Riding back from work on my weekday commute recently on Caltrain, there was a woman in the bike car with a fairly opulent "mixte" bike (in the US, known as a women's bike with a lowered top tube and easier to step-over frame). It was made by Velo Orange, built-up in the classic French porteur style. It was equipped with the full array of VO branded parts, porteur handlebars, Peugeot style patterned fenders and racks with a wide platform porteur style rack up front.
In France porteur bikes were used by newspaper couriers often carrying very heavy stacks of newspapers, distributing them around the city. The VO bike had the porteur style rack and handlebars on these bikes, in a simple inverted U shape. It was medium blue with brightly contrasting orange cable guides. Not the usual commuter bike seen on CalTrain—as bikes can get beat up by other sometimes careless bicycle commuters.
I spoke with the owner of the VO mixte and she mentioned her boyfriend bought it for her at a local shop. She commuted from SF via CalTrain to San Jose had had a few different problems with this bike and really disliked it as a result. She'd had a blowout and the tire had to be replaced. The bike was set up with 700 x 28 Panaracer Pasela tires with gum sidewalls, they were blackened with brake pad residue from riding in wet/rainy conditions. Paselas are great for touring, but they don't take a city street beating so well. She mentioned previously she'd been riding a single speed that was "indestructable" in comparison and now wish she hadn't sold it.
As I sat riding the CalTrain, looking at the VO mixte in front of me, I noticed the plating on the front porteur rack wasn't so great and the rack was set-up too high and the fender was too short in front. Maybe the rack was added later. It had lower-end Tektro brakes. I couldn't help thinking this bike is basically a replicant of other better bikes from other more high end frame builders, that-is, this was a consumer-level replicant porteur style bike, (replicant, as used in the film "Blade Runner" based on the Philip K Dick story) compared to better made specialty bikes in the porteur or randonneur style such as Kogswell, Rivendell among other more reputable frame builders.
Knowing that the frame was made under the Velo Orange brand, using an art deco era typeface Parisian for it's logotype and most all of it's retro brand appearance, plus the fact that most all of the parts it sells under the VO brand are contracted out and made in Taiwan, I didn't say anything to the owner.
While the bike had a cool retro look, just a few problems can change any rider's view, especially if they are not so familiar with bike details. I understood the intent of the boyfriend in setting her up with a nicer bike—I know that setting up a bike for any friend can be a bit of challenge, since everyone's bike experience is subjective based on what they like.
Was this bike as good as perhaps an older bike built-up with better components as an urban commuter? After the owner mentioned she preferred her old single speed and would probably sell the VO, I couldn't blame her.
