Monday, April 14, 2014

Velo Orange "Campeur": One Year In

It was exactly one year ago, today, that I completed the build of my Velo Orange "Campeur" and began to reap the benefits and joy that such a well thought out bicycle could bring. The Campeur is my idea of an ideal commuter bike: comfy, practical, fairly nimble, and full of options. In addition to being an excellent commuter, the Campeur is more than capable tackling gravel and touring-duties as well.


The Velo Orange "Campeur" frameset, awaiting to be built, Spring Break 2013

The Campeur has lived up to, and in some cases, has even surpassed some of my expectations that I had for the frame, and the following are some of my thoughts regarding the frame and the build:


Options:

One thing that I've always appreciated about touring and cyclocross frames, when compared to their racier brethren, is their ability to offer more options in the way of wide tires and fenders. In addition to being more comfortable on rougher roads, studies have shown that wider tires can be more efficient than narrower options. And as far as year-round commuting goes, full-coverage fenders is a no-brainer. Mounting fenders on the Campeur couldn't be easier thanks to the conveniently placed threaded bosses that can be found on the seat-stay bridge, chain-stay bridge, and under the fork crown. Not only does this allow for quick and convenient fender-mounting, it also results in a very clean look and eliminates possible rattling that can come from using fender brackets.


Clean aesthetics thanks to convenient threaded bosses
Threaded boss located underneath the lugged fork crown, a nice touch

Thanks to the generous clearances on the Campeur's frame and fork, you are able to fit some fairly wide tires on this bicycle. Velo Orange officially says that up to 700x38c will fit with fenders, although I have heard of people fitting as wide as 40mm and 45mm tires. Currently, I am running Panaracer's Pasela TourGuard in a 700x35c size and have had absolutely no clearance issues when combined with Velo Orange's 52mm "Zeppelin" fender-set.

Another nice touch that sold me on the Campeur was the dedicated kickstand plate that is welded onto the bottom of the frame. Unfortunately, kickstands have become somewhat of a faux pas in the cycling community. However, I am a strong believer in kickstands, especially if the bicycle is to be used for more recreational-type purposes.

Campeur shown utilizing its kickstand. Note: Zeppelin fenders not shown in this photo

Ride Quality:
To say that the Campeur is a comfortable ride would be quite an understatement. The steel frame, the curved legs of the fork, and the previously mentioned wide tires all contribute to the super-comfy ride. The slightly slacker head-tube and seat-tube angles make the handling more stable and predictable than racier road bikes, but it is still more nimble than some of the touring/adventure bicycles that I've thrown a leg over. The threaded steerer-tube, quill stem, and slightly extended head-tube allow you to get the handlebars up higher, in more of a comfortable, up-right position. The lower bottom-bracket add to the up-right nature of the bicycle and makes for a very stable ride when on gravel roads or when in a touring situation, keeping your center-of-mass low.

The Build:
For the build, I decided to go with some tried-and-true 9-speed Shimano components. Like most everything Shimano makes, these parts are dependable and I appreciate the clean, silver alloy look (something that has become a little bit of a rarity in this day and age).

Bombproof Shimano 9-speed bar-end shifters

Tiagra 9-speed rear derailleur and Tiagra triple front derailleur (not shown)

Sora/Tiagra-level Shimano brake levers

Velo Orange "Sabot" pedals have become a favorite of mine

No commuter bike would be complete without a bell!
Finishing up the build is a set of 36-spoke wheels composed of Deore LX hubs laced to Mavic A119 rims. The cockpit is made up of a Velo Orange Grand Cru seatpost, my go-to Brooks B17 Special saddle, Grand Compe ENE stem, and Nitto's "Noodle" handlebar.

Future Plans:
Future plans for the Campeur include switching out to some even wider tires and doing some more adventuring on gravel roads. The Campeur might possibly see a rack or two later this summer in order to pursue some light touring and possibly even a day or two of RAGBRAI.

Until then, I'm going to continue to enjoy each-and-every mile that I get aboard this trusty steed.

More information regarding the Campeur can be found at Velo Orange's website. And if you're looking for a place, locally, that can help you out with building up this or any one of Velo Orange's beautiful frames be sure to contact Europa Cycle & Ski.

Have any further specific questions for me? Be sure to ask in the comments section below!


-Jonathan, PedalBound

6 comments:

  1. Bike looks great. Who makes the kickstand?

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    1. Thanks, Lee, the kickstand is a Pletscher double-legged kick-stand: http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/k21.htm . You should be able to find this at most LBS, and if they don't have one in-stock, they can definitely order one for you. Thanks for the compliments on the bicycle!

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  2. What a beautiful bike! I have question: what made you choose the Campeur frame from other VO frames such as the Polyvalent?

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  3. Hey-did you ever switch out the tires to those 40mm X’Plor MSOs? Thinking about doing that on my Campeur but am a little hesitant to pull the trigger since they’re a bit wider than spec (would pair them with 50mm VO snakeskin fenders)

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  4. The Campeur I built spring of 2018, very similar component set to yours. This is a very under-rated bike, it's one of the best do-everything bikes out there.

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  5. Beautiful bike! What frame size is this? 53 or 55?

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