Current Projects chat and miscellany

cool. i don't doubt they'll be strong enough.
I bet they're comfy.
how's the weight compared to an alloy bar?

Huh, I would have assumed heavier but they claim 330g for this 760mm version, compared to 350g for the Ritchey 10° I used previously. Should be riding tomorrow, just needs a brake bleed now (lol, foiled by shimano's 7mm bleed port, another tool to fetch).

awesome, looking forward to some pics

That's absolutely stunning!

Finished my Argos minivelo for now. Originally planned to leave it as stock as possible but inevitably got slightly carried away and changed pretty much everything except the frameset, wheels and drivetrain. Down from a pretty dead feeling 13.5kg to under 11, which makes it ride so much nicer along with the new tyres.

Build ended up taking quite a long time due to BB being completely seized out of the factory, and a bent fork disc tab, possibly caused by persuading the BB in increasingly unconventional ways.

Really fun to ride. Not bad for <£200 + some parts bin stuff.

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That looks so much fun. The decal is nice. May I suggest wrapping the rear brake hose around the stem, for bars spins obviously ;)

That is cool! Can you settle it for once, are these frames alu or steel? Does it have a 1 inch headtube?

Quick pic from first ride today - lots of fun! Supernova lights and SON/Hope hubs, rashly built with 1.8-1.6 spokes so hopefully don't come to regret that. The chopped nalgene holds a chain lock. Space to add fenders and mounts for a rack later maybe. For search: wilde rambler.

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Looks well nice! Love the 105 chainset.
You might want to source some looong mudflaps, as 20" have a habit of kicking up a LOT of muck when the roads get wet.

yeah, that does look fun. bet the paint really pops when the sun hits it.

Make me want to have a mini velo!
I have absolutely no idea why though. It just seems fun, but what do does it do a bigger wheel bike doesn’t? Apart from make you smile of course.
Come to think of it I could say what’s the point of any of my bikes…

Minivelo/20 wheels are very agile through the city. But you get less speed or you are more exhausted to reach top speed compared to 700c wheels.
They look and are fun,i can attest. I borrow sometimes wife's petit porteur and the impulse buy to get me one too is hard to contain.. (i hope you understand me cause i'm french ;)

Ho thanks ! More there.

Thanks all.
@oheyitsd it's alu with steel fork, 1-1/8" steerer.

Yep, no real advantage other than they're fun. And slightly more likely to sneak onto a peak time train.

And a little easier to store/transport

But you get less speed or you are more exhausted to reach top speed
compared to 700c wheels.

Thats probably a gearing issue. You need to size up the chain ring substantially.

Aside from the valid points already mentioned regarding agility/ease of transport/taking less space on transit, I feel more secure about leaving my mini Velo locked up when running errands. Most thiefs prefer bikes that are more common as compared to something infrequent for personal use or to liquidate... I also feel more stable when carrying a front load when it's fitted with a rack due to the smaller diameter wheels. Here's mine in its current state

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feel more secure about leaving my mini Velo locked up when running errands

Yeah, that looks pretty theft-proof 😂

A pair of badboys from @abr and @skrtluv

I’ve been eyeing up the Granite from Blacksnow.

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Blacksnow

u wot?!

a saddle pack seems like a bit of a wasted opportunity on a bike with 20" wheels

I believe it’s pronounced Black Snow, a Chinese frame builder that now puts their own name on stuff. They have about a trillion different frames including an omnium rift off.

New stem

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Oh my word.