Bike Check: Daryn ‘s No.22 Little Wing
The No. 22 press coverage never seems to stop around here, but sadly this is the last bit I saved from my 2024 summer trip to America. Today, we’re checking out a very special bike, since it’s the one I’ve been stoked about since I first spotted it online years back. It’s probably the first step that got me thinking, “Man, I’d love to work with these folks someday.” And here we are! So, Meet Daryn’s Little Wing, the badass result of when the company’s finisher decides to build his a ride for himself.
Picture this: it’s 2022, and my friend Fabian just finished building his Little Wing after ordering it back in 2020, and letting the frame sit in its box for over a year and a half. His patience will stay in history books for generations.
Meanwhile, I still look at Chas’s bike check of his own Little Wing from time to time since I like the idea of a “forever track bike” so much. The frames are nice, no doubt, but I wasn’t totally sold on grabbing one for myself. Part of it was the price, but also, my thing at the time was track bikes with Japanese sparkly paint or those wild ‘90s flashy decals. Back then, the Little Wing just felt a bit bland to me.
Then, being the bike nerd I am, I was scrolling through some bike news as usual when I stumble across this: The Radavist: 2022 Philly Bike Expo.
Right then, I remember thinking to myself, “Oh yeah… This is what a peak track bike looks like.” It was pure perfection! The mix of that bone Cerakote, with the gold/bourbon anodizing was an absolute stunner of a combo. Another big thing for me, was to finally see the Little Wing with pattern of colors and textures all over the bike that would refract light various ways.
That’s when it totally clicked. Finally, I could see how the Little Wing was shaped. Let me explain: Titanium bikes are awesome, don’t get me wrong, but when they’re just raw and all you get is that silvery-grey look, it’s tough, at least for me, to pick out all the cool features a frame’s got going on. With contrast of colors and surface finishing, it feels easier to really tell what’s happening.
Daryn did an outstanding job with the finishing, and watching him work, it’s no shock why every bike rolling out of this shop looks perfect. Him, Michala, and Bryar are the dream team, nailing the combo of sanding, anodizing, Cerakote, and even paint when it’s needed. I’ve gone deep on the Little Wing’s features over on SSS, so I’ll keep this build rundown quick: carbon hoops laced to low-flange Dura-Ace hubs, a Dura-Ace crankset rocking a 44RN chainring, and a Thomson titanium riser bar, custom-anodized to match No. 22’s stem and tie into the rest of the bike.
Detailed Parts List
Frameset
No22 Little Wing
Chainring and Cog 44RN 49T, 17T Cog
Crank Dura-Ace Track FC-7710
Saddle
Fabric Scoop
Stem and Handlebar
No22 Stem with Thomson Titanium riserbar
Wheels Dura-Ace 7710 low flange lace to Carbon rims.
Some seriously cool details include the custom-anodized bars and stem I mentioned earlier, perfectly matched with two spokes per wheel, here to line up around the valve. Haven’t seen that in a while, but definitely one of my favorite gimmick.
As for the photography, it was way too bright outside, and I was battling to keep every shot from getting overexposed. Still, I feel like there is a slight lack of contrast. Lesson learned, I ended up grabbing an ND filter after that.
So what’s next with No22?
🎞: Expired Kodak Portra 160 VC
📷: Leica M6
📍: Johnstown NY
