This week’s Reader’s Rig comes to us from Craig in London, host of the 2ND Life Bikes YouTube channel, who shares his fluorescent Kona MinUte. Get to know Craig and scope out his head-turning cargo-hauler here…

Words and photos by Craig Lambard

Hello! I’m Craig, better known as 2ND Life Bikes. I live in East London, and I’m a professional bike idiot. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed with taking bikes apart (much to my dad’s despair), just to figure out how they worked. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I finally learned how to put them back together. 

Kona MinUte

About three years ago, I started sharing my builds on Instagram and quickly launched a YouTube channel to document the process. These days, making bike-related videos is my full-time job, both for my own channel and for brands in the cycling world.

  • Kona MinUte
  • Kona MinUte

This Kona MinUte started life as a school run solution. My daughter was still quite small when I first got it, so we mainly used a full-on cargo bike at the time. But now that she’s grown a bit, I’ve been able to finish the MinUte build into something fun and functional.

  • Kona MinUte
  • Kona MinUte
  • Kona MinUte
  • Frame/Fork: Kona MinUTE
  • Rims: Halo SAS
  • Hubs: Tanke 120
  • Tires: Vittoria Mezcals
  • Handlebars: Spank Spoon
  • Headset: FSA NO.10
  • Crankset: Truvativ Firex
  • Pedals: DMR V8
  • Cassette: MicroSHIFT 11
  • Derailleur(s): MicroSHIFT XLE
  • Brakes: AVID
  • Shifter(s): MicroSHIFT XLE
  • Saddle: Brooks Cambium C17
  • Seatpost: Ritchey WCS Seatpost
  • Stem: RaceFace
  • Frame bags: Zola Works custom
  • Accessory bags: Zola Works StemBag V2
  • Other accessories: Jack the Rack, DMR DeathGrips, RC car

I wanted it to be visible in traffic, so I gave it a fluorescent paint job loaded with keirin flake for extra sparkle. Comfort was the main goal, so I added big riser bars and a Brooks saddle. The MinUte’s compact frame made finding a frame bag tricky, but my mate Chris at Zola Works stitched up a custom one that fits perfectly.

  • Kona MinUte
  • Kona MinUte

Since this is the smaller version of the Kona Ute, there’s not quite enough room for both my kids, so it mainly sees action on park runs with my daughter. I’m still tinkering with it and will probably rebuild it a dozen more times before I’m truly happy, but for now, it’s a proper head-turner and a total joy to ride.

  • Kona MinUte
  • Kona MinUte

See more from Craig on Instagram.

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