North American Hand Made Bicycle Show

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, February 27 - March 1, 2009

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Part 2 - March 1: Showstoppers from NAHBS

By James Huang in Indianapolis, Indiana

New carbon goodies and a fresh look from Serotta

Serotta embarks on a curvy new direction

The integrated design uses a seatmast cap

Serotta's new MeiVici AE complements the current MeiVici's traditional tube-and-lug aesthetic with a curvaceous new form that should appeal to those seeking a more modern look.

While the new AE is still a carbon tube-and-lug frame, the lugs are now flush-fitting for more of a monocoque appearance and the tubing is aero-profiled throughout. The seat tube, capped with a semi-integrated no-cut seatmast, also sports a rear wheel cutout and the hourglass-shaped head tube envelops a brand-new Serotta F4 all-carbon fork with a tapered 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" steerer. Up top, the flat and wide top tube flow smoothly into the familiarly curved seat stays.

As with the standard MeiVici, the new AE was developed in-house at Serotta's composites facility in Poway, California and is available with custom geometry and fiber lay-up schedules for a personalized fit and ride quality. Seat tubes angles from 73-78° can accommodate both road and time trial/triathlon applications.

In spite of the expansive tubing, Serotta's Paraic McGlynn says the new AE is actually the company's most comfortable frame and offers a drivetrain stiffness range comparable to the standard MeiVici. The extra material adds a few grams on top of the regular MeiVici's 1400g, though, and pricing is also a tad higher at a whopping US$8,495 for the frame, fork and seatpost.

Serotta is also experimenting with a new 'cross bike that essentially pairs a MeiVici carbon front end for light weight and rigidity plus titanium stays for a softer ride. Carbon lugs are used at the head tube and top of the seat tube while the titanium sleeves are used at the bottom bracket.

McGlynn said the 'cross bike is still in the prototype phase and offered no estimated weight or cost.

Naked to make it two in a row?

Naked builder Sam Whittingham

Even the linkage is

Canadian builder Sam Whittingham stole the show last year with an incredibly creative urban machine - subsequently purchased by none other than Lance Armstrong - and has outdone himself in 2009 with an over-the-top full-suspension single-speed mountain bike.

The polished-and-metallic red steel frame bore an unusual suspension design - a URT with concentric dropout pivots and a linkage-activated shock - but the construction is what really drew in onlookers. Nickel plating is used liberally throughout, including all of the lugs, suspension pivot and rear shock mounts, the entire rear triangle and even the shock linkage itself.

Modified FSA headsets are used for the main upper and lower suspension pivots and a new Chris King InSet headset is used up front, all of which are finished with wood-inlay caps. The rear brake line is internally routed and pierces the seat stay for additional effect, integrated eccentric rear axle mounts tension the chain, and the grips and pedals are both completely handmade from wood, leather and aluminum.

Wood is also used for the rims - sourced from Wheel Fanatyk - and the one-off seatpost topped with a stainless head. Even the Manitou Swinger rear shock has been customized with a Naked logo veneer and an old Campagnolo quick-release for a lockout lever.

Whittingham says the bike took six weeks to build and estimates the cost at approximately US$18,000.

Even so, he has every intention of riding it on trails, having already tested it before painting. Fortunately for him, this one's too small for Lance.

Steel artistry from Waterford

Waterford built this

Waterford continues the trend of themed bikes with its latest steel masterpiece dubbed the 'Empire Builder'. Custom-made art deco-style stainless steel lugs join Reynolds 953 stainless steel tubing and nearly all of it is polished to a gleaming luster. What remains is coated in a metallic burnt orange hue and the head tube is even finished in a rarity for Waterford: a proper badge, naturally made from polished stainless as well.

Waterford also celebrated the return of employee Dave Hellekson, who recently completed a six-month tour of duty in Saudi Arabia with the United States Air Force. His 'welcome home' present? A custom steel road frame road frame with True Temper S3 air-hardened main tubes, Reynolds 953 stainless steel chain stays and a fantastic metallic blue paint job replete with fluffy white clouds, streaking jets and a stainless steel winged appliqué. Welcome back!

Curvy titanium from Black Sheep

Colorado-based builder Black Sheep

Colorado-based builder James Bleakley of Black Sheep brought his usual array of curvy titanium wonders to this year's NAHBS including a 29" hardtail with intricately arcing seat stays and a matching truss-style rigid fork, a cruiser-style road bike with sandblasted faux lugs throughout, and his show-stopping 36"-wheeled ZAMer hardtail.

The most eye-popping rig on site, though, was a trick utility bike with meters of titanium tubing and time-consuming welds. Extended chain stays provide the foundation for a massive heavy-duty rack, both front and rear wheels are shielded with laminated wooden fenders, and a front hub dynamo powers LED lights at either end.

Up front is a truss-style titanium rigid fork and Bleakly naturally also added a custom titanium handlebar.

