The Vanilla Trike, from Vanilla Bicycles in (where else?) Portland, Oregon, manages to be both hugely impractical and utterly enticing, all at the same time.
The tricycle was custom built by bike maker Sacha White for his daughter, and is not for sale (estimates say that, if it was liquidated, it would go for around $10,000). Despite the fact that you’d get about 20 feet on this thing before giving up in frustration, it doesn’t skimp on the components. The Brooks leather saddle sits on a cro-moly frame and the front end and forks are fashioned from stainless steel. The headset comes from the legendary Campagnolo and the front hub and rear wheels are from Phil Wood, who arguably makes the best hubs and bottom brackets you can buy.
The back tires are, amusingly, meant for a wheelbarrow, and the whole thing is absolutely gorgeous. If I had kids (and if I slept on a mattress stuffed with cash), I’d commission one of these. I wouldn’t let them ride it of course, but they could maybe touch it once in a while. This build isn’t new — it was first shown way back in 2006 at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, but something this hot never gets old.
Vanilla Trike [Siam Fixed via Corpus Fixie]
Vanilla gallery [Vanilla Bikes]
Bike Journal [Vanilla blog]
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