Mountain Flyer Number 8

DEFINING THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN CYCLIST

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.15625=5/32 Special Issue: North American Handmade Bicycle Show

A Guide to the Framebuilders

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DOCUMENTARY DVD INCLUDED - AN ENGLISH ICON OF CYCLING

85 FRAMEBUILDER BIOGRAPHIES WHO WILL BUILD YOUR NEXT BIKE?

CARBON DRIVE SYSTEMS TAKING THE BELT DRIVE TO MARKET

Editor’sNote North American Handmade Bicycle Show: February 8-10, 2008 A gathering of revolutionaries FenlonPhoto.com

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If you have ever shared quarters with a cat, you know they demonstrate great character but tend to be mavericks.

Cats resist teamwork, detest conglomeration and defy obedience.

There is a reason you never see a herd of cats. Hence the saying, “It’s like herding cats,” which means trying vainly to coordinate a large group of individualists and get them to interact or generally assemble together as one.

It is this very same socio-cultural behavior that makes the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS – say ‘Nabs’) such a remarkable event. What Don Walker, the show’s founder and director, has done is bring together a group of staunch individualists and convince them to meet once a year and share the fruits of their enigmatic talents with each other and the rest of the cycling world.

There is no other population of individuals who exhibit such confoundedly cat-like mutiny against group behavior as these framebuilders do. But the bicycles wrought from their free spirits are so artistically and functionally distinctive that we, as cyclists, should not be deprived of their work.

NAHBS has saved us all from deprivation by assembling the greatest framebuilders in the world to exhibit their opulent lugged masterpieces with detailed custom paint jobs, perfectly mitered titanium framesets, carefully formed carbon fiber race machines and innovations that could only spawn from a backyard tinkerer’s shop.

NAHBS isn’t so much a trade show as it is a society or a union of framebuilders. The framebuilders are the heart of the organization; they are the show. Joining them together for three days requires an incredible combination of force and luck— like coordinating a group of particularly strong willed, intelligent cats that, since the society is pretty tight, happen to be your friends.

The result is nothing short of a phenomenon, and the show is successful on several fronts. By creating a friendly, competitive atmosphere, it has inspired framebuilders to push the limits of their quality and innovative style. It has also made the greater bike industry recognize that the framebuilders collectively own a significant share of the market.

I first attended NAHBS in 2006 at the San Jose Convention Center. Being immediately captivated by the show and by those

who participated in it, I pledged to make the framebuilders a part of Mountain Flyer Magazine, our flagship publication. Later that year, after a few brief conversations with Walker, I agreed to publish the official show guide for the 2007 show. Putting it together was a huge challenge. We had three months to gather biographies and images from the attending exhibitors and try to sell enough advertising space to pay for the whole thing. But we pulled it off and it was a hit.

The 2007 NAHBS Show Guide was so well received that when we began working on the 2008 show guide we decided to publish it as a special issue of Mountain Flyer Magazine, giving us the ability to highlight these framebuilders in our national publication and share the experience with those who cannot attend the show.

Whether you are attending the show or reading this special issue at home, the hard part will be deciding who will fabricate your next bicycle. All the framebuilders who exhibit at NAHBS have their own distinctive qualities, philosophy and style.

Whether you’re searching for a detail rich showpiece, an ultra-light carbon race steed or a retro 29er single-speed (Or how about a 650B bike?), there is certainly more than one framebuilder who can build it for you. Read through these biographies. Enjoy the photos. And take your time choosing.

This gathering of revolutionaries called NAHBS has brought select framebuilders and their craft into very high consumer demand. People are willing to pay a premium and, in some cases, wait up to four years for that certain handmade bicycle.

Purchasing one is much more than just buying a bike.

As framebuilder Jeff Jones so eloquently puts it: “The important thing to remember about buying a handmade bicycle is that the purchase is not the end point of the transaction. The end point is the ride.”

For more information about NAHBS, go to the show’s website, HandmadeBicycleShow.com

editor/publisher brian riepe publisher steve mabry managing editor caroline spaeth art director chris hanna creative editor james e. rickman roving artist gloria sharp writers james e. rickman matt wiebe illustrator david delano printed by crested butte printing and publishing publisher secret agent publishing, llc

mountain flyer p.o. box 272 gunnison, co 81230 970.641.1804 adsales@mountainflyer.com subscriptions@mountainflyer.com www.mountainflyer.com 8

send your letters to: editor@mountainflyer.com cover photo: Independent Fabrications Subscribe online at www.mountainflyer.com or mail subscription card to: mountain flyer magazine, p.o. box 272 gunnison, co 81230 Mountain Flyer magazine is published quarterly and is available nationwide through select Barnes & Noble, Borders and REI locations, as Rocky Mountain region.

When you're finished reading, pass it on!

North American Handmade Bicycle Show and NAHBS Š2006 Don Walker All Rights Reserved Nothing in this publication can be copied or reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. All material and images is compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but published without responsibility for errors or omissions. Secret Agent Publishing assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or images.

Mountain Flyer magazine is printed on recycled paper supported by

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what’inside s sixty-six

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Editor’s Note So You Want to be a Framebuilder? by Matt Wiebe Image Gallery – Attention to Detail Framebuilder Biographies Carbon Drive System Product Showcase Tailwind – Scarred Memories by James E. Rickman

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Bruce Gordon, winner of the 2007 Best of Show award, walked away with even more awards this year. This unique bonded, lugged titanium frame with gorgeous details and signature ultra-fine craftsmanship brought him two awards: Best Lugged Frame and Best Road Bike.

special section

2008

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words & pics

by Brian Riepe

growing in all directions

Leave it to cyclists to gauge the success of an event by our ability to aggravate the local authorities.

For several hours on day two of the 2008 North American Handmade Bicycle Show, held in Portland, Ore., in February, the doors to the expo hall were closed.

The Fire Marshal declared there were too many people in the expo hall. No one could enter until somebody on the inside decided to leave. The building had reached capacity. Within a few minutes, the line had backed up into the lobby. People were willing to wait.

Meanwhile, out in front of the building on Portland’s MLK Jr. Blvd., fire crews (ignoring hecklers) were busying themselves by cutting locks off all the illegally parked bicycles crowding the sidewalks around the convention center. One fireman, using a power tool to

attempt to cut through a U-Lock—don’t they know how hard lock makers work to make those things resilient to such efforts?—caught his own pants on fire in the process. Now that’s ironic.

Not only did we, as cyclists, fulfill our duty and reputation to rebel against authority and generally cause a little disorder, not so much intentionally but more just for the love of the bicycle, but we did so in style while showing off the finest bicycles in the world. Cyclists may be troublemakers but we do have class.

Inside the convention center, there was an abundance of class.

“Attendance was over 7,000,” said NAHBS founder and director Don Walker after the show. “Exhibitors were up 30 percent from 2007. The show was, by all

Nate Armbrust Photo

Rapha, a London-based producer of fine quality cyclewear, powered the nightlife at NAHBS 2008 by hosting Roller Races in a downtown Portland location on Saturday night.

What’s a roller race? It’s sort of the bike messenger’s version of the mechanical bull. Start with four track bikes on a stage, rigged up on rollers with some sort of power meter and sensors tied to a computer. The computer generates a graphic to show who’s in the lead and the computer screen image is piped onto a wall behind the racers.

Races are staged in heats and take roughly 20 seconds, and winners advance to more heats and, ultimately, the finals. Add several hundred rowdy spectators and a scantily dressed helper and you’ve got a party.

Advice: don’t get stuck in a tiebreaker round.

The tying racers must “shotgun” a beer and then race another heat. The clock starts when the beer is opened. Buckets are mercifully hung on the handlebars during tiebreakers.

As you can guess, the spectators tend to do some drinkin’ and things get wild. The finals ended with a mishap when one of the bikes came off its stand and the crowd demanded a fair ending. So Rapha graciously ante’d up two grand prizes for champions Dean Tracy and Chas C: custom bike frames by Portland framebuilder Ira Ryan and a set of Kreitler Rollers. Nice.

Nate Armbrust Photo

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Nick Crumpton’s work in carbon fiber is legendary. Crumpton bikes are clean, functional and super-refined so it was no surprise to see this bike win the NAHBS award for Best Carbon Fiber Bike.

measures, a huge success.”

What was really indicative of the show’s success was not only how many but who. The list of individual framebuilders exhibiting at the show grew significantly, bringing some great new talent and innovation to the show.

First-time exhibitors like Villin Cycle Works, Yipsan Bicycles, Black Sheep Bicycle Works (winner Best Ti Bike), 333 Fab and Courage Cycles (winner Best New Builder) really stood out and won some awards. Along with the new builders came larger ones like Ellsworth, Lynskey, Ventana, Independent Fabrications, Roark, Moots and Dean: all successful companies that have taken the handmade bicycle and built viable, production-scale manufacturing facilities around it.

Another segment with a larger presence this year was the component and accessory manufacturers. Shimano was present again as the title sponsor. Notably, SRAM exhibited for the first time. Chris King displayed what seemed to be the largest, flashiest exhibit at the show along with Brooks, Fizik, White Industries, Cane Creek,

White Brothers, Rolf Prima, Velocity, Pro Net (Selle Italia, etc.) and Rohloff USA. Clothing makers Rapha, Sheila Moon and Monseré helped round out the variety.

“The really nice thing about the show was that it gives our company a nice opportunity to interact with all the small framebuilders,” said first-time exhibitor Tim Fry of White Brothers. “I’m really impressed by all the media presence. At Interbike or Eurobike or Taipai, which are all shows we attend, it’s much more difficult to get their attention. The format of this show allows for incredible interaction with the media.”

What was interesting to see was Shimano and SRAM, who both chose to use NAHBS to show off new products. Shimano unveiled its new 29er wheelset and SRAM displayed the new SID World Cup front fork. A newcomer on the component scene, Sampson Bicycles, a longtime producer of fine carbon road bikes in Denver, Colo., appeared with its newly completed road group.

Along with the increase in people packing the convention center, the show had an air of prestige this year as well. Cycling icons like Joe Murray, Maurice Tierney, Scot Nicol, Paul Thomasberg, Tom Ritchey and Steve Boehmke were spotted wandering the aisles and checking out the scene. While Lance Armstrong’s attendance was a surprise to most of us, he blended right in (sort of) with the crowds. Actor Robin Williams even snuck in to check on a pending bike order with Independent Fabrications.

Everything about NAHBS 2008 was bigger and better, from the attendance to the excitement. Between the nightlife (Rapha stole the show here with its roller races on Saturday night) and the small community feel within the expo hall (everyone seems to know each other), the show had a cool social atmosphere. Many of the builders are as excited to see the other guys’ work as they are to display their own. NAHBS 2008 set a new standard, and it’s just the core type of event that we need. Portland hosted a first-class show and the cycling world has clearly taken notice.

Plans are already underway for NAHBS 2009, scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 27 to March 1. Mark your calendars and check out www.handmadebicycleshow.com for the beta.

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Mike DeSalvo of Ashland, Ore.-based DeSalvo Cycles built this custom PK Ripper-inspired cruiser at the request of a regular customer, complete with the classic Landing Gear forks. “I thought it would take me about two or three days,” said DeSalvo. “It ended up taking more like six or seven days of solid work. It was a really fun project.” The extra work turned out to be worth the trouble when DeSalvo took home the trophy for best TIG welded bike.

Portland’s own Aaron Hayes took home the honorable Best New Builder title, partially due to details like the precision markings on these dropouts.

James Bleakley brought his Black Sheep custom bicycles all the way from Fort Collins, Colo., and the other builders honored his efforts with the Best Ti Bike Award for this cool, retro style ti 29 with a clever through-axle ridged ti fork.

Walking the floor at NAHBS can be like beachcombing. You may accidentally pass right by a bike without noticing some hidden detail like this well thought-out adjustable single-speed dropout by Soulcraft. The simplicity and utility of this design is a great example of how small framebuilders can redefine how things are done.

awards British Columbian framebuilder Sam Whittingham graciously accepts one of his many awards (left). His unique and ostentatious details on this fixed gear bike (below pleased everyone from the other builders (winner Best of Show) to the show director (winner President’s Choice) to the public (winner People’s Choice).

Check out www.mountainflyer.com for a video clip highlighting this bike.

Picking out the “best of” from a deep talent pool is a tough job. But the NAHBS awards are quite fair in that they are decided by and for the builders—except the People’s Choice award, which is chosen by the public. There’s nothing like being honored by your peers, and the standouts deserve recognition.

Sam Whittingham of Naked Bicycles shined brightest, taking three awards for one bike, a plum-colored, lugged masterpiece with chrome accents.

“This bike was meant to pay homage to the Portland scene,” said Whittingham in accepting his final award, the Best in Show. “You guys have something really special going on here, and I wanted to do something special to honor that.”

The bike is rumored to have sold for $15,000 and is being shipped to Austin, Texas, after the show.

