Tell me about minivelos

[chris667]

Hello everyone.
I have a big birthday coming up in a couple of years. And I'm considering buying my next bike. It will be made with everything I want, rather than compromises.
I live in a small house and I have always loved the idea of a minivelo. A lightweight, nippy little bike that's easy to look after and is easy to carry up stairs (there's a lot of stairs here!). It will probably have a Rohloff hub.
There's an older chap who comes into my town every day riding a Cannondale Hooligan. I fancy something like that but it almost has balloon tyres. I reckon 20 x 1 3/8" are about the perfect width.
I've very much enjoyed modifying Raleigh Twenties over the years but I want to get something built just for me. I've seen the Sven Cycles minivelo and while I like the look and have plenty of time to save for it I really like the look of some of the minivelos on Aliexpress like this.
Have any of you built a minivelo? Do you like it?

 

[raleighnut]

Hello everyone.
I have a big birthday coming up in a couple of years. And I'm considering buying my next (and my only non-compromise) bike.
I live in a small house and I have always loved the idea of a minivelo. A lightweight, nippy little bike that's easy to look after and is easy to carry up stairs (there's a lot of stairs here!). It will probably have a Rohloff hub.
There's an older chap who comes into my town every day riding a Cannondale Hooligan. I fancy something like that but it almost has balloon tyres. I reckon 20 x 1 3/8" are about the perfect width.
I've very much enjoyed modifying Raleigh Twenties over the years but I want to get something built just for me. I've seen the Sven Cycles minivelo and while I like the look and have plenty of time to save for it I really like the look of some of the minivelos on Aliexpress like this.
Have any of you built a minivelo? Do you like it?

Depends how tall you are, I'd look like a Giraffe on a roller skate with my long legs and would probably need a lot longer seatpost........not so keen on the stack of spacers on the steerer tube either

 

[Lee_M]

Depends how tall you are, I'd look like a Giraffe on a roller skate with my long legs and would probably need a lot longer seatpost........not so keen on the stack of spacers on the steerer tube either

I'd never heard of them, now I've seen one, and especially the stack, I don't want to see another.
So it's a no from me.

 

[chris667]

Thank you @raleighnut and @Lee_M . I can see they aren't your bag, but I quite fancy one. Easy to storea and move around, plus I imagine great fun - superb acceleration and quick handling. The tall stack on headsets is going to be inevitable, I suppose, with the small frame. Saying that, a long seatpost and stack don't make it a bad bike - it's just one neither of you like for aesthetic reasons. Unless there's an insight you have into headset wear that I don't know of?

I was really hoping people who have built or ridden one could comment - I'm trying to form an opinion based on the experiences of others rather than subjective comments about the aesthetics of such a machine.

 

[Randomnerd]

As a fan of old-fashioned randonneuring bikes, I love the handbuilt minivelos of Hirose. Exquisite works of art.

The Velo Orange Neutrino is a good place to start if you want an off-the-peg frameset: there are a few sizes to choose from, and you could pick decent componentry to build on.

I've ridden one borrowed from a friend who rates minivelos, and found it less twitchy than I imagined. I've had a Brompton, so was ready for the small wheel effect.

A good framebuilder might make you one to fit, if you have deep pockets.

Keep us posted.

 

[Lee_M]

Thank you @raleighnut and @Lee_M . I can see they aren't your bag, but I quite fancy one. Easy to storea and move around, plus I imagine great fun - superb acceleration and quick handling. The tall stack on headsets is going to be inevitable, I suppose, with the small frame. Saying that, a long seatpost and stack don't make it a bad bike - it's just one neither of you like for aesthetic reasons. Unless there's an insight you have into headset wear that I don't know of?

I was really hoping people who have built or ridden one could comment - I'm trying to form an opinion based on the experiences of others rather than subjective comments about the aesthetics of such a machine.

It's the Internet, you're always going to get opinions.

However, a very tall stack of spacers will never be as secure as a solid piece of metal. Microscopic movements between each part will be magnified, whether that's enough to make it unstable is open to discussion, but you can bet any money that if it worked manufacturers would save money and just make one sized frame and build a stack.

Still not convinced better acceleration is worth the looks, but it's your money, spend it how you want 👍

 

[Cycleops]

Thank you @raleighnut and @Lee_M .
I was really hoping people who have built or ridden one could comment - I'm trying to form an opinion based on the experiences of others rather than subjective comments about the aesthetics of such a machine.

Im not really qualified to comment but I do have a 16” kiddiewheeler folder which is quite acceptable to ride. The Minivelo should be much better.
I don’t think the opinion of an owner would necessarily help you as they're obviously going to sing its praises, even if it has shortcomings, not wishing to look foolish.
Just looking at it I can’t really see a reason to make a bike just a little smaller, can’t see the advantages. Wouldn’t be a lot lighter than 700c wheel bike and it doesn’t fold so no advantage for storage. Would be a very limited market come sale time if you didn’t get on with it, probably loose a fair bit of money.
I’d also be very wary of anything on Ali Express.

