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| Photo by Mel Saldonido |
We met Vincent on Facebook after he shared some beautiful photos of his Smoothie build.
Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Vincent
Lo, AKA VLO. Somehow the whole VLO thing got me into the VELO things. I have
Midwest/Southern roots, and lived in San Francisco for about 6 years.
Currently, I am living in Orange County, California.
What kind of riding
do you do ?
If you have one,
what is your favorite ride route?:
On the
weekdays, I commute to work about 30 miles a day, 15 miles each way. On the
weekends, I will ride with my local bike shop on some club rides or with some
friends on more remote rides. I love riding in the city/metropolitan areas like
LA, where there are a lot of cars and obstacles that you have to be aware of
and dodge to make it to your destination. Keeps me focused and my senses
heightened.
What types of bikes have you owned or still have?
I currently have 5 ridable bikes, and probably another 5
frames and parts that I have yet to build up. Top 3 are 2014 SOMA Smoothie
Shimano 105, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000 Shimano 600, 2010 Mercier Kilo WT. I have a
high-end carbon bike too, but my true passion is in steel bikes. My favorite is
the SOMA Smoothie because it's fun to ride, comfortable, and handsome.
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Details: H+Son TB14 on White Industries T11 wrapped with Veloflex Master 25,
Shimano 105 5600 group, Brooks B17 saddle and handlebar tape. Photo by Vince Lo
[click on image because its worth the zoom] |
What made you choose a Smoothie and why did you custom
build it as you did?
What started out as building a low cost, do-it-all,
everyday commuter from random parts and take-off's from my other builds, this
SOMA Smoothie quickly became a pet project after seeing how beautiful and well
built the frame was. I couldn't let it be any ordinary commuter anymore (i.e. one
that I would ride everyday, to and from work, lock up at poles, get beat up and
scraped, and risk it getting stolen). While keeping the “do-it-all” attitude, it
be came a capable, agile boy racer that would tear through urban streets and
tackle the highest mountains.
The build pays homage to the city of SF, from which the
SOMA brand originates from, and my first destination in my California life.
Like the city, which has an eclectic design and architecture fusing Victorian
and modern eras, this bike combines the look of the golden years of cycling
with modern amenities and comfort.
So you are a graphic designer and you obviously do some photography.
What are some of the more interesting creative projects (professional or personal) that you are working on?
By day, I am a graphic designer for a "black
business bag" company, and by night, I take on cool random freelance
projects (many of which I cannot mention at the moment). I am also trying to
start my brand of cycling jerseys and accessories, which I am calling VELOPRIME.
What you excited about doing, trying or going in 2015?
Still seeking the big adventure in 2015. Last year we did
the 4-day hike on the Inca Trail in Peru. We'll see if we can top that this
year.
Is there an activity, hobby or cause that you are
involved in now that you would like to share?
Sneakers. It's a bad addiction. I have a continuously
growing collection of retro runners, Air Jordan's, Air Max, Dunks, all that
good stuff. If money isn't spent on bikes, it's on shoes.
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| See more of Vince's photos here |
What's on heavy rotation on your music player?
Are MP3's still around?? I just stream stuff: AH.fm,
Groove Salad, Dubstep Beyond... and Taylor Swift. I can't start my day without
Taylor Swift. Don't judge :D
What food or drink would you miss after the zombie
apocalypse?
Mexican Coke and burritos de lengua [Editor: Coca-Cola from Mexico contains real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. Available at many Hispanic grocery stores.]
