Bikesdirect Mini Velo upgrade thread
#651
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Curious. Apparently many of you mode the Mercier significantly to bring the performance up.
How does the frame compare to Respect Cycles? THeir built up single speed MiniVelo is under 20 lbs so the frame looks like it is a lightweight chromoly.... Curious if the Mercier is comparable.
Love to hear comments.
Thanks!
How does the frame compare to Respect Cycles? THeir built up single speed MiniVelo is under 20 lbs so the frame looks like it is a lightweight chromoly.... Curious if the Mercier is comparable.
Love to hear comments.
Thanks!
The now sold out Big Shot Mini Polo was double-butted cromoly but the parts were crap. It cost me as much to rebuild the bike as the purchase price. I have no regrets about the upgrade. Its light and fast for a mini velo bike. I imagine the Respect mini velo would have a comparable ride.
#654
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Curious. Apparently many of you mode the Mercier significantly to bring the performance up.
How does the frame compare to Respect Cycles? THeir built up single speed MiniVelo is under 20 lbs so the frame looks like it is a lightweight chromoly.... Curious if the Mercier is comparable.
Love to hear comments.
Thanks!
How does the frame compare to Respect Cycles? THeir built up single speed MiniVelo is under 20 lbs so the frame looks like it is a lightweight chromoly.... Curious if the Mercier is comparable.
Love to hear comments.
Thanks!
The key difference I see between the two bikes are this:
The rear triangles are very different, the nano having 130mm spacing, vertical drops, and a derailleur hanger. The respect having 120mm spacing, horizontal drops, and no acomadation for a derailleur.
The Nano came in two frame sizes to fit different rider sizes, respect comes in one size fits all which is closer to the small frame nano.
The nano had a 1" threaded quill type headset and the respect has a newer style 1-1/8" threadless headset.
#655
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Apologies but I was wasn't clear.
I meant what is a used Mercier Mini Velo (Bikesdirect) worth if it has no more than a couple hundred miles on it - if that? Are the components good enough to last a few thousand miles of regular riding? I obviously know very little about these. Just wondering about value and whether they are good to go out of the box.
And are they permanently discontinued or just temporarily?
Thanks!
UL
I meant what is a used Mercier Mini Velo (Bikesdirect) worth if it has no more than a couple hundred miles on it - if that? Are the components good enough to last a few thousand miles of regular riding? I obviously know very little about these. Just wondering about value and whether they are good to go out of the box.
And are they permanently discontinued or just temporarily?
Thanks!
UL
#656
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I would say the bike is worth a few hundred dollars. If the components serve you, no great need to replace them but as they wear out, you could replace them with lighter higher quality components. That would make a difference.
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Sorry to bump this old thread, but I saw that BikesDirect had the Nano up for sale again and I wanted to order one. What size would you recommend for someone that is 5'7" with a 30" inseam?
#658
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That's my height and I bought a used 52 (53?) that works well with city bars, but I'd recommend the 48 if you want to stay with drops. Normally the 51cm top-tube on the bigger frame would be great for me with drops, but on this Mini the seat- and head-tubes are angled so that as the stem and seatpost rise from the frame, they grow in distance to one another. This put my shortish arms into too much of a stretch to the drops.
#659
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The Mercier Nano (2016 model) is back for sale at bikesdirect.com!!!
Save Up to 60% Off Mini Velo Road Bikes, Roadbikes - Mercier Nano Mini Velo Bicycles
Save Up to 60% Off Mini Velo Road Bikes, Roadbikes - Mercier Nano Mini Velo Bicycles
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If it wasn't for you meddling kids,...
#660
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Great it is back. Would have loved a 58cm model. Probably not geometrically possible.
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That's my height and I bought a used 52 (53?) that works well with city bars, but I'd recommend the 48 if you want to stay with drops. Normally the 51cm top-tube on the bigger frame would be great for me with drops, but on this Mini the seat- and head-tubes are angled so that as the stem and seatpost rise from the frame, they grow in distance to one another. This put my shortish arms into too much of a stretch to the drops.
I'm not sure what you mean by the stem and seatpost getting farther apart as they're both raised. There's only a 2 degree difference between the head tube and the seat tube so wouldn't the difference be negligible? Would it change enough to make it fit like a bigger size frame?
Last edited by Chaltierx; 01-29-16 at 11:55 PM.
#662
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I can only give you my experience, which is that the saddle-to-hoods distance felt like a 55cm bike to me. But I'm 53-year-olds and not as flexible as I used to be, so your results may vary. I ended up putting a long stem and pullback bars on mine, and it worked much better.
