As the Ascent Bolt mini velo is a custom frameset (not by me, by Ascent Bikes), the bike geometry could be decided by the bike frame designer. Therefore, let's compare the geometry to see how it differs from other similar bikes.
I chose the Dahon MuEX to represent Dahon folding bikes, as I no longer have other mini velos. In a way, I like to use the Dahon MuEX as a benchmark for other small wheeled bikes. As both have a flat handlebar setup, and are small wheeled bikes (although different wheel size), they are similar enough to make a fair comparison.
As always, I align the bottom brackets of the bikes to each other, using it to set a datum for comparing other areas, such as chainstay length, wheelbase, handlebar and saddle position, etc.
The bottom bracket height of the Ascent Bolt is very slightly higher than the Dahon MuEX. It will also depend on your choice of wheels (406 vs 451) and choice of tire (narrow vs wide).
Ascent Bolt has a longer chainstay length. The Dahon MuEX chainstay length is 400mm, so the Ascent Bolt chainstay length looks to be about 420mm.
Distance from bottom bracket to front axle is shorter on the Ascent Bolt. Difference is about 30mm as estimated by eye, as I forgot to take measurements.
Frame and wheelbase comparison. Overall length is about the same, just that the front and rear axle positions are slightly offset.
Overall height of the tire from the ground is about the same. The Ascent Bolt is using 451 wheels with 28-451 tires, while the Dahon MuEX is using 406 wheels with wider 35-406 Kojak tires.
After comparing with the Dahon MuEX, I decided to compare it with the Canyon Endurace road bike as well. Since this mini velo is also designed to be a fast bike, the geometry might be closer to that of a full size road bike.
Using bottom bracket as datum, the Canyon road bike chainstay length is also shorter than the Ascent Bolt by about 20mm.
Saddle height is the same as set to my preference.
The flat handlebar of the Ascent Bolt is just a bit higher than the drop bar on the Canyon, but with a much shorter reach compared to the road shifter hoods on the Canyon. If you change to drop bars, the reach would become the same.
As a side note: I took off the pedals and kickstand from the demo bike, as I wanted to weigh the bike without all these accessories. This also gave me a chance to weigh the accessories on its own.
Very nice and smooth sealed bearing pedals, with a very nice weight too, especially given the large platform. Just 229 grams for the pair.
The length-adjustable kickstand is also surprisingly light weight at just 163 grams. This kickstand is attached to the rear quick release axle.
Seatpost with a saddle clamp that supports a wide area on the saddle rails. This means that you can safely use a carbon saddle rail on this seatpost.
This saddle is interesting, as it is wide and short. The padding is generous but not overly soft. Let's see how it feels when I test it on extended rides.
As I was able to borrow and use this bike over a week, I wanted to install some accessories to make it more practical for commuting. This means adding spares such as a tool bottle (with tools and inner tube, tire lever, etc), a portable pump, and front + rear lights.
Also, I changed the pedals to my favourite PD-A530 pedals which have SPD clips for better pedaling efficiency. This will allow me to use the Scott MTB Elite Boa shoes when riding this bike. In order to ensure a fair comparison and review, I want to keep other factors the same, such as using the same cycling shoes, pedals, cycling attire, cycling route, etc.
Ascent Bolt mini velo with accessories installed! Now it is ready for longer distance travel.
2 x D-Light front lights, which are small, lightweight, easy to install, and yet powerful.
With a Topeak RedLite Aero rear light and a Cycliq Fly6 CE rear light + camera. I like the dropped seatstays as it creates space on the seat tube to mount another rear light as shown here.
Out for a ride on a beautiful day!
Speed:
This mini velo can go fast! With a good geometry and a relatively aggressive setup, it is easy to ride fast. The gearing (front 50T, rear 11-32T) is also good for fast riding if you want. Personally, I prefer a 46T for 451 wheels as the gearing is high enough for me, but you can customize the chainring size on the Ascent crankset if you want. If I were to use this mini velo regularly, I would change to a drop bar setup for more speed.
Riding Geometry:
The reach is just nice for me (1.7m tall), based on the setup. Initially I pushed the saddle all the way forward, as my previous mini velos needed the saddle all the way forward to position the knee over the pedal correctly. However, I found that it was not necessary on this bike, as there was no setback on this seatpost. I could position the saddle rails right in the middle of the saddle fore/aft adjustment range.
In other words, I fit right in the middle of this frame's size range. If you are shorter or taller, you can still adjust the saddle and stem reach to get your preferred riding posture.
I find that the flat handlebar riding posture is too upright, but that is probably because I am used to the more aggressive posture of drop bars. As you may know, both my regular commuting bikes (Canyon Endurace and Fabike C3) have drop bars, so I am very used to that. For recreational and occasional riders, flat handlebars may be easier to handle.
Saddle:
This saddle is a delightful surprise for me as I did not expect it to fit me so well. Although it is wide, it does not get in the way of pedaling. The cushioning is just nice for me, even if I am not wearing padded cycling shorts. The short saddle nose is a bonus, as it gives me more space to straddle the bike when I put my feet down at a stop.
Stability:
With the relatively wide 600mm flat handlebar (I am used to narrower 400mm drop bars), riding stability is no issue. Even when I stand up to pedal, there is no noticeable flex in the crankset, frame or fork. Having lightweight wheels with low profile rims also minimizes the effects of crosswinds on bike stability.
Sometimes, on mini velos or folding bikes with tall head tubes and long steerer tubes, you can detect some flex when you pull hard on the handlebars. No issue with this bike, as the carbon steerer tube spacer and stiff carbon handlebar makes the front end stiff and stable.
Brake Performance:
This is my first time riding with hydraulic disc brakes on a mini velo, so I was quite surprised at the braking power on this bike. A small wheeled bike will have more braking power than a big wheeled bike, if the rotor size is the same. Here is an example.
700c road bike (28" wheel), with 160mm rotor. Assume that the brake power on this full size road bike is 100%.
If we use the same brake setup and rotor (160mm) on a 451 wheeled bike (22"), the braking power will be higher.
Braking Power = 28" / 22" x 100% = 127%
In other words, the small wheeled bike will have a braking power that is 27% more than an equivalent setup on a road bike! That is a big difference which I felt.
In fact, the braking performance is so good that I felt it was a bit too strong. Considering that these are basic hydraulic brakes and rotors, it works really well. You should not use stronger brakes on a small wheeled mini velo as it might be too powerful.
On the other hand, this also means that you can use cable actuated mechanical disc brakes, and still have sufficient braking performance on a mini velo.
Possible Improvements:
1) Additional bottle cage mount on the seat tube
Actually this is the only item I can think of, as it seems to be able to do everything else already, with multiple brake mounting choices and even option to install rear rack or mudguards.
Overall:
The Ascent Bolt mini velo is a very versatile frameset that you can customize to your exact needs. I have seen pictures of it with a drop bar road setup and high profile carbon rims, and it looks really good.
Note that I did not comment on the performance of the bike components, as it is totally dependent on what you specify in your build. If you choose to use high end components, naturally they will work better and feel better. Generally, regardless of what components you use, the Ascent Bolt mini velo should exhibit all the features which I have described in these two blog posts.
That saddle looks very similar to the Specialized Power, which has been around since 2015.
ReplyDeletedo you have this minivelo in taipei?
ReplyDeleteCheck with Ascent Bikes, they may be able to ship it there. Look for them on Facebook or their own website. https://www.ascent-bikes.com/
Delete