The Awards: Best Lugged Bike Bruce Gordon Cycles Best Fillet-Brazed Bike Kirk Frameworks Best TIG Welded Bike DeSalvo Cycles Best Paint Job Brian Baylis Best Carbon Bike Crumpton Cycles Best Ti Bike Black Sheep Bicycles Best Road Bike Bruce Gordon Cycles Best Track Bike Retrotec Best Off-Road Bike Engin Cycles Best Tandem Bike Calfee Design Best New Builder Courage Bicycles Best City Bike Ahearne Cycles President’s Choice Naked Bicycles and Design People’s Choice Naked Bicycles and Design Best of Show Naked Bicycles and Design Framebuilder of the Year Dario Pegoretti

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Shimano chose NAHBS 2008 to debut a new 29er wheelset, marking a milestone for NAHBS and the 29er market. The 23.5mm patented, brazed, double-butted design rim is similar to the rim found on the current XTR and XT wheels, and the alloy axle hubs are constructed from XT stock. Similar to other Shimano rims, the 29er wheel allows the use of both tubed and tubeless tires. Built with double butted 14-15-14 gauge spokes and alloy nipples, the 29er wheelset weighs in at a lithe 1810 g and will go for about $650.

Shimano says they should be available for summer 2008.

Seeing SRAM display at the show was another sign that NAHBS has gotten everyone’s attention and that the component maker is serious about working with the small framebuilders on original equipment sales. SRAM came to the show with an interesting display, showing details on how its new RED group cassette is made from a solid chunk of stainless steel (above) and showcasing the new SID World Cup, which is ever so slightly heavier. But with 32mm stanchions and a new damping system, it should be considerably stiffer than previous generations.

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Eye protection is compulsory in framebuilding. Jeff Jones lets sparks fly while grinding a titanium dropout to the desired level of perfection.

Sheila Jones

so you want to be a framebuilder? start saving your money

by Matt Wiebe

Is Johnny Paycheck’s song Take This Job and Shove It in heavy iPod rotation? Does the thought of working for yourself sound good? Does the thought of a owning your own business building bikes sound better?

If you have cleared out the space in your garage, enrolled in United Bicycle Institute’s (UBI) frame building class, purchased a vise and files and spent a few hundred on a torch or welding rig, you are on your way to a lucrative new career.

Not so fast.

“If you have never owned a bike shop, you may want to reconsider making frame building your career,” says Jeff Jones of Jones Bikes. “It’s hard to overstate how important that is,

from getting basic retail experience to getting to know what people really want from bikes.”

Some say Jones’ bikes, with their singular commitment to non-suspended off-road riding, sell themselves. Jones admits people do seek him out, but he still needs the people skills to educate potential customers and close the sale.

Brent Ruegamer of Rüe Sports agrees, saying his 17 years of shop and USCF mechanic experience is invaluable to his success.

“Working in a shop you learn customer relations. You learn to be accountable and that if something goes wrong it’s your fault,” Ruegamer says. “Shoot, you learn to work long hours for

The most important tool in the framebuilder’s shop is the framebuilder himself.

Sheila Jones

low pay, which is an essential ethic if you want to survive as a framebuilder.”

Yet it is possible for someone with a UBI degree, working out of their garage and setting up a good website to look better than a guy who has been building for 30 years. And there is nothing wrong with that, says Paul Sadoff, who started Rock Lobster in 1988 and was a hobbyist builder for eight years before that.

“You need to be truthful and do what you say because a few angry customers on the Internet can really hurt your business,” he says. But don’t forget your local neighborhood and be sure to be flexible.

“Though you get orders from around the world with a good website, it’s your local riding community that is going to be your core customer base. You may want to do single-speeds and 29ers, but if they want cross bikes and fixies, you better adapt,” Sadoff says.

Well-established builders with coworkers producing 50 to 100 frames a year selling for $3,000 to $5,000 each can make a good living. Do the math: that is $150,000 to half a million a year. Subtract $60,000 to $300,000 for expenses and it’s clear frame building can provide a decent living. Of course, that is a rare scenario and individual framebuilders cannot make that many frames by themselves. More typically, even for a success story, Jones produces no more than 10 bikes a year. They sell for up to $10,000 each but on your own, it’s a tough living.

On one level custom builders are all alike. People skills, the ability to make even the most nitpicky customer feel confident about a bike purchase, is the one skill many framebuilders lack, but it is why top-tier builders are so successful. And, Sadoff

says, a little tongue in cheek, don’t underestimate a good brand name and decals. His business took off after developing Rock Lobster.

“Face it, people who build frames are geeky. It is so easy to get technical they forget the human aspect of the business. Sure you have to fit your customer and develop a unique style, but you also need to communicate your artistry and skills to build that cult of personality,” says Ross Shafer. Shafer founded Salsa Cycles in the early 1980s, selling the brand to distributor Quality Bicycle Parts 10 years ago.

“The only thing that’s going to set your frames apart from the ever-growing crowd of custom framebuilders is you,” Shafer adds. “And you have to let your customers have access to your persona. Buying a bike is a personal experience, especially for the high-end customer.”

At previous Handmade shows Shafer offered seminars laying out the costs—monetary and personal—of getting into the business. People attending his past seminars were in their 20s on up, and he says are not as willing to forgo life’s comforts as he was when he started in high school.

“Ross is a great friend of mine and always encouraged me to analyze my costs better,” Sadoff recalls. “Of course I didn’t look at my costs, I just kept doing things my way. I wish I had been a better listener. Once this is your career, you have to keep a close watch on what you are charging and the time you spend. You can make a living but you have to be smart about it.”

Setting up a steel frame shop is relatively inexpensive. It’s possible to make great frames with just a few files, drill press, torch and a vise—less than $1,000. Spend another $1,500 and

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Bending tubes (and imaginations), Jeff Jones leverages a titanium tube into a signature curvaceous masterpiece.

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buy a frame fixture, bench grinder and a TIG welder. Working with titanium and aluminum is slightly more expensive.

Ruegamer says setting up a shop for carbon parts like tubes and sub-assemblies adds additional expenses. A vacuum bag set-up is about $3,000, molds cost about $10,000 each and a 50-gallon barrel of resin is $500.

Liability insurance adds $2,000 to $4,000 dollars, depending on the framebuilder’s experience and annual production.

Even if building out of a garage, utilities add about $1,000 year; renting a space add $6,000 or more. All told, actual dollar costs of getting into business are relatively low. Spend about $25,000 and you can outfit a really nice steel shop with mills and painting equipment.

“The real costs are hard to quantify. The start-up costs of learning the skills necessary to build something you can charge for are significant, both in dollars and time. Then you have to give away about a dozen frames before you can start charging for your work,” Shafer says.

Before getting into the frame building business, Jones had few expectations because he had no idea what he was getting into. “But looking back I never expected to go so many years without making any money,” Jones says, echoing Shafer’s point.

Jones estimates it took him more than three years to get his design and details to where he felt he had something to sell.

One of the pitfalls of many new framebuilders is pricing.

Pricing frames low to bring in customers and build your business is a sure way to be out of frame building in a few years’ time.

“On the last day of our frame building class, we lay out the costs of putting together a minimal shop, the cost of other aspects of the business and then how many frames need to be

Sheila Jones

made a year and sold at what price to make the business viable,” says Ron Sutphin, UBI’s president.

“It gets real quiet in class that day. There is a lot of mystique surrounding brazed steel bikes, but it is still hard to make your living that way,” he adds.

Of the 1,000 people who have graduated from a UBI frame building class, Sutphin estimates only 10 have succeeded in making a solo career from it. Another 30 to 40 more make a good part of their income from it.

Shafer says a $4,000 handmade frame is cheap in the scheme of things. Framebuilders who can charge that deserve to get it.

“The skills to make a custom frame are gone from the general population. You are offering your customers your expertise and your knowledge to make them a unique frame that fits their needs,” he says.

Joining mind and matter, framebuilders must be focused on customer service as well as their craft.

Sheila Jones

photo gallery

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Builder: Hunter Cycles Photo: Rick Hunter

attention to detail

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main Builder: Oswald Cycle Works Photo: Tom Oswald top Builder: Vintage Cycle Studio Photo: Brian Baylis left Builder: Villin Cycle Works Photo: Randy Batista

attention to detail

left Builder: Soulcraft Photo: Peter Olivetti bottom left Builder: Kish Fabrication Photo: Colin Michael Photography below Builder: Black Cat Bicycles Photo: Todd Ingermanson 20

attention to detail left Builder: Townsend Cycles Photo: Greg Page/Page One Studios below right Builder: Bruce Gordon Cycles Photo: Jessica Brandi Lifland bottom left Builder: Villin Cycle Works Photo: Randy Batista bottom right Builder: Pegoretti Cicli Photo: Dario Pegoretti Collection

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attention to detail

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Builder: Sycip Designs, Inc. Photo: Sycip Collection

attention to detail

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above Builder: Igleheart Custom Frames & Forks Photo: Craig Roth/Emborcation Magazine top left Builder: Vendetta Cycles Photo: Conor Buescher left Builder: Nobilette Cycles Photo: Jessica Brandi Lifland

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framebuilder biographies T

he following pages contain biographies on 85 framebuilders who are exhibiting members of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Some you may recognize and others you may not know. What is unmistakable, however, is their magnificent work. These framebuilders have a distinguished pride in their work and it shows. As you read the biographies, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll notice that their stories are intrinsically entertaining and each is unique. Yet they all share a rich history with the sport of cycling, an enthusiasm for honing their skills and an appetite for independence (revolutionaries, every one of them). Most importantly, they share a life built around creating and riding fine quality bicycles. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B.Riepe

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333fab – Maxwell Kullaway & Bernard Georges “Triple Three Fab” specializes in high-performance TIG-welded steel and titanium bicycle frames for competition, recreation and a whole lot of lovin’. Our decades of experience at Rygin, Merlin Metalworks and Seven Cycles helped hone the 333 brand, aesthetic and mission.

With a variety of great framebuilders in existence today, choose 333 Fabrication because of our willingness to listen, our years of experience and our exclusive “Triple Three Touch.”

333fab: You wanty; we buildy.

Seattle, Wash.

206.947.5176 / 333fab.com

Ahearne Cycles – Joseph Ahearne

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Portland, Ore. 503.473.2102 / AhearneCycles.com

Ahearne Cycles is known for unique, intelligently designed steel bicycle frames, racks and other miscellany. Joseph Ahearne builds custom bikes and racks of all types. He specializes in clever bicycles that are elegant and practical, and he has a special fondness for integrated frame designs. Mixing older “tried and true” designs with newer, unique possibilities is what gives his frames their flavor.

One of Joseph’s early ideas was a cage that attaches to standard water bottle mounts and securely carries a whiskey flask. Dubbed the Spaceman Bicycle Flask Holster, this little invention quickly spread Ahearne’s name around the cycling world.

Other ideas coming out of the Ahearne shop include double or “split” chain stays, coin-capped “5-piece” forks, “Dust Stop” stem shifters (thanks to Dustin) and custom racks of all types, just to name a few.

Joseph Ahearne has a desire to keep bicycles interesting, for himself and for everyone else. He hopes to someday see human-powered machines as the majority on the road. He also believes that life is simply too short to ride mediocre bicycles.

Alternative Needs Transportation – Mike Flanigan Alternative Needs Transportation (ANT) is a custom bicycle building shop run by Mike Flanigan and dedicated to building bicycles for transport/cargo and commuting. The shop hopes to influence people to invest in a commuter-style bicycle of any brand.

Entering the bicycle industry in 1983, Mike started in Boston’s bicycle fabrication scene in 1989 at Fat City Cycles in Somerville, Mass., then helped start employee-owed Independent Fabrication. Mike opened ANT part-time in 2001 and went full-time in 2003.

Mike’s work experience in high-volume and high quality welding and fabrication has given him a unique opportunity to learn what works well. “At both Fat and IF, we did a lot of destructive testing and had the high volume to receive and examine warranty work to best determine how to solve problems with frame and fork failure,” Mike said.

Bicycles as transportation have been on Mike’s mind since his industry beginnings. Mike’s time has finally come to fruition and it can be yours too!

Holliston, Mass.

508.429.3350 / AntBikeMike.com

Alberto Masi In 1926, at the age of 18, Faliero Masi began his bicycle racing career. Initially he raced as an amateur, and later as a professional. In 1931 and 1932 he participated in the Giro d’Italia. His passion for bicycles continued after he retired from racing, and shortly thereafter he began designing and constructing made-to-measure bicycles for other racers. He soon became known as “The Tailor” for his quality of craftsmanship.

In 1949, he moved his bicycle production to the Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan, Italy, and began making bicycles for some of the most renowned champions in the history of bicycle racing including: Fausto Coppi, Alfredo Martini, Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx.

Faliero’s son, Alberto, inherited his father's passion for bicycles and, at a very young age, participated as a mechanic in numerous Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and “International Classics”. After learning his father's trade secrets to bicycle building, Alberto began building bicycles of his own design and, in 1972, became the new “Maestro” of bicycles. In 1982, with the advent of new materials and technology, Alberto Masi developed the concept for the revolutionary Volumetrica or 3V, the oversized frame design which changed forever the future of professional bicycles. Current models of “3V” frames are available built with steel, aluminum or carbon fiber tubing made to measure and painted to order.

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San Jose, Calif 408.410.8089 / AhrensBicycles.com

Bicycle Forest Bicycle Forest is known for such playful cycle designs as the Couchbike, the Hulabike and the Treadmill Bike, but its most significant contribution to the bicycle industry is its BikeCAD frame design software.

BikeCAD has been popular among framebuilders since 1998.

