Bob's All-Rounder Polyvalent Low Kicker

Jun 12, 2025by Igor Shteynbuk

Dreaming in Steel: Building My Ideal All-Rounder from the Ground Up

By Bob Gassman | Iowa City, Iowa

Like many committed bicycle commuters, my relationship with bikes has evolved through chapters—each one defined by a particular frame, purpose, and circumstance. I've been riding to work year-round since 2008, through Iowa’s sweltering summers and snow-cloaked winters. Over the years, I’ve ridden everything from road bikes and mountain bikes to a custom titanium build and a cargo hauler. Each served a purpose, but none quite managed to do it all. None captured the versatility, practicality, and aesthetic I truly desired—until now.

A Platform with Purpose: The Velo Orange Polyvalent

In 2024, I picked up a Velo Orange Polyvalent Low-Kicker frame in the shimmering Metallic Glacier finish—a decision guided as much by function as by form. This wasn’t just a bike purchase. This was the beginning of a dream build—my chance to purposefully choose every component and materialize the ultimate all-rounder I’d long envisioned.

I grew up surrounded by “Iowa Pragmatism”—an ethic of making practical, unpretentious choices grounded in experience and necessity. That’s what guided this build: a sense of humility paired with thoughtful design, rugged durability with polished elegance. The low-kicker frame offered just the right geometry for a relaxed but confident fit, especially for urban riding or weekend rambling.

A Ride That Reflects the Rider

This bike is a manifestation of everything I’ve learned over nearly three decades in the saddle.

Wheels and Tires: I went with VO Voyager Disc 26” wheels—light enough for daily use, strong enough for Iowa’s potholes—and wrapped them in Ultradynamico Mars JFF 26” x 2.2” tires for plush grip and all-terrain freedom. These tires ride like butter on gravel and pavement alike.
Drivetrain: Tried and true, the vintage Deore XT derailleurs paired with Rivendell Silver 2 shifters provide classic, dependable shifting. The VO Grand Cru 110 Fluted Triple Crankset rounds out the drivetrain with elegant, tour-ready gearing.
Braking: Safety and control matter on Iowa’s wet and icy roads, so I chose Paul Klamper disc calipers (with those unmistakable orange adjusters) and Tektro 180mm rotors. Stopping power, dialed in with style.
Bars and Cockpit: The Granola-Moose Bar gives me upright command with a dash of flair. I added PDW Cork Chop grips, Paul Love Levers, and a Crane Suzu bell—function meets finesse. A custom stainless tube and VO water bottle cage clamps act as quirky headset spacers, a nod to improvisation with intent.

Built for Commuting, Ready for More

For me, this build is well balanced. It’s not a performance race machine, nor a burly expedition rig. It’s something better: a graceful commuter, a hauler, a joyride companion. I mounted a Nitto Big Back Rack in the rear and a Rivendell RBW Basket Rack by Nitto up front—both works of art in themselves. Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic bags hauls my laptop and lunch. My VO Copenhagen dual leg kickstand keeps the rig symmetrically upright, while the wheel stabilizer (upgraded with a heavy-duty spring) keeps the front end in alignment while loading.

Add in SKS Bluemels 65mm fenders to fend off slush and splash, Specialized Stix lights, King Cage Iris stainless bottle cages, and a Longfellow Leather safety triangle, and you’ve got a commuter that’s Iowa tough, ready for anything.

The Dream Realized

There’s a quiet joy in riding a bike you built yourself—every pedal stroke is a reminder of the choices you made, the vision you followed. The Polyvalent Low-Kicker isn’t just my dream bike because it’s beautiful or because it rides like a cloud. It’s my dream bike because it’s a reflection of who I am: pragmatic, detail-oriented, and just a little bit obsessed.

I didn’t set out to build a “perfect” bike. I set out to build my bike—and that’s what makes it perfect.

A blue bicycle parked next to a pond

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Build List

Frame – VO Polyvalent - Low Kicker - Large / Metallic Glacier

Front Wheel - Voyager Disc Front Wheel 26”/650B/700C - 26”

Rear Wheel – VO Voyager Disc Rear Wheel 26”/650B/700C - 26”

Tires – Ultradynamico Mars JFF 26”x2.2??/Tan

Brakes – Paul Klamper Disc Caliper, Long Pull, Silver w/ Orange adjusters

Rotors - Tektro TR-24 Disc Brake Rotor, 180mm

Handlebars - Granola-Moose Bar - Silver

Shifters – Rivendell Silver 2 with ThumbShifter Mount handlebar

Brake Levers – Paul Love Levers 2.5, Silver

Grips – Portland Desing Works Cork Chops

Housing – Jagwire 4mm L3 Derailleur Housing, 5mm Sport Brake Housing, Gray

Headset – VO 1-1/8” Sealed Bearing Threadless Headset - Noir

Headset spacers – Custom cut stainless steel tube with VO Hinged Water Bottle Cage Clamps - 28.6mm / Silver

Front Derailleur – Vintage Deore XT

Rear Derailleur – Vintage Deore XT

Bottom bracket – VO English Threaded Bottom Bracket - 124mm

Crankset – VO Grand Cru 110 Fluted Triple Crankset - 175 mm

Chain - KMC X8.93 6,7,8-Speed Chain 7.3mm

Pedals - MKS RMX Platform 9/16" Silver Pedals

Rear cassette - Sunrace CS-M66 12-32 8 Speed Cassette

Bell - Crane Bell Suzu Lever Strike Brass Bell

Fenders - SKS B65 Bluemels Full Coverage Fender Set - 65mm, 27.5/29/700 x 2.25, Silver

Front Rack – Rivendell RBW Basket Rack by Nitto

Rear Rack - Nitto Big Back Rack Medium

Saddle - Brooks B67 Honey

Seatpost – VO Grand Cru 0 Setback Seatpost, 27.2 - Silver

Kickstand – VO Copenhagen Dual Leg Kickstand

Deflopilator - Wheel Stabilizer – Small with custom heavy-duty spring

Bottlecages – King Cage Iris Stainless Steel

Bags - Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic

Safety Triangle – Longfellow Leather

Lights – Specialized Stix