Originally Posted by
mconlonx
I work in a shop and if any of the brands we sold had a mini-velo in their lineup, I'd sell the heck out of them.
Guy I used to work with quit and went to another shop, a c'dale dealer. After working with him for a year, he knows I am totally into freak bikes. So I get a call one day a few years ago, and it's him calling from the other shop sayin, "Mconlonx, you gotta get down here -- we just got this bike in for a customer you have to check out before they pick it up!" I headed down at lunchtime and of course... it was a hooligan. Couldn't ride it because it was already sold, but man, those bikes are sweet, too. I'm not even put off by the aluminum frame. Although the one they got in was the older Hooligan 8 model with standard fork, rim brakes, and 1x8 drivetrain, the one I really lust after is the current Hooligan in 3sp, disk brakes, and lefty rigid fork.
I do kick myself for not getting a Bully one day when I was on a distributor's website, placing an order, thinking, "Should I? Should I not...?" Ended up "not" and now I do regret the decision...
Maybe some day the japanese brands might bring some minis here, I would think they would be at least popular in the NYC area but there is only one shop there where I have found a mini velo still sold Hudson Urban Bicycles on charles st.
the hooligan was the first bike that sparked my interest in mini velos, I saw a matte black Hooligan 3 at Paragon Sporting goods at Union Square in Manhattan and I called all over the city to find a Hooligan 8 but I test rode it and sadly the bike did not do it for me, stock with a 44t chainring those bikes are WAY under-geared I felt I was pedaling like a maniac and it was very twitchy.........I do admit that if I had one I could probably get the set up right and I might love it but as you said I don't really dig aluminum frames and the 2014 has a really bad paint scheme. to be honest I tested the bully fully expecting to not like it and it won me over right away I just wish it had vertical dropouts!!!!!
If I find any more Bullies I will be sure to let all of you guys know, although the one I found for my brother I did offer up on this forum first and no one bit. It was weeks before my brother decided that he wanted it and no one went for it so I grabbed it for him.
I really wish there were some higher quality mini velos available here because the bully is a very cheap bike. one day I will build a custom frame with high quality steel.