This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from Ande Dallas-Murdoch in Glasgow, Scotland, who shares the Kona Honzo ESD hardtail he custom built into a one-of-a-kind mini velo. Meet Ande and check out his unique singlespeed all-rounder here…

Words and photos by Ande Dallas-Murdoch

Hi, my name is Ande Dallas-Murdoch. By day, I work as a cycle technician at the velodrome in Glasgow, and in my spare time, I run The Vandal Metalworks. I’ve been a mechanic all my working life, really, and got interested in doing more than just spannering about 10 years ago, so I bought a MAPP plumbing torch, which was fine for braze-ons, and I also used it to make some jewellery and the like but wanted to take it further.

Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks

I considered doing a framebuilding course, but all the ones I fancied were in the south of England and would have needed weeks in a hotel, time off work, etc., and I just couldn’t afford it. Instead, I spent about £300 on a torch set up and another couple hundred on cheap tubes and taught myself how to build frames. I reckon I’d built about five or six frames before I’d spent what it would have cost to do a course and build one.

  • Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks
  • Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks

I’ve now built 14 frames and modded at least the same again. Of those 14 frames I’ve built, about half have been commissions, which isn’t really something I intended to get into. I’ve recently taken the decision to step back from doing that and just concentrate on making myself some fun stuff!

Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks
  • Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks
  • Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks
  • Frame: Custom-modded Honzo ESD
  • Fork: Custom-modded rigid jump fork
  • Rims: Trek Fetch+ 20″
  • Hubs: XT centrelock QR (front) / Formula boost thru axle (rear)
  • Tires: Schwalbe Pick Up 20 x 2.6″
  • Handlebars: The Vandal Metalworks custom four-piece chromoly riser
  • Headset: Unbranded BMX integrated
  • Crankset: Shimano Deore 165mm with an eBay spider for 36T chainring
  • Pedals: Nukeproof Neutron
  • Cog: Reverse singlespeed 14T
  • Brakes: Shimano MT200
  • Saddle: Retro Sparkle WTB
  • Seatpost: Brand X 200mm dropper
  • Stem: WeThePeople BMX
  • Front bags: Camel Chops stem bag and Brompton Borough
  • Other accessories: Crane Bell

About the bike, I bought the Honzo last year with dreams of doing the kind of rad riding I see on the Instagram accounts I follow, and while it was a great bike, I felt like I wasn’t riding it often enough nor to even a fraction of its potential. I moved the wheels and drivetrain onto a gravel build and hung the Honzo frame up in my workshop.

Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks
  • Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks
  • Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks
  • Mini Kona Honzo ESD, The Vandal Metalworks

The used market seems to be pretty slow right now, and I was struggling to sell it. So, rather than letting it go for next to nothing—and feeling very inspired by the Stridsland Boom Boat—I decided to chop it up and make a mini velo out of it. I wanted to keep the great sliding dropouts and as much of the original decals as possible so it would really look like a Honzo ESD that had morphed into a mini velo. I love the Brompton Bags that attach to the front of the frame, so I fabricated and attached a mount for this system. 

You can see more from Ande on Instagram.

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