Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Blacksnow Cycles, a Chinese bicycle brand, just released their first mini-velo, based around 20″ wheels, a Chromoly steel frame, lots of mounts, and the option for an eccentric bottom bracket for a Rohloff or other internally geared setup. Learn more about the pint-sized Blacksnow Granite here…
I took a deep dive into the world of portable bikes and mini-velos in my review of the Velo Orange Neutrino, and it was interesting to learn that they can be traced all the way back to the late 1800s. The most notable is the French Army’s folding bicycle that soldiers carried on their backs. These days, folding bikes and mini-velos are primarily used by apartment dwellers, those wanting a small footprint, and travel that involves trains, planes, and the trunks of taxi cabs. There aren’t a huge number of production mini-velos available, but we’re excited to see Blacksnow Cycles from China enter the scene with a new option.
Blacksnow Cycles was founded by Yunfeng Zhan with help from Chris Lei 10 years ago after they found themselves looking for a comfortable and reliable bike but couldn’t find any suitable local options. According to Chris, quality choices are limited and expensive in Mainland China, so they decided to build some of their own. Four years ago, they started working on a mini-velo after being dissatisfied with the skinny tires found on most offerings. The new Blacksnow Granite is the final result.
The Blacksnow Granite is a 20″ mini-velo based around a 4130 Chromoly steel frame and fork, clearance for 20 x 2.4″ tires, a 68mm threaded bottom bracket, and loads of mounting points for racks and other gear. It comes in two versions: a standard drivetrain model and an option with an eccentric bottom bracket (EBB) for internal drivetrains, like the Rohloff. The Granite features in-house built casted dropouts, a 27.2mm seatpost, and quick-release axles. It comes in three sizes designed to fit riders from 5’0″ to 6’0″ tall. It has a 73° head tube angle, a 72° seat tube, a 30mm bottom bracket drop, and long 420mm chainstays (up to 427mm on the EBB version).
The Blacksnow Granite is available to purchase through distributors in China, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. Framesets start at about $3,200 CNY, but North American pricing hasn’t been locked in yet. Your best bet is to check in with a local dealer or head to BlacksnowCycles.com to learn more.
Further Reading
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