Another MADE is in the books, and honestly, it was the best one yet! A massive thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth to chat and check out what we’ve been working on. After a weekend like that, my battery is completely drained, but my community tank is full.

Massive credit to the VO team for crushing it all weekend, and a huge shoutout to the MADE crew for putting on a flawless event - it all went off without a hitch.

Now for the fun part: let's dive into the new gear dropping later this year and into next. Strap in, there’s a lot to cover! :)

Thank you to Bikepacking for the pictures! 

Velo Orange X Blue Lug Escargot Cargo Bike

The Escargot Cargo Bike is the ultimate synthesis of utility, thoughtful engineering, and urban cycling culture. Born from a collaborative meeting of the minds between Velo Orange and Blue Lug, this project brings together decades of shared passion for practical, beautiful, and deeply functional bicycle design. Working side by side with the Blue Lug team to turn this shared vision into real steel was a true honor.

Built around a nimble 26" rear wheel and a low-center-of-gravity 20" front wheel, the Escargot balances excellent handling with heavy-hauling capability. Every tube, mount, and braze-on on this frame was designed with precise intention - ensuring that whether you're loaded down with gear or cruising unladen, the ride remains smooth, stable, and comfortable.

Here are the (tentative) specs! We'll have geo tables once everything is finalized after real-world testing.

• Frame: 4130 double butted chromoly frame with sliding rear dropouts and disc brake mounts, integrated grab handle

• Fork: heat-treated 1 1/8" threadless and 100mm thru-axle with accommodations for fenders and cargo cages

• Front Rack: Large, designed for this bike from chromoly steel with mounts for Wald 157 basket, Blue Lug Milk Crate, and many other large platform portage implements.

• Rear Wheel: 26”, disc only, 12x142 thru-axle

• Front Wheel: 20", 406 Bead Seat Diameter, disc only, 12x100 thru0axle

• Tire Clearance: 2.3" tires WITH fenders or 2.5” without

• Bottom Bracket: English threaded 68mm

• Brakes: Disc Post mount rear, IS Front, 160mm rotors suggested

• Seatpost: 31.6mm (35.0mm seat collar not included). Compatible with internal dropper posts. 

• Front Derailleur Size: 35.0mm (1x crankset recommended, though)

• Water Bottle Mounts: Seattube, downtube, and under-downtube bottle cage mounts

• Fender Bosses: seat stay bridge, chainstay bridge, under fork crown

• Frame Eyelets: Eyelets on rear dropouts for racks and fenders. Eyelets on top of top tube for gas tank-style bags

• Fork Eyelets: Eyelets on fork dropouts. Triple bosses on the blades for cargo/water bottle cages.

• Cable Routing: External on the downtube and internal dropper routing on the seat tube.

• Estimated Spring 2027 availability

Neutrino Gen 2

The Neutrino Mini Velo 2.0 refines our classic, go-anywhere small-wheeler by pairing years of real-world rider feedback with advanced manufacturing techniques and modern frame standards. It retains every bit of the original Neutrino’s nimble, playful DNA while elevating fit, strength, and overall utility.

From quick city commutes to full-blown bike-touring adventures, Neutrino 2.0 brings updated geometry for an improved fit range and even sharper handling. We’ve updated the frame tubing with targeted heat-treating and custom-butted profiles where strength matters most, alongside 12mm thru-axles front and rear for rock-solid connections under load. Front cargo capacity is fully integrated into the frame setup, featuring a dedicated headtube mount for Brompton-style carrier blocks alongside an all-new custom mini front rack tailored specifically to the platform.

• Frameset: 4130 double butted chromoly frame and fork

• Fork: heat-treated 1 1/8" threadless with accommodations for fenders, racks, and cargo cages

• Wheel Size: 20", 406 Bead Seat Diameter, 12mm thru-axle

• Tire Clearance: Clearance for 2.3" tires WITH fenders. 2.5” without.

• Rear Spacing: Sliding, 142mm thru-axle dropouts for geared, single speed, or internally geared hubs

• Fork Spacing: 100mm thru-axle

• Bottom Bracket: English threaded 68mm

• Brakes: Disc Post mount rear, IS Front, 160mm rotors suggested

• Seatpost: 31.6mm (35.0mm seat collar included). Compatible with internal dropper posts. 

