Self Bike Check: Custom No.22 Little Wing
You've seen it on video; you've witnessed the process. It's now time for some beauty shots of the Little Wing, and my first impression of what is likely the nicest track bike I've ever ridden to date.
I'll try to keep it short here, as I have planned a comprehensive write-up after six months or so of riding with it. However, I still want to share my initial thoughts following some time on it in New York, and a bit more in Japan.
As you can see, I also took a lot of pictures for this “self bike check” because it’s a rather challenging bike to capture on film with the combination of Cerakote and Anodizing being absolutely stunning. (It also changes tone almost constantly depending on how the light is hitting it or when it gets wet. The other day, I let it in the rain, came back to it a few hours later, all the anodized parts changed to a bright gold. Gold bike… can’t complain.) This specific No.22 has been coated with a “Midnight Bronze” Cerakote, paired with their special Bronze anodizing for this classy result. This is also apparently the first Little Wing to feature No.22’s award-winning 3D printed titanium stem, and consequently, a 52-52 headset that flows perfectly with this Columbus Track fork.
The headset and even the spacers are also custom Titanium pieces by No.22, accordingly anodized to fit the rest of the bike. And as if custom 3D printed parts weren't bling enough, the cockpit is perfectly finished with this Enve drop bar that I ended up liking way more than I'd care to admit. Hopping on the Little Wing was my first drop bar experience after probably more than half a decade of flat and riser bars. And as much as I want to be the “hardcore OG” guy that only rides old school drops with cotton tape, the aero and flared Enve are just way too comfortable to go back to any other drop bars. The clamping system that comes in the 3D printed seat-mast topper is also from Enve. Elegant and easy to use. Zero issues with it!
To continue, we have a high-end drive train featuring a Rotor crankset, AARN chainring, and a Profile steel cog. For the wheels, I'm rolling on some 45mm carbon hoops laced to these very fancy Onyx hubs. Again, I'll get more into them in the upcoming review, but for now, I have nothing to complain about. Lastly, the Brooks C13 saddle is a very pleasant surprise. It's comfortable, grippy, and offers everything you desire from a good seat. Following my first Instagram post on the Little Wing, I received numerous questions about the said C13 saddle: An easy analogy would be that during my recent trip back to Japan, I went on a little ride with friends to get to a nearby river. I cycled 70 km in swim trucks without feeling sore or any discomfort, which is a good sign that both the saddle and bike fit are spot-on.
Detailed Parts List
Frameset
Custom-made No22
Little Wing
Chainring and Cog AARN 49T, Onyx 17T
Crank
Rotor Aldhu Track
Seatpost and Saddle
3D Printed Titanium No22 Seatpost Mast, Brooks C13 Cambium
Stem and Handlebar
3D Printed Titanium No22 Stem, Enve SES AR Road 44cm
Wheels Onyx track hubs laced to 45mm Carbon rims
Tires Continental GP5000 S TR
I really want to keep as much thought material as I can for the review coming up (probably in January), but here is what I can tell you now:
The Little Wing does the miracle to feel fast, rigid, smooth and look incredible… all at once. It requires very little effort to put and maintain in motion, and I now start to understand what the titanium hype is all about. (It kinda feels like it’s magic… even if I know it’s not… It’s a weird feeling.) There are daily instances where I’m rediscovering the pleasure to bomb down some streets I've taken hundreds, if not thousands of times. I genuinely have a giant smile on my face every time I use this bike, so trust me, I'm looking forward to the next six months.
PS: Read my six-month review here! ➡️ Life with the No.22 Little Wing: A Long-Term Review
Looks good huh!
🎞: Kodak Color Plus 200/Kodak Portra 400/Kodak Gold
📷: Leica M6 / M4
📍: New York
