From Japan (Part 3): the Mini Velo
Jun 07, 2007 · 07:20 AM · permalink
So my group was walking the streets of Tokyo after finding the Tsukumo Cycle Sports bike shop, home of Kalavinka Cycles. Kalavinka bikes are known as top notch keirin bikes.
Anyways, we were walking along when I saw a Bianchi Mini Velo 9. The Japanese have this thing for bikes with really tiny wheels, but there is a subgenre of bikes that look like regular road racing bikes but have 20-inch wheels.
Here’s an example I found. It’s an aluminium frame about 52-54cm size, with downtube shifters. Looks like fun, but I’ve never ridden one.
Though I could have easily ridden this one. Check out how the only thing keeping this bike from being lifted is the feeble lock around THE BRAKE HOUSING. Bike theft isn’t the problem it is in other countries, apparently
Reminds me of little yellow bike from your last trip.
and I’ve never seen head-tube shifters before
if they was on the downtube…you probably couldn’t reach them
Here’s a neat story about bicycle theft in Japan. When I lived there all I used was a little spoke lock.
When we were in Beijing, we really fretted about having our bikes stolen (well I did and I was the only person in the country with a helmet — I’m a boyscout, what can I say) and also noticed the “somewhat” locked style that was just cursory. So we’d “stash” our bikes amidst a big pile of other bikes, to camouflage them. Here, I take my bike everywhere, but in Beijing, they have bike parking lots, so you don’t have a choice, but to leave it behind when going into a shopping center or visiting a tourist site.
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