Reader’s Rig: Tylor’s Velo Orange Polyvalent

Words and photos by Tylor Reimer

I’m Tylor, and I live an hour south of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where I work as an art director and photographer and run a website and Instagram account called TheCyclelist.co. I’ve always had a strong affinity for exploring the outdoors, so the draw to cycling seemed natural. Travelling quickly and enjoying the fresh air along the way while being able to stop on a whim and take photos or take an untravelled trail appealed to me.

In spring 2022, I started dreaming up my n+1. Being based in rural Manitoba, where gravel roads and open prairies stretch as far the eye can see, it seemed fitting that my next bike should loosely resemble a “gravel bike.” After some obsessive internetting, poring over countless bike builds for inspiration, I landed on the Velo Orange Polyvalent frameset as the perfect platform to build off of. It’s not specifically marketed as a gravel bike but more as a “do-it-all” bike. With that said, it had decent clearance, ample mounting points and was sturdy enough to be loaded up for bikepacking trips.

Since this was only my second full build, I learned a lot along the way in terms of component standards (or sometimes lack thereof) and actual bike wrenching. As can be expected, it took way longer than if I’d taken it to my local bike shop, but the end result was a bike I had some history with even before I rode it. The first ride felt like a small victory, and I was pleased with how the bike handled. The bike felt grounded and soaked up the gravel with aplomb. The only minor hiccup was the handlebars breaking loose halfway into the ride, which I realized was because I hadn’t torqued the stem to spec. Let’s just say it made the ride home a little treacherous over washboard gravel.

• Frame/Fork: Velo Orange Polyvalent – Gen 5
• Rims: Velocity Blunt SS
• Hubs: Velocity Race Disc 32H
• Tires: Ultradynamico Cava 650b x 47.99 Grey
• Handlebars: Curve Walmer 46BP
• Headset: Velo Orange Grand Cru
• Crankset: Velo Orange 1x 175mm, Wolf Tooth 42T chainring
• Pedals: Velo Orange Sabot
• Cassette: microSHIFT Advent X G-Series 10-speed 11-48
• Derailleur(s): microSHIFT Advent X 10-speed
• Brakes: Growtac Equal
• Shifter(s): microSHIFT Drop Bar Shifters
• Saddle: Brooks Cambium C17
• Seatpost: Velo Orange 0 Setback
• Stem: Velo Orange 100mm
• Front bags: Ron’s Bikes Fabio’s Chest Small
• Rear bags: Outer Shell Mini Saddle Bag
• Accessory bags: Outer Shell Stem Caddy
• Other accessories: Crane e-Ne Bell

Fast forward to this spring, I started putting more miles on the Polyvalent and grew to really enjoy my gravel rides. I’d often jump on the bike at lunch and put in a quick lunch lap or head out after work with my local cycling crew for longer evening rides. We managed to pack in a few bikepacking trips with the crew as well, and I’ve got to say the Polyvalent handled all the different forms of biking I threw at it with ease. It really does feel like a do-it-all build.

The build kit is listed below, but a couple of things about this build I’m particularly fond of: the Velocity Blunt SS are bombproof and iconic, the Ultradynamico Cavas are supple and add a certain je ne sais quoi, the Wolf Tooth chainrings are unstoppable and my go-to on any build, the Growtac Equal brakes are powerful and an easy to set up, the Ron’s Bikes Fabio’s Chest is cavernous in capacity and timeless in style, the microSHIFT Advent X is beautifully engineered at a price you can’t beat, and the Curve Walmer 46BP handlebars sit in a sweet spot of width and flare.

You can follow along with Tylor on Instagram.

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