james_swift

That bike deserves one more black-n-white accessory:

monsterpile

I am really digging the black and white. Those Look pedals will be awesome on that bike. They make me wish I used clipless pedals and I hadn't sold the old pair I had but only for a fleeting moment. =).

cedar_lake

Ok so I finally got out on a ride on mine last night. First off, I've been doing all of my riding lately on a 700c-wheeled fixie geared 52X18 with 120 lbs in the tires- so this was a change!

That said I felt pretty comfortable on the bike after a couple of seatpost adjustments, but the tires just felt like total mush with 70lbs in them. I could care less about a soft ride- that's what posting up is for. So I'm in the market for some high-pressure slicks for sure. Fun, fun, fun though. What a wheelie machine (I was conservative about this, what with being clipped in and all).

Dynocoaster 

Brand has the Kojacks for $26.99 https://brandscycle.com/product/schwa...1.35-19572.htm

ZENiC

I'll just leave this here
https://cgi.ebay.com/New-No-Logo-Min-...ht_1533wt_1141

damn... it's 1 1/8

cedar_lake

Not a lot out there in the world of 1" threaded aftermarket minivelo forks, let alone in carbon. The weight of the bike is far more noticeable when doing the "coffee shop lift" than when riding. I think getting some non-mushy slicks on here will help a great deal.

vmaniqui

i can vouch for this tires as i have them on my Speed TR. love it.

james_swift

That's an excellent price. Even better that they give free shipping on anything over $50. Seriously considering buying.

james_swift

How is the overall durability? I commute in downtown SF and my Panaracers Minits Tough were breached by a 2mm piece of glass after less than one week of ownership.

vmaniqui

i had it since september of last year and so far so good. honestly i like it better than the original marathon tires my TR had before. kojak is fast and light.

martinus

cedar_lake

I got an initial review done on my blog, see here:https://re-turn.blogspot.com/2011/07/...cier-nano.html

I've added a white nashbar r2 saddle since those photos were taken. Playing a lot with body position now, I find I can ride this with the bars lower than some of my other bikes. Tires (minits lite) and tubes (danscomp ultra-light bmx tubes) are next.

james_swift

I hope the Minits Lite work out better for you than my Minits Tough. I had to install the matching Panaracer FlatAway kevlar tire liner to keep the rear tire from continuously puncturing due to broken glass. I also suggest that you visually inspect the tires after a long ride and pick out any sharp bits of debris.

cedar_lake

Luckily my normal rides are not as urban as some have to contend with. I started out commuting with flat strips and slime tubes and heavy tires, but the kind of flats I get (nails, staples, about once a year) tend to defeat those things so why have all that weight on the bike year-round only to have to fix flats anyway? Another advantage of my less-than-urban commute (I actually commute from one burb to an ever more remote burb) is that i tend to know where the glass sjhows up and accumulates and can anticipate and avoid it. Works for me.

rdp36

Sounds like a good strategy. My stock front tire flatted for the first time after about 160 miles of riding, once again a mile from Recycled Cycles near the University of Washington. So I ended up doing the same rim strip replacement I had to do on the rear tire a 145 miles earlier. Good thing there are about six bike shops between my house and my workplace!

A customer at the bike shop said he saw another mini-velo earlier in the day, so perhaps the Seattle population is growing.

Dynocoaster 

There was a person in North Seattle who sold their Mini Velo about a month ago.

big boy phil

BikesDirect website says the large frame set is for a person up to 6' tall. Has anyone over 6' tried one of these? I'm 6'4" and currently ride a Xootr Swift. I love the small wheels, plus all the "looks" i get from people. The price of this bike is great, and almost worth a try, but not if there is no way I can fit on it. So any of you other big guys try this one out yet???

cedar_lake

At 5'10 on the large frame, I can't imagine being comfortable on it at 6'4 without a longer stem and seatpost. My impression is that the 53.5cm frame fits just like a 53.5 cm "regular" bike frame would fit. Also, remember that on a minivelo, you're already out over the rear wheel quite a bit and the longer seatpost would only exacerbate this.

big boy phil

Ah nuts. I didn't realize the 53cm actually translated to a comparable full size bike. Oh well, at least I still have my xootr swift to use with 20" wheels. Perhaps bikesdirect will make a l/xl frame in the future.

cedar_lake

I flatted the stock rear tire tonight. Local DPW chipped a six-inch wide section out of a poured concrete bikepath and I didn't see it until I was on top of it. Just a little pinhole, but flatting always makes me sensitive to how the tires feel for a awhile afterward. Even at 70lbs, the rear felt like it was flatting again, even though every time I checked it it was just fine and still sitting at the 70lbs I had put in it- I think being sensitive to the tire feel just made me realize how much of my weight is on the rear-I'm guessing 80%+.

martinus

Does anyone have access to vinyl cutter, to make some "nano" sticker(s) ? ... maybe, even in a matching font ...

martinus

Oh, oh ... upgrades.

Dynocoaster 

I was thinking of thumb shifters, how did you route the cable through the head tube shifter?

martinus

https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl...28l827l2-2.1l3

martinus