Suspension forks for Minivelo

What if you wanted to build a 20" wheeled bike, and wanted to add some suspension? The problem is that there is a lack of 20" suspension forks in the market. Most forks are designed with 26" mountain bikes in mind. Still, there are some bike designers that shoehorn these large forks with small wheels. It may look strange to some, but it seems fun to ride.

Airnimal Black Rhino

I first saw the idea on the Airnimal Rhino - an obscenely priced, full suspension, offroad folding bike. The rear triangle swings down, so that if you remove both wheels, seat post and stem, you can pack the whole package in a relatively normal sized luggage - such as a regular Samsonite hard suitcase. Good concept, but at $ 3-4000, not really practical.

The main point here is, you can use a readily available 26" mountain bike fork, equip it with disc brakes, and run 20" BMX tires - the frame's geometry just has to be properly designed for it.

There are other examples that you can find on the internet:

Be.Bike Haze

The Be.Bike Haze, a limited production street bike. It was released in japan. About 100,000 Yen - price varies with components. Not as expensive as the Airnimal. It can't fold, bit I think it can be a very compact package if you remove both wheels. The frame is similar in design to several Louis Garneau and Bianchi minivelos sold in Japan. See the LG frame below, with an appropriately sized 20" fork.

Louis Garneau MV5

Kuwahara Gaap Lite

The Kuwahara Gaap, 170,000++ Yen. A similar concept to the Airnimal Rhino. The Gaap comes in road trim as well, sporting slicks and a carbon fork. Looks weird with all those triangles.


The unlikely lovechild of a Cannondale MTB and a BMX. This photo is from a Korean bike forum. The frame could have been a custom job. The frame logo says Cannondale, but I don't think they ever produced this frame.