Sacha White created custom bicycle builders Vanilla Bicycles in 1999 in Portland, Oregon. His concept was simple: it’s what the artisan frame builder does with handmade steel frames that creates a premium cycling experience.
Vanilla’s bespoke bicycle approach was to focus obsessively on custom bike craftsmanship, and every single part of a Vanilla steel frame bicycle is carefully considered. The Portland bike shop quickly found itself at the forefront of the handmade custom bicycle world among premium bicycle brands, with overwhelming demand leading to long waitlists.
Not content to rest on his laurels, White created a sister brand called Speedvagen in 2007. Production times are shorter, making the Vanilla aesthetic more accessible.
Spring has sprung in Sydney, after one of the wettest winters in memory. Muddy conditions, however, are favoured for cyclocross racing, which is becoming more popular in Australia with every passing season. This Vanilla Speedvagen is a recent import and will be making the rounds at ensuing races.
For those of us who anxiously reload the Vanilla Bicycles flickr page, hoping for an update on what’s new around the Portland workshop, this week has seen our cups runneth over. This single-speed cyclocross bike is the second cream machine to appear within a week, the first being a road bike with virtually the same…
Simon Courtney is one of those intrepid and creative New Zealand types that embody the Kiwi spirit of innovation, enterprise and determination. Simon works as…
If you’re a little jaded after watching the world’s most advanced carbon fiber race machines careen over the highest mountains in France for the last…
There’s currently a four year waiting list for a Vanilla Bicycle, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter. Not surprisingly, with efforts like…
There was an unspoken rule on The Spoken concerning bicycle photography: No bikes in front of garage doors and no non-drive side shots. This tourer…
Sacha White and the team at Vanilla Bicycles in Portland obviously haven’t been slowing down for the holiday season; their latest creation is an elaborate…
Nothing pleases me more than laying eyes on a bike that combines impeccable craftsmanship with well thought out graphic skill. The latest offering from the…
