Competitive Cyclist

VENTANA EL CHIQUILLO

Ventana's love of hardtail frames has never wavered. Their first production bikes were hardtails, and the Ventana El Chiquillo is the culmination of 18 years of hardtail manufacturing experience. Translated from Spanish, El Chiquillo means “the little brat." What's the story with the name? We're not sure, but to us the little brat is a whining voice in the back of our heads, the one that pesters us with the question "But could've you done that on a hardtail?" each time we clear a tough section of singletrack dab-free on a full-springer.

Maybe you're looking for the occasional alternative to your full-suspension bike, or maybe you have an incurable love affair for riding hardtails. Either way, El Chiquillo offers a quality of construction and a level of detail unseen on frames made in Taiwan -- where 99% of the bike industry's hardtails are manufactured. El Chiquillo is made in California right alongside El Saltomontes, the X-5, and all other frames that bear the Ventana name. Its sophisticated 6061 aluminum tubeset, legendary "Electric Sex" welds, and rich powdercoat finish combine to result in a frame that rides as beautifully as it looks.

Ventana judiciously shapes and butts the tubes of El Chiquillo to optimize its stiffness and lightness. Small details like its CNC'd vertical dropouts, S-Bend chainstays, and a newly beefed-up International Standard disc brake mount give it strength, rigidity, and the overall framework to function properly under the high-torque, low-cadence stress you inflict on a mountain bike every time you ride. The sleekness of a well-built hardtail results in a bike that shifts and brakes with a crispness like nothing else.

The Ventana El Chiquillo uses a 1-3/8" (34.9mm) traditional top pull front derailleur and a 27.2mm seatpost. It’s available in odd sizes between 13”-21”, and comes stock in Electric Superdust or Red Metallic. Or for $150, it can be finished in any of Ventana’s luscious powdercoats – Electric Blue Metallic, Gloss Black, Gloss White, Grinch Green, Army Green, Cosmic Grey and Cosmic Orange. If you’d like to personalize your “Little Brat”, it can be upgraded with custom or semi-custom geometry and custom colors. Ventana finishes El Chiquillo with a handcrafted stainless steel headbadge proudly displaying the Ventana "V" with the year of their inception, 1988.

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2009 Ventana El Chiquillo Pricing