Kinfolk is a custom bicycle company and this latest project for our friend Ryo Yamamoto is a perfect example of what a custom bike company is capable of.

When a customer has an idea of what his dream bike would be, we make it come true. Mini Velo bikes are very popular in Japan and make a lot of sense with the tight roads and small apartments. These bikes are easily carried up flights of stairs and are small enough to pack away in a New York apartment or office. This is the first Mini Velo Kinfolk has produced and we couldn’t be happier with the result. Though we hadn’t thought of offering them prior, we may have to rethink that after this latest build. We’ll let Ryo tell you how it came about:

This all stemmed from wanting to build out a bike where I can still push it but not go as fast as I do on my single speed, for riding with my wife in particular. I had seen these small wheeled “Mini Velos” around Tokyo and thought that it would be the perfect thing to have. After some research, it was surprising to find that these were quite hard to come by here, which is especially disconcerting since it’s not like my wife and I live in a huge apartment. But size-wise, a Mini Velo seemed to make the most sense.

There are a couple of local brands that offer Mini Velos, but I wanted to have something that was a bit more special. I wanted something that nobody else around here could possibly have. Recently being introduced to Kinfolk Bicycles, I realized that I can really build up something unique. I loved the idea of having something custom made. Everyone at Kinfolk seemed to be down for the project and I was excited and surprised at the same time when Kusaka-san agreed to take it on.

I excited to finish the build (after 6 months), but was equally as stoked to see the excited and confused faces of everyone in Kinfolk Studios at the time of its completion. Although mine is the first Kinfolk Mini-Velo, I really hope it won’t be the last. I think an important thing for people to know about Mini Velos is that they shouldn’t be deceived by their small wheels. If you have the proper gear ratio, these are nearly as fast as their 700cc wheeled counterparts, and dependiing on the rider, might just be even faster.

-Ryo