Sundeal V2 18.5" / 470mm 20" Urban MiniVelo Bike Shimano 7s Hub Brown NEW

I wanted a mini-velo due to a pending move to a smaller place. I found two, this one and another from Mercier. The Mercier looked promising but the price was nearly $100 more, the components looked suspiciously “Mart”-like, and the corporate website doesn’t even list the bike. Is it an orphan in the making?Okay, so you’re interested in this bike, but you (like me) have at least one lingering question — just who is Sundeal and are their bikes a good deal?As for the first question, read the next paragraph. Read the end for the answer to the second query.Research gets a little complicated for Sundeal, which was a division of Advance Sports, Inc., out of Philadelphia. Earlier this year they were bought out by Ideal Bikes Corporation headquartered in Taiwan with offices in China and Poland. For a while it appears Sundeal made mid-range bikes that garnered decent reviews.Since the sticker on the bike states “Made in China” we’ll call that as the origin.To be fair, I bought mine from other than Amazon and although I can’t tell you the exact company name, let’s just say they’re out of Minnesota and I got it for $240 shipped (see my hint later on in this review).UPS delivered the bike within a week of ordering. You’ve seen the packaging before, it’s barely adequate cardboard with at least one corner punched in from where loading personnel apparently don’t realize up with an arrow doesn’t mean upside down. The only thing holding this chintzy packaging together is a set of brass staples guaranteed to shred the toughest of fingers if you get too close. Make sure you local clinic has tetanus shots in stock.Fortunately, no major dings, dents or missing paint.And this is where things get interesting. After peeling a couple stickers off the box I discovered this bike was sold to Nashbar in 2014 and they cleared them out in 2017 (possibly pending discontinuation via corporate merger).In short, this bike has been warehoused for 3 years.If you’re wondering, the color appears to be a light/medium brown with blue piping on the wheels (not the tires as the pics might indicate) that also carries over to the brake cable housing (the shifter cable is black probably because it came that way from Shimano). All other incidentals are silver (seat-post, crankset, handlebars, etc.).There is a silver, chrome-like, finish also available but I wasn’t able to find any for sale as of this review.At this point I must give praise where it’s due. No bad welds, a perfect matte paint job and instead of decals the brand name is painted on. The only stickers attached indicate the frame size (50 cm, not 47 as some ads state) and the usual “tell your kid not to ride without lights at night or in the rain”.I couldn’t find a flaw in the finish anywhere which is surprising considering this bike probably had a couple thousand miles of travel in a flimsy box long before I got it.Is this bike as light as the 23 pounds advertised? Since I don’t have a way of accurately weighing this bike, I’ll just call it as “fairly” close and leave it as that. It is lighter than my all-steel 700c, 55cm fixie, but not be much (and it weighs in at 26 pounds).Part of this weight reduction is due to the smaller frame. This is a 50cm frame and I normally use a 55cm version. At least I don’t have to worry about the top bar hitting a sensitive area of my body if I have to do a forced dismount. Of course, this also means you have an inordinately high seat-post if you’re much over 5’7” tall.Ever got a bike only to find the instructions discuss every bike but they one you bought? No change here, but at least the manual is thick. The first 79 pages are in Chinese with the rest in well interpreted English, but most of it is useless except in generic terms.Do you know how to assemble a front brake assembly? Know which pedals go where and how there are threaded? Have a clue what a QR is and how to install one?I could go on, but if you answered no to any of those plan on going to your local bike shop for the $50 assembly charge.Fortunately, I’m 58 and have probably assembled a couple hundred bikes in my day. Even with my experience it took me the better part of two hours before I took my first test ride.Unlike some other bikes I’ve assembled, this one had parts that actually fit. The wheels were true within reason and nothing was bent or useless due to shipping hazards (my last bike from a large bike-only online retailer required a rubber mallet just to mount the front tire because the drop-outs weren’t sized properly).My only hitch involved the front brake assembly which came with a cable that was a good 18 inches too long. Out came the wire cutters and 15 minutes of hacking away to make sure it was the proper length.There is an oddity on this model, though, and it’s the lugged, “crown" front forks. Instead of a one piece unit, the front forks are separate and can be individually replaced should you bend or break one. Haven’t seen these on many bikes since the 70s although high end racers still sport them. Mainly aesthetics as far as I can tell but they do look nice (in all my years I have yet to break a fork. Bend them, yes, break them, no).How about some name brand components? They are not in abundance. The wheels are strong double wall but if you can find a name let me know. Ditto for the pedals and seat-post.Mind you, this isn’t necessarily bad. I’ve owned bikes that didn’t have names on them at all and they did just fine.If you’re a name dropper, you will find ProPalm (grips), Velo (seat), Shimano (gearing), Kenda (tires), Tektro (brakes) and Lasco (chainring and cranks) in the group.It’s the rear hub that garners attention, though. It’s the Shimano Nexus 7 with quick-fire shifters. Whoopee, you say? Take a look at Amazon while you’re here and see what they charge for a new one (I’ll save you the time — it’s around $160).And those Tektro R539 long reach, recessed, brakes run about $50 a pair on sale. You can see where this math is going.Add 100 psi Kenda tires with Presta valves and this puppy takes off quickly, much better than my 700c bikes. Much like a semi without too much weight, you’ll be shifting through gears at a fast pace, too.With this type of gearing, though, you won’t hit your stride until 5th gear at which point you’ll have just two to go, but that won’t matter. According to my