Bob's Street Fight Polyvalent

Nov 10, 2024by Igor Shteynbuk

I started out riding "10-speed" road bikes in the late 70's (a 1977 steel-frame Lejeune was my favorite) in 1996 I transitioned to a Trek Mountain Bike (steel frame) for my rides on and off-road. I now look back and realize that it was the wider tire of the MTB that caught my attention, because I like the way that big tires handled the urban environment, especially when I commute to work.

When I moved to the PNW in 2000 I was still riding some sort of MTB as my daily commuter, In 2015 I switched to a Specialized Sirrus, which was basically a flat-bar alloy road-bike hybrid (700cx25). I still commute to work everyday in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains 13-months out of the year, I've learned that there's no bad weather, just bad gear.

Three years ago the "Path Less Pedaled" YouTube Channel showed up on my feed, I not only discovered 650b tires, but I also discovered Velo-Orange and steel frames. So, in the Fall of 2023 I ordered a Polyvalent frame-set, which was the best bike decision that I've ever made. The VO Polyvalent rides and handles well (it’s fast), comfortable, and the build quality and color is amazing. The VO Polyvalent takes me back to my 1977 Lejeune, and that’s why I went with a 1X 11-speed drive-train. When you take a look at my build, you'll notice a mix of road and MTB parts, old experiences die hard. In my opinion steel-frame bikes are a great option -- riding a VO Polyvalent on and off road is the best option.