Originally developed as a tool for designing frames and determining the lengths and angles at which to cut the tubes, BikeCAD has grown to address more and more frame building challenges. BikeCAD can now account for paint, components and accessories as well as fitting riders.

BikeCAD is available as a free online tool and also a standalone application called BikeCAD Pro. The popularity of BikeCAD among consumers has made BikeCAD Pro a must-have for commercial framebuilders and bicycle fit specialists.

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Bikeforest.com / info@bikeforest.com

Bilenky Cycle Works – Stephen Bilenky 37 years ago, Philadelphia, PA…..

I assembled Rollfast, Varsity’s and Sting Ray Crates, On the other side of town was a shop that carried British, French, Spanish, Italian IMPORTED bikes And their frame tubes whispered, “FIVE – THREE – ONE” Campagnolo was spoken there, so I went and listened Lug edges delighted my eyes; stories of men wielding torches and files grabbed my imagination Saw my first Masi, Eisentraut and Gordon Man, I’ve got to build frames like that Our saga begins in 1983, Bilenky Cycle Works started as Sterling Cycle Co. with the introduction of the Metro 5, a British roadster-inspired commuter bike featuring a Reynolds 531 lugged frame and Sturmey-Archer alloy internal five-speed hub. In more than three decades, I’ve honed my craft, gained a depth of experience and trained many talented framebuilders, painters and mechanics.

For NAHBS 2008, I’d like to dedicate our 25th year in bicycle building to my family, past and present employees and customers who have made our existence possible. We’ve assembled a team with the breadth of skills, design experience and industry knowledge, and desire and vision to create the handcrafted bike of your dreams.

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Philadelphia, Penn.

215.329.4744 / Bilenky.com

Black Cat Bicycles – Todd Ingermanson Black Cat Bicycles have been steadily taking over my life for six years. I'm not sure if there is much room for anything else at this point. Starting as a double radiused seat tube from old Schwinn Paramount stock and an idea for a bike frame, Black Cat continues with more ideas and more bike frames.

Riding bicycles has always been a way of life for me. From terrorizing the neighborhood as a kid, to cross-country tours, to looking for that next perfect trail or road, it seems there is always another facet of cycling to discover.

Exhibiting at the Handmade Bicycle Show next to the luminaries of frame fabrication is an exciting opportunity. I've been blessed with gifted mentors and hope that Black Cat Bicycles is a reflection of those I've been inspired by.

Santa Cruz County, Calif.

831.464.3282 / BlackCatBicycles.com

Black Sheep Custom Bicycle Works Master artisan James Bleakley shapes every detail of your new custom mountain, road, cyclocross or commuter bikes in our Colorado shop. Personalized service is incorporated throughout every step, from fit to design and fabrication. We are proud to work exclusively with American-made materials.

Fort Collins, Colo.

970.218.5952 / Blacksheepbikes.com

Bringheli Frames, Tools & Jigs – Joe Bringheli

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Parma, Ohio 440.887.0034 / Bringheli.com

At a young age Joe Bringheli developed a passion for cycling. This passion inspired him to start his first business, Bringheli Bike Shop, in 1980. He began by building bike frames and gradually learned more about handcrafting tools and pieces for his shop. He expanded his business and established Bringheli Frames Tools and Jigs in 1990.

Joe creates each piece from scratch in his home-based business.

His attention to detail has made his frame jig, fork jig and alignment table some of his most in-demand products.

Joe takes pride in each piece he makes, offering 100 percent guarantee on all his work and products. His commitment to the consumer does not stop here. He also completes all orders in a timely manner. He is committed to making his craft and passion accessible to all. His prices are extremely reasonable and often well below that of the competitors. Pride in ownership is evident at Bringheli Frames, Tools and Jigs.

Bruce Gordon Cycles I took a framebuilding class from Albert Eisentraut in 1974 and eventually became vice president of Eisentraut Bicycles, Inc. In 1976, I moved to Oregon and began Bruce Gordon Cycles.

Much of my work has been making touring bikes and racks.

For the first 12 years, I made lugged frames exclusively, and now, I’ve returned to that work. I find this work therapeutic as it brings me back to my roots, before TIG welding, titanium and carbon fiber. I can be more creative with the aesthetics.

Recently I have been designing custom titanium parts to accompany my frames, much like the “French constructeur builders”, including racks, brakes, pumps, toe clips, seatposts, taillights, panniers, and CNC’d cantilever brakes A jury of my peers honored my bike (pictured) as “Best of Show” at last year’s show in San Jose, Calif. This bike was also chosen to be in the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design exhibit from Jan. 18 through April 27, 2008.

Jessica Brandi Lifland

Petaluma, Calif.

707.762.5601 / BgCycles.com

Calfee Design â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Craig Calfee One of the pioneers of carbon fiber framebuilding, Craig Calfee got his start in 1987. He invented three different ways of making carbon fiber frames and was the first to offer them in custom geometry.

Calfee has a form-follows-function aesthetic that is shown in the materials selection and construction method. Inspired by forms found in nature, Craig has even explored natural materials for framebuilding such as bamboo and hemp. Frame design is governed by purity of purpose, and because the frames achieve their purpose, they look good.

The bikes are meant to be ridden at the highest levels of competition as well as for pure enjoyment. Most frames are made to order, even the stock geometry frames. Rider weight and riding style are taken into account. Calfee focuses in particular on frame and fork alignment and long-term structural integrity.

Some customers have logged more than 130,000 miles on their Calfee frames. Calfee takes pride in customer satisfaction for the long term, including offering a carbon repair service and a second life warranty policy for second (or third) owners.

Calfee Design can build any type of frame imaginable from unicycles to triple-tandem convertible bikes; the framebuilder has also built trikes and electric vehicles. Calfee also produces a one-piece handlebar and stem unit (the BarStem).

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Jessica Brandi Lifland

La Selva Beach, Calif.

831.728.1859 / CalfeeDesign.com

Cicli Polito â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dan Polito We are no longer in an act of practice; our passions are not being saved for whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to come. We are living lives of action. When considering the immediate surroundings, it comes as no surprise that urgency fills lungs throughout the world, and hearts near and far are swelled full with love. Life is happening now; each of us is an actionary. Live Well, Ride Well.

Cleveland, Ohio 440.263.1263 / CicliPolito.com

Castellano Designs – John Castellano John Castellano is not one to be satisfied with existing technology.

John has a background in aerospace engineering and suspension design, and his passion is pushing the envelope of bicycle design in bold, new directions. John recently returned to his alma mater, MIT, to delve into the latest techniques in pivotless design.

The SilkTi Pivotless Titanium Softtail is an example of John’s out-of-the-box thinking. The patented Flat Plate Chainstays give you double the travel and more lateral rigidity than any other softtail.

Each SilkTi is individually hand-built to order in collaboration with Hall of Famer Steve Potts. They can build you a classic 26er, a SilkTi 29 or a mutant SilkTi 50/50 or one of each. Castellano and Potts combine aerospace engineering and materials with old-world craftsmanship to build some of the finest full-suspension mountain bikes available.

Castellano’s latest offering is Zorro, son of Szazbo—the only long-travel single-speed on the planet. It’s a bike for single-speeders who want a suspension bike and for suspension lovers who want to try single-speeding. It even inspired a new equation: Big Travel + Big Wheels = Big Fun! Handmade by Castellano and Steve Potts from U.S. True Temper OX Platinum.

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Santa Rosa, Calif.

877.PIVOTLESS / CastellanoDesigns.com

Cloud Nine Design – John Caletti Cloud Nine bicycles are lovingly crafted one at a time by John Caletti in Santa Cruz, Calif. John’s first custom bike was a revelation, deepening his love for riding and growing his passion for bicycles.

After college, John worked at the Wheelsmith bike shop selling custom bikes and doing fittings. He later moved to Santa Cruz and worked as a mechanic, took welding courses and continued his hobby of artistic metalwork.

His dream to build special bicycles continued by learning from several of Northern California’s great framebuilders and then starting Cloud Nine in 2004. John is now living his dream: riding and building unique high-performance road and trail bicycles for avid cyclists.

Santa Cruz, Calif.

831.426.0575 / CloudNine-Design.com

Coconino Cycles – Steve Garro Coconino Cycles is comprised of one guy: Steve Garro. Howdy!

2007 was a busy year for me after receiving the “Framebuilder of the Year” award at last year’s NAHBS and a great review of our custom cruiser in Dirt Rag magazine.

Every Coconino is hand-built start to finish in Flagstaff, Ariz., by Steve and no one else. We fillet braze all our frames to order and to measure, no stock sizes or product runs. All of our bikes are steel, utilizing True Temper, Tange, Dedacciai and Columbus tubes, as well as hand-bent 4130 top tubes and seat stays on many of our bikes.

We offer an honest product at a reasonable rate using the highest standards of fit and integrity. Stop by and say hello and give us a look.

Rock on!

Flagstaff, Ariz.

928.774.7747 / CoconinoCycles.com

COURAGE Bicycles – Aaron Hayes COURAGE Bicycles are handcrafted by Aaron Hayes. Aaron is an industrial designer living and working in Portland, Ore.

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Portland, Ore. 503.572.4169 / RideCourage.com

Crumpton Cycles – Nick Crumpton With persistence and dedication, Crumpton Cycles continues to strive to deliver our best in carbon fiber bicycles. Each frame is made to order for individual riders. Nick Crumpton still personally designs, builds and finishes each frame in Austin, Texas. They are truly custom-made.

Photos: Matt Brice

Austin, Texas 512.459.7458 / CrumptonCycles.com

da Vinci Designs When we started da Vinci Designs in 1993, we set out to build the highest quality, best handling and most intuitive tandems on the planet that are a pure joy to ride. To achieve this, we have created many of the industry’s only tandem-specific components. Whether it’s a rim strong enough to meet our standards or custom cranks ranging from 150 to 180 mm in length for a perfect fit, we have designed it in-house because “close enough” doesn’t cut it.

There are a lot of high-quality tandems being built in the United States today, and we encourage you to ride a few. But once you’ve experienced da Vinci’s patented Independent Coasting System, you too will find it hard to go back to an old fashioned, locked-together tandem. Please check out the Testimonial page on our website to read the reviews of the others like you who have experienced the pure joy of riding a da Vinci.

Our goal is to build you the bike that you’ll proudly proclaim as your favorite...not just today, but 20 years from now.

Denver, Colo.

303.936.1241 / daVinciTandems.com

Davidson Handbuilt Bicycles – Bill Davidson Bill Davidson began building frames in 1973 and quickly became the first choice of Seattle area racers. Thirty-four years later and still going strong, Davidson Cycles builds a wide range of truly unique custom road, touring, randonneur, track, tandem and cyclocross frames in traditional lugged steel, TIG-welded steel, titanium and titanium/carbon mix.

Everything except chrome plating is done in our downtown Seattle facility, including custom painting to your desire. We offer custom parts packages with anything you want. Delivery time is in weeks not in years. Why wait? Let us build the bike of your dreams now while you are young enough to enjoy it.

Seattle, Wash.

206.441.9998 / ElliottBayBicycles.com

Delta 7 Sports Delta 7 Sports designs and manufactures the Arantix™ Mountain Bike, featuring the patented IsoTruss® carbon fiber and Kevlar spider web-like, open lattice tube design. Each Arantix frame is handmade and takes approximately 300 hours to build. Hand-wound, high-grade aerospace carbon fiber strands, bound by Kevlar, create each IsoTruss tube. The tubes are bonded to proprietary molded carbon fiber lugs to complete a frame that weighs approximately 2.7 pounds.

Besides being a super light frame with a great ride, the Arantix is also tough. In the extremely rare case a tube is ever damaged, the IsoTruss’ redundant open lattice structure isolates damage without compromising the rest of the frame.

Only 200 Arantix frames will be built for 2008. Delta 7 Sports is now taking orders for individual frames, which sell for $6,995, and complete bikes, with prices starting at $11,995.

Payson, Utah 801.465.9933 / Delta7Sports.com

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Don Walker Cycles Don Walker Cycles is a one-man shop with a solid reputation for building high-performance bicycle frames. Each frame is handcrafted from start to finish utilizing only the highest quality materials available today.

We offer fillet-brazed or lugged construction in road, track, trike, time trial, cross and tandem frames.

Don Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design experience comes from 10 years as a competitive cyclist with an emphasis on track racing. Riders on Don Walker handcrafted bicycles have won or medalled at numerous district, state, national and international competitions, and the list of victories continues to grow.

Don will hand-select each and every tube and component to build your frame into a breathtaking aesthetic while still being able to outperform the competition.

In addition to building frames, Don is proud to be the founder and president of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

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Speedway, Ind. 317.735.1257 / DonWalkerCycles.com

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DeSalvo Custom Cycles – Mike DeSalvo From my twin appreciation of the sport of cycling and the beauty of exquisite craftsmanship was born a frame building endeavor.

DeSalvo Custom Cycles had its genesis in the late 1990s. In the first year, I made only a handful of frames. Since then, I have grown steadily each year, continuing to refine my products and expand my frame selection. I continue to personally see each frameset through the design, tube mitering, welding, brazing and final prep phases.

The only step not performed in my shop in Ashland, Ore., is the powdercoating; this is done by Spectrum Powder Works. Spectrum’s versatility, quality and attention to detail are unparalleled—certain to fulfill your desires and dreams for your frame’s high-quality finish, from the simple to the sublime.

