I've been looking at the Javas as well. Also an option but not sure about the price. Expensive.

-Shin

YES! They're back in stock. Ordered and on the way! I can hardly wait!



-Shin

They're shipped with drop bars now too.

Just checked and found they are in stock... Came back to the thread and you already beat me to it... Good job... I'm in for the orange one myself.

Excellent! Do you have any upgrade plans? I'm planning on Claris STI shifters and new tires to start. Oh, and replace that hideous stem with a Nitto. Brakes and fenders to follow.

-Shin

I'm thinking brakes and tires to start..
But I want all black components and then see if I can convert to 10 speed cassette and black wheels

This bike has always had drop bars. They're standard,...

Before they refreshed their stock the specs page had it listed with risers and the frames as high tensile steel

Then that was a mistake. Look throughout this thread, and you'll see the bike has had drops from the beginning. This has never been made with anything else. People have modded it to suit their needs,...but that's about it.

I really love this bike. I ride it all the time. It's fantastic for zipping around the city. Its very comfortable, I have no qualms about being in the saddle for 2 to 3 hrs at a time. It's nimble and quick, I hesitate to say fast but it's not hard at all to get up over 20mph.

https://flic.kr/p/Vkwex3

I was disappointed that the black Wald shorty fenders I purchased just wouldn't work even after cutting them down to make room for the brakes, just not enough clearance between the brake bridge and tires for it to work. So plan b was a Musguard fender and it works great. I am using a bungee cord and slotting the Musguard through the bungee cord so that it stays nice and straight, instead of having it sit on the brake bridge.
Also, the brake calipers on mine are promax branded, I'm not sure if they were always this brand but they work quite well since changing out the pads, just an FYI.

You have a really nice Nano. I like the sky blue and orange combination with the black. Well done.

I really like all the upgrades I'm seeing. You can see the affection you have for them in each and every one.

-Shin

YES!!!



Little hole in the box. That looks interesting.

-Shin

Here it is out of the box and ready for a build up.



And yes, shipping damage.



I emailed Bikes Direct to see if they have touch up paint. If not, I'll look for some matching nail polish.

-Shin

Almost ready...



I installed new Velox rim strips and pumped up the tires to 60 psi. The Kenda's were pretty tough to remove and I managed to snap one of my good Park Tool tire levers. Not a big deal.

And here we are with pedals and a basic fit.



The spokes popped a little on the first test ride. I found the tires to be spongy and I thought I had gone flat but that just seems to be the way they roll. I was planning to upgrade them later anyway. Tomorrow when I have more time, I'll take it apart and grease everything up. It's dry as a bone right now.

The stem will need to be replaced with something longer and higher. My knees were bumping the ends of the handlebars in certain situations. A Nitto Technomic should do the trick.

The brakes weren't working at all. Once I got them correctly installed and the pads aligned they seemed to do a pretty decent job. I might not have to upgrade them right away.

So, I couldn't really go too far on the first test ride, but what I did do was a blast! I can't wait to get out there and really open it up! Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I'm grateful for all the tips that were shared.

-Shin

High Fist,

I've had mine for five years, upgraded and added quite a bit to it.

But you've rekindled memories of when it was new and shiny.

Fun and exciting.


Enjoy!

Thank you! I certainly will. Please post a picture of your bike.

-Shin

If you can't find the right color of nail polish, I've had good luck with NAPA matching the color and getting a very small bottle of enamel.

Thanks for the tip! There is a NAPA in town I can check out later this week.

-Shin

I got tired of busting my tire levers and knuckles on tight wire beads. Those Kendas don't stand a chance now.



-Shin

And as it turns out, during the break down to grease up the parts, I learned a few things...

1. The front and rear hub bearings are already greased. Nice!
2. I remember some of the early production models had weld problems, especially on the underside of the fork. I am happy to report that this Nano had nice welds all around. Pictures tomorrow.
3. While the rear derailleur shifts into all the gears, the hanger is badly bent. I have a Park Tool DAG-1 handy but I need a couple of new o-rings for it. I'll grab those tomorrow and straighten the hanger right out. Pictures tomorrow.

-Shin

Put those kenda's into the hot sun for a little bit, and they come off easy as pie. I even got them off one time with just my grip.

I will try that the next time I need to remove them. I'm going to run with them for a while and see how they perform. The interesting question will be, what tires will grace those wheels next? Primo Comets? Schwalbe Kojacks? I still haven't decided.

-Shin

Updates with pictures!

Here is the rear hanger before repairs. It's pretty bent.



And afterwards:



Much better.

-Shin

And here we have an image of the fork's under-belly. Much nicer welds than on some of the original production bikes. I'm glad they got that sorted out.



-Shin