Moving steadfast towards philosophical enlightenment, made one thing clear – happiness cannot be measured in zeroes next to ones bank account balance. I embodied that idea by placing an order for a bike that ticked more boxes than did a bean counter during tax season – the VELLO Alfine.
Ah, the perfect bike! Like finding a unicorn in a haystack, only with less stack(1) and more –
“Hey, is that an ebike?”
But did I saddle up and ride off into the sunset? No! That would be far too sensible for a man who decided to bikepack on a folder.
After a few shakedown rides and with new toy euphoria behind me, my inner engineer was struggling to contain the need to improve things. Convinced that this bike needs modifications, I was spitting out ideas faster than an SVP in a Silicon Valley boardroom. Soon I was n-levels deep, crafting to-do lists more elaborate than a hipster’s coffee order.
For my maiden overnight adventure I fitted wider tires, handlebar grips, pedals, and Ass Savers mudguards. Those mudguards, while nice, could not save my ass from the unpleasantness of gravel. For my second voyage, I swapped the elastomer bushing and fit tires so wide, they snugged the frame tighter than pre-covid jeans. Combined with a Brooks leather saddle, these parts managed to do some real ass-saving.
Even though my bottom was now comfy, hills steeper than post-COVID interest rates posed a challenge. The solution? Gear inches! I needed twenty of these mystical units. The simplest way I could get them was by down-sizing my front chainring beltring. Out went the fifty-five and in went a forty-six tooth ring. A shorter belt, a set of MKS tensioners and modified anti-rotation washers. My gear skipping issues were solved.
Basics sorted, distances and my ability to traverse difficult routes increased. I felt ready to face the next boss – airline weight limit on check-in luggage.
“Hold up!” – I hear you cry, your voice dripping with more wisdom than a fortune cookie factory
“Bikes can be transported as sports equipment!”
True, but after spending a fortune, on what was a pile of questionable decisions, my plan was to weasel my way out, with more questionable decisions.
The bike was not as light-weight as one might think. It tipped the scales at over fourteen kilograms. The addition of a Brooks saddle rounded that number to fifteen. Eight of the remaining kilos were all I had left to fit the luggage case itself and all of my kit – bikepacking bags, cages, tools and spares. Desire to be right and the fear of being wrong pushed me. I emptied my savings account and ordered a first set of lightweight components.
Bottom bracket, cranks, pedals, fork, stem, handlebars, seat, all replaced with lighter alternatives. Kickstand was sacrificed to Weight Weenie gods. A unique rear rack and a simplistic front cargo cage inspired confidence. I squeezed everything I needed, minus food and electronics into a modified suitcase from Sports Direct. On the day of the flight, I saw the magic number ‘23.0’ lit up on the airport check-in scales, my relief was as palpable as the weight shed from the bike.
| Part | Name | Weight delta
BB: Aceoffix titanium square taper -100g
Cranks: Lasco FG03 130BCD -200g
Pedals: CHROMAG Radar -250g
Fork: WG Mini Velo 20" -300g
Stem: Custom Ti 0 offset -400g
Bars: Santafixie bullhorn 31.8mm -180g
Seat: Ergon SM E-Mountain Pro Men -220g
Kickstand: none -200g
Misc: Stans Schrader tubeless setup -150g
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|Total Weight Savings: 2,0kg|
The plane took off, its destination set for a mediterranean getaway, luggage and precious contents stowed securely in its hold.
As I bikepacked across the picturesque island, I knew my bikefolding journey was far from over…
Continued in Freedom to Ride: Mastering the Fold
Footnotes:
- Stack height of VELLO Alfine is measured at 454mm ↩︎
Martin Shreder 