no1mad 

Though I've decided to go another route for my next commuter, an idea did pop into my head. How much play is there in the seat post and handlebars? My thinking (depending on the answer) is that something like this would be pretty good for the kids. Just keep raising the seat and bars as they grow, thus saving some $ on new bikes every couple of years.

bigbenaugust 

My frame is a M/L, and there's more than enough adjustment for me. The S/M size would be better for kids, obviously, but the traditional geometry might make it a little tough. I was telling my wife (5'3" who currently rides a 13" frame MTB with street tires) that she would benefit from one of these (but maybe with wider tires). The folding bike forum has some who share your idea, though.

monsterpile

I agree your idea is a good one. You can also swap out handlbars to help with fit as well. I met a guy that said his daughter won't ride anything else but her Swift folder thats a single speed that she has been riding for years. He was going to give her something else to ride at college next fall, but she said she just wanted a lock for the times she will leave it outside.

On the other hand you can get nice smaller mountain bikes that are nice for cheap around here. I have had a Trek 220 a GT Bullet (turning into a SS cruiser) and something else as well that I got cheap and sold cheap after fixing them up. Right now I have a little Peugeot that I picked up for $7 waiting to get fixed up for spring. I kind want to hold onto it for when my friend's kids get older, but thats a few years down the road.

bigbenaugust 

Oh yeah, and here's the picasa album of some pics of it:

https://picasaweb.google.com/bigbena...eat=directlink

It is dirtier than sin right now with all of the rain riding. I will be re-lubing it and wiping it down tomorrow (between storms, as it turns out).

bigbenaugust 

One annoyance I have noticed-- and I noticed it again today-- is that the seat clamp keeps slipping. I will ride the bike for a week or two, and then look down and notice the seat has slid back a half-inch. This has happened a couple of times so far.

hubcap

Sweet mini from Soma.

https://somafab.blogspot.com/2011/02/...s-arrived.html

Chris_in_Miami

Soma's mini-velo looks great, glad to see other companies getting into this niche! Not sure I'd spend $1200 for one though...

no1mad 

Out of curiousity, has anyone figured out what the max weight limit will be?

bigbenaugust 

Mine has no trouble with 150lb of me, 20ish lb of cargo and 10lb of laptop.

Of course, I may have been a little tough on it. Last weekend, I noticed that the rear hub body might be bent and it's been making a loose-spoke sort of a noise. I am taking the wheels to the LBS in the morning and am back on the Nashbar this week.

no1mad 

I'm gonna have to wait and see what BD lists. I'm about 230 and carry anywhere from 5-20 pounds, depending on the number of layers...

monsterpile

I am going to start using the Windsor as my full-time commuter for a few weeks (assuming the weather cooperates) and see how I like it so I'll be reporting how it goes. I'll pay attention to the seat post possibly slipping. If I really like how this little pony rides I'll upgrade it one way or another.

I like that Soma alot with its canti brakes. I'll be interested in what all BD does with the mini velos in the future.

buffalo_cody

Are there any manufacturers selling mini-velo framesets yet? I have nice BMX wheelset collecting dust, & dieing for a new life.

bigbenaugust 

I was dropping off the wheels from my Shetland at the LBS today (Campus Bike Shop, I love these guys) and was talking to the service guy and I noticed two things:

1. Maybe I didn't bend my rear hub body. The cassette wobble I saw on Sunday isn't there now.
2. They had a flat-black mini-velo (looked like an 8sp with flat bars) sitting on the shop floor. I do not remember the manufacturer, but will check when I pick the wheels up. It also had the exact same wheels (different tires, though) as the Shetland. The tag said $699. I thought it said Biria on it, but the Biria site doesn't show anything. At any rate, it's apparently catching on.

As for upgrades, I do have a Sora FD laying around in case I get the itch to dump the 2300 unit on the Shetland. Other than that, the tires would be the only thing I'd dump. I especially love the brake levers. They feel very good in the hands and are a good deal more substantial than the Tektro V-brake road levers on my Nashbar.

Not that I know of.

bigbenaugust 

I double-checked. It is indeed a Biria mini-velo on the showroom floor, with Tektro road brakes, SRAM X7 RD and a double crank in the front, so it is either 16 or 18sp, with flat bars, sort of a urban-performance-hybrid setup with nice matching leather-brown saddle and grips.

