Life with the No.22 Little Wing: A Long-Term Review
This is it! The review I’ve been carefully shaping over the past six months, reflecting on every detail both on and off the bike during my time with the No. 22 Little Wing. Before diving in, I want to (once again) express my gratitude to the team at No. 22 for trusting a relatively small cycling media outlet like Slow Spin Society with this opportunity.
That said, my goal here is to share my genuine, unfiltered thoughts about this bike. While I’m deeply appreciative, I’m not here to sugarcoat anything. And if I only said what you wanted to hear, this wouldn’t be a real review, so let’s get into it.
Geometry
Before riding the Little Wing, I spent the last couple of years on my Parallax (a.k.a. The Parakino). Many people often say the Parallax has god-like geometry, and as much as I agree… It’s just too aggressive for daily riding. Yes, it’s quick, nimble, incredibly fun, and stiff as a brick, but for commuting, I did often found myself looking at it and deciding to walk instead of bombing down streets on a bike that almost forces you to go hard.
I’ll be referencing the Parallax quite a bit in this article because it’s a bike that’s widely known in the fixed-gear community. And even if you don’t own one, you’ve probably ridden one at some point.
The Little Wing, on the other hand, offers a slightly more relaxed geometry while striking an impressive balance between an overly aggressive track bike and a more laid-back road bike. My Little Wing is a slightly customized size 56, featuring the 52-52 head tube (which we’ll discuss shortly). With a 110mm stem and 165mm cranks, simply put: it fits me perfectly. I’ve never experienced any neck, arm, or back pain, even after extended rides.
I’m not going to compare its geometry to other bikes in detail, but if you’re looking for the full geometry chart: Here it is.
Timeless Titanium
I should start by mentioning that this is the first titanium bike I’ve ridden extensively. I did try out some other ones before, but never for that long. With that out of the way, we can finally get into the initial things that struck me while riding the Little Wing. I mentioned earlier that the Parallax is quick, but the Little Wing? It’s FAST… Like crazy fast. I genuinely believe I’m faster on this bike than anything I’ve been on before.
We all know titanium is super light, but its real power lies in its subtle balance between stiffness and flexibility. It quite literally smooths out most road imperfections and has that gentle, “springy” feel when you accelerate. Something you don’t really get with aluminum, but also not as yielding as steel. This unique quality gives the Little Wing incredible momentum, honestly more than I’ve experienced with any other bike.
Riding it kind of feels like rediscovering that magic I first sensed when I started riding fixed gear. The sensation of the bike carrying you along effortlessly, probably thanks to the insane amount of engineering by the whole team at No. 22. The best example of that would be the shaping of the tubes to provide rigidity and flexibility exactly where they’re needed.
Like the down tube and its transitions from a vertically oriented almond shape at the head tube to a horizontal one at the bottom bracket, the level of craftsmanship there is just unreal.
Cerakote, Anodizing and overall Finish
One of my favorite things about No. 22 is the variety of finishes they offer. As I mentioned in my initial article, this Little Wing features a “Midnight Bronze” Cerakote finish paired with their signature bronze anodizing. Both are significantly more durable than traditional paint and result in a finish that, in my opinion, is far more refined and appealing.
If you’ve noticed a few scratches in the photos, let me tell you, I’m amazed there are only a few. Saying I’ve gone “stupid hard” on this bike over the past six months would be an understatement. I’ve packed it into bags for international travel (with zero padding), locked it outside against poles and fences, ridden it on gravel roads, you name it. In short, I’ve put the Little Wing through a lot.
Why? Two reasons:
First, I wanted to test the durability of the so-called “military-grade ceramic treatment” that is Cerakote.
Second, I wanted to use the bike as I would any other. In the end, I probably went harder on this bike than anything else I own, and it handled it all impressively well.
Finally, one of the great things about titanium is its near-endless refinishing potential. If you’re a No. 22 customer, you can send your bike back to have it re-anodized in a new color or even paired with a different Cerakote finish. Of course, this comes at a cost, but it shows how much No. 22 cares about their customers. This isn’t a “one and done” experience, and the whole team back in Johnstown knows that, because you’re buying a “lifetime bike.”
