Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Sacha White created Vanilla Bicycles in 1999 in Portland, Oregon. His concept was simple: it’s what the builder does with materials that creates a premium cycling experience.

Vanilla’s approach was to focus obsessively on craft and design, and every single part of a Vanilla bike is carefully considered. The company quickly found itself at the forefront of the handmade custom bicycle world, 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.

Vanilla Speedvagen Cyclocross

Vanilla Speedvagen Cyclocross

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.

Vanilla Bicycles Cream Cross

Vanilla Bicycles Cream Cross

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…

Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Vanilla Bicycles NAHBS Track

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…

Vanilla Bicycles Monson

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…

Vanilla Jered’s Commuter

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…

Vanilla Bicycles Goodwin Tourer

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…

Vanilla Bicycles Randonneur

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…

Vanilla Speedvagen CX

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…