With my commitment to quality workmanship and premium materials, I strive to produce consistently excellent bikes while also delivering a superb value.

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Ashland, Ore. 541.621.8408 / DesalvoCycles.com

Engin Cycles – Drew Guldalian engine (en-gin): A machine designed for the conversion of energy into useful mechanical motion.

Engin Cycles exists to help people convert their energy into motion. Our mission is to build bicycles that appeal to people both as a work of art and as a machine that can be ridden and ridden often.

The definition above represents the original meaning of engine; over time, the meaning has changed to “a device that performs mechanical work.” We want to go back to the original meaning.

Whether we build you a mountain, cross, road or commuter bike, we want to create a human-powered machine, something used to effect a purpose, whatever that purpose may be.

Builder Drew Guldalian will work with you to create a machine suited to your purpose, your style and your size. Our passion for the craft and sport will be apparent in every detail...and you will have the pleasure of riding a bicycle unique to you.

Philadelphia, Penn.

215.248.2829 / EnginCycles.com

Frances Cycles – Joshua Muir

Santa Cruz, Calif.

831.425.2453 / Francescycles.com

Joshua Muir follows a long and rich tradition of drawing and building steel bicycle framesets by hand: sprightly road frames, rigid track frames, trucking touring frames and cycletrucks that ride for decades. Each frame is unique and fit to the rider’s body and its intended use.

The attributes of modern materials are maximized through careful design, fitting and assembly. Frances framesets are either lugged or fillet-brazed, and most tubes and frame fittings are sourced in the United States. Many fittings are available in stainless steel for unique and elegant finishes, polished or blasted.

Frances cycletrucks follow the lineage of the Belgian keg bike with all the advantages of modern materials and experienced design.

They are efficient, fast and fun to ride. Designs available for the carpenter, the tourist with dog and the efficient hauler of junk. All roles Josh loves and aspires to.

Good Times Bicycles – John Bergschneider Understanding the importance bicycles play in everyday life and activity, Good Times Bicycles is a recent addition to the hand-built bicycle march.

With a vision of doing as its name promises, John Bergschneider, owner and fabricator, applies an artistic eye to each design. Melding his metal fabrication experience with your individual taste and needs, John will happily make you the bike of your dreams.

Ashland, Ore. 541.771.6567 / GoodTimesBicycles.com

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Grognard Bicycles – David McCormick Grognard Bicycles is a one-man bicycle frame building company located just outside Sacramento, Calif. David McCormick is the owner and builder. The experience to design a customer’s perfect bike comes from David’s lifelong dedication to riding and studying bicycles.

David started participating in rides and races at an early age and that passion continues to grow stronger with each passing year.

Whether it’s on or off-road touring, multi-day stage races, triathlons or just hitting a sweet section of singletrack, David has done it and knows what it takes to turn an ordinary ride into an extraordinary experience.

David’s goal as a builder is to help people realize whatever bicycling dream they have. Since every person’s dream is different, every Grognard bicycle is different as well. At Grognard there are no stock sizes and no set designs. Finding the proper balance between comfort and performance is the key to achieving a perfectly fit bike.

Every tube is selected individually to allow David to fine-tune the fit and feel of the bike based on the rider’s goals and needs. From frame to finish to final build-kit, it’s all about what you, the rider, want.

Citrus Heights, Calif.

916.216.3465 / GrognardBikeCo.com

Groovy Cycleworks – Rody Walter Welcome to Groovy Cycleworks where our mantra is “design it with the rider in mind, involve the customer in the process, build it to last forever and settle for nothing less than big smiles.”

Whether your path is on asphalt or rocky trail, Rody has been hand-building the cycling dreams of others in Wooster, Ohio, since 1994. Custom crafted frames, forks, bars and components of steel, aluminum or titanium reflect the desire of the customer to play hard, be an individual and live life with a smile.

Fabricating each piece with care, precision and elegant efficiency, Groovy Cycleworks exists to fill your need for cycling adventure in the outdoors.

Ready to play?

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Wooster, Ohio 330.749.6986 / GroovyCycleworks.com

Ground Up Designs – Eric Baar GroundUpDesigns is Eric Baar's passion. He has been making high-quality, one-off custom bicycle frames since 1999. Eric is well known for smooth and clean fillet brazes, precision tig welds in steel and aluminum, custom CNC machined dropouts and technically creative designs in single-speed mountain bikes, trials bikes and distinctive track racing machines.

Based in Colorado Springs, a hotbed for cycling enthusiasts in all disciplines, Eric listened to the demands of his customers and presented them with functional masterpieces that are both pleasing to the eye and integral to the path ahead.

Eric is currently welding tandems for Da Vinci Designs in Denver and is carefully selecting customers for GroundUpDesigns. Eric is looking forward to presenting a solid display of his work at the NAHBS 2008 and has a picture gallery on his website.

Colorado Springs, Colo.

719.213.9148 / GroundUpDesigns.com

Henry James Bicycles, Inc. – Hank Folsom Great custom frames begin with the framebuilder and the customer working out the intended use(s) of the bike and how aggressive and smooth the rider is. Riding style is a major factor when choosing steel tube diameters, gauges and butting. The builder fine-tunes the frame to the rider’s weight, power, size and body proportions. The lugs and paint are icing on the cake.

I enjoy visually developing the fine contours and the subtle tapered walls of our Henry James lugs. I enjoy pushing the limits of investment casting to make a wide range of steel lug diameters and angles. I enjoy knowing Henry James parts are on thousands of great custom frames.

Our philosophy at Henry James is to support quality American manufacturers. All our lugs, crowns, dropouts, shells and frame jigs are made in the USA. We distribute American-made True Temper tubing.

Redondo Beach, Calif.

310.540.1552 / HenryJames.com

Igleheart Custom Frames & Forks Christopher Igleheart’s frames and forks cruise the roads and trails on six of the seven continents. Igleheart has been an integral part of the bicycle trade for more than 30 years. He began as a retailer, but a framebuilding class with Chris Chance in 1980 brought his passion for construction to life.

At Chance’s Fat City Cycles, the legendary Somerville, Mass., shop, Igleheart stepped onto the production line, welding forks and frames and designing and building tandems. He struck out on his own in 1990, building on the East Coast before moving to Oregon and expanding and refining his skills.

Now settled on the North Shore of Massachusetts, Igleheart is using his considerable experience, talents and passion designing and constructing his custom frames and forks for a clientele whose dreams include mountain bikes, cyclocross, track and touring. Each frame is made one at a time with meticulous individual detail. For Igleheart, it’s all about the ride: “Keep pedaling, you’ll get there.”

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Wenham, Mass.

978.626.1193 / IgleBike.com

Hunter Cycles – Rick Hunter I have been learning to build bicycle frames for the last 16 years.

When I was younger, I quickly outgrew most production bikes and started thinking about making my own. Hunter Cycles was born from necessity not capitalism. I completed a two-year stint at a college for Industrial Arts and my enthusiasm for all things mechanical blossomed.

After graduating I started building frames, inspired by San Francisco Bay Area builders and some East Coast outfits, by hand in friends' garages. I paid my bills by working at bike shops and spent my money racing mountain and cross bikes all over the West.

My experience has grown piece by piece, my tools and equipment bought, traded, designed, built and modified. My shop cannot be bought from a catalog; it’s hand-built like the bikes it helps to create.

My bikes are a part of me, an evolvement of my energy and ideas.

Hunter Cycles comes to you this year with our bikes and our best wishes.

Soquel, Calif.

831.761.3528 / HunterCycles.com

Independent Fabrication Independent Fabrication is a group of individual framebuilders unified by the art, science and business of creating custom bicycles. We own this company. This is not just a job to us, it is our passion. We are designers, builders and riders.

This love for what we do is visible in the products we make and reverberates strongly through our devoted customer base. We strive to build the best custom frames that we can. Pride of ownership is our incentive; it gives us the edge over the competition. The proof lies in our attention to detail, craftsmanship and the quality of the ride.

In a day and age where mediocrity is the norm, it is nice to know that you are getting something made special just for you, to your specifications, needs and desires.

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Somerville, Mass.

617.666.3609 / IfBikes.com

Ira Ryan Cycles Ira Ryan did not write this. He’s from Iowa, so he’s incapable of hard selling and boasting. He would never tell you, for example, that he’s won the Trans Iowa race, or that he finished second in a Raid Race from San Francisco to Portland or that in 2007, he led the Rapha Continental team around Oregon for several thousand miles at an average of 19.8 miles an hour.

Ira has been building bicycles that perfectly reflect his life, riding and the demands of his customers. Ira’s commitment to grit, panache and simple function define his bikes. A life rich with friendships and community, lots of cycling and a penchant for gravel are what inspire Ira’s craft.

“Watching Andrei Tchmil in the spring classics run 48-53 tooth chainrings and bunny-hop roundabouts. Looking back down the mountain you just climbed as clouds fill up the valley below. Riding solo under a full moon in the middle of nowhere. Picking it up and dropping it off. Coffee.”

Portland, Ore. 503.810.2504 / IraRyanCycles.com

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Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles Cycling is my passion. To design, build and ride the best bike I can is all I want to do. I want everyone to experience just how good cycling is and can be.

I started out tinkering with bikes as a kid and riding and riding.

Then I worked in the industry, ran a shop and worked some more.

Finally I settled in Oregon to work for myself and my customers to deliver the very best bicycles I can.

I think, dream, build and ride to explore all that has gone before and all that comes to me to improve the ride. Handcrafted and ridden hard, my bikes are really working for me and for more and more happy customers.

Medford, Ore. 541.535.2034 / JonesBikes.com

Keith Anderson Cycles

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I am Keith Anderson, and 2008 marks my 24th year of building and painting bicycles. Today, my primary focus is on providing the finest paint services available to framebuilders and enthusiasts alike: finishes as durable as they are luscious.

Still, I am a builder at heart, and I allot time to build a few, very special custom bicycles each year. My bikes have won national championships and have trekked the world over.

Whether I am brazing or painting, attention to detail is my hallmark, and exceeding your expectations is my goal.

Grants Pass, Ore. 541.471.4114 / KeithAndersonCycles.com

Kirk Frameworks – David Kirk When I started working as a professional framebuilder in 1989, I knew I had found my calling. At the time I worked in a large production shop and while there was nothing glamorous about the work, I loved it.

Now, 18 years and thousands of frames later, I love it just as much, if not more. There is real satisfaction in making something myself, by hand, that is unique. I take pride in producing work that fits, performs and pleases the eye like only a handbuilt frameset can.

As a one-man operation, I enjoy getting to know each customer and their needs. Every frameset is designed and built with its rider in mind and reflects the preferences and personality of its owner. Please stop by my booth or check out my website where you’ll see bikes made to be ridden hard and enjoyed for years to come. However, you won’t find any unrideable concept or show bikes made of leather or wood, just real bikes built for real people who appreciate fine things.

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Bozeman, Mont.

800.605.5475 / KirkFrameWorks.com

Kish Fabrication – Jim Kish

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

805.574.0414 / KishBike.com

Kish Fabrication encompasses the KISH brand of frames as well as consulting services related to titanium fabrication.

Since 1992, my focus has been custom frame production, usually under the KISH name but also for other high-end manufacturers. I have chosen to work primarily in titanium, building everything from cruisers to cross bikes.

Recently there have been exciting advances in titanium tube production that allow astonishingly light, yet very durable, road racing frames to be built. Currently, I specialize in custom building such machines for club riders and serious racers alike, although I am happy to build most any other type of bike you need.

The challenges presented in designing and fabricating top-end bikes are best met, I believe, by an individual builder working closely with the rider to assure the best fit and function using the most appropriate materials. I carry this philosophy through with every bike, whether it’s built for cross-country touring, rainy-weather commuting or singletrack cruising.

Land Shark Bicycles – John Slawta John Slawta’s early ambition was to become a professional artist.

He received a scholarship from the Pasadena School of Art and Design after high school graduation. He enrolled in a community college to take general education courses before moving on to professional art school. It was then that he began to build bicycle frames in his parents’ tool shed.

To his surprise, someone wanted to buy one of his custom-built frames and the Land Shark phenomena began. His big break came in 1986 when a group of professional riders ordered frames. The group included Andy Hampsten and the former U.S. Olympic cycling team coach, Roy Nickman. Word spread about Land Sharks, and soon they were appearing on the international racing circuit. Land Sharks have raced in the Tour de France and ridden to victory in both the Giro d’Italia and the U.S. Pro Championships.

Medford, Ore. 541.535.4516 / LandSharkBicycles.com

Llewellyn Custom Bicycles – Darrell McCulloch

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Queensland, Australia 61.7.3353.3368 / LlewellynBikes.com

Established in 1988 in Brisbane, Australia, Llewellyn frames are individually made, bespoke road and track bicycles by Darrell Llewellyn McCulloch.

I have 28 years of frame building experience. My appetite is fed by my desire to construct durable, functional frames with pleasing aesthetics. I make frames that give many years of enjoyable riding and give the owner value with each passing year of ownership.

I build Llewellyn frames with my hands, alone in the workshop.

