NAHBS 2010 – Yipsan Bicycles won Peoples’ Choice for their Sunflower mixte commuter bike, and for good cause. The bright yellow bike had a plethora of trick features all throughout the custom steel frame, but the result is a simple, clean bicycle that deserves its accolade.
Yipsan also had a sparkly 650b mountain bike and a very crafty touring bike with couplers, custom paint where it counted and many folksy touches that really set it apart.
Check them all out right after the break…
Renold Yip, the sole body behind Yipsan, builds steel bikes to order. This mixte was fabricated for a customer’s wife to use for general commuting and running errands. The bent top tubes give the bike better standover and skirt clearance. Yip said the Sunflower took him about four weeks to build and pricing is somewhere between $6,000 and $7,000. (That basket that looks like the top of a trash can actually fits directly into the front rack)
Starting at the front, the custom basket has dyed wood inlays to reinforce the sunflower theme. On the non-drive side, there’s s simple u-lock holder with a bottom catch to keep it from swaying. The front hub dynamo powers the headlight. The shift and brake cables duck into the split top tubes for clean runs and smooth lines.
The yellow paint was sparkly, which definitely added to the character of the bike. Even the steerer tube top cap was painted to match.
Disc brakes and an internally geared hub provide solid, low-maintenance performance.
The rear end has some great detail with the rounded tube running in front of the brake caliper, and you can see the brake cable coming out just in front of it.
Nice little cork washer to dampen vibration between the rack and the fender.
Little touches like the curved tail on the top of the seatpost clamp show the love.
Yipsan’s touring bike had a sweet metallic maroon/green paint job accentuated by custom painted brake levers, crank arms, fenders and racks to match.
Check out all the little touches: Crocheted shift lever covers, flower bar ends and hidden electrical wiring. Oh, and pinstriping on the fenders.
Yipsan’s 650b hardtail mountain bike featured sparkly paint, a single front gear and sliding dropouts, allowing you to run it geared or single speed.
