[BIKE FRIDAY] Ishikawa Buys a Bike

The BIKE FRIDAY New World Tourist I ordered for myself, Ishikawa, has finally been built up!

Actually, it was finished a little while ago, but then I suffered from [***] and wasn't able to ride a bike for about a month...

I’m still in some pain, but I’m finally on the road to recovery, so I’ve picked up my pen again with a fresh mindset.

Man, that was truly miserable. The pain was among the worst I’ve ever experienced in my life. It hurt just to stand, I couldn't sit, and it even hurt when lying down. The sleepless days just kept coming.

With 2024 drawing to a close, let's all take care of our health.
(I'll leave the [***] to your imagination. Those of you who figured out the condition from this description are fellow veterans of the struggle.)

The reason I ordered the BIKE FRIDAY New World Tourist is exactly as I wrote in my previous blog post.

My own lifestyle has changed significantly over the past year, so I took a moment to really face my own style and think about how I want to ride and what I want to do—and whether I can fully utilize a bike as a tool that aligns with my life.

Based on those inner reflections, I chose to order the BIKE FRIDAY New World Tourist, a model that could satisfy all my requirements.

This was my very first “handmade custom frame.” It’s so precious that I built it up with nothing but love.

I’ve never owned a small-wheel bike before, so I’m sure I’ll be updating things as I go, but for now, please bear with me as I introduce my completed Ishikawa BIKE.
(I got a bit carried away, so this might be a long one...)

BIKE FRIDAY New World Tourist

Among the many models available, the one that caters to my selfish whims the most is the New World Tourist. It’s the most popular model even in their home country, specifically designed for touring.

In a good way, it has no quirks. It can handle long distances, it can pick up speed, and it can ride on unpaved roads. It completely shatters the notion that “small-wheel bikes can’t really ride well” or “they’re too limited in how you can play with them.”

I chose the color “Merlot.”
Merlot is French. It refers to a type of red wine originating from the Bordeaux region. Staying true to its namesake, it’s a chic, deep, and sophisticated color.

I really want to pat my past self on the back for choosing this color.

New Parts & Existing Parts Assembly

While many small-wheel bikes require specific parts, BIKE FRIDAY allows you to use the standard parts we normally carry (like for BASSI BIKES or SURLY), so it’s easy to swap things out or build it up using parts I already had on hand.

Because there’s such a wide range of parts to choose from, I struggled with the build. I kept coming back to how I intend to ride it, mixing in some dream parts, incorporating some casual flair, looking through the parts scattered around my house, and going back and forth on the colors and overall balance until I finally pulled it together.

Well, that’s the fun of it, though.

Let’s start with the cockpit area.

The handlebar is the SIMWORKS Getaround Bar.

It’s a handlebar that truly lives up to the word “exquisite.”
With a reassuring and substantial width of 750mm and just the right amount of rise.
It’s perfect for both daily use and off-roading.

It’s a perfect match for a frame like the New World Tourist that caters to my every whim.

The stem is the PAUL COMPONENT Boxcar Stem.

The handlebar clamp is the 4-bolt type, which offers excellent clamping power.
It uses Torx (T25) bolts that are highly resistant to wear from repeated tightening.

The unique presence and coolness of CNC-machined aluminum is truly one of a kind.
Since it sits right in my line of sight, it gets me pumped every time I ride.

Rugged yet beautiful drivetrain with WHITE INDUSTRIES.

With that rugged, handcrafted feel unique to American brands—something hard to find in Japanese brands—along with the stiffness of CNC-machined aluminum and its eye-catching beauty, I just couldn't resist using them.
Watching the seniors here at Circles use their WHITE INDUSTRIES parts until they were worn down made me admire that beauty.

The crank is the G30 Crank.
While it’s primarily for city riding, I plan to take it off-road too, so I chose the G30, designed for gravel adventure bikes.
The 30mm spindle provides great peace of mind regarding stiffness.

For the BB, I wanted to inject some playfulness into the otherwise chic frame color and black components, so I went with a vivid pink.
(Maybe pink is a trend for me this year, as I feel like I've been helping many customers add pink accents to their bikes lately.)

Honestly, I was torn on whether to go with a 2x drivetrain for the chainring. My concern was that since small-wheel bikes start off lighter than those with standard wheel sizes, I thought a larger chainring might be better.

However, when I thought back to how I intend to use this bike, I realized I’m not really chasing speed, and a front-single setup looks clean, beautiful, and is prone to fewer mechanical issues.

The chainring I’m running now is 42t, with an 11-36t cassette.

In terms of the actual riding experience:
The gear ratio on the low end is 1.16, which feels lighter than a bike with standard wheels, allowing me to climb steep hills in the city. (I haven't tested it in the mountains yet, but I think it could handle rough climbs.)

On the other hand, when I pick up speed on descents, even shifting to the top gear feels a bit light, and I feel like I want more resistance. I might bump up the gear ratio eventually. (Current top gear ratio: 3.81)
It’s fine for city riding, but if I want to ride for more speed, I’ll need an update.