The design and fit of the bicycle is paramount. I am not swayed by this year’s fashion or material trend. Tubing selection, lug designs, fittings and style are my interpretation of bringing the merits of traditional, lugged frame construction into this contemporary era. I use handfinished stainless steel castings and fittings for clients who desire this aesthetic. I design and produce new lug designs with details that have practical function.

Luna Cycles – Margo Conover I have been making custom bicycles since 1995—for road racers, touring aficionados, century riders, singletrack sistahs, breast cancer survivors…for all walks of women ranging in age from 11 to 67. My experience as a bike racer, mechanic, shop owner and framebuilder makes Luna Cycles the ideal choice for women seeking the ultimate in comfort, fit and quality in a custom bicycle.

After seasons of racing bikes I never got comfortable on, I studied women’s unique needs with regard to bike fit and equipment. There are more myths than truths out there, yet it is clear women are served better when what makes them unique is acknowledged, respected and conveyed. I love listening to my customers and troubleshooting their needs when designing their bicycles. I am passionate about frame building and respect the integrated, balanced and dynamic system that is the custom bicycle.

Nederland, Colo.

303.440.3635 / LunaCycles.com

Maietta Handbuilt Bicycles – Tony Maietta Maietta Handbuilt Bicycles were born in the heart of rural Maine under the guidance of my family and friends, engineered at Worcester Polytechnic Institute under the motto of “Theory and Practice” and honed as an apprentice under two master framebuilders in the city where American manufacturing began.

The pedigree of family value, engineering excellence and true apprenticeship creates a line of frames with fit and function paramount above all. I am Anthony Maietta, and I have been fabricating steel frames since 2004. I take pride in welding every joint and painting every frame myself. During my build process, customer interaction is frequent and informative; you are included in every step of the process.

My values are essentially very simple: Never forget your family and friends. Honesty always pays off in the end. You get what you give.

Always have fun with whatever you’re doing. I build bicycle frames because I absolutely love to do it, no other reason.

Worcester, Mass.

508.667.6188 / MaiettaCycling.com

Marcroft Cycles – Brian Marcroft Hailing from the Willamette Valley nestled in the beautiful and bike frenzied Pacific Northwest, Brian Marcroft has been immersed in cycling culture for the better part of his life. From casual rider to elite level racer, Brian has done it all. Not satisfied with merely riding bikes, he took his love of cycling along with his natural aptitude for fabrication and formed Marcroft Cycles.

With an emphasis on building custom bikes, Marcroft Cycles is focused on getting the customer exactly the right bike, but most importantly, a bike meant to be ridden and cherished for a lifetime.

Salem, Ore. 503.551.1550 / MarcroftCycles.com

Moots Cycles Since 1981, Moots Cycles have been handcrafted in Steamboat Springs, Colo., by a talented group of dedicated riders who understand, through years in the saddle, what a bike should do and can transfer that hard-earned knowledge into building the finest bikes on the planet.

Each frame is meticulously fashioned, incorporating precise miters, the seamless fusing of tubes and unparalleled welds. Moots’ simplistic and purposeful design principles result in the ultimate ride whether your preference is asphalt or dirt.

Our mission is to create a bike that will make you smile knowing that with each mile pedaled you made the right choice selecting Moots to satisfy your riding demands for life.

Steamboat Springs, Colo.

970.879.1676 / Moots.com

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Naked Bicycles and Design – Sam Whittingham The bicycle is the most remarkable thing to me. I ride and work with them every day, yet they never cease to amaze me. I love that with a few simple tools I can create something that will take you around a velodrome in just seconds or around the world at just the right speed.

I have tried just about everything that can be done on a bicycle, but I am best known as that guy in the Guinness Book of World Records who “rides his space capsule at 80 mph.”

I crave variety in my framebuilding. I do not believe that any type of bike is better than another; they all have their place. The right bike is the one that is right for you. The first Naked frame was built 10 years ago and is still being ridden daily. We are located on Quadra Island in British Columbia, Canada. Come visit, we’ll go for a ride.

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Quadra Island BC, Canada 250.285.3181 / TimeToGetNaked.com

Nice Bicycles – Tyler Russell I love bicycles. I want to share my passion, and I believe just one ride on a bike can help anyone find this feeling.

In 2001 I decided the best way to do this was to become a framebuilder, and in 2007 I started Nice Bicycles. “Nice” means something different to each person, and my job is to understand what a bicycle is to you, then translate that idea into a bicycle frame using my mind and my hands.

I want you to feel at home when you ride, to say to yourself, “Wow, this is nice.”

The bicycles I build are for riding and living; for dirt and pavement; for fun and transportation; for work and picnics; for tricks; and for crashing. I love bicycles, and I want you to love them, too.

Boulder, Colo.

303.819.7681 / NiceBicycles.com

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Mark Nobilette continues the tradition of European quality craftsmanship combined with U.S. technological materials development and design innovation. His preparation began with college study in metallurgy followed by a course in frame building, an apprenticeship with the seminal California framebuilder Albert Eisentraut and six years of work as a machinist.

Nobilette began building bicycle frames in 1973. He is among the few builders certified as skilled enough to work Reynolds 753 and 853 tubing to the manufacturer’s required standards. Many top-ranked racers and triathletes have chosen Nobilette bicycles.

As a former competitive racer, Mark Nobilette is committed to the construction of racing and touring frames with exceptional quality, precise and stable handling and the finest craftsmanship and detail.

Jessica Brandi Lifland

Nobilette Cycles – Mark Nobilette

Longmont, Colo.

303.772.8139 / NobiletteCycles.com

Oswald Cycle Works – Tom Oswald Tom Oswald prepared himself for a career in the bicycle business by studying music at Florida State University. He plays guitar and harmonica in a band called Cornpone Sally, probably drinks too much coffee, likes pumpkin pie and builds one-of-a-kind bicycle frames using only hand-powered tools.

Tom readily admits that doing everything manually is not the easiest or fastest way to make a bicycle, but it is a great way to make a truly extraordinary one. Plus it allows him to poke down more pumpkin pie while still keeping his girlish figure. He lives and rides in the rugged hills of northern Pennsylvania. He invites you to visit his shop in person at 7 North Main St., Mansfield, Penn.

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Mansfield, Penn.

570.662.3097 / OswaldCycleWorks.com

Palermo Bicycles – Tom Palermo My name is Tom Palermo and I build lugged steel bikes, one at a time, by hand, in Baltimore, Md. Yeah, Charm City! I got into frame building because I feel compelled to do it. I need to. It's my passion.

My goal as a builder is to turn that passion into two-wheeled joy and provide you with the ride of a lifetime.

I currently offer road, fixed and touring framesets with a variety of lug, braze-on and finishing options starting at $1,300 for a single color frame and fork. Other services include a variety of frame repairs from the simplest braze-on bits to track dropout conversions.

Baltimore, Md. 410.878.2297 / PalermoBicycles.com

Paragon Machine Works Paragon Machine Works was started 25 years ago in Marin County as an ordinary machine shop. Due to amazing timing that had nothing to do with skill or foresight, PMW was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the early production of mountain bikes.

The first job at the new shop was making chromoly dropouts for Trailmaster forks.

As custom bikes became more popular, PMW continued to offer services to local framebuilders. More good fortune came when Merlin co-founder Gary Helfrich called and asked for titanium frame components. Unable to refuse any potential source of revenue, PMW became the first supplier of titanium frame building components to custom builders.

Thanks to good luck, hard work and great people, Paragon Machine Works has grown to supply custom framebuilders throughout the world.

Richmond, Calif.

510.232.3223 / ParagonMachineworks.com

Parlee Cycles – Bob Parlee PARLEE Cycles is the foremost builder of carbon fiber framesets in the United States. Founded by high performance boat builder Bob Parlee in 1999 and building exclusively with carbon fiber, PARLEE rose to prominence in 2002 when his bikes were seen in the Giro and Tour with other manufacturers’ decals on them.

The company builds five models, four of which can be customized. Recent awards include Bicycling Magazine’s “Dream Bike of the Year” award in 2007 and Cycling Weekly’s “Race Bike of the Year” in 2006. All PARLEE frames are known for the smooth but efficient ride, flawless craftsmanship and timeless aesthetics.

Peabody, Mass.

978.977.7474 / ParleeCycles.com

Pegoretti Cicli – Dario Pegoretti Fatti con le mani: made by hand. This is what Pegoretti is all about.

Dario Pegoretti credits Gino Milani for teaching him the science and the art of building bicycles. Pegoretti was among the first of the European framebuilders to embrace lugless TIG welding to build premium bicycles. In addition, Dario worked with leading edge manufacturers, such as Excell and Dedacciai, in the development of new materials and tubesets. He earned a strong following among professional riders and built bikes for a number of elite teams.

Today Dario builds a small number of fine bicycles by hand each year in his shop in a small mountain village of the Italian Dolomites.

In this world of cookie-cutter products, Pegoretti occupies a unique position as a true individual.

Caldonazzo, Italy / U.S. Distributor: Gita Sporting Goods, Ltd.

800.729.4482 / PegorettiUSA.com

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Pereira Cycles – Tony Pereira Pereira Cycles are custom, one-of-a-kind creations built to the needs of each individual client by framebuilder Tony Pereira. Pereira constructs all frames with the highest quality steel tubing, chosen to give the ultimate blend of strength and ride quality. Fillet brazing is the favored method of tube joining for its limitless design possibilities and smooth flowing aesthetics.

With roots in extensive off-road riding and an interest in the history of artisan framebuilders, Tony’s inspirations range from the early mountain bike era to the 1950s French constructeurs. By learning from the past, Tony sticks with proven construction techniques to ensure reliability while pursuing new ideas, such as 29-inch wheel mountain bikes.

Tony has been riding bicycles his entire life and mountain biking since 1987. He has recently discovered a love for cyclocross and looks forward to slogging though the mud every fall. He currently lives in Portland, Ore., where framebuilders build the best bikes in the world.

Bicycle Quarterly ©2007

Portland, Ore. 801.209.9301 / PereiraCycles.com

Rebolledo Cycles – Mauricio J. Rebolledo Rebolledo Cycles specializes in made-to-measure road, track, cyclocross and randonneuse bicycles, using only the finest steel tubing, fittings and lugs.

Mauricio J. Rebolledo is the sole framemaker, and his wife, Meredith Rebolledo, designs each color scheme. Every bicycle is handmade in Glen Ellen, Calif.

Our interpretation of the bicycle is one that blends modern colors and materials with traditional craftsmanship. Our goal is to create a bicycle that is tailored to the specific needs of each client and performs beyond expectations. We invite you to learn more about our work.

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Glen Ellen, Calif.

707.293.3062 / RebolledoCycles.com

Rene Herse Bicycles While Rene Herse Bicycles define the international paradigm of the ultimate touring bicycle, their performance is for everyone; they have won world championships and countless races. Herse’s designs and innovations are copied worldwide.

Rene Herse Bicycles are often integrated machines with fenders, racks, lighting and stems working in perfect harmony. Bicycles for either record PBP attempts or fast recreational riders are specialties.

In the spring of 2007, the tradition passed from the Herse family in France (they still provide consultation) to Rene Herse Bicycles, Inc., of Boulder, Colo., led by Michael Kone and lead machinist and framebuilder, Mark Nobilette. Production adheres to the aesthetic and geometric designs of Rene Herse (using handmade lugs and shells) and continues Herse’s legacy of ongoing innovation.

Boulder, Colo.

303.284.9721 / renehersebicycles.com

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ANVIL

BIKEWORKS

A GOOD ANVIL DOES NOT FEAR THE HAMMER

ANVILBIKES.COM

Renovo Hardwood Bicycles – Ken Wheeler I don’t build bicycles of wood just to be different. During my 15 years of design and manufacture of composite aircraft, I also learned the advantages of wood in lightweight, high-strength aircraft applications, as well as the beauty and craftsmanship of those structures.

With a love of bicycles and knowledge of wood structure, I realized a more sustainable bicycle made of hardwood might be possible. To be viable, it had to be light—a hollow monocoque frame, and it had to equal or surpass high-end bicycles in strength, stiffness, performance and durability, no apologies permitted.

Independent structural testing of the design as well as extensive ride testing of the Renovo Bicycle by competition riders has demonstrated that apologies are not necessary. Thanks to wood, the ride quality is magically smooth, the bike is light and stiff, and the sustainability, warmth and beauty of wood bring a new dimension to bicycles.

Portland, Ore. 503.231.4888 / Renovobikes.com

Retrotec & Inglis Cycles – Curtis Inglis It’s bio time again…something I’m not very fond of. I build bikes.

I ride bikes. I love bikes. I got my first bike shop job in 1985. I bought my first mountain bike, the blue and black Diamondback Apex (you know the one) in 1992. I begged Bob for a job at Retrotec, and he actually said yes, so I moved to Chico, Calif., in 1993.

I started Inglis Cycles in 1996 when I moved to San Francisco with Jeremy and Jay Sycip. After a few years of focusing on straight tube Inglis bikes, I was drawn back to my first love, Retrotec. Building Inglis and Retrotec bikes side by side seems to be the perfect fit for me.

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Napa, Calif.

707.258.2203 / InglisCycles.com

Roark Custom Titanium Bicycles Roark has been making bicycles for more than 10 years, but bicycles are just a small part of what we manufacture. Roark Custom Metal Fabrication specializes in manufacturing parts for the aerospace industry. For the past 50 years, we have made many complex products that are used in jet engines and some have even made the journey to outer space. When we say, “what we make flies,” we’re not always talking about our bikes.