 

[FrankCrank]

Hello everyone.
I have a big birthday coming up in a couple of years. And I'm considering buying my next bike. It will be made with everything I want, rather than compromises.
I live in a small house and I have always loved the idea of a minivelo. A lightweight, nippy little bike that's easy to look after and is easy to carry up stairs (there's a lot of stairs here!). It will probably have a Rohloff hub.
There's an older chap who comes into my town every day riding a Cannondale Hooligan. I fancy something like that but it almost has balloon tyres. I reckon 20 x 1 3/8" are about the perfect width.
I've very much enjoyed modifying Raleigh Twenties over the years but I want to get something built just for me. I've seen the Sven Cycles minivelo and while I like the look and have plenty of time to save for it I really like the look of some of the minivelos on Aliexpress like this.
Have any of you built a minivelo? Do you like it?

Minivelos are popular in SE Asia, and I believe the genre came about in Japan where living/storage space is quite limited. Not owned or ridden one myself, but am familiar wth small wheeled bikes like the Raleigh Twenty, and imagine the ride to be on a par.

The Hooligan you mentioned is a clever frame design, allowing a raised handlebar without an elongated, flexy stem. I'll add a pic if I may for those unfamiliar with that bike:

I may attempt a similar build in stainless at some stage, just as a challenge. If I do, I'll go with a regular fork rather than a leftie.
The tyre size you mentioned is for the larger 451mm, rather than the more common 406mm (BMX) size, and I'm sure you know this will limit available wheel/tyre choice.

Rohloff eh, I'm guessing budget is not an issue . Sounds like an interesting project - keep us posted

 

[Randomnerd]

Cylops isn't quite right about space-saving 😐. They're shorter end to end, so have a smaller footprint. Certainly the Neutrino I rode was pretty light and nimble for what was chromoly I think.

 

[raleighnut]

Thank you @raleighnut and @Lee_M . I can see they aren't your bag, but I quite fancy one. Easy to storea and move around, plus I imagine great fun - superb acceleration and quick handling. The tall stack on headsets is going to be inevitable, I suppose, with the small frame. Saying that, a long seatpost and stack don't make it a bad bike - it's just one neither of you like for aesthetic reasons. Unless there's an insight you have into headset wear that I don't know of?

I was really hoping people who have built or ridden one could comment - I'm trying to form an opinion based on the experiences of others rather than subjective comments about the aesthetics of such a machine.

Nah don't get me wrong but as @Lee_M points out it is going to be a weak point, the long stem on a twenty was a bit 'floppy' (My little sister had one and I used to nick it if my bike had a puncture in the morning when I had to get to work) but at least it was solid.
I'd assume they've engineered enough strength into the steerer tube it just looks weird, maybe make it a 'feature' though by using different co;oured (anodised) spacers alternately to give a striped look, even alternating black and silver would improve the look IMHO

As for my own personal style well I own several different types of bike but since snapping my Femur into 3 bits my main vehicle is the Trike in my avatar (I don't drive)

 

[Gunk]

My Mini Velo - a 1970’s kids racing bike, all proper grown up components but 20” wheels. Bought from a junk shop in France for €10, It hangs on the wall in the garage.

 

[Nibor]

I have a Orbea Katu 2020 with a Nexus 8 speed hub and find it a very nippy fun ride around town

 

[chris667]

Thanks folks. I like the looks of the Katu. Seems well designed for a town bike with that fixed basket.

Just looking at it I can’t really see a reason to make a bike just a little smaller, can’t see the advantages. Wouldn’t be a lot lighter than 700c wheel bike and it doesn’t fold so no advantage for storage. Would be a very limited market come sale time if you didn’t get on with it, probably loose a fair bit of money.

The advantage of having the bike a little smaller is when you have to go up a flight of steps like the ones at my house or to a train station, it wouldn't be poking so far out of either side of my shoulders.

Resale isn't something I'm worried about particularly.

 

[Pale Rider]

I also have a Katu, but I've never thought of it as a 'mini velo'.

Similarly, one of my mates has a Moulton with drop handlebars which he uses for audaxes.

Which leads me to wonder if the term means anything at all.

'Compact frame' might be a better description.

I also have a 20" wheel ebike which is surprisingly capable.

I've done a couple of 80+ mile rides on it.

Ride comfort is a little lacking, but I think that's more to do with the short wheelbase rather than the small wheels.

 

[chris667]

Thanks. It seems they are classified into two groups - real performance machines and balloon tyred town bikes.
TBH, I had forgot about the Moulton. Resale value isn't an issue with those!