Veto NZ

Well it took a couple iterations and a lot of problem solving, but the long john now has a battery. At 52V and 800Wh it's nearly double the capacity of a lot of the competition while also serving as a structural component of the rear triangle.
There's still a few things left to finish it, but here I am on it's maiden voyage around Fairfield 😁

Check...check...cargo check...

It feels like this has taken an eternity... Here it is, long john, all painted and set up for a few test laps up the driveway 😁

At long last the rack is bonded on, which means the frame is functionally complete!
I'm considering lacing the wheels and assembling the frame for a test run before painting it, but I can't decide... What do you think? Should I do a quick test run or move straight on to paint?

While my focus is on developing and building cargo bikes, I occasionally build custom carbon fibre parts on the side.
I can complete the CAD design (original design or replicate an existing), print/build moulds, and build parts from forged or laminated carbon fibre. Some good examples are pictured below, which are mainly from my motorbike and bikes, but the method can be applied to hundreds of other fields. Feel free to get in touch with me if you need any help with your project, I'd be more than happy to talk it over😁

Before now, I had been building solid forged carbon lugs and bonding frames together with aluminium extrusion.
This longtail project, dubbed "long john", has focused on expanding that to much larger hollow components. In this case most of the front triangle, enabling much more unique geometries.
The two halves were built separately using an internal and external mould which compress the carbon fibre and resin and define the inside and outside faces. This represents a huge investment in developing the tools, materials, and methodology, but offers significant improvements in time, repeatability, and reduced waste over resin infusion.
This is far from the end though, there's still plenty of room for improvement, notably reducing the number of parts required. I've got lots of ideas to work on in that space, so you should be seeing some pretty big parts coming out in the near future 😀

The longtail rear triangle is now bonded on! Next up is the rear rack which will be permanently fixed to the frame. The rack will be almost 700mm long, so plenty of space for 2 or 3 kids, or all your kit 😁

So you may have been wondering if I actually have something to sell. The short answer is almost!
The long answer is my longtail cargo bike under construction is really starting to take shape.
The first image is a snip of the design, the second is the current state of the frame with shocks loosely fitted.
The front triangle is complete except for the paint job; the rear triangle should come together next week.
After that I'll build the rack and battery, lace the wheels, then finally fit the motor, drivetrain, brakes etc. to finish the build.
There'll be some more details to come, so watch this space!

The Peacock hasn't had a lot of use lately. But a Peacock's gotta fly! So I've jimmied up a shotgun seat for it. Otis here loves going for rides 😁 thanks Grandma for the photo!

Introducing the Peacock.
Built to be a bit of a showoff, this is (to my knowledge) the first of its kind in the world, featuring a frame built from scratch using forged carbon fibre lugs and aluminium extrusion.
I built this to test and refine the method of frame construction, and have since advanced the technique to build large sections of frames by compression moulding carbon fibre shells. More on that to come! For now though, I've put a more detailed write-up on the Peacock on my website it you're interested, see https://veto.co.nz/veto-projects/the-peacock/

Interested in learning about electrifying transport? Give it a try!
A bike, scooter, or motorbike would be a good way to learn. I got started by converting a Kawasaki ZXR250 in 2018.
"DIY Lithium Batteries" by Micah Toll is a super helpful read and comes highly recommended.
If you'd like more details on my motorbike conversion, feel free to visit https://veto.co.nz/vetomoto-nee-zxr250/

Where it all started...
With experience in composites, electric transport, and 3D design and printing, I realised in early 2022 that I could combine these skills to build e-bikes and do my best to make meaningful change in the world.
After hearing about forged carbon fibre, I had a lightbulb moment; I realised forged carbon lugs and aluminium tubes could be used to build bike frames. This frontloader conversion was my first frame to use this approach and kickstarted the process of advancing Veto's custom frames.
The kids love riding around in it, and get loads of smiles from people we pass by!

You can find a write-up here for more details: https://veto.co.nz/veto-projects/frontloader-conversion/

Hey there! Welcome to Veto NZ.

Veto is all about challenging the status quo. We’re here to “assume nothing, question everything”, and think outside the box always. Our purpose is to provide a platform to ask these questions, make our own decisions, and promote meaningful change.

Veto is on a mission to tackle two primary issues:

1. Transport. Reduce pollution, congestion, anxiety, and expense. Improve health, happiness, and quality of life.

2. Global manufacturing. Improve supply chain resilience, support local makers, and meet local demand.

Having started in Dunedin, New Zealand in 2022, we’re developing an exciting new way of building custom bike frames using forged carbon fibre lugs, carbon fibre shells, and aluminium extrusion. This revolutionary approach has significant advantages including incredible design flexibility, low startup costs, and greater independence from supply chain disruptions. Check out the website for more information!

We've started with the design and construction of several different ebike frames to validate and fine-tune our machines before moving on to develop electric cargo bike variants. Next out of the gate will be longtail and frontloader cargo frames (to begin with!). Our ultimate goal is to provide a realistic alternative to car-centric transport in a way that supports local innovation, health, and community. We envision a family of bikes that will address the most common excuses to not get on a bike (“I need to pick something up”, “it’s wet outside”, and “I can’t be bothered”). These are currently under development, so watch this space for new updates.

Our motto is “be the change you want to see in the world”. So come and join us, let’s be the change!