Go farther, have extra enjoyable. That’s the tagline that Woodpecker Cycle Co. makes use of on its web site, and it’s a good way to sum up their bike builds. Constructed by Daren Beenen out of Lacey, Washington, this ‘THIK MINI’ was the star of the present from Woodpecker, however it was not their solely showstopper. All the Woodpecker builds handle to mix a degree of creativity with whimsical beauty that may solely make you smile.
The THIK MINI happened as a compromise between Jeremy from Teravail and Daren. Jeremy needed a mini velo, however Daren needed to construct one thing with a Pinion gearbox and a “stik shift.” The consequence speaks for itself.
THIK MINI
Making a retro-inspired stick shift for a 6-speed Pinion gearbox isn’t precisely a straightforward process, however Daren figured it out with some assist from the U.S. staff at Pinion. The stick shift itself is definitely primarily based on the shifter housing for the gearbox, however Daren discovered a strategy to take it aside and make it work.
Daren is fast to offer credit score to everybody who helped him on the construct, and that continues with Coy from Thompson Bicycles, who helped Daren construct the fork. Adam Prosise from Prosise Metallic Works machined the brass housing guides, as nicely.
The THIK MINI rolls on 20 x 2.8″ tires, and will be the coolest mini velo we’ve ever seen.
As advanced because the THIK MINI was to place collectively, this DH bike ramps it up a notch. Working round 195mm of rear journey, this one can also be primarily based round a 6-speed Pinion gearbox with a Gates Belt Drive.
Gates helped out with the right belt drive tensioner placement, although the UDH belt driver snubber was designed by Daren with assist from Liminal Machine Works – who additionally helped with the loafer provider. As soon as once more, Adam Prosise helped out with the pivot {hardware}.
In contrast to the THIK MINI, this bike makes use of a Pinion Sensible.Shift system, which meant determining what to do with the battery. As a substitute of merely placing it on a provider outdoors the body (which is what Daren says he in all probability ought to have carried out), Daren truly lower the battery housing to separate the 2 cells to make them inline, so that they may very well be saved within the downtube.
End it off with a novel powdercoat end, and you’ve got the best-looking belt drive DH bike at MADE.
However wait, there’s extra! Along with a gravel bike on show within the Teravail sales space with a ravishing end, Daren additionally had his daughter’s 650b gravel bike on show in his sales space.
The child’s gravel bike is a good use of 650b x 47mm tires, and is constructed with really kid-proportional elements together with Hup elements handlebars, Appleman cranks, an SQLab Saddle, and doubtlessly the one TRP Hywave S shifters outdoors of Large children’ highway bikes. We first noticed the kid-sized shifters when Large/Liv launched the Liv Search at Eurobike in 2025. They nonetheless aren’t obtainable on the market aftermarket, however Daren managed to come up with a set to construct this bike.
Each frames are painted by Daren with alcohol ink – a course of that includes a white basecoat that’s then overlaid with an alcohol ink shade. After the alcohol evaporates, the colour is left behind after which moist paint clear coated with moist graphics. The result’s fairly gorgeous.
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