Home > Bike Types > Cyclocross

A Peek Inside Vanilla Workshop’s 2012/2013 Speedvagens & Gold Plated Dropouts

20 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Speedvagen_Purple_Team_Full
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…

Vanilla_Workshop_Speedvagen_Birdseye

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!

Speedvagen_2012_Purple_Team_Front

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.

Speedvagen_2012_Purple_Team_Gold_Dropouts

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_2012_Purple_Team_Matching_Paul_Cantis

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.

Speedvagen_2012_Purple_Team_Drivetrain

Kudos to Bob Huff for the fantastic photography, and the entire Vanilla Workshop for all their hard work.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

20 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Caliente
Caliente
12 years ago

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.

Dr.Unk
12 years ago

Anytime someone thinks there’s only one way to spec a bike, a little part of me realizes i’m reading Bikerumor comments.

bin judgin'
bin judgin'
12 years ago

what rookie has one chainset? 1 for training 1 for racin

pete
pete
12 years ago

what rookie has one bike? swapping drivetrains is for the birds

bc
bc
12 years ago

What the hell? Doesn’t he know that Campagnolo makes a production CX crankset?

Brandon
Brandon
12 years ago

@Dr.Unk = WIN.

carl
carl
12 years ago

JEEZ! Lighten up. My son races a SS version of this bike (same paint scheme) and it flies!!! Nice work Sacha. (Maybe someday…… sigh)

Mike C
Mike C
12 years ago

The bike with the 50t setup is obviously a pit bike… I’m sure dood’s racebike has a cross crank on it…

Chris L
Chris L
12 years ago

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.

Mr4strings72
Mr4strings72
12 years ago

Just use the cross-over gear and stop whining! a little more top end never hurt anyone!

Jason
Jason
12 years ago

Good grief! Stunning bike and all we can talk about is the crank?

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
12 years ago

Nice Speedvagen, but I’ll have mine in olive drab, thank you.

diehipsterdie
diehipsterdie
12 years ago

WHO CARES, ITS NOT YOUR BIKE! 50t or not. this is a great looking bike and a really great paint job.

Androo
Androo
12 years ago

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…

Tom
Tom
12 years ago

Androo: those were my initial thoughts exactly! Just another way to command more money for those who have more money than brains.

alex
alex
12 years ago

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!

been there
been there
12 years ago

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”

Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles
12 years ago

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.

ChadQuest
12 years ago

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.

Hans So Slow
11 years ago

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.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.