VO Polyvalent Framesets
I was able to build up one of the new Polyvalent framesets from Velo-Orange over the holiday. I won’t be able to take the bike for a long ride until the weekend (crossing fingers) but I have some observations from the build and short errand-running rides that might be useful for those considering the frameset.
My goal for the build was a spirited porteur–something that felt a lot like a road bike and could carry a large load on the front rack. Parts selection was widely guided by what I had sitting in bins in the shop. The build went smoothly and I didn’t encounter any frame quirks. The welds are very nice and the flat black black frame color grew on me.
As luck would have it, a day after the bicycle was completed I received a call from my wife telling me she was at the post office picking up an unexpectedly large package. So the Polyvalent was able to do a little porteur duty immediately.
While very large, the box above wasn’t extremely heavy, and wind was much more of a concern on the ride home than the weight. When installing the VO porteur rack I made one simple change from the rack installation shown on their blog that improves the rack performance. If you click on the link you’ll see that mounting the porteur rack level on the PV moves the rack away from the headtube, creating a long lever between the rack and the single mounting point at the fork crown. I sacrificed a level rack and mounted the rack as far back as to shorten the rack strut/lever.
I’ve started to use the Polyvalent for sans toddler grocery runs. I usually treat these rides as a form of exercise, ride fairly quickly, and haven’t once felt the bicycle was holding me back at all. Although my schedule rarely allows it, I do like to ride with the local roadie club once in a while. I stick with the 17-18 mph group, and the rides are generally from 30 to 60 miles. I intended these rides to be the Polyvalent’s second use, and my first few miles have done nothing to make me think it won’t serve this purpose well.
The obligatory component list follows. For the interested the bicycle as pictured would cost $2175. This price includes assembly and two wheelbuilds. $2025 unassembled (wheels built, headset and bottom bracket installed). Framesets are $400. Call or e-mail to order.
- Nexus 8spd rear hub
- Alfine trigger shifter (akward and hideous–I spoke with Jtek yesterday and they should have their Alfine/Nexus barend shifters back in production in a month or two)
- Sugino XD700 compact double cranks used with single ring and Sugino chainguard
- VO bottom bracket, headset, seatpost, porteur rack, 650B fenders, and Diagonale rims
- Nitto Technomic Deluxe stem and Promenade bars
- Dia-Compe Giudonnet Levers with Tektro CR720 brakes
- Shimano DH-3N72 dynohub
- Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ Cyo Chrome Senso headlight and Planet Bike Superflash tailight
- Gran Bois Hetre tires
- Brooks B17 Champion Special
- MKS Sylvan Touring pedals
- Sunlite double legged kickstand
Anthony, could you compare the Polyvalent and the Kogswell P/R beyond the things one can see in photos? For example, could you address sizing, weight, build quality, handling, or more subtle details?
I’m so glad you referred to the alfine trigger shifter as ‘awkward and hideous’ b/c when I first looked at the pictures my first thought was “WHAT IS THAT BLOB ON THE BARS?”
Glad to hear the jteks are returning!
Hi Anthony, your bike looks great, best Poly-V build I’ve seen yet! What size frame did you choose?
Hi Anthony, thanks for doing the rack the right way with your Polyvalent build. All of the builds I’ve seen have that large gap between the headtube and porteur rack–it was the first thing that caught my eye and I was surprised VO built the one on their blog that way!
Jim,
I choose the 57. I had a hard time deciding between the 57 and 60. With drop bars this would fit just about right, but with the bars I choose a 60 would fit better. The saddle to handlebar is a bit short. Not unridable, but I’d have more usable hand positions with a 60. If anyone needs a very, very slightly used 57 I would like to switch to a 60 at some point.
Chris,
Aside from the obvious differences–top tube angle, no low-rider mounts on the PV, I can’t make many informed comments. I have built many P/R’s and put in several thousand miles on a G1. I’ve built up one PV and put less than 50 miles on it. I would say the weight is almost identical to the G2 P/R’s, and the sizing is very similar as well. I didn’t put the PV on an alignment table, but didn’t notice anything odd when building it up. Everything seems like it is in the right place. No DT bosses on the PV, obviously, which will be a plus for some builds and a big drawback on others.
The Alfine shifter would work better on the right bar, with the levers on top. Although it does look really big and awkward on that bike! We have one on our Christiania, where it fits the scene a little better.
Anthony
How are those brake levers to use? Do they provide the same power (on the tektro cantis) compared to standard MTB levers like the the Shimano R440 I have?
Good idea. At the present position shifting down to a lower gear is easy, but shifting to a larger gear is a little awkward. At this point I’m holding out for the reappearance of the Jtek, so I won’t change mine for now, but I’ll keep in mind the option you mentioned, which I hadn’t considered.
They don’t feel as powerful as standard MTB style leverss, but they feel more than adequate. The front brake feels solid. The rear is a bit mushy, but I suspect this is because the Polyvalent requires full length housing for the rear brake.