Minivelos are bicycles with small tire diameters, 20 inches or less.

Because they look small and cute, they are often thought of as light and slow bicycles.

However, the reality is a little different from this image.

I would like to explain why minivelos are lightweight.

Same number of parts as a city bike

Since minivelos are bicycles with small tire diameters, their mechanisms are almost the same as city bikes (mamachari).

If anything, their smaller size means less volume.

If they were made of the same materials, minivelos would be slightly lighter, but since most of the parts like brakes, sprockets, and chains are the same, minivelos are comparatively heavier.

Minivelos have a truss-structured frame.

A truss structure refers to a triangular shape; if you consider the seatpost (the rod for the saddle) as a vertical line, the frame extends from the points above and below it towards the handlebars, forming a triangular shape.

Triangular structures are strong and are often adopted in building designs.

Therefore, even with thin frames, they can be made very strong.

On the other hand, city bikes (mamachari) are ridden by women, so they don't have the arm section that connects from below the seatpost to the handlebars.

Obstructive frames are removed to make it easier to straddle, and reinforcements are added in other ways to compensate.

To reinforce them, their thickness is increased, or multiple arms are attached at lower positions to ensure strength.

Of course, women also ride minivelos, but because the frame is compact, it doesn't get in the way when straddling even in a skirt, making it easier to design a strong shape.

From their appearance, you can't tell the thickness of the material.

While not all mamachari frames are thick, it's undeniable that designers put a lot of effort into ensuring their strength.

If the same strength can be achieved with less material, then it will naturally be lighter.

The weight difference between mamachari and minivelos is thought to come from these design and structural differences.

Minivelos are lighter due to different materials

Many mamachari are made of steel.

Steel has a specific gravity of 7.85, which is relatively heavy.

Expensive city bikes are made of aluminum, but pure aluminum is not strong enough, so aluminum alloy is generally used. (Most steel is also an alloy, though...)

Aluminum has a specific gravity of 2.7, which is only about one-third that of steel.

Minivelos come in both steel and aluminum, but compared to city bikes, it seems there are more aluminum models.

While I haven't done a proper statistical analysis, when searching for aluminum bicycles on Amazon, minivelos clearly appear more frequently.

If the material weighs one-third and the volume is smaller, then minivelos are inevitably lighter than mamachari.

This seems to be the secret to the lightness and speed of minivelos.

Incidentally, carbon-bodied minivelos also exist.

Carbon has a specific gravity of about 1.5 to 1.8.

This is only about 20% that of steel, making them even lighter.

While mamachari weigh around 20-30 kg, carbon minivelos weigh about 10 kg.

If the entire bike's weight is reduced by a third, the lightness is completely different.

Mamachari would require both hands and an "heave-ho!" to lift, but a carbon minivelo can be easily lifted with one hand.

Minivelos offer more design freedom and variety

▲ICAN Carbon Minivelo Folding Bike F1

Recently, minivelos have become increasingly popular, with straight-handle minivelo MTBs and drop-handle minivelo road bikes emerging.

Some are foldable, so many people are enjoying a new way of traveling by easily putting their bikes into bike travel bags and enjoying them at their destinations.

A while ago, a carbon minivelo might have been unthinkable.

However, carbon-framed minivelos are now appearing at affordable price points.

These are carbon-framed minivelos that are cheaper than road bikes and also cheaper than mamachari.

They are fast, light, compact, and stylish, making them very endearing.

Summary

The lightness of minivelos is partly due to their smaller frame compared to city bikes, but also because they can be made into a sturdy shape.

This allows them to be thinner and lighter while maintaining the same strength.

With the recent popularity of minivelos, MTB and road bike types have appeared, and we at ICAN have also released carbon minivelo folding bikes, leading to further weight reduction.

Exciting new models that make you want them as a second bike have emerged.

Please be sure to check them out.

Related articles: Reasons why carbon minivelos are chosen

Highly recommended minivelos