Be careful not to set your gear ratios based on the same feeling you’d use for a standard-sized wheel bike, as it’ll end up feeling way too light.

I’ll continue to find the right gear ratio as I explore various fields and see what I want to do with this bike. It’s all part of the fun to build it up and refine it to match your own style as you ride.

Your strong ally in a pinch: MICRO SHIFT

The component that caused me the most (headache-inducing) deliberation this time was the drivetrain.

Since I’m going for gravel rides, I was originally planning to use a SHIMANO GRX rear derailleur. I spent hours scouring overseas bike sites and was influenced by seeing New World Tourists fitted with GRX tearing up the mountains.

However, because I really wanted to run the fattest tires possible, when I actually test-fitted the GRX derailleur, the clearance between the tire and the cage when in the lowest gear was extremely tight. It wasn't unrideable, but there was a risk that if anything hit the derailleur and pushed it inward, it would rub against the tire. So, I decided to reconsider.

That’s when I turned to a brand I can always rely on: MICRO SHIFT.
This time, I went with the MICRO SHIFT Advent Super Short Cage Clutch Rear Derailleur.

Since it’s a Short Cage, the tire/cage clearance issue was solved instantly.

My only concern with going Short Cage was the limitation on cassette capacity (max teeth), but the capacity of the MICRO SHIFT Advent Short Cage is a maximum of 38t.

Having this capacity in a Short Cage is a revolutionary invention that you don't really find in other brands. As I mentioned earlier, since small-wheel bikes are easier to start pedaling than those with standard wheels, I personally think 38t is plenty.

Also, for the shifter, I chose a thumb shifter, considering its simplicity and ease of maintenance. It’s great that Advent has a thumb shifter in its lineup.

So, when choosing parts for a BIKE FRIDAY, you need to be mindful of the balance between the derailleur cage length and the tire thickness. We can propose the right choices for your riding style, so please feel free to consult with us.

Light pull and exceptional stopping power: GROWTAC Equal

I went with the disc brake option.
One of the reasons was that I really wanted to try out the GROWTAC Equal.

It’s among the lightest mechanical disc brake calipers in the world.
Despite its small body, it offers a light touch and more stopping power than I imagined.

I use hydraulic brakes on my RITCHEY, but these have stopping power that rivals them. I’d heard the rumors, but I was shocked by how good the touch and braking force were for a cable-actuated brake.

It’s a reliable part that will serve me well even on hard rides.

The tires are MAXXIS Holy Roller. The size is 20×1.85″.

This tread pattern rolls on-road better than it looks.
And the off-road grip is addictive.
It’s a tire that makes you want to ride on dirt.

The New World Tourist can fit tires around 20×2.0″, and since it’s a model designed to carry loads with racks on the front and rear, its stability is superb.

While it’s a model built for touring, it can do everything from city riding to adventure rides.

The pedals are MKS BM-7 Brass Pedals.
This is a custom model for Circles where we had the side plates made of brass.
As you use them, the black paint chips away, revealing the brass underneath.

It’s great and beautiful to keep a bike in pristine condition forever. However, a bike is a tool, and there is a certain beauty and coolness that only emerges from the rider's own style as you use it, put scratches on it, and see it evolve.

Whenever I see bikes coming into the pit for repairs, the ones that have been put to practical use have a unique kind of beauty—an atmosphere that only that specific rider could create, with all the scuffs and dirt that show their personality.

Since that’s where I find beauty and coolness, I didn't even hesitate to choose these pedals.

Also, since small-wheel bikes have less clearance between the pedal and the ground compared to standard bikes, there’s a high chance of “pedal strike” when leaning into turns. The small profile of these pedals reduces that risk, making them very comfortable to use.

Including those smaller details, I assembled this with my favorite parts that were just sleeping in my parts bin.

The saddle I used is one of those pieces.

SELLA ITALIA Anatomic. This is 80s new old stock.
Back in the day, this model wasn't exactly a high-end saddle; it seems it was often used on complete touring bikes or bikes for women.

Models from this era were spelled “SELLA” rather than “SELLE”.
(SELLA ITALIA is the original company name and brand at the time of founding.)

I’m sure if I’d thrown on a BROOKS leather saddle, it would have turned out as a more stylish, masculine bike, but I really love the clunky, rustic charm of this one.

A huge thanks to Bolya-san from GINO Bicycle for letting me have this saddle.
Finally got to use it!

I’m sure there’s plenty to update as I use it, but having that room for evolution gives me something to look forward to in the future.

Even as I get older and my way of using a bike changes, I think I’ll keep riding and tinkering with this bike for a long time.

BIKE FRIDAY has so many models that some people might find it difficult to choose, but picking a bike that suits you is surprisingly simple—it’s important to just look inward.

Start by imagining how you want to ride and how you want to use the bike.

Bring those ideas to us, and we’ll propose the perfect model and parts to meet your needs.

Let’s get excited together.
Feel free to consult with us anytime.