Author Topic: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments  (Read 2375 times)

Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« on: 15 May, 2021, 09:41:40 pm »
Bachetta Giro 20.  I’m getting much more confident now after about 350 miles.  Getting faster too!  I think I’m falling in love with the thing.  I’d still like a bit more performance though.

I’m thinking 3 things to improve my bike a little.

1. I want to upgrade front wheel from 20 to 24 inch.  Could anyone recommend a good 24 inch wheel or a rim to get one built.

2.  I need to get my seat more reclined now that I’ve had a bit of practise.  The stays are as low as they can go though.   I’ve noticed that Bachetta supply seat stays in 13, 11 and 9 inch lengths.   Mine are 13 inch so keeping the seat quite high.   Is there any reason why I can’t just take them off and cut 2 inches off each side?   I can’t see why not myself.

3. I’m going to get a better rear wheel.  Which again I’ll swap to disc.  Could anyone suggest a nice light 26 inch wheel and sticking to roads so don’t need a heavy mountain bike type thing.

2 more things.  Anyone know of a rack that will fit or where to get a bachetta one.   And I’d like to find a mounting to attach a front light.  Where could I get one?

Blodwyn Pig

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Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #1 on: 15 May, 2021, 09:49:07 pm »
If you do manage A, then that should answer B as well, as the front will be higher, but will a 24” wheel go in the forks?  I keep thinking about swapping the forks and 20” wheel on my Streetmachine, for rigid forks and a 26” wheel, would more or less make it a high racer, but with a short wheelbase. Make it lighter, for sure, but maybe too twitchy.

Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #2 on: 15 May, 2021, 09:55:49 pm »
^ It's been done (to much controversy) but I can't find the forum post on it.

Not sure about twichy, probably more of a question of heel/wheel interface and the choice of swapping suspension for a bigger wheel.  For me it's one of those things that I wouldn't want to mess with the front suspension fork (as I'm not sure I'd get it back together) and once you start making those swaps is it not better to just look for a different bike?
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Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #3 on: 15 May, 2021, 10:08:01 pm »
Bachetta say it’s good to go to 24 but not not 26.  Have to swap to a disc brake though to fit in the fork.

Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #4 on: 15 May, 2021, 11:39:32 pm »
What 24" in ETRO?  Check as I think there are two sizes that get called 24".
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Mr Larrington

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Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #5 on: 15 May, 2021, 11:48:42 pm »
What 24" in ETRO?  Check as I think there are two sizes that get called 24".

It can be 507, 520, 540 and 541.  One of the latter two is a wheelchair size but is interchangeable with t'other.
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Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #6 on: 16 May, 2021, 09:57:21 am »
^ It's been done (to much controversy) but I can't find the forum post on it.

Not sure about twichy, probably more of a question of heel/wheel interface and the choice of swapping suspension for a bigger wheel.  For me it's one of those things that I wouldn't want to mess with the front suspension fork (as I'm not sure I'd get it back together) and once you start making those swaps is it not better to just look for a different bike?

Wasn't there talk about it on the Bacchetta Forum some years ago? You used to be able to get good advice there what with there being so many in use in the States
Never knowingly under caffeinated

Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #7 on: 16 May, 2021, 09:59:47 am »
My son in laws solution to more performance was to go to a 26" Corsa and then onto a Bacchetta with 700C wheels (can't remember the model)
Never knowingly under caffeinated

Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #8 on: 16 May, 2021, 10:35:39 am »
What 24" in ETRO?  Check as I think there are two sizes that get called 24".

It can be 507, 520, 540 and 541.  One of the latter two is a wheelchair size but is interchangeable with t'other.
There's also the larger 20" size and I think there's a 22" as well ... best ask Sheldon
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html
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Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #9 on: 16 May, 2021, 12:10:22 pm »
Larger 20” is 451 under ETRO

Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #10 on: 16 May, 2021, 04:07:38 pm »
Good light tyres may be a limiting factor when looking for ones that will fit odd sized 24" wheels.

Luck .........  ;D

Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #11 on: 16 May, 2021, 04:24:47 pm »
I’ve also recently bought a Giro 20 (from the excellent Nobby otp) and fallen in love with it.

1. What forks do you have on your bike at the moment. According to Bacchetta, their steel fork can accommodate up to an ETRO520 24” wheel. The aluminium forks on mine look like they could accept up to a 540/541 wheel. In terms of wheels/rims, SJS are probably your best bet for a supplier in the UK. Not a massive choice by the look of things though.  And, as Tigerbiten says, the choice of tyres for any of the 24” tyres looks like it is even more limited than it is for 406 tyres.

2. I can’t see why you couldn’t cut down the stays either.

3. I doubt there’s a great choice of 26” wheels available new now that MTB’s have moved away from that wheel size. Again SJS are probably the best bet.

With regard to sourcing a Bacchetta rack, Cyclecentric in Longstanton are the UK dealer. It looks like Laid Back Cycles in Edinburgh also stock Bacchetta so they may be able to help too. Bacchetta also make a light mount (the One Arm Bandit) for their bikes but I use a Minoura Space Grip on the derailleur post to mount my lights.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #12 on: 16 May, 2021, 04:29:25 pm »
LWaB otp happened to mention that he has a surplus 520 tyre of some description should anyone have taken the plunge.
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Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #13 on: 16 May, 2021, 04:48:13 pm »
I’ve also recently bought a Giro 20 (from the excellent Nobby otp) and fallen in love with it.

1. What forks do you have on your bike at the moment. According to Bacchetta, their steel fork can accommodate up to an ETRO520 24” wheel. The aluminium forks on mine look like they could accept up to a 540/541 wheel. In terms of wheels/rims, SJS are probably your best bet for a supplier in the UK. Not a massive choice by the look of things though.  And, as Tigerbiten says, the choice of tyres for any of the 24” tyres looks like it is even more limited than it is for 406 tyres.

2. I can’t see why you couldn’t cut down the stays either.

3. I doubt there’s a great choice of 26” wheels available new now that MTB’s have moved away from that wheel size. Again SJS are probably the best bet.

With regard to sourcing a Bacchetta rack, Cyclecentric in Longstanton are the UK dealer. It looks like Laid Back Cycles in Edinburgh also stock Bacchetta so they may be able to help too. Bacchetta also make a light mount (the One Arm Bandit) for their bikes but I use a Minoura Space Grip on the derailleur post to mount my lights.

I can definitely fit a 24 inch wheel I the forks.  I do keep thinking about swapping the fork for a 26 inch unit, it’s not recommended though.   I’ve trimmed the stays and put them b@ck, done a 20 mile test ride, no problem.  Though I only lowered the seat about an inch, I’m sure I could feel the difference,   Thinking about the rear I could probably fit a 27.5 or even a 700c in there.


Re: Bachetta Giro 20 adjustments
« Reply #14 on: 16 May, 2021, 04:58:52 pm »
Yes I think there’s definitely room for a bigger real wheel, and that would open wheel and tyre choice much more  :thumbsup:

Although Bacchetta don’t recommend putting 26 forks on a 20, I’m sure I’ve read about folk on the BROL forums who have done it and lived to tell the tale. I’ve ridden a dual 26” ‘bent (not a Bacchetta) and didn’t like it anywhere near as much as a 20” front wheel model. I’m a short @rse though so that may have made a difference  ;D