redorchestra

I have recently bought a bike with twenty inch wheels. I know it isn't a folder but I feel the relation is closer to you than the other bike forums.
I want to build it into a touring bike. Does anyone tour with their folder. Do you need special panniers and racks or does anything fit.

I'll post a picture, so you can see what I am talking about:



Also i have a question about my gearing. With the smaller wheels my gain ratio or meters development is a bit lower than it would be on a 26. My front chainrings are 48-52 and rear is 14-28.

Can an internal hub gear be fitted with a cassette to give that granny gear, and a higher cruising speed?

hopperja

I can't answer your other questions, but I do know there are ways to get that granny gear.
1- With a Schlumpf mountain shifter (expensive, in my opinion). This will reduce your bottom gear by 40%.
2- Put in a smaller ring upfront, such as a triple MTB crankset (to do this, you may need to lengthen your chain and change the front derailleur; also, your rear derailleur may not be able to handle a longer chain)
3- Change the cassette from 14x28 to 11x32, or even 11x34, if your rear derailleur can handle all the chain slack (if not, you may need to change it to a long cage variety, which may put it too close to the ground)
4- Less expensive than the Schlumpf mountain drive would be a SRAM 3x9 (it's a 3 speed internal gear hub with a 9 speed derailleur). Depending on the spacing of your rear dropouts, you may need to expand your frame a little. Sheldon Brown has some excellent information on frame spacing.

Good luck!

yairi

Where did you find that thing? Searching for "minivelo" one finds scads of pages in Japan but almost nothing anywhere else. Odd. Lots of these pretty little Bianchis:

redorchestra

I bought it in Korea. They seem to be the new thing for twenty somethings, and just about everyone else has a folder. A folder here can be had with 26 inch wheels.

Oh and it's a huffy. Check www.huffy.co.kr

randya

Nice! Canukistan, eh? Why don't we see these in the states?!?!? Post #1 too, 20's with tall frames rock!

LittlePixel

It's a very cute bike! Normal panniers should fit; you might need to source a 20" sized rack so that it fits in the horizontal plane ok.

yairi

Yeah none here either ... I do remember seeing some Korean pages on them. I was wondering if they were the latest fad or whether it had been an ongoing thing for a while. Was actually tempted to import one of the Bianchis from Japan, but I need another bike like the proverbial perforation in the cranium

norfolk bolt

wow that Bianchi is beautifull

this is an interesting couple of pages

https://web.mac.com/w.rentschler/iWeb...Mini%20II.html

James H Haury

Dahon also makes minibikes.

juan162

I think the answer is yes. Go to the manufacturer's sites of SRAM and Shimano and find the percentage increase and decrease with the internal gears of the dual drive systems. Supposedly my SRAM dual drive internal hub gearing gives a 30% increase and 30% decrease. All I can tell you is that I have a 54 tooth front chainring with a 11-25 cassette and I do great on the climbs. I used to have a 12-28 and I almost never used the lowest gear, it was so easy. If the 30% decrease is correct, that would give me a 37.8 tooth "front ring" when I shift down. With a "38 tooth chainring", 20 inch wheel and a 25 rear, you get just over 30 gear inches. With a 30% increase, you get 127 gear inches in the "70 tooth chainring" and the smallest cog. That's a bigger range than you would get with a conventional drivetrain. Doing the math with my old cassette I get 27 gear inches on the low end and 117 gear inches on the high end. Hope this helps,

Juan

redorchestra

thanks yes I'll go look at the manufacturers of the hubs

cheers

James H Haury

I wish Huffy would bring some of those Korean Market minibikes to the states.I might buy one.

redorchestra

I am having a lot of fun with mine. I think they should get them in the states too.

Although.... I sometimes feel like marshmallow on a toothpick.