handy cellphone app I allegedly hit 30 on a downhill grade and had no problem maintaining 20 or better on the flats. Not bad for a pudgy 220 pound frame (mine, not the bike’s).But there are trade offs here, folks. You have 20 inch tires on a frame that is technically in the hybrid category usually packing 700c rubber. Turning is brisk and tight but don’t overdue it in the corners. A couple times it seemed like I might lose the rear end although I never did. That may just be new bike jitters and a set of handlebars that are a bit too narrow for my taste.And here’s another safety tip for you 20 inch bikers — these tires are just 1 1/8 inches wide, not much wider than some 700c tires I’ve had in the past. Forget running through sand and dirt like you did in the BMX days (unless you like doing the drift, swerve and crash).Did I mention the tire tread? How about near zero? These are one step away from slicks so watch what’s ahead of you.Ah, yes, and some of you may be thinking that 20 inch tires are substantially cheaper than 700c, right? Not in this case. These are 451 series, high PSI, versions. They’ll cost just as much but possibly be more rugged.On the plus side, you don’t have to worry about toe overlap (the tendency of tires to hit your shoes in turns) because the wheel size is much smaller.Another trade off is the lack of “pedal and coast” you might experience off that rear wheel. That Nexus hub is a heavy little monster and will slow down the rear wheel spin quite a bit. Few realize that 7 internal planetary gears weigh more than the conventional sprocket assembly you’ll normally find on this type of bike. Get used to pedaling, it’s good exercise anyway.Ease of maintenance is a factor here. The Nexus 7 is a sealed hub which means slogging through a puddle and then some dirt won’t do anything but make your bike look, well, dirty. Traditional derailleurs will get gunky and jammed quickly, but not a sealed hub. Wash it off an go (easier to adjust, too). As for lubrication, it’s a sealed unit. When it starts grinding 5 to 10 years from now take it to your local bike shop for a rebuild. Cripes, I’ve seen sealed hub shifters from the 70s that are still going strong.Oh, and those brakes? Some of the tightest grabbing brakes I’ve ever had from the factory. Instead of the usual BMX shorty brake handles, these are full size. Grab too hard and you may find yourself doing a forced dismount over the handlebars.Nice point here, though. The pads are replaceable so you can upgrade to lighter or denser pads as the case may be without replacing the whole shoe.And for those of you who may notice, the rear wheel has more spokes than the front. This is necessary since the Nexus hub often requires a 36 spoke assembly. The front wheel appears to be the standard 24 spoke affair.About my only major gripe is the included handlebar. It’s about as straight a pipe as you can get and has no width or heft. A couple times I cut a corner a bit too close and had to adjust quickly. I’m used to beefier riser bars and will replace these soon.Now comes the inevitable question — what will necessitate replacement?First go the grips. Foam and not much else and these will be nothing but sweat and dirt magnets, especially the latter (they are medium blue). Have sore hands? No? You will soon!Next will be the seat. Bless Velo, they do try, but this is one of the hardest “padded” seats I’ve ever been on.Then go the handlebars. I prefer BMX style risers.Maybe the pedals, but only because they are metal (all metal, not plastic junk included) and they are pretty much guaranteed to tear up a pair of shoes quickly. Plastic composites for me, thank you.Final overall impressions?Let’s start with the pros:*Decent construction for the price. Dig around long enough and you’ll find this bike for as little as $240 delivered (hint: do a google search for Sundeal V2 and pick the company with “random” in its name. Sign up and you’ll get a 10% discount.).*Chromoly instead of hi-ten steel. Chromoly is more durable and just as strong. It won’t bend as easily as hi-ten if you get rambunctious and decide to hop a curb.*Quick-fire shifters. Rare at this price range and even more rare on a Nexus hub assembly (usually it’s a twist shift).*Nexus 7 sealed drivetrain. Beats an exposed derailleur when the going gets dirty.*What appears to be higher end Tektro long reach brakes.*High pressure tires with presta valves. You usually get cheap rubber with low pressure and Schrader valves.*2 bottle boss mounts instead of the usual 1. I’ll probably use one for a pump.*Quick release (QR) on the front wheel (no-go on the rear due to the hub).*Decent get-up and go. Jack rabbit starts from a dead stop.*20 inch tires that get rid of the dreaded toe overlap.*Components may be mainly no-name, but they are quite adequate.*Easily upgradeable if you desire. No odd sizings here.*You’ll probably be the only one in the neighborhood with one. I live in an area with 600,000 residents and I haven’t seen another one like it.And now the cons:*Company appears kaput and the only warranty seems to be a 30 day offering from the seller.*2 bottle boss mounts but none for a rack? Granted, installing a rack might look somewhat goofy, but at least give us the chance!*Fat chance you’ll find much on this bike, even on the web. You’re reading what’s probably the longest review written about it.*Tire width appears limited. That’s not necessarily bad, but if you want wider rubber, make sure it’ll fit first.*Some components, such grips and seat, will definitely need replacing, but that’s common on any bike, no matter how much you pay.*You’re buying a bike that’s probably been sitting around 4 or 5 years in some warehouse.If the price is right, go for it. It’s compact, easy to tote around if you need to, the wheels are much cheaper to replace than 700c (in most cases), and it’s faster than it looks.

First, the seat was unusually small? Possibly an inch shorter in length than what I would consider a regular size seat. Swapped that out first.The chain is stiff/tight and it could use one more link so that wheel removal is easier. The bike does not coast forever on flat ground due to the internal hub.The chainring is 46T, struggles up hills in my area in the lowest gear, so I will need a smaller chainring.All the parts on the bike are good quality and there doesn't seem to be anything that won't last.