The Speedvagen Cross Machine has been around for a little while now, and we covered it at NAHBS a couple years back. The new 2012 Speedvagen Cross Machines you may have been seeing at the races recently have been updated a little bit, and were available in a few different colorways. However, the most exciting option is what Speedvagen calls “surprise me.” This is one of those. Surprise! Now with more gold!
More pics of the bikes and gold bits, plus a rare look inside Vanilla Cycles’ workshop during the build (!!!), after the break…
What you’re seeing here is Sacha White and friends working on the 2013 Speedvagen Road Machines. This pic only shows a little part of the shop, but apparently it’s where a lot of the magic happens. Keep in mind these aren’t lugged, fender-clad, racked-up Vanillas we love. They’re Speedvagen branded, race-spec bikes. In all, thirty-three 2013 Speedvagen Road Machines will be produced. Thirteen of those owners got the memo, and chose “surprise me.” I can’t wait to see the finished product!
Now, lets get back to the bike at hand. Above is the 2012 Speedvagen Cross Machine. Twenty frames were produced, only four were of the “surprise me” flavor. This is one.
Sacha apparently happened across some gold bricks in the back of his new armored truck, which were clearly put to good use on the dropouts. Yes, it’s real gold.
Speedvagen offers this different and sometimes mystery finish option exclusively through Coat, Vanilla’s in-house paint company. The in-house nature of the paint work allows for some crazy color coordinating, like some matching Paul Components cantis for example.
Kudos to Bob Huff for the fantastic photography, and the entire Vanilla Workshop for all their hard work.
Anytime someone puts a 50t chainring on a cx bike, a little part of me dies.
You’d think a shop with such attention to detail would put a Cyclocross crankset on a cyclocross bike.
Anytime someone thinks there’s only one way to spec a bike, a little part of me realizes i’m reading Bikerumor comments.
what rookie has one chainset? 1 for training 1 for racin
what rookie has one bike? swapping drivetrains is for the birds
What the hell? Doesn’t he know that Campagnolo makes a production CX crankset?
@Dr.Unk = WIN.
JEEZ! Lighten up. My son races a SS version of this bike (same paint scheme) and it flies!!! Nice work Sacha. (Maybe someday…… sigh)
The bike with the 50t setup is obviously a pit bike… I’m sure dood’s racebike has a cross crank on it…
Agree the 50t ring is just wrong. World champions don’t run rings that big and I guarantee you whoever owns this bike is nowhere near that good. OTOH could just be what they had available for the photo shoot. I’d be inclined to give Sacha the benefit of the doubt.
Just use the cross-over gear and stop whining! a little more top end never hurt anyone!
Good grief! Stunning bike and all we can talk about is the crank?
Nice Speedvagen, but I’ll have mine in olive drab, thank you.
WHO CARES, ITS NOT YOUR BIKE! 50t or not. this is a great looking bike and a really great paint job.
Putting one of the softest metals in the world on the face of something that’s going to get chewed up by a knurled steel washer seems like a poor choice of areas to bling. I’m guessing it’s going to look nice for exactly 1 wheel change…
Androo: those were my initial thoughts exactly! Just another way to command more money for those who have more money than brains.
He is gonna ride this bike more so on the road then the cx course. Duh!
Guarantee that this bike will not see a cx course!
In general I have to say that many of the conservative comments in this discussion are again very telling why bikes are so far behind the curve as far as technical development is concerned (compared to other industries).
As far as the whole indie bike scene and personal taste all I can do is to quote my buddy who gobbles nutella directly form the jar:”If it’s good for your soul, it’s good for you”
This is one of those times where words are insufficient to describe how amazing a bike is. I just can’t believe how everyone is nerding out over the crankset as though everyone uses a cyclocross bike in the same manner, in the same terrain, at the same fitness level, and thus, must only use one particular chainring spread on their crankset.
I rode with a guy riding a Speedvagon CX during the Dirty Kanza 200, and i told him he was an noob for using a 50t ring up front on his CX bike, dispite being in a 200 mile gravel race. What a noob. LOLz.com
LOL JK, he was awesome, with his big rings and sexy bike. Caliente should come do some 200-300 milers with us! 😉
This bike is pure sex.
Those cuffed pants and black boots I recognize a mile away. Cool thing about the Speedvagens to a normal Vanilla frame is that it’s like getting a custom frame built by two awesome builders(Sacha and DeSalvo) instead of just Sacha. Not saying a Vanilla frame isn’t the cat’s meow but a frame built by a NAHBS two time best TIG welded frame winner and White is the bees knees.