Ok, I’ve had this nagging feeling for a while, and now I want to get it out in the open. Here it is: I just can’t bring myself to care about the NAHBS. The bikes are either uber-fussy, ultra-expensive, weird for the sake of being weird, or retro. I’d like to believe that somehow the effort made by the builders of these bikes will positively impact the engineering, design, or best practices of bicycle manufacturing, but I can’t shake the feeling that these boutique builders represent an isolated branch off the bicycle family tree. I think they are art — fine and beautiful art, like Fabrege eggs — impractical, and primarily interesting to industry insiders (to use the term loosely) or with a ton of money. There are, of course, bikes at the NAHBS that you might imagine riding in a Cat 5 race, or commuting back and forth to work every day in the rain, locking up in a public bike rack…. no, wait, I can’t really imagine that. I can’t imagine that at all. Does that make me a bad person?

@Sean
“There are, of course, bikes at the NAHBS that you might imagine riding in a Cat 5 race, or commuting back and forth to work every day in the rain, locking up in a public bike rack…. no, wait, I can’t really imagine that. I can’t imagine that at all.”

Actually there are a lot of bikes at NAHBS that are intended to do just that. Unfortunately those types of bikes don’t really get the press coverage that the art-bikes get.

Examples: Richard Sachs had some bikes that had actually been raced. Chris Igleheart had a very convenient and simple little top-cap switch for a dynamo light that would really help a commuter setup. Guru built a sweet looking Ti bike that was extra stout so that it could survive massive damage in a crit race and keep going. There were also a LOT of actually-used all-road bikes (including mine which I rode in to work this morning). Naked Bikes even rode the 450mi to the show on their bikes.

Point being, the practical bikes, the ones that push innovation, the ones you could actually afford to use. Those were all there, but instead the press is more bamboozled by things like English Cycle’s mono-stay bike and a bunch of show-piece fixies that’ll likely never see a single street or track.

Sean go buy a sensible bike that you can ride in the rain, commute, and race with the cat 5 field. The vendors at NAHBS could very well put a cap on the price range of bikes that they design, build, and decorate for the general public to ogle at. Bottom line is that any bike that looks awesome takes alot of time to build and design and looks cool with flashy paint and anodized do dads. Don’t hate on the bike crowd that appreciates bikes that are flashy, well built, and just plain bad ass.

@ Sean (& everyone else with fame tube envy):

Really? You’re joking, right? I mean, most cyclists think that these are just works of art and have no practicality, right? I’ve seen my fair share of hand built frames for almost 3 decades and, had the pleasure of witnessing the 611 Bicycle Company pour their passion (as all the NAHBS builders) into their creations.

Many of the bikes in these shows have displayed many innovations that these unique breed of craftsman have created that has caught the eye of manufacturers, cycling enthusiasts and the media. Unlike those concept cars at the auto shows, where some tart walks around a vehicle shell with bells and flashy lights, these cycling machines are the real deal, they can actually be ridden and raced on the pavement or on the trail, and take numerous hours to build for little profit.

Sounds like you need to stick with your China made, mass produced bicycle – BORRRR-INNNG! At one time, the mass producers, such as Trek and Schwinn, started out small like these frame builders, not any more and they never will – the big guns have lost sight of what cycling truly is, art in motion.

So, yea, it is refreshing that these passionate men and women (and NAHBS for showcasing them), are breathing life back in the art of cycling and keeping it alive, as it was intended.