Even though we are part of a large business, there are only three employees who create Roark bicycles. Jim Zoellner, Kevin Smeltzer and Mike Halsey all have the aerospace pedigree, but more importantly, they have a passion for cycling. They are accomplished racers, and the performance aspect of a bicycle is very important to them. Our customers have the added benefit of dealing directly with Roark, which forms a one-on-one relationship that is necessary to build the perfect bike.

Roark combined all of this knowledge, craftsmanship and passion to create the 2007 NAHBS best titanium bike.

Brownsburg, Ind. 800.556.3163 / Roarkcycle.com

Richard Sachs Cycles Why buy a frame from a one-man shop still using traditional hand-building methods? Because technology alone is a poor substitute for experience.

As a youngster, Richard Sachs could not easily separate his enthusiasm for bicycle racing from the interest he had in the equipment used by the top athletes of the day. With a balance of dedication and perseverance, he pursued his competitive cycling as well as his choice of a framebuilder's life.

His dream of learning to build bicycles that could one day rival the machines he so revered led him to spend a year in London as an apprentice to Witcomb Lightweight Cycles. There he cultivated the basic skills that have become the foundation of his successful career.

More than 25 years have passed, and Richard continues to zealously combine his racing background with his extensive framebuilding experienceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and has gained respect as one of the finest builders of custom bicycles in the world.

Chester, Conn.

860.526.2059 / RichardSachs.com

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Rock Lobster – Paul Sadoff

Farid Abraham

Rock Lobster Cycles started as a full-time business in 1988 after being a part-time hobby and business since 1978. Rock Lobster’s primary focus has been to build high-performance frames for competition on the road, dirt and in the velodrome.

Although most customers are recreational riders, they all get the benefit of input from racers competing at the highest levels of the sport on Rock Lobster bicycles. Rock Lobster built pursuit bikes for the 1992 Guam Olympic team and has had many national champions on the track and in cyclocross.

All this said, the thing that really indicates success for us at Rock Lobster are the smiles on the customer faces as they take their first ride.

Rock Lobster builds frames in steel, 7005 aluminum and scandium and incorporates carbon rear stays for certain frames. Production is about 120 frames per year and all frames are made to order.

Santa Cruz, Calif.

831.429.8010 / RockLobsterCycles.com

Rüe Sports – Brent Ruegamer

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I would like to introduce you to some of the finest carbon fiber bicycle frames made. We pride ourselves on being one of the only true full custom builders.

Since every one of our composite frame tubes is built by hand, we are able to offer custom lay-ups, your choice of material look and custom diameters, something that almost no one in the world can do. Each part of the frame has a unique laminate schedule engineered for its specific function and the ultimate ride. This enables us to fine-tune the ride for different rider sizes, weights and riding styles.

We also do all of our own painting so you can always enjoy the knowledge that you will have something that no one else in the world will have.

Brent Ruegamer’s pedigree as an elite athlete for 17 years and a professional mechanic for 18 years have enabled Ruegamer bikes to not only ride great but to get results as well.

In the last two years, our riders have won six national championships, three state championships and the U.S. hour record, and one of our riders was the fastest Hawaiian at the Ironman World Championships.

Just for kicks, this year we also created the lightest known road frame (550 g) and the lightest known tandem frame (1,550 g), both aptly named Überlight from our Blackwerks division.

We hope to see you out on the road!

Jessica Brandi Lifland

Rüe Sports 480.452.7395 / RueSports.com

SadiLah Handmade Framesets – Chuck Schlesinger I began building SadiLah Handmade Framesets four years ago as a natural extension of my love for cycling. Each frameset is individually handmade with the closest attention to detail. Upon ordering, the client and builder begin a dialogue that results in a finished product designed to exceed the client’s expectations. Every frame is tailored to the customer’s requirements for geometry, ride and aesthetics.

Whether you are looking for a road, track, touring or sport frameset, I will work with you to turn your vision into a reality. An all-out attention to detail produces a bicycle that embodies the finest in form, function and aesthetics. SadiLah Handmade Framesets are designed to excite all of the rider’s senses.

Chula Vista, Calif.

619.708.3981 / Sadilah.com

Signal Cycles – Nate Meschke and Matt Cardinal Signal Cycles are handcrafted steel bicycles made in Portland, Ore., by Nate Meschke and Matt Cardinal: two bike mechanics, two artists. We offer frames based on practical bicycle design and creative inspiration.

Applying our passion for bicycles and our talent for craft, each frame is designed, hand-drawn and built one at a time in a city that moves by bike.

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Portland, Oregon 503.313.9800 / Signalcycles.com

Soulcraft – Sean Walling Long before the so-called “Handmade Bicycle Renaissance,” I was a wide-eyed kid doing production grunt work at places like Bruce Gordon Cycles and Salsa Cycles. It was at these places that I learned not only about craftsmanship but also what it takes to make a living building bicycle frames. We always had our eye on durability, clean work, efficiency and profitability.

Because of this background, I’ve never approached the bike frame as an art piece. I look at them more as tools that can be beautiful. If a detail or feature on the frame isn’t enhancing the strength or ride of the bike, I’m not likely to add it. Because of this approach, Soulcraft frames tend to be pretty basic, designed for the task at hand, no fluff and flawless craftsmanship.

Petaluma, Calif.

707.775.2453 / SoulcraftBikes.com

Sputnik Tool - Jeff Buchholz Sputnik Tool is a one-man shop focused on providing quality tools for small and large framebuilders.

For the past 16 years I’ve worked in the framebuilding industry, first for Fat City Cycles and then Independent Fabrication where I designed the building process and tooling from the ground up. My past experience has taught me the benefits and need for well-designed equipment.

With this in mind, I started Sputnik Tool in 2001 with the goal of producing and marketing my framebuilding equipment. I try to work as much as possible with the builders to fit the tool to their particular building styles. My objective is to create equipment that is simple, easy to operate, repeatable, rigid and, most importantly, trustworthy.

Sedgwick, Maine 207.359.4607 / SputnikTool.com

Steve Potts Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Steve Potts has been building frames and bicycle components for almost 30 years. He is also one of the founding members of WTB, a mountain bike component company that designed and licensed its designs to companies such as Specialized, Suntour, Blackburn Designs, Finish Line and Trek.

Steve is truly one of the most “hands-on” bicycle builders in the world. Steve is working on his own now and has become one of the premier titanium framebuilders in the world. He continues to refine his craft on every bike he builds.

Steve also builds all of Castellano Designs titanium frames, such as the SilkTi and the BowTi. Of all of the accomplishments Steve has had in his career, it is the actual building of the bike that he is passionate about.

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Inverness, Calif.

415.663.9011 / StevePottsBikes.com

Steve Rex Cycles With over 20 years of experience, Steve Rex has ridden, raced, designed and constructed bicycles of every type. His craftsmanship has helped a wide variety of riders achieve their cycling goals. Customers have ranged in size from 3 feet to 7 feet tall. His bikes have won world and national championships on the road and track, toured all over the globe and carried a few dozen diehards to Paris-Brest-Paris finishes.

Steve and his wife, Peggy, completed their third P-B-P in 2007.

Each Rex frame is completely custom. We offer frames made of steel, carbon and steel, and all carbon. Most frames are fillet-brazed but beautiful hand-cut lugs are also available. Carbon/steel frames have fillet-brazed lugs, with long, elegant points, or they can be elaborately cut.

Rex Cycles is a full-service shop. We offer framesets, complete bikes, frame repair, including S&S coupling retrofits, mechanical repair, parts sales and expert fitting services. Rex Cycles has been at its current location in mid-town Sacramento since 1991.

Sacramento, Calif.

916.446.5706 / RexCycles.com

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Strawberry Bicycle – Andy Newlands Terra Nova Cycles, LLC, Strawberry Bicycle, is a bicycle framebuilding company founded in Portland, Ore., in 1971. For more than 35 years, the one-man shop run by bicycle framebuilder Andy Newlands has specialized in the design and fabrication of both “off-the-peg” stock bicycle frames and “bespoke” custom made-tomeasure frames.

The Strawberry trademarked bicycle frames are completely hand-built in the Portland workshop from Reynolds steel tubing and investment cast lugs and are designed for road sport/racing, track racing and city/commuting. The oxy-propane hand-brazed framesets feature hand-cut lug work, Strawberry-designed investment cast, wishbone seatstays and patented integrated seatpost binder.

The company is also the U.S. sales agent for Marchetti SRL of Bergamo, Italy, which manufactures bicycle wheelbuilding machines, tube processing machinery and tools, welding fixtures and bicycle frame alignment equipment as well as turnkey engineering.

Portland, Ore 503.224.1215 / StrawberryBicycle.com

Strong Frames – Carl Strong

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Bozeman, Mont.

406.587.1134 / StrongFrames.com

Strong Frames has been many things in the past 14 years. I started building in the back of my grandmother’s garage in 1993. As demand for my frames grew so did my shop and the small staff. Eventually I was building 1,000 frames per year, with my name and for other brands. I ran a small bike shop and managed both businesses. It was very satisfying but without realizing it, I had morphed from a framebuilder into a business manager. I was doing less of building frames—my passion.

In 2004, in a dramatic move, I closed my retail shop, stopped doing contract work and focused my attention on custom Strong Frames. I now build only custom Strong Frames by myself with business help from my wife, Loretta.

I am once again a framebuilder/craftsman and I couldn’t be happier. I offer knowledge, experience and craftsmanship gained only through building thousands of high-end frames, along with the personal service of a small builder. I now take time to develop a relationship with every customer.

Sweetpea Bicycles – Natalie Ramsland Sweetpea Bicycles designs and builds bikes for women. Our customers are amazing female athletes; they are couriers, racers, commuters and cross-country tourists. But such ladies have a harder time than men finding bikes that fit and are worthy of a term of endearment. So we decided to build bikes for them.

Natalie Ramsland worked as a bike messenger in Portland, Ore., for six years and was voted by some random guy as having the “Best Trackstand in Portland.” Natalie spent a couple of years studying architectural design in Canada but decided that the most important designs have two wheels. Natalie designs the bikes, brazes the frames and generally makes things happen. Austin Ramsland helps Natalie with everything else and is basically eye candy for the customers.

Portland, Ore. 503.381.0722 / SweetpeaBicycles.com

SyCip Designs, Inc. – Jeremy and Jay SyCip Since 1992, brothers Jeremy and Jay SyCip (see-sip) have been designing and building custom bicycle frames and components for San Francisco bike messengers, world-class racers and everyone in between. Jeremy, considered an old-timer in the world of custom frame building, learned the trade under the tutelage of veteran builders Paul Sadoff of Rock Lobster and Albert Eisentraut. Jeremy and Jay’s sincere commitment to their customers and dedication to quality craftsmanship have won SyCip Designs, Inc., numerous industry awards and a solid reputation that has endured.

The SyCip product line includes steel, titanium, aluminum and carbon road, mountain, cross, track, single-speed, full suspension and cruiser bikes. Custom forks and stems are offered with frame orders.

Methods of construction include TIG, lugged and fillet-brazing. Most SyCip frames are powder coated in-house unless wet paint is requested. SyCip’s powder coating services are used by a number of custom builders and many bike enthusiasts.

Santa Rosa, Calif.

707.542.6359 / Sycip.com

Thursday Bicycles – Jon Norstog

Pocatello, Idaho 208.478.1358 / ThursdayBicycles.com

Thursday is a lifelong motorcyclist and bicyclist who got into framebuilding by doing frame repairs, adding braze-ons and chopping up old bikes.

12 years ago, Thursday started building frames in Window Rock, Ariz. Working for the Navajo Nation, Jon would build on Thursdays but later lost his job and could build all week. Fallout from this career disaster led to Thursday’s shop moving to its present location in Pocatello, Idaho.

With a penchant for a design challenge, Thursday has built bleeding-edge frames for extreme riding, dual slalom and four-cross, BMX, hard-core cross-country, as well as utility and special purpose bikes and even a few roadsters. Methods include fillet-brazing or OxyAcetylene welding, the preferred method for aircraft welding. Thursday frames are exclusively steel.

Thursday rides and races what he builds and his frames are designed to have a lively, compliant feel while maintaining high lateral stiffness. Thursday frames feel “right” because they are custom designed to fit the rider.

Townsend Cycles – Gregory Townsend After 30 years of anticipation, 2006 marked my first year of building frames. While growing up in England, I regularly visited local framebuilders and became fascinated by the bikes they crafted. An opening at a London framebuilder fell through but I never gave up wishing to make frames.

With the encouragement and support of my family and friends, I am now designing and building frames and living out a lifelong ambition.

I primarily build road, track and cyclocross frames but enjoy working on anything cycling-related. I am also a firm believer that the fork and stem should be an integral part of each frame design and prefer to design each bike accordingly. The frames I build reflect a classic look and take advantage of the superior ride achievable with modern steel tubing.

I strive to make my frames efficient for their intended purpose and admired for their style, whether it is racing the Three Peaks or just enjoying a weekend coffee shop ride.

Monrovia, Calif.

