Van Dessel WTF

The Interbike Expo trade show, which we attended last week, can be a little overwhelming. Every company in the bicycling industry displays its finest, flashiest items in an attempt to snag tradeshow-goers’ attention. Not all succeed, that is for sure. But one booth last week stopped me cold in my tracks.

A lime green, arched twin-tube-topped, steel framed, vintage cruiser-styled beauty stood beaming from the Van Dessel booth. It’s called the Whisky Tango Foxtrot, or WTF for short. I had to stop to shoot photos and walk around the bike. It’s a beautiful frame that can be built as a road bike, commuter bike, or even do off-road duty as a cyclocross bike. Or maybe you wanna go for “monster cross” and slap some 45mm tires on it!

While not new, or even completely unique, the bike is eye-catching and looks to be a super fun, versatile ride. Frame, fork and headset will cost you $799. Build kits for the bike start at $1,299 and drift past the breath-taking $8,000 mark. You can choose either chain drive or Gates belt drive — a very cool option. Any way you build it, the WTF is sure to inspire comments, and it looks to be a rad ride to boot.

—T.C. Worley