Cali Old Skool cool for Joe O’Connor’s Van’s inspired Izoard RR
Joe’s Vans inspired Old Skool Spoon Customs Izoard RR custom bike build. Photo by Liz Seabrook.
Vans has been making skate shoes since 1966. Vans #36, the Old Skool, was first introduced to the public in 1977 and it’s been in near constant production since. It was first made at the Anaheim factory in California and was the first shoe to use the now iconic side stripe. The stripe itself was a random doodle by one of the brother’s who founded the brand, Paul Van Doren. It was original called the jazz stripe and has become the unmistakable hallmark of the Vans brand.
Fizik Saddle, ultegra caliper, and Deda Finishing kit at the rear end of Joe’s Van’s inspired custom build. Photo by Liz Seabrook.
Joe O’Connor, the customer who commissioned this bike works for Vans (a VF Company) in Montreal. He wanted a steel bike to celebrate this early skate shoe that he coveted from the cold of Canada, so far from the California sun.
Pirelli P-Zero’s providing epic grip and a nod to the gum sole of the original Vans Old Skool #36. Photo by Liz Seabrook.
The stripes on the bike lean into those 70’s vibes, and to avoid any confusion about the era this idea hails from we added a matte mango headset and matching BB from Chris King to complete the concept and make a reference to Joe’s MTB days (like so many of us he spent most of the nineties pimping out MTB frames with anodised bits).
The materials here aren’t rubber and canvas like the shoes, so Sam at Gun Control took some artistic licence and added some mica metallic to the darker blue to make it stand up against the solid seventies hue in the bottom of the bike. The stripes expertly masked by Sam’s keen eye adding some movement in keeping with the period. The gun wall tyres were the closest we could find to match the sole of the iconic sneaker and hopefully just as grippy.
Wheels by Ben Sharp of Sharp Precision Wheels, shown here with Pirelli P-Zero rubber, our Columbus Futura Rim Brake fork, and Chris King’s Inset 7 in Matte Mango. Photo by Liz Seabrook.
Joe opted for a pretty classic build spec’ with a rim brake and mechanical shifting set-up . It’s about as true to the original blueprint for our very first Izoard RR’s as it’s possible to get. Which feels lovely given the bike is designed to commemorate something iconic from the early days of Joe’s other favourite brand.
Sam Week’s at Gun Control Custom Paint applied the masks for the stripes and painted the bike. The mica metallic standing up under the lights and visible on the leading edges of the fork. Photo by Liz Seabrook.
The wheels aren’t retro at all. They’re Ben’s now staple road wheel from Sharp Precision Wheels, with a Venn 51mm filament wound rim expertly laced to DT Swiss hubs with a Sapim CX Ray spoke keeping it all together and true. The shifting is taken care of by Shimano Ultegra and Deda finishing kit completes the build.
The shoot was possible by kind permission of the team at House of Vans in London and was shot by Liz Seabrook who first shot a Spoon Custom for the Brooks England catalogue way back in 2014. This is the first time we’ve worked together since, and it was loads of fun shooting such a rad bike in a skatepark. It feels like our own down-to-earth take on the awesome skate-cycling collabs we’ve seen over the last couple of years.
Thanks to Joe for the inspiration, ideas and confidence to build this dream bike for him. You’re a true gent Joe, and it’s been wonderful working with you. Thanks to Liz for the mega photos. And finally, massive thanks to the team at House of Vans in London for letting us loose in their skate park.
We’d like to dedicate this build to Paul Van Doren who sadly passed away just last year. He shares this quote on his website, which resonated with us.