With day two of the North American Handmade Bike Show in Hartford, Connecticut drawing to a close, it’s time to celebrate the first batch of winners of the NAHBS awards, both bikes and builders.
All photos used with permission of NAHBS, credit to fabulous NAHBS Official Photographer, Brad Quartuccio.
Best Lugged Frame, Best Road Bike
J.P. Weigle
Best Fillet Brazed Frame
Bishop Bikes
Best Lay Up Frame
Crumpton Cycles
Best Track Bike
T°RED Bikes
Best TIG Welded Frame
Built. Cycles
Best Mountain Bike
Altruiste Bicycle Company Inc.
Best Cyclocross Bike
Triton Bikes
Best Gravel Bike
Breismeister Bicycles
Best Tandem Bike
Chapman Cycles
Best City/Utility
SaltAir
Best Finish
Enigma Bicycleworks
Best Artisan Bike
Black Sheep Bikes
Best New Exhibitor
Eyewater Bicycles
The North American Handmade Bike Show will continue through tomorrow in Hartford, Connecticut.
Serious question: what makes something an “artisan” bike
Being pretty much useless as a bicycle
LOL
Wackiness…? Loud socks…?
The depth to which everything was made my hand. On that Black Sheep, that means even the fenders and pannier baskets were made by hand in Ti. Bonkers level of time that went in to that one.
What is the wheel size on that Black Sheep Bike?
Looks like 36″ to me…
Why is everyone so tall?
Why is everyone so male, white & smug?
wtf? Now you’re a smug person because you’re white and happy?
Well they’re smug because they won, obviously
Score!
Because small bikes look better and are better proportioned. It’s a trade show after all.
Think,”Artisan Beer”, got your attention??? “Eye Candy”…”Mind + Eye Candy”…Cheers!
(deleted). Maybe white guys are most apparent in frame building in north america because thats whos doing it most? not everything is boiled down to racism
Dude… Take a chill pill. Seriously.
Is frame building the exclusive domain of white men, or is there a bit of under representation?
I don’t think there are any gender or race requirements to building frames or being able to display at this show.
Builders are not being barred from this event on the basis of race or gender. (deleted)
Asians dude. Think about it.
That is a hilarious, LOL, point you just made! There are more Asian frame builders on the tiny island of Taiwan than in the entirety of North America.
What part of North American Hand Built don’t you understand?
I was thinking this very same thing. POC are under represented in many aspects of the cycling world but I don’t think it means anything to the NAHBS community. I think most people fall into frame building by a combination of proper environment and shear luck. I’m sure with the resurgence of cycling to a broader audience we will be lucky to see more people from various backgrounds be part of NAHBS. Until then we have bigger fish to fry
That’s really downplaying the work these people are doing. “Sheer luck and proper environment”? You’re statement makes it sound like these guys haven’t worked hard for years to craft a skill set and build a portfolio fitting of an event like this. Nobody falls ass backwards into becoming a successful frame builder. It’s a lot of work, and your statement seems to want to negate that based solely on their gender and skin color.
I think this is kind of like the definition of white privilege, like it or not
I’ll reply to my own comment just to clear up a few things.
First and foremost, I read more comments on bike rumor than I actually read posts. Most of you guys are rediculous and hilarious. I don’t want to come off as a d*ck head because there are enough of those guys here.
The stuff these guys are doing is awesome and I love seeing all the things that are being created especially for a sport I love. My comment also was meant to imply that the lack of POCs isn’t holding back the framebuilder community.
My observation was just an observation. I wish I had the opportunity to take a crack at framebuilding. I know i have the capability to create I just don’t have enough drive to cash in my chips on something I’m not 100% sure on.
You’d be surprised at how many people don’t know what they are capable of and it just happens that POC sometimes know it even less. It boils down to education and how people are raised.