NormanF

Soma Fab's drop bar mini velo looks like a sweet ride!



The price may be more than some people want to pay for this bike. I have no doubt its a rocket on the road!

monsterpile

I took my little Shetland pony out for a couple rides one yesterday and one today totaling at least 30 miles. It was a blast. Here are some thoughts.

1. I have been trying to get the right seat height for all my bikes and I must have accidentally got this one just right. It felt really good and it was such a stable ride. I was actually able to take my hands off the bars for a a second or 2 which I never feel comfortable doing. It feels like I could go almost anywhere on this thing.

2. One of the main things I wanted to decide soon what whether or not I could live with the head tube shifters. I liked that they are simple already on the bike etc, but I usually prefer the shifters right my the brake levers. with the stable feel of the bike it seemed like no big deal to reach down and it shifts great. I think if I ever change my mind a pair of bar end shifters would be plenty to add to this. For $60 thats cheap enough. The placement of the shifters on the head tube is a great spot imo. One thing I noticed on mine is it seems like the bosses where put on there a little crooked instead of exactly perpendicular to the top tube they are a turned a little left. Its no big deal and you can't notice it unless you are looking right down the head tube while riding or standing over the bike.

3. The brakes could be better. I don't know if thats the painted rim surface, pads, not many miles of the setup, or lower end calipers or obviously some combination of all the factors. The worst case scenario is upgraded calipers, but I don't I'll need to go that far.

4. I might put a different drop bar on it, but I have decided a drop bar is what I want. I had tinkered with a origin 8 tiki bar, but while i liked the bar it wasn't for this bike. I want the bars just a bit higher I think so I might try a different stem or get a quill stem riser after all.

5. I love the bike alot. It seem comfy fun to ride and i never feel like its a small bike at all. I am going to make this my main commuter and road bike. I'll keep a mountain bike for hitting any serious trails and probably another beater mountain bike for winter commuting, but this bike is really fun to ride. N-1 is seriously going to be happening around here.

6. I am pretty impressed with this bike from Bikesdirect in general. I am going to be watching their mini velo offerings because I might buy another mini velo. I would like one with canti or V-brakes. Maybe I'll buy one with a bigger frame and outfit it with straight bars.

NormanF

As mentioned, the re-design due to come out in May had been made with user requests in mind to allow 406 mm tires to be used and it will also accommodate wide tires so if you want to go off road with it, you'll be able to do it now.

fietsbob

Does take care of Toe clip overlap, nicely.. makes wheel diameter less.
And 53/11 is a reasonable gear with a 20" wheel..

bigbenaugust 

I have zero toe-clip overlap with 451... or 26" for that matter. MUCH better than 700c in an environment that requires maneuverability... or if you lack coordination like I do.

Next week, we will see how the bike handles with properly-adjusted hubs. I can't wait.

no1mad 

I'll be putting any and all upgrades to my current rig on hold until these mini's come out. Hopefully, my wife hasn't spent all of the tax refund by then...

monsterpile

I went on another ride this afternoon. I don't think there is anyway I could have issues with toe overlap on this bike. I kinda tried. =) I noticed I never really got out of the saddle to pedal hard it just didn't seem like it felt right. On one path that is a steep hill I intentionally tried going up it to see how the gearing would work out. Lets just say I would have rather had my mountain bike, but I could get up it. I tried coming out of the saddle just to see what it was like and it felt wobbly. Like I said before every time I have wanted to really put the power to the pedals I can do it just on the saddle. The bike feels plenty fast and I can't believe how easily I have adjusted to the headtube shifters. I have put about 45 miles on this little bike since Friday afternoon and I can't wait to do more.

14R 

I can't wait to see BD minis. I am already saving a Shimano 105's fund to fully upgrade this mini if it comes with good geometry and nice color choices.

monsterpile

I put another 20 miles today on my Windsor. Its just great. I have gone through alot of bikes and gotten plenty of deals over the years, but I really like this bike alot. I am thinking of building up a somewhat mini velo out of a surprisingly 19" frame 24 inch wheel size Peugeot US Express mountain bike I have.

no1mad 

I take it that these will come in at least 2 different sizes, like S/M and M/L? Any of you that got the "prototypes" care to measure the wheelbase and overall length?

bigbenaugust 

Correct on the sizing. If I remember tonight, I will whip out the tape measure. I have an M/L size.