Integrated Stem and Fork
One of the first features that sparked quite a bit of controversy when I showcased the bike was No. 22’s own 3D-printed titanium stem. It seemed to be a "make or break" detail for many people. Some loved it, while others hated it for various reasons: too boxy, strange texture, awkward angle, and so on… Personally, I have no issue with its aesthetics, in fact, its seamless integration with the 52-52 head tube and custom titanium headset makes it even more appealing to me. This oversized headtube, stem, and headset combo, also gives you the ability to run a totally integrated and almost invisible disc brake if you swap the original fork for something with disc mounts.
I also tested the bike with a different stem and noticed a a clear drop in rigidity. The boxy titanium design, really provides more stiffness, and I ended-up swapping the original stem back. This being said, I did encounter a few issues with it.
The first problem arose when I started doing bunny hops and tricks on the bike. I often ended up with either a loose headset or a loose faceplate. Regarding the faceplate, I’m pretty confident it wasn’t an installation error on my part. I just don’t think this design was meant to handle such forces. But when you take a step back, fixed-gear freestyle is essentially a torture test for road components, as we break things all the time. This kind of parts, are simply not designed for this kind of abuse. So, when I say, “It wasn’t meant to handle such forces,” what I actually mean is: nobody in their right mind would design an elegant, fully integrated, 3D-printed stem to be used as if it were installed on a BMX.
As for the loose headset, the solution was simple: I replaced the fork column expander with a trusty star nut, and the problem disappeared. No. 22 uses a Columbus track fork with an aluminum steerer tube, and their included expander is typically intended for carbon forks. On aluminum, however, it doesn’t hold up under heavy use, it just slips.
This brings me to my next point: why use a Columbus track fork at all? Since No. 22 also manufactures No. 6 composites, that does full carbon forks, it feels limiting to sell a lightweight bike with an aluminum steerer fork. I understand that the number of Little Wings sold may not justify developing and producing another fork mold, but for the price you’re paying, a carbon steerer fork would be a welcome upgrade.
Riding in the City
Alright! Let’s get into the part that we’ve all been waiting for: How does it handle in traffic? The two main cities I’ve ridden the bike in were Tokyo and Paris. I also took it to a bunch of other places, but, it’s really in these two locations that I truly understood the “feel” of riding this bike. With a 35mm rake fork and a 73 degrees head tube angle, I had no toe overlap, even with Large cages, making the Little Wing an easy bike to ride around on short distances to commute or just have fun. It’s stable, sharp in turns and not overly aggressive. But it’s when I started bombing down endless boulevard at night that the Little Wing truly revealed itself. Let me explain:
Going on longer rides
When most of us think of a track bike, we imagine tearing through the city or winning the next big alleycat. But the Little Wing isn’t exactly that. No. 22 has created a bike that, in my opinion, deserves to be called an “Endurance Track Bike.”
It shines on long rides through the countryside, endless boulevards where you can go all out for kilometers, and even on the velodrome. This bike is built to go far and fast.
If my goal for the day is cutting through traffic to commute from A to B, this isn’t the bike I’d choose. Could I use it? Sure, and I did, but it feels limiting for what this thing can truly do. So in the end, I’ll probably take something I’ll be less preoccupied with locking in the streets. On the flip side, if I’m heading out for a long weekend ride, a late-night sprint chasing KOMs, or tackling a challenging climb, this is the only bike I’d want to take.
While “Little Wing” might sound delicate or modest, the name doesn’t truly capture what this bike offers. Riding it feels like being equipped with giant sails, propelling you past city streets and onto new horizons. It’s a bike that embodies freedom, speed, and exploration, pushing the boundaries of where I ever imagined a track bike could take me.
Traveling with the Little Wing
If you’re a regular reader of Slow Spin Society, you know I travel a lot, and usually with a bike. Over time, unbuilding an entire track bike in under three minutes at the international terminal of any airport has become one of my specialties.
I’ve traveled with steel, aluminum, and carbon bikes in the past, but I have to say: titanium makes all the difference. I use a soft bag, which requires disassembling almost all the bike, and I mostly rely on my clothes as padding for the frame’s most exposed areas. Traveling with titanium is lightweight, more robust than carbon, and doesn’t dent as easy as aluminum.
Of course, I could have been more cautious during my travels, but I wanted a genuine, unfiltered experience, just like how I’ve always dragged my Parallax everywhere with me. For those wondering: yes, the Little Wing still fits in the bag, even with its integrated seatpost. I just remove the seat mast, stem and handlebars, wheels, fork, and pedals, and it’s good to go.