323.228.8159 / TownsendCycles.blogspot.com

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True Fabrication, LLC True Fabrication, LLC, is an Austin-based trio of riders who have joined forces to make bicycles the old fashioned way: one at a time, with passion and attention to detail. We have been friends for many years. We ride, race, travel and train together.

The idea for True Fabrication was born during a 2005 mountain biking trip to Colorado and now has led to our participation in the 2008 NAHBS. Since then, we have put together a complete frame building shop and honed our fabrication and welding skills. Although each of us is capable of taking a bicycle from inception to completion, we have developed our individual talents. This is what makes us a great partnership.

We don’t take short cuts; rather we are willing to do what is necessary to make something aesthetically pleasing and fully functional.

This means that we don’t follow trends or fads just to sell bikes. Not only are we framebuilders, we’re riders and that makes a difference.

Austin, Texas 512.694.1319 / TrueFabricationBicycles.com

The Vanilla Workshop

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Portland, Ore. 503.233.2453 / VanillaBicycles.com

The Vanilla Workshop is a community—a collaboration between master fabricators; painters and wood, leather, fabric and metal workers— all working closely to bring the intelligent, edgy sexiness of Portland to the rest of the world.

At the heart of the workshop is owner, designer and framebuilder Sacha White.

Sacha started building bicycles in 1999. Now, at just 31 years of age, he is a pioneering member of the new generation of framebuilders. He combines his experiences as a cyclist and craftsman to create a bike and a company that reflect hard work, style and uncompromising vision.

Although White has been building for under a decade, he has taken top honors winning the “Best in Show” award at the 2005 and 2006 North American Handmade Bicycle Shows.

At this year’s show, the focus will be on new developments from the Vanilla Workshop including Coat, a state of the art, custom paint and powdercoat facility, and Speedvagen, super light, super bad, steel racing machines.

Vendetta Cycles – Conor Buescher/Garrett Clark Garrett Clark and Conor Buescher of Vendetta Cycles work in the heart of the Oregon Willamette Valley handcrafting classic lugged-steel bicycle frames one at a time.

Vendetta builds a genuinely one-of-a-kind bicycle that combines sound engineering and the latest metallurgical technology with artistic craftsmanship into a handmade work of art.

Both highly trained engineers, Garrett and Conor bring more than 30 years of manufacturing and R&D experience to every frame that they build. Combining engineering skills, precision metal technique and a passion for cycling, Garrett and Conor create traditional lugged cycling frames to appeal to today's modern rider.

Our process and our philosophy are simple: we do everything by focusing on a single frame. Your frame. The result is a rolling work of silver-brazed art and science, built to be ridden for a lifetime.

Corvallis, Ore. 541.908.4406 / VendettaCycles.com

Vertigo Cycles LLC – Sean Chaney I went on my first mountain bike ride on a beautiful fall day in 1989. The freedom and exhilaration I felt was more intense than anything I had experienced previously. It was the beginning of a lifetime obsession. Riding my bike immediately consumed all of my free time.

Being naturally inquisitive, I took it upon myself to fix everything on my bike—believe me, riding a mountain bike from Sears on Mid-Atlantic trails gives ample opportunity for fixing—which led to my first job as a bicycle mechanic in 1994.

Seventeen years after my first mountain bike ride, I founded Vertigo Cycles to build bicycles that will inspire their owners and give them that same sense of exhilaration every time they get on their bikes.

My name is Sean Chaney and I’m addicted to cycling.

Portland, Ore. 503.347.8473 / VertigoCycles.com

Vicious Cycles – Carl Schlemowitz

New Paltz, N.Y. 845.883.4303 / ViciousCycles.com

Vicious Cycles was founded 13 years ago on the south side of the Catskill Mountains. Carl Schlemowitz began Vicious Cycles in the tradition of high-quality East Coast builders and has grown the company into a fully equipped manufacturing facility with seven employees.

Vicious Cycles offers a full line of mountain, road, cyclocross, touring and specialty frames in steel and titanium, priced from $1,425 to $3,925. Mountain frames include full suspension, 29-inch and single-speed options. Vicious Cycles boasts the highest quality 3-2.5 titanium and custom-drawn steel tubes, custom small parts and expert welds. In addition, Vicious Cycles builds a line of mountain, road and cyclo-cross rigid steel forks, from $275 to $325. Mountain forks come in various sizes to compensate for differing frame build heights.

Vicious Cycles’ high-quality paint department is known throughout the industry. Unlimited color selections and paint schemes drew the attention of many customers as well as other manufacturers.

Vicious Cycles has painted frames for Seven Cycles, Parlee, Hollands, Hampsten, Titus and Elite, among others.

Villin Cycle Works – Alexis Dold Alexis Dold is an average gardener and father of two. He likes dogs, foosball and good beer but secretly relishes the cheap stuff.

During occasional fits of excess, Alexis has been quoted as saying, “Sometimes ya just gotta eat a whole damn bag of chips!” and has learned that “please” and “thank you” go a long way.

Alexis makes form and function go together like Bill Cosby and Jell-O pudding. When asked about the timeless quality his frames possess, he replied, “If a frame’s gonna be truly timeless, it has to rock right here and now.” And they do, ladies and gentlemen. Believe me.

They most certainly do.

Gainesville, Fla. 352.372.3015 / VillinCycleWorks.com

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Vintage Cycle Studio – Brian Baylis Thank you for your interest in the NAHBS. I'm proud to be attending my fourth show, and I am celebrating my 35th year in the frame building business. I think my work needs little, if any, explanation.

As I continue to explore and expand my skills as a framebuilder, I am fascinated by how many interesting ways there are to interpret a bicycle frame. I find myself looking for new ways to capture the essence of the craft as I build the bicycle that meets one’s needs and personality perfectly. Please stop by and take a look at some of my past and present creations.

El Cayon, Calif.

619.449.5977 / ClassicRendezvous.com

Wolfhound Cycles – Fred Cuthbert

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Wolfhound Cycles is a one-man company striving to combine performance and innovation with classic style and beauty.

Fred Cuthbert began building custom steel bicycles in 2001 after attending the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, Ore. Wolfhound Cycles are inspired by Fred’s love for the ultra custom, as shown in the variety in Wolfhound bikes, which include road, cross, touring and all types of mountain bikes, with a special emphasis on 29-inch wheels.

All frames are fillet-brazed for the ultimate in durability, versatility and beauty. The design of each Wolfhound is based not only on the customer’s body measurements but their riding style and personality as well.

Photos: Sean Bagshaw

Tallent, Ore. 541.910.7433 / WolfhoundCycles.com

Waterford Precision Cycles Waterford Precision Cycles carries on its Schwinn Paramount legacy at its factory 30 miles southwest of Milwaukee, Wisc. Waterford co-founder Marc Muller began building Paramounts in 1981, developing a number of innovations including funny bikes, OS tubing, vertical dropouts, single-bend chainstays for mountain bikes and the first bicycle four-bar dual suspension design.

Founded in 1993, Waterford continued these innovations with stainless steel dropouts, stainless steel lugs, air-hardening tubing, sloped top tube designs plus many more innovations. Today the company is a leading maker of fixed gear bikes, single-speed bikes, travel bikes, Rohloff-hub designs and Reynolds’ new 953 stainless, all exquisitely crafted by its experienced staff of artisans.

Waterford enjoys a continued strong following from bike racers plus distance riders and tourists. In 1998, Waterford added the Gunnar line of lower-cost TIG-welded bikes to take advantage of the new air-hardening steels and more recently added its Fitmaster bike fit equipment.

Waterford, Wisc.

262.534.4190 / WaterfordBikes.com

Ybarrola Handmade Bicycles – David Ybarrola David Ybarrola combines his European Basque heritage with an American upbringing. “I think this multi-cultural background gives me a good sense of European style and design and a strong American can-do attitude.” His hands-on approach to life led him to build frames that met his vision of beauty and performance.

This year David will have a new range of products on display including carbon fiber frames and saddles. “I’m very pleased to be able to debut my saddles at this year’s NAHBS.” David has been working with composites since the 1980s, starting with surfboards, sailboards, racing sailboats and now bicycle products. “I’ve been working on these for a few years and now they are ready for prime time,” he said.

David’s products at the 2008 NAHBS will range from traditional lugged steel to carbon fiber.

San Diego, Calif.

858.705.4491 / Ybarrola.com

YiPsan Bicycles – Renold Yip Renold Yip conceived the YiPsan Bicycles in the winter of 2006 to continue the craft of frame building in a single-person workshop and to integrate modern fitting concept, frame tubing and components with traditional building skills.

YiPsan bicycles are built one at a time and every frame is a one-off; your special requests are put together just for you. Fit, ride quality and design for application are at the heart of YiPsan Bicycles.

The more specific your requirements are, the better the design will be.

Your experience throughout the process is also very important.

YiPsan builds road, cross, track, touring and off-road bicycles and specializes in steel.

YiPsan Bicycles 970.215.5806 / YiPsanBicycles.com

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carbon drive system taking the belt drive to market

by Brian Riepe

Four of us hovered around the Jericho Bikes booth at the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race in 2003, staring at Josh Ogle’s prototype. It was the first time any of us had seen a concept belt drive bike, and we all immediately recognized the significance.

Four years passed and I never heard another word of a belt drive again. Ogle had a great concept but no resources to develop it. Turns out that creating a belt drive bicycle was a sizeable challenge. It sounds simple. Belts have been used successfully for motorcycle power trains. Why not on the bicycle? But new belt technology needed to be developed for bicycle-specific applications.

Enter Gates Corporation. Gates had been working with Harley Davidson to create a better motorcycle drive belt. Todd Sellden, a technical director at Gates, envisioned a bicycle worthy version. Sellden was put in touch with Nick Howe, of Sports Garage, a high-end bike shop in Boulder, Colo., and Howe agreed to meet with Sellden to discuss the concept.

“I thought it would be a 15-minute discussion,” says Howe of their first meeting. “However, I was entranced when I saw it, and we spent hours discussing development, positioning and strategy.”

Howe set up another meeting with Sellden and Frank Scurlock at Spot Brand to get more insight on the production end.

Those initial conversations were fruitful. What started as casual meetings quickly blossomed to a multi-tiered organization. CD Enterprises was formed with Howe as CEO and Scurlock in charge of business development, and the brand Carbon Drive Systems (CDS) was launched. Gates Corporation produces the belt while CD Enterprises is the North American brand developer and distributor.

After some 15 prototype versions, CDS was unveiled at Interbike 2007 and created a laudable buzz.

What’s different about this belt? Thin strands of carbon fiber at the core give the belt incredible tensile strength so there is zero stretch under load. It’s the same technology now found on Harleys, and you may see it on Ducati’s Monster motorcycles soon.

While the initial product launch involved Spot Brand bicycles, the brands are separate, and CD Enterprises has

engineers on staff to help any manufacturer integrate CDS into its production. CD Enterprises will also sell or license the custom dropouts. (Since the belt cannot be split, the drive side dropout must be designed to allow the belt into the rear triangle.)

While single-speed bikes are an obvious application, CDS will offer drive rings to interface with internally geared hubs like Shimano Nexus, NuVinci and Rohloff to make gearing an option.

A fixed gear version is in the works, with drive rings made of stronger material than aluminum. CDS drive rings will be available in various sizes with information on matching them to standard chainring sizes.

CDS is a high-performance product and, similar to carbon fiber handlebars, the belts need to be handled properly to ensure their integrity. The belt is incredibly durable but can lose its strength if folded or crimped in half.

At first glance, it looks like dirt and mud could clog the drive rings and possibly derail the belt, but CDS proved to be incredibly resilient to muck. I put in more than 30 hours of riding on a CDS-equipped bike in November 2007. The test conditions were perfectly bad with mixed snow and mud, but the CDS spit out debris and stayed quiet even when icy mud began to build up on the drive train. With so much force involved, rocks finding their way between the belt and rings just get crushed. Dry, dusty conditions can reportedly cause a squeak to develop (not something I experienced), and CD Enterprises is working on ways to alleviate that. It’s nothing a squirt of water won’t fix.

Riding a bike equipped with CDS is perceptibly smooth.

A standard roller chain is 98 percent efficient when clean and lubed. That’s tough to beat, but lab tests show the CDS is on par at 98 percent, and it stays that way even when things get dirty.

Reduced weight is a clear benefit: a CDS belt weighs 50 to 70 grams compared with more than 300 grams for a high-end, hollow pin chain.

As with many innovations in cycling, the custom framebuilders will be the fastest to respond and build CDS-equipped bikes. CDS is showing up on the wish list of every single-speeder who sees it, so if you’re a builder, expect some requests. If you’re a rider, find a demo to experience it for yourself. You will be impressed.

product showcase

ahrens wisecracker

www.AhrensBicycles.com

MSRP: $30

The important thing to remember when you’re traveling by bicycle is that beer won’t open itself. How many times have you been stuck in the trailhead parking lot trying to figure out how to open that ice cold, malted beverage without trashing your dental work?

Well, rest assured, with the Ahrens Wisecracker, you won’t ever be caught sitting in the dirt staring at an unopened beer again. This stealthy little alloy helper can be mounted either to your seatpost or under your stem, hiding inconspicuously out of the way until you need it.

