Tech feature - March 5, 2006

North American Handmade Bicycle Show 2006, part 2

Proving that you can never have too much stainless steel Photo ©: James Huang	The builders at Peacock Groove Cycles Photo ©: James Huang
Joseph Ahearne crafted this Photo ©: James Huang	John Murphy of Columbine Cycles Photo ©: James Huang
As a play on his name Photo ©: James Huang	Digital, shmigital. Photo ©: James Huang
Chris Dekerf’s signature Photo ©: James Huang	In homage to their name, Mint Cycles Photo ©: James Huang
If it looks like a Chris King Photo ©: James Huang	When a regular handlebar Photo ©: James Huang
Seen anything like this before? Photo ©: James Huang	Lugwork like this Photo ©: James Huang
Christopher Igleheart Photo ©: James Huang	Waterford Precision Cycles Photo ©: James Huang
From afar Photo ©: James Huang	A track tandem? Photo ©: James Huang

Day Two - Details, details, details

Don't blink, or you might miss it

James Huang continues our coverage of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show with a look at the many fine details that artisan builders use to set their bikes apart - to the point where some of them are rolling works of art. Part 1 is here.

The halls of NAHBS are filled with bicycles that are utterly beautiful on a number of different levels, and a patient gaze and sharp eye are well-rewarded here. From a distance, the clean lines and flawless finish draw your attention but a closer inspection reveals the endless array of fine detail on these creations which is often what really sets these machines apart from your typical production bicycle.

As you would guess, this level of intricacy requires an inordinate amount of time and patience that simply can not be achieved with mass manufacturing, at least not with the degree of personal involvement that often accompanies these works of art. Handmade bicycles are just that; they are made by hand, one at a time. There is no assembly line, no time clock and no shift manager. The only 'robots' involved require regular food and drink, and some builders, such as Tom Oswald, even profess to using only hand-operated tools. Thankfully, the nature of the handmade industry, particularly the end consumers who are willing to pay the premiums and can appreciate the artistry, will generally accommodate however much time is required to achieve the end result.

These fine details not only require a patient and steady hand, but also the creativity and aesthetic sense to ensure that they are not only pleasing to the eye but also contribute to the overall package. Just as you can have too much makeup or jewelry, a little too much embellishment can come off as gaudy or ostentatious. Just the right amount of the proper pieces assembled in the right way, though, produces a whole that is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com

• Proving that you can never have too much stainless steel on your handmade rig, Sacha White offers this artful top tube protector as an option on his Vanilla bicycles.
• White’s attention to detail is arguably second-to-none.
• The builders at Peacock Groove Cycles add some flair to an otherwise mundanely utilitarian fixture.
• Joseph Ahearne crafted this beautiful lugged stem for one lucky customer.
• It’s a bit difficult to pick it out - but that’s an actual dime the Sycip brothers use to cap the seatstay on this mountain bike frame.
• John Murphy of Columbine Cycles added this gold rose to the front of this custom stem.
• As a play on his name Tony Pereira applied a stainless pear logo to the top of this custom stem.
• When a regular handlebar and stem just won’t cut it…
• Waterford Precision Cycles showed off this beautiful new stainless dropout.
• Christopher Igleheart formerly of Fat City Cycles, offers up possibly the most delicate-looking set (yet surprisingly durable) of housing guides of the show.
• Digital, shmigital. Igleheart’s ‘computer’ is housed in a custom titanium casing that he created when he needed a bit of “therapy” that day.
• This figure adorned the top tube of one of Brent Steelman’s bikes. The words, ‘warm’ and ‘fuzzy’, do not come to mind…
• Brian Baylis’ Randonneur bicycle was the epitome of a bicycle being more than the sum of its parts here at NAHBS 2006. It’s stunningly beautiful on the surface, but the details contained within are simply awe-inspiring.
• Brian Baylis is a living legend in the handmade community, and this is just one reason.
• Look at the level of detail involved just in the paint. And then notice the painted-to-match hub shell… and the rims in the distance… and…
• Baylis even pays attention to the oft-ignored chainstay bridge.
• Baylis can even make an adjustable stem look elegant.
• If it looks like a Chris King headset might be residing in there, that’s because it is in this Baylis interpretation of an integrated headset.
• Mark Nobilette got his start in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and eventually found his way to Longmont, Colorado.
• Lugwork like this is one reason why long-timers like Nobilette are still around.
• Chris Dekerf’s signature pierced seatstay wishbone. Although it has often been imitated, Dekerf’s version is still the best.
• From afar this Merlin Cyrene looks quite normal…
• Up close it’s anything but.
• This Soulcraft ‘townie’ bike is reason enough to sell your car.
• Soulcraft incorporated one of the cleanest examples of internal cable routing I’ve seen.
• A track tandem? Yes, indeed. Don Walker specializes in singlespeed and track bicycles, and this track tandem is allegedly really used on a track, in proper fashion.
• These purple skulls on the top of Don Walker’s track tandem only show up in just the right light…
• Richard Sachs is renowned for his road framesets, but his cyclocross framesets are equally stunning. Moreover, Sachs is even the current frame sponsor of the Richard Sachs/Connecticut Yankee Bicycle Club cyclocross team.
• Jon Kendziera of Jonny Cycles holds up his very unique fixed-gear rig. Kendziera is located in Madison, Wisconsin, one of perennial “best cities for cycling” in the US.
• Seen anything like this before? Me, neither. Jonny Cycles saw fit to punch a bunch of holes in the top tube of this frame and then walled them in in immaculate fashion.
• Jonny Cycles covers their frames in suitably elegant paint along with perfectly applied pinstriping, as in this case.
• In homage to their name, Mint Cycles adds this beautifully detailed mint leaf to the point of one of their lugs.