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#665
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How about if I ride on the hoods the most? I'm just afraid I'll feel to scrunched up with a size 48. I have a 51cm frame OTS that I would say fits me pretty well.
I'm not sure what you mean by the stem and seatpost getting farther apart as they're both raised. There's only a 2 degree difference between the head tube and the seat tube so wouldn't the difference be negligible? Would it change enough to make it fit like a bigger size frame?
I'm not sure what you mean by the stem and seatpost getting farther apart as they're both raised. There's only a 2 degree difference between the head tube and the seat tube so wouldn't the difference be negligible? Would it change enough to make it fit like a bigger size frame?
#666
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Wow!, these are the coolest fenders I have seen in a long time.
I think it would be cool to get bigger ones and cover most of the tires including the sidewalls so it looks like there are no tires, just spinning rims.
So long as you aren't running on/off curbs you could probably cover much more of the tires.
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There is an orange 53 Mercier Mini velo on the Los Angeles craigslist for $225 with some upgrades... Mercier Nano Mini Velo Road Bike I have my 48 black on order and hope will be here in early July, I've already purchased some upgrades just from reading this thread a few times.
#669
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Got myself a nano over the holidays, 48cm.
perfect trunk bike to get me from my parking spot to office. .75miles each way.
I threw the bike on the stand right away. Discovered all of the usual issues with factory assembly. It is not the worst I've seen for sure.
cassette and chainring are of really bad quality, they were wobbling side to side.
threw on some random parts bin items. Flite TT saddle, mks pedals and toe clips.
some goodies to install. Kojaks, 11-32 cassette, campy chorus shifters 10sp, new chain since i plan to throw on a 53/39chainring.
installed the praxis chainrings, 11-32 cassette, chain, shimano downtube shifter adapters , chorus shifters, campy cables,
fits perfectly in the office =)
parked next to my parlee.
perfect trunk bike to get me from my parking spot to office. .75miles each way.
I threw the bike on the stand right away. Discovered all of the usual issues with factory assembly. It is not the worst I've seen for sure.
cassette and chainring are of really bad quality, they were wobbling side to side.
threw on some random parts bin items. Flite TT saddle, mks pedals and toe clips.
some goodies to install. Kojaks, 11-32 cassette, campy chorus shifters 10sp, new chain since i plan to throw on a 53/39chainring.
installed the praxis chainrings, 11-32 cassette, chain, shimano downtube shifter adapters , chorus shifters, campy cables,
fits perfectly in the office =)
parked next to my parlee.
#670
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Got myself a nano over the holidays, 48cm.
perfect trunk bike to get me from my parking spot to office. .75miles each way.
I threw the bike on the stand right away. Discovered all of the usual issues with factory assembly. It is not the worst I've seen for sure.
threw on some random parts bin items. Flite TT saddle, mks pedals and toe clips.
some goodies to install. Kojaks, 11-32 cassette, campy chorus shifters 10sp, new chain since i plan to throw on a 53/39chainring.
installed the praxis chainrings, 11-32 cassette, chain, shimano downtube shifter adapters , chorus shifters, campy cables,
fits perfectly in the office =)
parked next to my parlee.
perfect trunk bike to get me from my parking spot to office. .75miles each way.
I threw the bike on the stand right away. Discovered all of the usual issues with factory assembly. It is not the worst I've seen for sure.
threw on some random parts bin items. Flite TT saddle, mks pedals and toe clips.
some goodies to install. Kojaks, 11-32 cassette, campy chorus shifters 10sp, new chain since i plan to throw on a 53/39chainring.
installed the praxis chainrings, 11-32 cassette, chain, shimano downtube shifter adapters , chorus shifters, campy cables,
fits perfectly in the office =)
parked next to my parlee.
#672
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I'd look to a Tiagra 4700 gruppo swap.
#673
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#675
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shifters- campy 10 chorus
FD stock claris
RD is stock sora 8sp.
8 spd cassette 11-32t
no ghost shifts . does the full sweep up and down normally.
i prefer campy cable routing, thumb lever,
over shimano 'low tier' sti shifters.
campy cranks from the parts drawer
FD stock claris
RD is stock sora 8sp.
8 spd cassette 11-32t
no ghost shifts . does the full sweep up and down normally.
i prefer campy cable routing, thumb lever,
over shimano 'low tier' sti shifters.
campy cranks from the parts drawer