Thank you @BH for bring up the fact that there are women who don’t get enough recognition bit like youbsaid they also aren’t POC which was the main point of my observation. I haven’t missed the point that this is a frame building competition, and the key component is the bike. It just so happens that everyone building is white. Again my only observation. Given the current state of the USA it’s been hard to ignore race no matter how many white guys I continue to ride bikes with.
@Fatbiker I agree with your assessment and no one falls ass backwards into it. You need a drive and passion to end up being a successful framebuilder. if you could spend a day with me in the saddle or watching me work you’d see that I have an understanding of what it takes to be successful in any capacity. @Fred gets it and there is a better explanation but I just can’t give it on this platform.
@Ron At the end of the day it’s all about the bikes. It just happens that most of the community is white. I want more people riding bikes because I want them to feel the excitement it brings me. It can be an intimidating sport to get into and there should be more people with different backgrounds doing it.
Peace and love, peace and love
POC? People of China?
The bike building community is pretty homogenous, unfortunately. Morris, and to a much lesser extent Francisco are (deliberately?) missing the point.
A few (white) female builders have achieved acclaim – Julie Pedalino won a prize at NAHBS a few years ago; Caren Hartley won two prizes at Bespoked last year; Liz Colebrook is building Flying Gate frames now Trevor Jarvis is hanging up the torch and also builds under her own custom marque (Beaumont Bicycles); Isla Rowntree revolutionised children’s bikes, but that’s now regular production.
I can’t currently think of any POC custom builders. Jon Norstog of Thursday Bicycles lived on a Native reservation for some years but I don’t know whether he has Native ancestry. Of course the best production brazers and welders in the world are Taiwanese but that’s a different market.
The germane point is: Is the bike show welcoming to all regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual preference, etc etc etc? Is there or is there not discrimination by this bike show based on those factors? If there is, that is very much a worthwhile issue indeed. If there is not, the original comment was pointless.
Should people of all genders, ethnicities, etc be allowed to freely pursue any and all activities to their heart’s content? Of course they should. Can you have a meaningful discussion specifically applicable to this bike show if mostly white men show up with their wares? No, you cannot. In any societal context, different activities appeal to different demographics. The reasons for this, unlike the either/or assertion that Mark made, are varied and quite complex. Should they appeal to other demographics as well? Maybe, but that has little to do with the running of this bike show.
the original: koichi yamaguchi
You folks may want to take a look at the image of the winning track bike from T-Red. Erika is the woman (yes female) in the shot. She runs the company. Just sayin’. And beyond that, I have direct knowledge that she is a fierce advocate for her product.
And NAHBS has no conditions related to age, gender or skin shade to participate. Only that you build bikes by hand. Simple. The stuff on the floor this year was mostly exceptionally beautiful, structurally sound and functional. I should know …
Tom Kellogg
NAHBS judge.
(Many builders start out using family money.)
Brad @ Bingham Built makes the best ti travel bikes in the world
The pictures of the Enigma don’t really do it any justice. The winner wasn’t even my favorite in the booth.
Yeah, I typically prefer unpainted frames, when the material lets one get away with it, but when I saw those Enigmas I was just like….Daaaaaaam!
Thank you very much gents!
Andy, which was your favorite?
I agree. Their best looking bike was the green, off white and copper one. Amazing.
Thank you very much sir. I loved the green one as well. I absolutely love orange so that green bike with the candy metallic orange was incredible. It was great to see you again and thank you for the kind words. Hope to see you in Sacramento!
What is that blue thing around that guys neck?
That tandem is beautiful.
James , I knew your 36er would win everything. That is quite a beauty.
Two NAHBS, two awards for SaltAir!
Triton – Congratulations! Very pleased to see that Russian frame-building skills are progressing to the award-winning front of the industry!
Thank you very much! 🙂
I reading these comments on a bike blog trying to figure out what the heck “POC”, as in the bike clothing/helmet company, has to do with holding back frame building or being under-represented in the NAHBS frame building community, and then it clicked…
The winner of “Best Finish” went to a single color paint job???? YAWN!!!!!