Bike Check: Zach’s Squid VRY HRD
One more bike from the TXWC in Barcelona last year! Today we’re looking at Zach’s Squid VRY HRD (pronounced “Very Hard”), one of the setups that really caught my eye during the event. The VRY HRD is the second generation of Squid’s tracklocross bikes, following the hugely popular So-EZ. Looking to bring back the production to somewhere more local, the VRY HRD is made in Oakland by Prandus and features increased tire clearance, a more race-oriented geometry, a unicrown fork, and similarly styled wishbone seatstays for that perfect mix of design and performance.
Even if Zach’s build is based on a Raw frame, it is full of custom-painted and anodized details, like this PAUL stem, painted and then lightly polished to highlight the CNC lines of the piece. Zach told me that he and the Squid crew do their best to source as many parts as possible from California-based companies. PAUL, Velocity, and White Industries are all represented here, topped off with some Japanese flair thanks to this gold-anodized Sugino 75 cranks and a funky Raketa chainring.
Detailed Parts List
Frameset
Squid VRY HRD
Chainring and Cog 43T Raketa x Squid, 17T Cog
Crank Sugino 75
Seatpost and Saddle
PAUL Tall & Handsome seatpost, Fizik Aliente.
Steam and Handlebar
Paul Boxcar stem, Gunter Smooth Move bar
Wheels
Paul Hubs laced to Velocity Ailerons
IRC Boken 40c tires
Of course, no Squid build would be complete without PAUL track hubs, laced to Velocity Ailerons and wrapped in IRC Boken 40c tires, apparently THE tracklocross tire of choice in the Sacramento area, where the terrain feels surprisingly similar to what we had here in Spain. I have to say, the color matching on this build is wild but, it works so well! There’s a lot going on with bronze, gold, green, across the various parts, anodizing, and Spray Bike paint. But somehow it all fit beautifully together, and I love that.
On another note, I think Squid is one of those rare companies that, even while operating on a small scale, represents a huge part of the culture. They’re constantly organizing rides, flying across the world to attend events like this one in Europe, and producing great products in collaboration with local builders. I couldn’t agree more with their values, or with the lovely people who make all of this happen.
Let’s get dusty!
🎞: Kodak Color Plus 200
📷: Leica M6
📍: Sant Cugat del Valles
