Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Sacha White and The Vanilla Workshop team made it Down Under to Sydney this week, setting up shop at the Rapha Cycle Club for their Fit Tour. The aim was to meet new customers and make sure their new Speedvagen frames were perfectly suited to their physiques.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Sacha and Jenn brought a selection of bikes with them: their personal rides, including Sacha’s original Urban Racer — one of the most talked about bikes of 2015, and a couple of new customer’s builds.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

One of the most striking was this one, with a black Hollatext scheme with matching Busyman Bicycles saddle and bar tape — perfectly wrapped by Zak at Bondi’s Skunkworks Bikes. The combination was sensational, and formed a marvellous contrast to Sacha’s raw steel Urban Racer.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney
Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney
Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Jenn is in charge of graphics at Speedvagen, amongst other things. She is described, on her business card, as ‘The Glue’ and did an incredible job of coordinating the trip to Australia. She also did a great job of creating a ‘Vagenised Mondrian/ Unicorn design for the Tour.

Caps, T-shirts, bidons and musettes are available only (at present) by dropping in to see them at the Rapha Cycle Club Sydney tomorrow night (29th August), where a social gathering will be held, and next week at Shifter Bikes when the Tour heads down to Melbourne.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Sacha’s personal Speedvagen in the Matte Army Surprise Me! scheme, with matching Silca SuperPista Ultimate floor pump and Impero Ultimate frame pump. You’ll be able to see this incredible machine in person in Melbourne and at the Interbike show at Las Vegas in September.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

The Fit Tour isn’t just a fit tour, it’s a curated history of mementoes from Sacha’s career — both photos and ephemera from the process of making a frame by hand. With sanding belts, metal shavings and prototype dropouts displayed, it’s as close as you can get to a visit to the Portland workshop.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Sacha White has a very strong handshake, an admirable trait, obviously the result of many years of bending steel with his bare hands. He’s also dedicated to ensuring his customers are happy and riding frames that fit perfectly. This is his ‘Secret Stache Smile’.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

The Fit is the very beginning of the process. Every body is different, so it’s imperative to individually measure their geometry – right down to the millimetre. Of course, the body changes position when riding, but Sacha is aware of the optimum position is and that forms the platform of a tailored frame.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Above photo by Jeff Curtes. Jeff Curtes was on hand to document the process on behalf of Speedvagen and when they head back home, he will be the point of contact for new customers, providing test rides and talking them through the process on a face-to-face basis.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney
Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney
Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney
Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney
Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney

Saturday night will be Sydney-siders’ last chance to meet Sacha and commune with like-minded admirers of beautiful bicycles, of which there will be many on display. Some damn good food will be provided, so register for the event here.

From September the 1st – 6th, the Speedvagen Fit Tour will be in residence at Shifter Bikes in Melbourne, so if you’re a new or existing customer, book yourself in with Sacha for a Fit.

Insight: Speedvagen Fit Tour Sydney