Azreal911

Just somehow ran across this bike online somewhere and there was only a slight mention of it in the past here. Seems like a european only bike right now and looks very unique. What surprised me was that they are 7-8 speeds on such tiny wheels, some of you would probably scoff at the weight and with smaller wheels (12" and 14" versions) having a fold that's twice the size of a Brompton and actually rivalling 20" folder sizes. But what really got me interested is because someone is actually pushing the folding envelope instead of the usual safe dahon fold in half styles and trying new things out which is very refreshing! Seems very new and the company is not a fly by night company that'll disappear in a few months. There's barely any reviews out there at all, did anyone see this rare breed in person?

Japan has alot of interesting folders but there's a huge language barrier and japan only market for parts which you'll have a hard time finding anything but this is out there for the world to see and hopefully they have good support for parts as it is their main product like the Brompton company and Strida's. Lots of youtube videos about this bike but only 1-2 real world reviews which I would like to see more of.
Edit: Big fish also popped in my head for another unconventional fold and supported bike.

NANOO - La vera bicicletta pieghevole

invisiblehand

At least by the way I'd pronounce it, I think of ...

https://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV...14,317_AL_.jpg

alaskanb3arcub

hmm, looks like an a bike clone. I will say I like the way this is equipped better, though.

A-Bike

Azreal911

i keep an eye out for real abikes for cheap on craigslist also. but they are built differently

abike max weight: 85KG
nanoo max weight: 110KG!!

that's around a 50lbs difference! quite a bit more strength in their frame.

2_i 

Well, I rode an A-Bike and it was awful. I could sense every crack in the surface I rode on (and the dealer obviously chose already that most favorable for testing) and I felt that any moment I might flip over onto my chin. Thank you, I'd rather walk .

Still Pedaling

I will admit, they are interesting to look at, but I would not entertain purchasing one. They might be a lot fun riding, as long as its on a smooth surface that you would find inside a shopping mall for example. On the road? I would eventually loose all the fillings in my teeth. One little pump, and I would be kissing the asphalt. Great engineering though, but not very practical - for me anyway.

wilfried

Where did you get those weights? They're far heavier than me! The Nanoo websites shows 12.5 kg., or 14 kg for the electric version.

Azreal911

no that's the max weight of the rider it can handle

feijai

Link is broken, presume you meant Mork & Mindy.

It's an italian bike, so: in italian, Mork said "Nano". (Nanoo would have been spelled "Nanu").


I'd not call this a clone. The A-Bike has 8-inch wheels. This bike has 12 or 14 inch wheels. A pretty big difference!

Still though, to think of riding a 12 inch wheel bike over the cobblestones of Rome...

wilfried

I read too quickly, and missed the "max" part. <blush>

2_i 

Granted, by the time you get to 16" & suspension of a Brompton the ride becomes quite comfortable.

smallwheeler

i suspect that most of you who scoff at 14" wheels have never ridden them. a 14 inch wheel bike with a good set of tires like the schwalbe big apple will perform very well in most conditions including cobblestone streets.




the nanoo seems like a cool bike with some interesting features. i like the use of the brompton hinge assembly on its downtube and the folding handlebars are pretty much a must on an accordion-style vertical fold (note that folding handlebars are also used on the carry me and the mobiky also - similar fold). both the 12" and 14" versions have internal cable routing and the 14 has disc brakes. shimano sora derailler 7 speed.







seems like a nice bike. however, if i was really looking for a 14" wheel bike with this kind of fold and at the 1000USD price point, i would definitely go for the ox peco 14(900 - 12000usd i think).





the ox peco is a full-suspension (front and rear) performance folding bike that, like the nanoo, is available in 12" and 14" wheel versions. the peco has disc brakes and comes standard with 3 speed or 8 speed IGH or 9 speed derailler set-up. i've also seen an alfine 11 version. it also comes with water bottle braze-ons and a front mounting block to accept the brompton front carrier assembly.




mute sound:

Still Pedaling

Where do you find all this stuff? Do you have Super Google or something? :-) (for some reason or other, I can't activate the smiley feature anymore. I wonder if it has something to do with Google Chrome?)

feijai

I don't think so.

Though I have not ridden a 14", I have done something that qualifies me: I have ridden miles on the San Pietrini of Rome (the city in discussion) every single day for many months, on a 349 wheel and the fattest, cushiest tires you can get in that size (scorchers at low, near snakebite pressure). And it is still not what I would call a spectacular ride. Doable, but far from comfy. Thus, I think I can safely say that the same is *at least* true for 14" (254) wheels, given that they're a good 70% the size. At only 10mm more in width, I do not think that even Big Apples can compensate for that big of a drop.

I'm not saying that 14" doesn't have its place. It's totally rideable, I'm certain, on typical pavement. I'm saying i'm surprised a 14" is being promoted by an Italian company given the riding surface of a number of Italian city centers.

Azreal911

Still pedaling has a way to searching when it comes to very weird items. still for me if I was looking for a 14" bike within the 1k price point it would be a hard choice between the peco and the nanoo the nanoo has a double tube which might give it a stiffer ride while the peco has a much more variable seatpost as well a dual suspension! where can you even buy a peco!? at least the nanoo has a official website that's in english, for the peco good luck finding it on google I tried and just got youtube vids.

Still Pedaling

Perhaps you might be referring to smallwheeler. He has a knack of finding all these different types of folding bikes. I don't know if they are weird though - different yes. :-)

Is anyone out there having difficulty accessing the smileys? I'm using Google Chrome - I wonder if I'm having issues with it.

Azreal911

firefox here.

Still Pedaling

They work on other types of forums I frequent, but not this one anymore. Maybe I should go back to using Explorer :-)

downtube

Both the Ox and Nanoo are awesome. I assume both are Japanese bikes?

Thanks,
Yan

alaskanb3arcub

Nanoo appears to be italian.

shoalster321

I just bought a used A-Bike copy and its great fun! It may be a rough ride but it gets me to the bus stop way faster than walking, fold it up, get on the bus and ride the bus to my destination. It folds smaller than a Brompton. It's not made for long rides. I think it's an ingenious design. I'm currently looking for a Brompton for longer rides. I currently own a Sun Sunray semi recumbent, great bike!!

keyven

Nanoo appears to be from the planet Ork.

Nanoo nanoo