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Pro bikes, January 7, 2006
Pro Bikes: Shannon Skerritt's Vanilla Cross
Bikes of 'Cross Nationals, part 2The Vanilla essenceBy Steve Medcroft
At Cyclocross Nationals in Providence, Rhode Island, we spied several finely made and beautiful bikes built by custom frame builders. In the first installment of this special three-part tech series, we brought you Maureen Bruno-Roy's Independent Fabrication Planet Cross. Next up, we take a look at Master's 35-39 national champion Shannon Skerritt's pearl white Vanilla Cross. Who is Vanilla Bicycles?The Vanilla Bicycle Company, comprised of frame builder Sacha White and one assistant, opened in 1999. "My main focus at that time was on building 'cross and road racing bikes," begins White. "Over the years, my interests as a builder and a cyclist have grown to include commuting, touring and track racing, but I have to say that I have a special place in my heart for 'cross." Special because White races 'cross and is active in the thriving Portland-area 'cross scene. Asked why, when his company has limited production capacity, he finds the time to provide bikes to elite-level riders (Shannon Skerritt, Molly Cameron and Rhonda Mazza), White says "there are a few things at work." "The first is that cyclo-cross is near and dear to my heart. I race when I can and I feel strongly about helping the community by building frames for three national caliber Portland residents." There is also the valuable research and development feedback he can receive from pro-level racers. "I find it hugely beneficial to work closely with pros like Shannon, to dial in what is and isn't right in my racing machines. You can't find that kind of experience and feedback anywhere else." Shannon's Vanilla CrossWhat stands out mostly about Skerritt's 'cross bike when you first see it is how clean and simple the lines are. Built from steel, the fillet-brazed frame tubes seem to flow into each other. What Skerritt also says turns other racer's heads as much as Vanilla's aesthetics is its weight. "I'm an assistant manager at The Bike Gallery in Portland," Skerritt says. "We sell full carbon, titanium, steel and so on. With all the marketing around more exotic materials, steel has the reputation for being a heavy, cheap material, but the reality is that my 'cross bike weighs eighteen pounds; pretty much the same as a Scandium bike I had built up with the same parts." Skerritt's bike is light because White used a mix of Tru Temper and Dedacciai tubing and was careful with the brazing. "The brazing looks so pretty," he says, "and the bike rides better than any other bike I've had. You just can't get this look with aluminum." Adds White: "The frame was designed and built with Shannon's specific parts kit in mind. If certain braze-ons weren't needed, we didn't put them on, resulting in a svelte race bike. "There are small touches, like custom stainless dropouts. The bare stainless is forgiving and can be reworked without a problem [if it gets nicked up by the chain]." Skerritt started his cycling career in the mid-nineties mountain biking phase in New York, winning state titles his first two years of competition. He didn't make the move to 'cross until he moved to Portland in 1997. "I was a roadie really," he says, "but I really liked the concept of it and jumped right in when we moved." Since then, Skerritt, who competes with the Bike Gallery/Trek VW regional team during the road season, has raced several cyclo-cross nationals. "I've come close to winning before. And I've been second a couple of times," he says. After missing half of last season following a collision with a fellow cyclist that left him with two broken elbows, Skerritt carried strong road-season form and a pair of custom 'cross bikes provided by Sacha White into the '05 'cross season. "You can't buy a Vanilla in a store," Skerritt says. "Sacha builds them to order, one at a time, and most customers have to wait a year. So for him to build bikes for me to race on is very, very generous." The build-up of Skerritt's race bike started with the fit. "Although Sacha takes a lot of rider input and doesn't just dictate what you will ride, I didn't get crazy with the specifications. He knew exactly what I needed." As for the rest of the build, Skerritt pulled parts off his team-issue road bike; many of which he, as a non-professional rider, bought himself. "It's a mixed blessing to buy your own parts; I get what I want but I do have to pay. If I break a wheel, I pay for it." The drive-train is all Shimano Dura-Ace. "I run Bontrager Carbon Aero wheels," Skerritt adds. "My store is tight with Trek, so if I ever have a warranty issue or a part for a rebuild, Bontrager is really quick about responding to us and I haven't found another company better to work with." Skerritt runs Salsa's Short and Shallow bar on the end of a Bontrager Carbon stem, routing the front brake cable up over the bar instead of tucked underneath the tape. "Because my cable hanger and stem are so close, [Skerritt runs the stem reversed, neutralizing the angle so it is level with the ground], routing over the top is much cleaner and doesn't pinch the cable." PhotographyFor a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by Robert M. Huff/www.designpony.com
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Full specificationFrame: Vanilla Cross frame, fillet-brazed steel Cranks: Shimano Dura-Ace, 48/39 |
Wheels: Bontrager Race X-Lite Carbon Aero Bar: Sala Short and Shallow Headset: Chris King 1-1/8"
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