I'm absolutely drooling over this CNC'ed 60t chainring with built guard! DO WANT!!

Wow is right! Very, very clever.. using an older style derailleur mech on the inside with 7, 8, 10 and 12 tooth cogs!? ...7, 8, 10 and 12 tooth!!! Brilliant!

With the super short wheel base, I bet this thing is a wheelie machine!

i don't think you'll do unintentional wheelies. i've ridden a dahon dove and it seems like a very similar riding posture. i'm 183cm, so i'm obliged to lean forward a bit, maybe that's why i don't wheelie.

7, 8 10, and 12T with 52t chainwheel on 14" wheels

gear inches: 104 - 60..

lovin it.

can't beleive no one else has commented on this?!:

smallwheeler - Do you know of any mini velo bikes that would not be too difficult to get ahold of in the US that can take a wide tire? It seems like the fork limits tire size on many of these. I am toying with putting together an electric bike that can take on Seattle hills. I like the torque of the smaller 20" wheels when assist is applied, not really concerned w/ top speed, steel frame highly preferred, as is ability to mount disc brakes. I have considered converting a bmx but am worried that simply getting a longer seat post will still leave compromises in comfort. I like the riding position of the mini velo and the space within the frame to mount a battery on the down tube. Thanks!

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/nano.htm


https://respectcycles.com/contact-us/





https://www.sillgey.com/



https://store.somafab.com/somaminivelo.html



also, there are always a few on ebay... the sillgey piccolo and the soma are high quality..

DDD wanted discs.

Only one that's easy to find(relatively speaking) in the US is the Cannondale Hooligan. They had an 8spd derailleur model,but most of them(including current model) are 3spd IGH. The rear spacing is 135 though,so you could always upgrade to an 8/11/whatever speed hub.

sorry i missed that bit about disc brakes. you could always get adaptors if discs are really a must.

but, fo' sho' the hooligan is a cool bike!

Thanks smallwheeler and dynaryder those are some cool bikes.

I know that that smallwheeler showed some other bikes earlier in the thread that looked like good possibilities, I just need to go back and take another look. I recall a dutch bike, I believe, that looked intriguing and a couple of others.

The reason for the disk brakes is that I am thinking of using a hub motor. Maybe I am optimistic about the longevity of the bike but my concern with rim brakes is having to replace the rims as they wear down. Steel is required, perhaps not for the whole bike, but for the fork, if a front hub motor is mounted, as aluminum fatigue can lead to catastrophe. Interestingly, I believe the Hooligan has an aluminum frame, but has a steel fork, so that is good.

I see that it is possible to purchase a Respect frame/fork and I like the Respect pricing relative to some others. Perhaps i could get them to put a disc brake mount on at least the front, where the hub motor would be, for a an extra charge - I am in no hurry. But an adaptor could be the answer and help keep the price down.

Ideally it would be nice to mount fenders (Seattle), and not cost too much (wife).

I saw an interesting Spanish bike - Rabasa, I believe. Steel but no disc. I'll be in Spain in a month and who knows, maybe I'll go take a look.

To all others - sorry to get way off the topic of folding bikes. i know that there is a part of the forum devoted to electric bikes but electric bikes with 20" wheels are not in vogue there and this thread is running gallery of beautiful small wheelers.

The Hooligan is easily my favorite of the "mini-velo" offerings.

Awesome info.
This bike is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.
Sure discs and single sided wheels are nothing new but the reversed drivetrain!
If this was applied to a 700C bike, you could run a 29t front and 7t rear and you would still get ~111 gear inches like a 12/50T gets you.
A relatively small plastic cover could enclose the drivetrain.
I also think the entire bike might be able to be made more narrow and lighter since the axles are shorter.
The aero and weight advantages could change the road cycling game (if the UCI never existed).
I also love how easy it is to remove the whole chain and clean it.

One potential problem with choosing the Hooligan is the single sided fork. Would you be able to (safely) mount an electric hub motor to a single sided fork without major modification?

I don't think so. The Hooligan would be an amazing option, but I think the one sided fork rules it out for a front hub motor.

Giving up the disc brake would not be the end of the world but it would mean having the hub motor laced into a new rim if/when the original one wore down, and disc braking would be nice in the rain.

The Hooligan is a cool design to be sure -- though after riding 451 tires a lot (esp on the Soma above -- I swapped-out the originals for higher-pressure Durano's), it's hard to ride any bike with 406's (e.g., the Nano).

Another great one from Bangkok, a Dex with a Sturmey-Archer Kickshift:

I've never seen a disc adapter that I'd trust. I highly recommend using only forks and frames made for discs,or at the very least having a professional frame builder do the mod.

They came in both single and double sided forks(I have one of each). The framesets do occasionally pop up on eBay.

gotta get to thailand, "land of smile"... i will definitely be smiling if i am riding one of these..

are you referring to the 14" wheel bike? if so.. i agreeee!

oh my...

Wow, never heard of the Moulton Mini! Quite lovely -- good luck finding one though. https://www.flickr.com/groups/moulton...icycle_photos/

the remarkable thing about the above mini are the mods done by steve parry to convert the machine into a folding bike.
here is what it would have originally looked like (this one just sold on ebay for 750):

Wonder if SP jumped on the leftover hinge plates when Brompton changed their sources to the current ones ..

ha! i thought the same thing.. he probably has a whole box full of them laying around...

YS-11:

this bike is interesting for a few reasons. at first glance it looks much like other small wheel cheapie bikes. on closer inspection it has some noteworthy characteristics. hard anodized aircraft aluminum frame. brompton handlebar stem and hinge tech. you can see for yourself..



excellent hinge design ( a la brompton):



a non-folding version re-branded:



YS-33:


front and rear suspension:

kuwahara gaap (wow..):

20" (451) pedersen:

the Bernd's folding bike is quite a beauty. rarely discussed in the forum. perhaps not easily obtainable outside germany?