The Vanilla essence; Bikes of 'Cross Nationals, part 2

By Steve Medcroft

At Cyclocross Nationals in Providence, Rhode Island, we spied several finely made and beautiful bikes built by custom frame builders. In the first installment of this special three-part tech series, we brought you Maureen Bruno-Roy's Independent Fabrication Planet Cross. Next up, we take a look at Master's 35-39 national champion Shannon Skerritt's pearl white Vanilla Cross.

Who is Vanilla Bicycles?

The Vanilla Bicycle Company, comprised of frame builder Sacha White and one assistant, opened in 1999. "My main focus at that time was on building 'cross and road racing bikes," begins White. "Over the years, my interests as a builder and a cyclist have grown to include commuting, touring and track racing, but I have to say that I have a special place in my heart for 'cross." Special because White races 'cross and is active in the thriving Portland-area 'cross scene.

Asked why, when his company has limited production capacity, he finds the time to provide bikes to elite-level riders (Shannon Skerritt, Molly Cameron and Rhonda Mazza), White says "there are a few things at work."

"The first is that cyclo-cross is near and dear to my heart. I race when I can and I feel strongly about helping the community by building frames for three national caliber Portland residents."

Read the entire Shannon Skerritt's Vanilla Cross pro bike article here.