Omnium cargo bikes have long been built on three pillars: the Cargo, the Mini-Max, and the Mini. Each is a highly practical cargo bike that achieves a high-level balance of carrying capacity and riding performance to suit the user's lifestyle. In particular, the Mini-Max has been the most popular choice for riders in Japan.
Now, a new model has joined the ranks: the OMNIUM NANO.
OMNIUM is a brand hailing from Copenhagen, with roots deep in messenger culture. Founder Jimmi still works as a bike messenger on the streets of Copenhagen every Wednesday. Tough, practical, and built for daily use—the instincts honed by messengers through their work are reflected directly in OMNIUM’s craftsmanship.
The NANO is no exception. As soon as the first prototype was complete, the OMNIUM team took it straight to CMWC 2025 in Sydney. CMWC is the Cycle Messenger World Championship, held annually in a different city around the globe. They walked away with a win in the cargo bike category. Competing with a prototype and making the podium—I think it was the ultimate proof of how the NANO was designed to perform.
The main race at CMWC is a "job simulation" spanning several hours. It’s a discipline where route selection and decision-making are key to delivering as many parcels as efficiently as possible, distinguishing it from events that simply test raw power or endurance. The NANO’s characteristics were a perfect match for a race that demands agility and judgment over sheer speed. It is quintessential OMNIUM to test and refine a bike in real-world conditions before a public release.
I spent about 10 years working as a messenger on the streets myself. I competed in CMWC three times: Sydney 2006, Tokyo 2009 (10th place), and Yokohama 2023 (21st place).
The instinct to instantly judge the optimal route, the ability to read how a bike behaves under the weight of cargo—those years of experience are what I believe have trained my eye to judge whether a bike is truly good. That is exactly why my heart still races every time I come across a bike born from messenger culture, like the NANO.
20-inch wheels front and rear, approx. 1.5m total length
The most eye-catching feature of the NANO is the adoption of 20-inch (406) wheels both front and rear. While all other existing OMNIUM models use a 20-inch front and 700c rear configuration, the NANO uses small wheels on both ends. This results in a total length of approximately 1,498mm, making it the most compact bike in the lineup.
The numbers might be hard to visualize, but the actual first impression when seeing it in person is likely to be: "Are cargo bikes really this small?" It fits easily into standard city bike parking and is a practical size for taking into apartment elevators.
In a previous blog post, #LifeWithACargoBike, I wrote about the difficulties of parking a cargo bike: the challenge of parking in shared apartment spaces, the mismatch in size with public bike racks, and the hurdles of indoor storage. These were real problems I faced as someone who used a Mini-Max as my primary bike.
I believe the NANO is OMNIUM’s answer to that challenge. Its compact frame makes a subtle but significant difference in everyday scenarios. Parking, transporting, storing—I feel that the NANO lowers the psychological barrier to owning a cargo bike.
Small, but agile and capable of carrying
While 20-inch wheels may lack the top speed of 700c, their snappy acceleration makes them easy to handle in city streets with frequent stops. Combined with the short wheelbase, the handling response is direct, providing a sense of stress-free maneuverability even in heavy traffic.
And just because it’s small doesn’t mean it can’t carry. The front rack has a maximum load capacity of 40kg, with a total weight limit including the rider of 125kg. These specs are equivalent to the Cargo and Mini-Max. The rack measures 400×500mm and will support webbing-based cargo, as well as upcoming NANO-exclusive accessories.
Cargo bikes are meant for "carrying things," but being fun to ride even when empty is a crucial factor for daily use. OMNIUM was able to achieve this capacity in this size precisely because of the design expertise accumulated through the Cargo and Mini-Max models.
About accessories
The NANO also comes with a range of dedicated accessories.
Available Nano-specific accessories include a kickstand, webbing, mudguards, and extender bars. The extender bars, in particular, are unique to the NANO and allow you to expand the rack's surface area, further unlocking the potential of this compact frame.
Another key feature is support for the tilt bracket. This component, which allows you to fold the front rack when parked to reduce the bike's width by nearly half, is now compatible with the NANO. It makes the already compact NANO even smaller for storage. For those concerned about communal apartment bike parking or storing it in a narrow entryway, this is an accessory I highly recommend.
I truly believe the NANO might become a "new gateway to cargo bikes." I would love for those who have held back until now due to concerns about size or storage space to come take a look at it.
I feel that owning a cargo bike brings a bit more clarity to your daily life. The trip home from the store, detours with your children, the ride to a park just a little too far away. When the range of what you can do by bike expands, the way you see the city changes, too. As a gateway to that kind of lifestyle, the NANO might just be the most accessible one yet.
The sense of scale is hard to convey through photos and numbers alone.
We already have demo bikes ready at Circles, so please come by to straddle one and experience the real size for yourself.
OMNIUM Nano
Frame: Double-butted chromoly steel (available in one size)
Recommended height: 160–190cm
Wheels: 20-inch front and rear (ETRTO 406)
Tire clearance: 55mm front and rear (with fenders)
Drivetrain: Compatible with 1x geared, single-speed, and internal gear hubs (features rocker dropouts)
Front rack capacity: Max 40kg
Total load capacity (including rider): Max 125kg
Colors: Bottle Green / Pastel Pink (2 colors)
Frameset: ¥231,000 (tax incl.)
Complete bike (dynamo hub spec): ¥484,000 (tax incl.)
If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out!