you....but i was sworn to secrecy...
what is NOT to like about that color?! stupendous! fabulous!
as for the welds....well, it is well known that Maxway makes lots of bikes for all sorts of bike companies....and many (most?) of the welding artisans are WOMEN! i love my Velo Orange bikes and am so glad to support a FEMINIST bicycle enterprise from (near) the Middle Kingdom...
i also want to know, given ms. cools t-shirt, if her bicycle-bad-assery-performance is fueled in part by connecting to the Dark Side of the Force?...
lastly, while Gretchen Wilson is a right wing imbecile, and she sure can sing, Jerry Cantrell on guitar here is simply awesome! listen to that heavy tone!!:
ua-cam.com/video/BqQkECIn738/v-deo.html
Nice cover! I hadn't heard that before, so thanks for the link. Interesting to know a little more about the frame builders. Ms. Cools is loving her new bike, and is very pleased with the color. I was wondering how the frame seemed to show up so quickly. I had know idea there was anything special going on behind the scenes. That's really cool!
the crew at Velo Orange are well aware of your videos, and of ms. cools' bicycle bad-assness. im going by there early next week, and i will take some behind the scenes video...
That's awesome! I can't wait to see what you film. Will you be posting the video up on here or somewhere else?
What do you think about those Compass tires? I'm interested in their tires, have not talked to anyone who has ridden some.
Hello sc71blazer. Are you specifically asking about the Rat Trap Passes or Compass tires in general? If you are asking about the Rat Trap Passes, I'll have to divert you to Therese (et al.), as I have not given them any real measurable test rides (aside from rolling around on Therese's bike in the parking lot). If you want an opinion on Compass tires in general my thoughts are they get better as the size increases. I have a few videos on Compass tires if you're interested. In order to give you a fair answer, a little background is in order. I started out in early 2015 or 16 (I forgot now) on my first pair of 32mm extra ledger (extra light casing) 700c Stampede Pass tires, and discovered right away they were much more "supple" (I know that word is getting overused) even at the same air pressure I was used too on other similar sized tires.
With only a few miles of test riding, I launched those tires immediately on touring ride across the state and into the Sierra mountains. I experienced two flats on the first day. Man, it was hot and I was dissapointed! Fixing both flats on a busy highway with lots of glass, debris, nails, screws, etc in 100-degree temperatures was a major downer. I pretty much wanted to toss them in the bin. Later during the trip when I finally got on better roads in the mountains without having to "hug the shoulder" the tires started to perform better (meaning no flats). I started to think maybe it was just a string of bad luck? On the return trip through the same area I flatted, and again it was due to metal debris on the shoulder. When I got home I parked the bike and didn't ride it for awhile and returned to riding my regular road bike. Winter finally arrived and I decided I needed to ride my touring bike because it had fenders.
Riding in the rain with fenders is really a joy! In fact, I can almost say I like riding in the rain, almost. During those winter months I picked up yet another flat but this time it was from glass, and it was then when I finally realized how to ride these tires. They are puncture prone, so it's imperative to look out for glass and metal objects in the road especially when the rubber is wet. You cannot be as careless with these as you can be with other tires like Gator Skins for example. For some people that's a deal breaker, and I completely understand. Compass tires are designed to be very thin in order to reduce rolling resistance and to make them light in order to make them fast. Furthermore, the tan walls (some call them gum walls) use a different rubber compound. Tan rubber has less (or none) carbon added to the rubber compound. Some compare Compass tires to the old tubulars made out of gum and cotton. As I understand adding carbon to rubber gives it more strength, but at a slight increase in hysteretic losses (e.g. energy lost due to converting displacement into heat). I know that's a technical description for rolling resistance. This lower strength means it's easier for the side walls to get cut. The upside is a supple tire with low rolling resistance. SO, the reason the larger Compass tires work so well in my opinion is because the larger volume can be run at lower pressure. A tire with lower pressure has less tension in the side wall allowing it to conform better to sharp objects. Also, lower tension in the tire tread means it will have less chance for puncture too. In all my recent tire research and 3 years of practical experience I have more confidence in Compass tires, but I also know they are not for everyone.
The downside to Compass tires are first, price, second you have to order them, and third the quality control is not that of larger bike tire manufacturers (at least that what it seems like to me). I've personally had one tire I felt punctured too many times, and Therese has purchased a few tires which had manufacture defects (wobbling on the rim). I've also noticed a common issue showing up on Instagram are side wall gashes. Compass quickly replaced the tires we had trouble with, so I feel that's just the nature of the small bicycle business dilemma. Small companies struggle to compete and sadly the bicycle industry is really a labor of love. I think Compass is doing the industry a service and I'm thankful there is someone out there offering something unique and it helps to pressure other companies to research and improve too. Therefore, if you have a problem with the tires, I would suggest you return them. Compass needs to know how their product is performing, and given you paid a pretty penny you deserve a quality tire. Those are my thoughts, I'm sure others have different things to say. I'm not sponsored and I have no financial connection with any bike companies, FWIW. This YT stuff is just a labor of love too.
Sorry for the long winded response, but I felt there needed to be some context to better answer your question.
All the best!
HWB
Oh, and I should mention Compass tires are manufactured in Japan at the Panaracer factory. Supposedly, the tires are made to Compass specs. There are other tires made there too such as the Soma Brand and Sim Works brand tires. I believe they also make the Grand Bois tires in the Panaracer factory as well. So for comparisons check out those tires too.
I completely agree with this review of compass tires! they are excellent tires, but they are more prone to puncture, but thats because they are very high performance. if you ride in urban areas or through debris fields you WILL get more punctures; and yes, the sidewalls dont need much of a hit to tear. and these are expensive tires....
ive often split the difference: use a compass tire on front (always a big fat one, at least 44mm), and a Schwalble or similar tire on the rear, that has much better puncture protection, since i get more flats at the rear. sadly, im often relegated to the shoulder here in the NE USA, and especially around washington dc, and there is simply little care for road condition in the usa, except for cars, so the road shoulders are rarely swept, and full of *unavoidable* debris. oh well, the usa was a good try...
Thank you, bicycleutopia! It's hard to give someone a tire recommendation, because there are so many variables and inevitably what works for one doesn't work for another. Mixing and matching tires is another way to balance the pros and cons of each. Great idea!
I loved the long winded response. Thank you for taking the time to give me all that information. I very much appreciate it. I think I am going to buy some Compass tires in the near future to give them a go. I have already been drawn to the bigger ones so your advise validates that choice. All the best. I enjoy your videos.
What are the handlebars and their width? Thanks
Nitto Grand Randonneur. I'm not sure on the width.
My brother went to high school with Anne and Nancy Wilson - nice music selection!
What tires are those?
ride the hell out of it as fast as you can
Hi Ms Cool, hope you returned and made the necessary adjustments. In the video you seat need to be move forward so when your pedal in a 3 o'clock, your knee is over the ball of your foot.
I'd recommend you replace the drop down bars for the more ergonomic "Soma Sparrow' ones.
Drop down are for the pro's that want to makeup time in headwinds, downhill and speed trials. We aren't pros so lets save our wrist, neck and backs well into our senior years.
Those tires 42's?
26 x 2.3" (~58mm)
Looking forward to your long term evaluation of them. Surly DT 700c with 42mm Armadillo tires coming Saturday so I have a New Bike Day coming myself :) LOVE your channel guys, especially the rotational physics lesson a while back. Keep up the awesome work.
🚲👏👏👏👍🔥😍
Should be even easier with proper bikeshoes...
you are selling your girl on youtube and she allows it because you don't give her what she needs