![]() The ease of travelling with a fixed gear can’t be beat!įast forward a few months (and one pandemic) and the Tokyo games were officially canceled for 2020. Setting it up fixed gear (like my normal bikepacking bike) only made sense. I’d been eyeballing the Velo Orange Neutrino, thinking once it was minimally disassembled, I’d be able to pack my clothes in the same compact bike bag to easily store in a locker at the Tokyo airport for my return and work assignment. I had planned to end my exploratory cycling trip in Tokyo, and once there I would likely be working with limited space for a full-sized bike box or bike. Thinking this would be an incredible way to experience a country I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of visiting, I didn’t want to have to rely on renting an ill-fitting bike or dealing with the hassle of transporting my normal bikepacking rig. In 2019, while the Olympics were still being planned in the same pre-pandemic rhythms and routines as usual, I hatched a plan for a cycling adventure around Japan for the two weeks prior to my assignment with the Olympics in Tokyo. Unfortunately, the bikes rarely fit me, a long-armed and very lanky 6’3” half-Native American, half-German, and the best I can usually get is a 57cm road bike with a 100mm stem and 23c tires to drag around (with Euro braking, of course). When traveling with the team, I’ve normally been able to get my hands on a bike to get out and explore a bit during the minimal (but savored) time I can get away from the track. I’ve been fortunate to work with Olympic athletes and community riders alike, and travel the globe with the USA track cycling team in my role as the velodrome manager and a team mechanic. ![]() I’ve been working in elite and community track cycling for nearly a decade at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center Velodrome in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Words and photos by Christopher Schmidt ( my name is Chris. Learn more about Christopher and his one-of-a-kind mini velo here… Take it on tour, or home after work.įor more information from Velo Orange click here.Our first weekly Reader’s Rig of 2021 is Christopher Schmidt’s fixed gear Velo Orange Neutrino, a bike that’s small in size but big on charm, and is freshly back from a Good Night 2020 campout. Drops or flats, knobby or smooth, road or gravel, they’ve seen the Neutrino shine in so many configurations – even some ebike conversions! The Neutrino is unique but wildly versatile, making it a great all-arounder. This gives it the benefit of being easy to manoeuvre in smaller spaces, carry up stairs, store in smaller spots, and travel with, while making it a familiar and comfortable ride. It’s smaller and lighter than a more traditionally sized bike, but is designed to have the feel and handling of a full-sized frame. They’ve seen a surprising amount of people use the Neutrino for full-fledged touring, though I suppose that isn’t truly surprising, as its design inspiration is having a manageable size for traveling and navigating urban environments. No need to fish around for the cable and housing. Like many of their other offerings, a small tube is brazed into the downtube allowing for easy housing installation. If you choose to forgo the dropper post, the internal routing can easily be utilized for your rear brake set-up for a clean look. ![]() A necessity to up the rad-factor, it also helps the frame fit in Rinko bags, or if you just want the advantage of quick transitions from in and out of the saddle. ![]() In addition to the colour change, this iteration of the Neutrino minivelo is dropper post compatible. The Neutrino still has all the goodies you know and love – beautiful wishbone seatstays, braze-ons out the wazoo, and let’s not forget the kickstand plate that lets you park your steed (or pony?) with ease. The silver downtube decal similarly adds both class and understated flash. Without being too loud, Pistachio is definitely a fun color youu can play-up with your component and accessory choices. Just like its ice cream counterpart, this new flavour is delicious. ![]() So Velo Orange have a small announcement – Neutrinos are back in stock! And this go-around they have a cool new colour, a green we’re calling Pistachio. ![]()
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