• Front Derailleur Size: 35.0mm (1x crankset recommended, though)

• Water Bottle Mounts: Seattube, downtube, and under-downtube bottle cage mounts

• Fender Bosses: seat stay bridge, chainstay bridge, under fork crown

• Frame Eyelets: Eyelets on rear dropouts for racks and fenders, internal eyelets on monostay, and mounts on top of top tube for gas tank bags.

• Fork Eyelets: Eyelets on fork dropouts. Triple thru-bosses on the blades for cargo/water bottle cages. Hourglass braze-on for racks.

• Cable Routing: External on the downtube and internal dropper routing on the seat tube.

• November 2026 availability

Gravel Cranks

The Gravel Crankset bridges classic aesthetics and modern frame standards, offering a fresh, adaptable take on the traditional 3-piece square-taper setup. Engineered specifically around a modern gravel chainline, this crankset provides a balanced, wide-ish Q-factor (sitting right in the sweet spot between narrow road cranks and wide mountain bike setups) for comfortable pedaling and optimal frame clearance.

Designed to use standard 68mm or 73mm bottom bracket shells using reliable, readily available square-taper bottom brackets, it gives riders maximum drivetrain flexibility. The versatile 5x110 and 5x74 BCD spider supports both 1x single-ring and 2x double-ring configurations, making it the ultimate workhorse crank for touring rigs, daily commuters, mini-velos, cargo haulers, and vintage ATB restorations.

Each piece of the crankset will be available a-la-cart, so you can mix and match a variety of rings to get the eact setup you want. And by request, the cranks will be available in 160mm in addition to 165, 170, and 175!

Fall 2026 availability.

Muskrat Bars

The Muskrat Handlebars bring a heavy dose of moto-inspired style, versatile ergonomics, and serious utility to mini-velos, classic ATBs, and heavy-duty cargo rigs. Crafted from chromoly steel, these 22.2mm hi-rise bars deliver a comfortable, upright riding position that transitions effortlessly from loaded city cruising to rough-and-rowdy dirt paths.

Ridden on its own, it offers optimal compliance and a smooth, vibration-dampening feel that meets rigorous ISO touring standards. Add the upcoming removable clamp-on crossbar and stiffening up the front end, it meets demanding ISO mountain bike ratings for technical trails.

• 780mm wide trimmable down to 700mm

• 140mm rise to center of grip

• 23 deg backsweep

• 5 deg upsweep
  

• Estimated Spring 2027 availability

Drop Handlebars

The Modern Classic Drop Bars answer a long-standing request from riders seeking traditional road proportions updated for real-world ergonomics. Built specifically to bridge classic frame aesthetics with current brake-lever design, these bars deliver a natural, comfortable wrist angle whether mounted on vintage touring rigs with quill stems, fixed-gear track builds, or retro road bikes with threaded steerers. Currently in real-world prototype testing, the design focuses on subtle profile refinements that dramatically improve long-distance comfort and hand placement.

• 25.4 clamp diameter

• 15 deg of flare

• 97mm of reach

• 123mm of drop

• Will be available in a few different widths, 46cm pictured

• Estimated Spring 2027 availability

Rim Brake Rims 

These prototype rim brake rims (still need to figure out a Star Trek name for these…) bring classic rim-brake builds straight into the modern era with tubeless reliability and updated internal dimensions. Built for riders who love the simplicity, lightweight feel, and elegant lines of rim brakes, this rim is designed to breathe new life into classic road, randonneur, and light touring setups.

With a versatile 19.7mm internal width, they offer the ideal tire-profile support for modern road and all-road rubber ranging from snappy 25mm clinchers to plush 38mm tires. Coming in at 439 grams and a sleek 25mm depth, it delivers the perfect combination of stiffness, comfort, and modernity.

• 19.7mm internal width - suitable for tires from 25mm to 38mm

• 25mm deep 

• 439g

• Estimated Spring 2027 availability