As always, the MADE Show never fails to bring us some of the most beautiful bikes, the weirdest bits, and some pretty random sights.
Look, I love the bicycle in all of its forms. But I love the people in this industry even more; they are some of the best people I know. MADE is simply a celebration of that love. And that love is so evident when walking through the Zidell Yards.
The work and craftsmanship in this show prove that the love for the beauty and simplicity of the bicycle is alive and well.
There is always so much to see at MADE, but it seemed like this year had more than ever. Some of that beauty has already been published here, here, and here. Oh, and then there’s this amazing thing!
I thought that it was a good time for a piece about some of the weird, the wild, and the wonderful.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Penny Farthing w/ Gears or a Free Wheel?
Our guess is that this Penny Farthing is sporting a freewheel. What’s your guess? Let us know in the comments.
Obligatory Tall Bike
Yup, it’s not a true bike show without a random shot of a tall bike.
Dave’s Unrideable Bike
If you can ride it in a figure eight, you could win yourself a $100 gift card to River City Bicycles. Anyone who’s ever ridden one of these knows that is a tall order (the handlebar turns the front wheel in the opposite direction). Probably why we didn’t see many people attempting to ride it…
Bike Trailer Sauna
It’s been hot lately, and a sauna is the last thing I’d want right now. But later, in the Fall, when it cools down, you could pull this into the woods, and blammo, you can release the inner toxins and get your sweat on.
Big Bike for Sale
This bike was sitting at the entrance to MADE and had a for sale sign on it. It was really big.
Drink Holder Handlebar
What would you put in there? Perfect size for a rigid coozie?
The Annual MADE Bike Ride to Chris King
I actually think this is a beautiful thing to witness. MADE’s Director of Show, Billy Sinkford, always orchestrates this ride. I think it’s one of his favorite things to make happen while at the show. This year, there were over 100 cyclists on the ride. I know this made Billy happy, and that’s wonderful.
Dogs are Allowed
There are always really cool dogs that attend the MADE show. I don’t know why I didn’t think about it earlier, but I shoulda done a gallery of the “Dogs of MADE”. Maybe next time.
Anywho. I only took one photo of a dog. This one was happy as a clam, just hangin’ out in the handlebar bag all the time at So Low.
Hardtails Built for Compliance
Speaking of So Low, this bike has been making the rounds again, and for good reason – it’s a pretty unique take on an aggressive hardtail. Built as an experiment by MarinoBike out of Peru for So Low Bikes 2.5 years ago, the goal was to see if you could build in more compliance with a radically different hardtail design.
Combined with a low step frame, the NFZ twin down tube design allows for an extra firm elastomer from a suspension seat post to be placed between the two tubes.
Joel estimates that it may deliver somewhere around 1/4 ” of travel (he says it feels pretty stiff, and doesn’t notice much flex), and is meant for riding steep trails rather than big jumps. The frame also has a super low bottom bracket and is meant to be used only with 150mm cranks.
Celebrating Anna Schwinn
It was wonderful seeing Anna being Anna. That’s all I’m going to say about that. 🙂
More Dune Buggies
Cadex and PAUL should have had a dune buggy/bike race.
Cheap Psychiatric Help…
This was thoughtful of River City Bicycles, and it’s only five cents! So wonderful, and what a deal! The Dr. is in!
Amazing Black Sheep
Oddity MADE Show Bike is Certainly Wonderful
Just look at these lines, and the attention to detail in the finish.
It’s the handlebars for me…
Monē Bikes Klunker
Another fantastic build, this time in Klunker form from Monē Bikes.
We apparently missed the knife hidden in the steerer, but just look at that stem!
Brûlé Bikes’ Wild Builds
While we’re on the subject of wild bikes, Brûlé Bicycles had this entertaining DH cruiser.
Most people (including us) thought it was some kind of jump seat for a friend, but Julian showed us that it’s meant as a rearward seat for the pilot so you can put your feet on the rear pegs and hands on the bars for an aggressive, streamlined position for all out speed runs.
The story behind the linkage shifter is that Julian accidentally ended up with an Alfine Di2 hub. Instead of sending it back, he figured out a way to make it work with a linkage-style shifter, because, why not?
Julian also had this interesting track bike on display with a wild reverse curve fork.
More Knives
This Rodriguez also had a knife hidden away, ironically just behind the spork logo. The frame also had wild externally rifled tubing!
Fish Bottle Cages
Bottle cages made from actual fish cutouts are pretty wild. The new Lunker cages from PDW will give your bike some whimsy, and there’s a matching bottle as well…
I Brought a Brompton to MADE!
I usually drive up to Oregon to attend MADE. But it adds so much extra time to my trip, and wear and tear on the Jeep, that I opted to fly this year. Zach and I were staying at a hotel that was too close to the venue to drive.
He was bringing the foldable Tern that he has reviewed, so he suggested that I try to get a Brompton in to review, as it would be easier to ride to the show together every day. Yeah, that worked out. I was impressed with how quickly the Brompton folded into a suitcase, and how effortless it was to fly with it. Look for the full review in the next few weeks.
And, the Ride to Dinner
The last night in Portland, Zach and I rode our bikes over the river to get to a brewery for dinner. That night, the weather was perfect, and the sky was beautiful. You know, the stuff you notice when riding.
Well, I hope you enjoyed looking through this collection of super random photos. There will be more coverage coming soon.
