How to pleasure your customers? The Project XXS 23/02/2016
Archive
Making riding the bike an awesome experience and the cyclists happy all around the world has been one of Viks mission since the beginning.
You can configure your Viks and order it via our website, but you can also contact us via info@viks.cc and we can go super personal. Using the last option Viks that you will get is 100% tailor made for your personal taste: your size, custom colour and custom components. If you follow us on Instagram @viksbike then you’ve probably seen all the examples of all the unique bikes we’ve created and shipped all over the world.
We love challenges what comes to making something that we haven’t done before. When Cezar P. Chan II from the Philippines sent us and e-mail that he would love to have a Viks for himself, but a size considerably smaller (for a 160cm person) than our standard XS, we took it as the best motivation to find a way to make it possible to ride a Viks bike by shorter people as well. The Project XXS begun.
Prototype NO. 1:
At first we thought it might be possible do it on 700C wheels, the same size standard Viks has.
But when we got it built up, we realised soon enough that Viks should not look like a balance bike for a grown man, but still a stylish bicycle, just smaller in size. So we had to ditch the idea of 700C XXS Viks. It was time to bring 26″ wheels into play.
Prototype NO.2:
As in life, when you make a mistake, you try to learn from it and move forward. This was the scenario we followed. Cezar was patient, he understood that this is a core developing process and it will take some engineering effort to turn the calculations into a rideable bike.
As we got the frameset back from paintworks, our new type of disc brake mounts got ready and we had to decide whether to use the old type of separate adapter or make a new frame and use the new built-in one. The chosen colour of Candy Blue is so special that you can only paint it on raw steel, so adding the new adapter and respraying the frame was no option.
In the end we created a working prototype and you will be able to see it at the Berlin Bicycle Week bicycle show – just so and find auftragsrad booth. Most of our team, including our head designer Indrek Narusk will be there.
THE BIKE
They say three is a charm. And for the third attempt everything turned perfect. After over 300 e-mails exchanged with Cezar and the whole process taking almost half a year, we got it done. Because it was so special, we had to take some pictures of it, with a bad-ass Estonian girl Kertu with it. Now you can imagine yourself riding Viks, even if you’re short. Thank you Ilmar Kurvits for the photos.
The question that has been running through your mind when you started reading this story: “Can I buy it?” the answer is – YES, YOU CAN.
26” Viks aka the XXS is now available. If you want one, and want to be among the first to ride 26″ Viks, you should send us an email to info@viks.cc