Ahrens CNC machines the Wisecracker out of 6061-T6 aluminum and hard anodizes the finish so it’s light (36 grams) and strong. They’re available in most seatpost sizes, 1-1/8 inch headset (12.7 mm stack height) or a 1-1/2 inch size for your shop stand.

–O. Mattox

brooks swift:

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steel rail

MSRP: $199

www.Highwaytwo.com www.BrooksSaddles.com

It’s the classic leather and brass mystique of a Brooks saddle that makes you hold it in special regard. It’s an object of unyielding quality and timeless beauty.

When I received the Swift, I placed it on my Moots single-speed, decidedly forgoing weight for comfort and class. The Swift is more streamlined, and at 500 grams, the steel-railed model is lighter than its predecessors but still a heavy saddle.

I love how it looks on my Moots. It adds an elegant touch, but I have an uncontrollable urge to procure my friend’s old De Rosa frame (hanging in his shop) and build it up underneath the Swift as a classic fixie, a bike worthy of the saddle.

I’ve yet to talk my friend out of that De Rosa, but the saddle broke in quickly, forming to my bone structure just as described, and it is truly the most comfortable saddle I’ve sat on.

I’d prefer the ti-railed version to the steel (add about $150, lose 160 grams) but I’ll never let this one go. –B. Riepe

chrome transport:

milo kicks

MSRP: $45

www.Chromebags.com

In October 2007, trade magazine Bicycle Retailer and Industry News coined the term Urban Chic for the trendy messenger fashion streaming across the urban world. Of course, the headwaters flow from San Francisco, so naturally Chrome, the makers of those flashy messenger bags with the seat-buckle strap, is contributing to the flow.

Milos are available in both canvas and supple suede. Their quality matches Chrome’s hard-wearing bags, and the classic slide-on, skateboard-shoe style just makes for happy feet. They’re sold in U.S. sizes and the fit seems to be true; if you’re usually a 10, then order a 10.

Like Chrome’s bags, the Milos are being produced in small batches so you’ll end up with something unique. –O. Mattox

product showcase

continental:

top contact

www.HighwayTwo.com

MSRP: $75

The Top Contact tire is handmade at Conti’s German facility, a claim no Conti touring tire has been able to make for years.

This multi-purpose, heavy-duty city and trekking tire with its defined, deep tread offers excellent traction in adverse conditions, great durability and low rolling resistance. When you hold this tire in your hands, it just feels well made. It’s light— 350 grams for the 700 x 28c—but solid.

The reflective sidewall is noticeably armored and the casing is reinforced with state-of-the-art Vectran Breaker, a puncture-resistant layer of multi-fibered thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer yarn—a fiber 14 times more resistant to abrasions than the more commonly used Aramid fibers. These things will roll through the rattiest road debris you can find without any signs of trauma.

They’re available in 26 inch and 700c sizes. –O. Mattox

crumpler:

macbook pro school hymn laptop case

MSRP: $50

www.CrumplerBags.com

Lugging that laptop around can be dangerous. You’ve got anywhere from 1,200 to 3,000 bucks invested in that thing, so think carefully before cramming it into your messenger bag without the appropriate fortification.

Crumpler, the bag maker with a cheeky Australian sense of humor, makes these minimalist laptop cases in numerous sizes, and they’re built for abuse. Made with a super soft 1.2 mm PVC outer shell, a hard plastic central layer, light foam inner padding, brushed nylon lining and a self-healing medium-sized zipper (repairs itself if it jumps track) with an internal PVC zip guard, these cases have all the features you need and no extra fluff.

Part of the appeal of a Crumpler product is its attitude. Can a laptop case or a messenger bag come with an attitude? Sure. If you have any doubt, check out the company website; it’s good for at least 10 minutes of quality entertainment. –B. Riepe

gore bike wear:

phantom lady jacket

MSRP: $159.95

Wintertime rides are tricky. It’s cold when you start, warms on climbs and cold by the time you’re done. Rest assured companies like European apparel company Gore Bike Wear, a division of Gore fabric maker W. L. Gore & Associates, are thinking of your needs as you head out into chilly weather.

Gore’s Phantom Lady Jacket is designed for cyclists who want to ride outside when most people opt for indoor trainer rides. This full-zip Windstopper soft shell jacket is comfy while buffering cold winds, breathable, water resistant and cut for a riding posture. Its unusual but useful feature is the zip-off sleeves, which convert the jacket to a short-sleeved jersey, perfect for when you’re really generating heat under a low sun. I added a light jersey layer underneath for a combo that was good down to freezing temps.

Getting outside is always better when you can stay this warm and comfortable.

So now what’s stopping you? –C. Spaeth

www.GoreBikeWear.com

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product showcase

king cage:

ti

www.KingCage.com

MSRP: $49

The water bottle holder may be a simple cage that hasn’t changed significantly since Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France in 1903, but that doesn’t mean they are all the same.

Ron Andrews and his crew at King Cage hand bend all their bottle cages at a small shop in Durango, Colo., and that’s cool. More importantly from a performance standpoint, this bottle cage is made from titanium. It won’t lose its shape, won’t spit your bottle out when you’re bouncing down a trail at 25 mph, leaving you dry-mouthed and bitter, and won’t leave those annoying black marks on your nice clean bottle.

I have King Cages on all three of my personal bikes and I wouldn’t buy anything else. If you have or are aspiring to kick down for a handmade bicycle, there is no other bottle cage worthy of gracing such a frame. Also available in stainless steel. –B. Riepe

‘klunkerz:

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a film about mountain bikes’

MSRP: $32.99

www.klunkerz.com

Even if you’re one of those people who enjoys only riding mountain bikes—not learning about them—“Klunkerz” is a must-see film.

This fun-to-watch 90-minute documentary chronicles the origins of mountain biking in the hills of Marin County, Calif., in the 1970s to present day. If you think you already know the whole story, you may be surprised after watching the film. Director/writer Billy Savage has done a masterful job presenting mountain biking’s impromptu evolution using the words of the pastime’s original hippie-bike-nut pioneers, interspersed with music, vintage Super-8mm film footage, photographs, posters and assorted graphic-arts propaganda from the times.

While such a movie could have easily become mired in the realm of the selfrighteous and pedantic, Savage keeps it light—painstakingly selecting soundbites that provide insight not only into the mountain biking story, but the personalities of the players themselves. Each character is infinitely likable and it’s easy to see why many of the stars continue as innovators and apostles of the sport today.

Klunkerz is a film just about anyone can enjoy. –J. Rickman

2008 NAHBS wall calendar

MSRP: $15

www.HandmadeBicycleShow.com If you’ve made it this far into 2008 without updating to a new wall calendar (don’t get too far ahead of yourself man, keep it slow), here’s your chance to grace your wall with something worth looking at.

The management at the NAHBS has put together not one but two different calendars to keep you on schedule: a general calendar and one dedicated solely to track bikes. These calendars are filled with professional images of some of the finest bicycles ever produced by today’s most respected framebuilders.

The NAHBS wall calendar is printed in glorious color on nice heavy glossy paper. Get ’em while they’re hot.

Available for purchase online. –O. Mattox

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product showcase

pacenti:

neo moto 650B

MSRP: $55

www.Pacenti.com

Kirk Pacenti has spearheaded the off-road 650B wheel movement, and it’s catching on, especially within the adaptable world of handmade bicycles. Clearly the most formidable hurdle for a new wheel size is finding tires to go with it so Pacenti is offering the Neo Moto to get things rolling.

The Neo Moto 650B is a 2.3 inch full-knob all-mountain tire. Pacenti created his own proprietary super tacky Supa-Natural™ rubber compound and a 66 thread per inch (tpi) casing for a supple but durable sidewall. At 725 grams, it’s a good aggressive tire, and the quality is on par with much larger brands. The rounded profile is predictable in the corners, and it sheds mud well for a tire with such good bite.

There will certainly be more 650B tire options available soon, but at least for now the Neo Moto fills the all-around spot and won’t disappoint. –B. Riepe

pedro’s:

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GO!

www.Pedros.com

MSRP: $6.99

Leave it to Pedro’s to come up with a Canola-based biodegradable lube. Pedro’s is famous for its sustainable production and GO! Lube fits right into that like a green pea in pod.

A low viscosity lube, GO! quickly works its way deep into your chain and penetrates the rollers. It goes on fast so keep your rag handy. But once you wipe off the excess, it provides lubrication where you need it: between the moving parts.

GO! is as durable as any other lube, but I found I needed to apply it often. (What else is new?) Low viscosity lubes work best in clean conditions and that is where GO! tends to shine as well. If you’re out wallowing in the mud of cross season or just general bad conditions, try a thicker lube like Pedro’s Synlube. –B. Riepe

selle italia:

flite 2008

MSRP: $155

www.SelleItalia.com www.ProNetCycling.com

The Flite, perhaps Selle Italia’s most recognized model name, has realized considerable refinements since its introduction in 1990 but has not strayed from its initial purpose: remaining light and racy without compromising function and comfort.

The latest version incorporates a new but recognizable look; you can’t mistake that Flite nose, but overall the saddle is a bit longer and sleeker with a unique scooped rear end that looks a bit like a giant bottle opener. The quality is what you would expect, with 316 ti rails, a breathable full-grain leather cover, self-modeling padding for a perfect fit and a shell made from 10 percent carbon composite.

Somehow, the Flite saddle has always provided reliable comfort despite its diminutive stature.

The 2008 version is soothingly familiar with plenty of room for shifting positions during long hauls.

If you’re having trouble picking out a lightweight saddle from the seemingly thousands out there, the Flite is always a safe bet.

–O. Mattox

tailwind

scarred memories

by James E. Rickman

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I used to be the annoying guy on the ride who interrupted the flow of a great stretch of trail by ordering everyone to stop so I could root around in my CamelBak for my camera to document the beauty of the moment. I realize the shutter doesn’t always do justice to the scene, although it does seem unfailingly gifted at capturing the pinched-faced exasperation of my buddies who have to suffer the same 50-foot stretch of trail over and over again until the image in the LCD looks just right. That’s usually after the 10th take.

Every picture tells a story. Kind of. Truth is, every picture jogs a memory that we use to tell a story—usually one embellished with rock gardens or exposed switchbacks spawned in the very pits of Hell itself or superhuman skills that allowed us to cheat death or grievous injury.

Recently I’ve realized that photographs aren’t necessarily crucial for regaling others with tales of great biking adventures.

At dinner with non-biking friends, someone pointed to the dark scar traversing my forearm and asked what happened.

“Oh, that? I got that mountain biking in Fruita,” I said proudly.

I explained with a certain bravado that Fruita is “the mountain biking capitol of the world,” and the finest riders make pilgrimages there to test their mettle on what can only be described as some of the best trails anywhere.

“If the trails around here are Hershey bars, then the trails in Fruita are like exquisite Swiss chocolate,” I said, laying it on as thick as the scar tissue that had formed over the two-inch gash I suffered leaning up against a jagged juniper branch while waiting for the trail below to clear. My friends didn’t need to know that little detail. Besides, they were transfixed by my wound.

Like a strange totem psychically imbued with the complete history of my adventure, my scar spoke to me each time I caressed it with my forefinger, and I faithfully channeled its epic to my engrossed listeners. The little gash radiated all the color and drama of three days’ riding in Fruita.

I realized my scar was every bit as good as a photograph, and unlike a bulky scrapbook, scars are always handy.

Later, in the privacy of my home, my girlfriend and I took an inventory. On the back of my ankle, atop my Achilles tendon, sits Moab, Utah—the angry, ragged chainring tattoo carved deep and bloody during my first out-of-town bike trip. Gallup, N.M., is etched above my kneecap as a trio of dark blobs created when I Supermanned over the bars. The memories radiating from them are every bit as vivid as a silver-gelatin print.

I have snapshots of the local trails, too—the most impressive of which sits as a dark diagonal line just below my left butt cheek. Viewing is by appointment only.

I now scan others for their stories. A roadie I know sports an oval on the side of his arm, a road-rash freeze-frame from a very bad day. I once saw a mountain biker with the most fearsome of

scars: a knurled, hairless, asymmetrical caterpillar the width of two fingers and devoid of pigment resting just above his knee. If my nicks and gouges were snapshots, this man’s epidermal emblem was a commissioned portrait in a gilded frame, illuminated on the living room wall by tract lighting. What trail emblazoned him with such a fine work of art, I wondered? I never got the chance to ask, but his was a scrapbook entry I won’t soon forget. Probably neither will he, the lucky bastard.

Last summer I suffered an impressive pounding while navigating the Cheese Grater of Death. You know the trail. Every community has one. Thanks to extraordinary agility, I avoided broken bones, a bashed-in face and missing teeth by mere inches.

But I did manage to acquire the most incredible and disfiguring deep hematoma. My flesh and muscles bunched and rippled like water-damaged carpet, and when the blood eventually stopped pooling deep within my distorted limb, it moved surfaceward, staining my elbow and forearm with the most royal shades of crimson and purple.

A concerted 12 weeks of self-Rolfing manipulated my warped flesh back into shape as the colors faded to a sickly green and yellow and then disappeared for good. Sadly, I have no corporeal Kodachrome of that event.

These days I find it much easier to ride without the weight of a camera in my CamelBak, and my buddies are a lot happier with the uninterrupted flow. Am I worried that I might miss something? Naw. I know any ride worth remembering is going to leave an indelible mark.