The only thing to watch out for is keeping track of the smaller, intricate pieces, like parts of the headset assembly or the tightening system within the stem. Other than that, the process is straightforward and hassle-free.
Now that you have the full picture, let me share my thoughts on some of the components from this build.
Onyx Hubs
The Onyx hubs have been one of the standout features of this setup. The concept of a hub shell with cutouts has captured a lot of attention, and it’s easy to see why: it’s a detail that feels new and is visually interesting. I agree, they look incredible, and the titanium bolts make them even lighter.
But here’s a fun (and slightly nerve-wracking) story: during the second week of testing the bike, a tiny pebble somehow found its way into the hub shell. The resulting noise was so crazy that I immediately screeched to a full stop, convinced I’d snapped half the spokes and was about to destroy the fork. Luckily, it turned out to be just that a small pebble bouncing around and resonating inside the hub, making it sound way worse than it actually was.
Enve AR Dropbars
This is now one of my favorite drop bars, but more on that in a moment. All you really need to know is that these have completely reignited my love for riding in the drops.
Brooks C13 Saddle
The Brooks C13 is honestly fantastic—super comfortable with a sleek, unbranded black aesthetic that I really appreciate. That said, it has a surprising amount of flex and “movement”, so much so that at high cadences, you might find yourself bouncing a bit. Oddly enough, it kind of works in its own way, and I’m curious to see how it holds up over time.
MKS Next Pedals
I’ve already raved about these in my list of favorite items of 2024, and for good reason. The MKS Next pedals are a significant upgrade over the standard version. With sealed bearings and lighter axles, they bring a lot for just a bit more money.
Continental GP 5000
The Continental GP 5000 tires are ridiculously grippy, insanely fast, and, yes, pretty pricey. I didn’t hold back on them, and after six months of hard use, they’re still in one piece. There’s a bit of Kevlar showing on the sidewalls, but that’s mostly from leaving the bike in the sun for hours during the summer. Definitely something to keep in mind.
Rotor Cranks
Finally, the one component I had to replace. When I first got the bike, I half-jokingly said, “I’ll break these in three weeks.” Well, it actually took a month, but sure enough, the crank developed some play that became annoying during rides. They’re not bad cranks, Rotor’s technology is excellent for velodrome use, but they’re not built for the abuse people put them through on the streets. For that kind of riding, square taper cranks are still king.
Flat or Drops
In the following shots, you may notice that some pictures of the Little Wing feature riser bars instead of the original Enve AR drops that came with the bike when I got it. So, how do these two setups compare in terms of riding style?
To be honest, as much as I enjoy riding with risers, this bike truly shines with drop bars. The Enve ARs are exceptionally comfortable, with just the right amount of drop and flair. Like I mentioned earlier, the Little Wing is a fast bike, and drop bars accentuate that feeling of speed, and gives me way more confidence in tight traffic.
I’m planning to switch back to drops for the last few weeks I have with the bike because they complement its nature so well. While it’s versatile enough to handle both setups, the Little Wings, really calls for drop bars to unleash its full potential.
My Conclusion
If you’ve made it this far, you’re either curious about the Little Wing or looking for that final nudge to press the purchase button. If you fall into the latter group… Just do it. You won’t regret it.
For the rest of you, here’s my verdict after six months with the Little Wing:
No. 22’s track bike is a premium piece, designed to be your ultimate, lifelong, track machine. Handcrafted in the USA by some of the most skilled artisans in the industry, and harboring features like 3D-printed dropouts, seat mast, stem, immaculate welds, and an attention for details that is just beyond what you’ve ever seen before. The craftsmanship here is nothing short of exceptional, and I like to say that it’s a bike by nerds, for nerds.
Of course, a bike of this caliber comes with a premium price tag. My test model, complete with anodizing, Cerakote, and the integrated stem, retails at $7,299, making it one of the most expensive track bikes you can buy today.
I’m not here to justify the price further; I understand it’s a significant chunk of cash, but if you want my personal opinion:
Yes, I do want one for myself.
Because after over than a decade of riding track bikes almost exclusively, the Little Wing feels unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and for that, I’ll put in more hours to afford that feeling once more.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a Dm on my personal account, or on the contact page, I’ll be more than happy to answer.
🎞: Kodak Color Plus 200 / Kodak Gold
📷: Leica M6 / M4
📍: Tokyo / New York / Paris