Estimated cost? Don't even ask.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com

• Serotta embarks on a curvy new direction with the introduction of its aero-profiled Meivici AE, available in both time trial and road formats.
• This is far more surface area around the bottom bracket than we're used to seeing from Serotta.
• The cutout seat tube can be made in angles ranging from 73-78º and the cutouts are adjusted accordingly for proper clearances.
• The integrated design uses a seatmast cap that requires no frame cutting. Serotta will offer the cap in various lengths.
• The top tube looks to flow into the seat stays.
• The beefy head tube houses a tapered 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" steerer.
• The hourglass profile looks trick but also cuts down a bit on frontal area.
• Internal routing is used throughout.
• The Meivici AE will use compact rear-entry dropouts.
• Serotta will offer the new Meivici AE in a wide range of custom geometry meaning that both road and time trial/triathlon configurations can be accommodated.
• Serotta is clearly looking to shed its somewhat stuffy image by experimenting with some flashy paint jobs to increase the eye appeal.
• Production seatmasts will use a single-bolt head borrowed from Bontrager.
• The production version will also use a tidy clamp system.
• The existing Meivici SE will continue on and Serotta says it will remain its lightest bike.
• These Zipp VumaQuad cranks were refinished by Serotta.
• More gold is found out back with the custom-finished cogs, Nokon cable housing, Zipp hub endcaps, and Tune skewers.
• Craig Edwards' eebrake makes an appearance in gold trim at either end of the Serotta Meivici SE show bike.
• Completing the look are a custom-finished Easton carbon stem and Zipp bar, matched leather bar tape and Selle Italia saddle and brown Hudz.
• Serotta's cyclo-cross prototype mates the front end of a Meivici with a titanium rear end.
• According to Serotta's Paraic McGlynn, the titanium rear end softens things up for a smoother ride and better tire traction.
• Carbon tubes and lugs are used up front.
• Titanium sleeves are used to bond the seat tube and down tube to the bottom bracket shell.
• How's this for a bold new look?
• Serotta is playing with some new graphics but hasn't made any final decisions on visual changes moving forward.
• This Serotta 29er hardtail uses carbon fiber for the top tube and down tube but titanium everywhere else.
• Stout stays promise a snappy rear end.
• Detail work is impressive to say the least.
• The shape of the non-driveside dropout is mimicked on the driveside.
• Serotta paid homage to its racing heritage with this track bike used by Leonard 'Harvey' Nitz to earn a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympics.
• Wonder what the UCI would say about this sort of design today?
• Naked builder Sam Whittingham took 'Best in Show' honors last year and may just do it again with this incredible full-suspension mountain bike.
• Even the linkage is fully curved, mitered and welded, then nickel-plated to a brilliant gleam.
• Whittingham uses FSA headsets for the main linkage pivot and main swingarm pivot.
• Even the Manitou Swinger shock is given a personal touch.
• The nickel-plated chain stays take a graceful curve on their way to the dropouts.
• The main pivot is widely braced.
• Whittingham also makes the wood-inlay pivot caps.
• The lower shock mount is neatly integrated into the lug.
• A small eccentric allows for tensioning the chain and concentric axle pivots are also hidden behind them.
• The nickel-plated head tube lugs are fitted with Chris King's new InSet headset format.
• The rear brake line is fed through the seat stay and enters the frame at the chain stay.
• The entry point for the rear brake line is underneath the down tube just aft of the head tube.
• Naturally, Whittingham built his own bar, too.
• Why use a boring rubber grip when you've got some wood, leather, and aluminum on hand?
• These sizeable pedals bore some awfully sharp spikes.
• Wooden rims are sourced from Wheel Fanatyk.
• Whittingham crafted a wooden seatpost for the showpiece, too, though he admits he'll ultimately ride the bike with something else in its place.
• The anodized White Brothers fork matches perfectly.
• Will it be two in a row for Whittingham?
• Naked also showed off a nice-looking townie.
• It goes without saying that there's an awful lot of embellishment going on here.
• Whittingham says a blacksmith friend of his helped out with the leaves.
• The Shimano generator-power front light is perfectly mated to the custom stem.
• The front brake line and generator wire are both fed into the top of the fork blades.
• More nice work is found on the seat tube.
• Another pair of leaves is found at the back end.
• Wood is used for the rear rack, fenders and rims.
• This pedal is decidedly more friendly-looking.
• When regular Lock-Ons just won't do.
• Colorado-based builder Black Sheep showed off this curvy titanium road bike.
• The cruiser-style frame sports dual top tubes that arc into seat stays.
• Faux lugs are featured throughout.
• Paragon dropouts and more careful sandblasting work finish off the rear end.
• Black Sheep builder James Bleakley has taken a liking to curved tubes.
• The truss-style fork is also fast becoming a Black Sheep mainstay.
• The seat stays are anchored to the seat tube with a tiny titanium plate.
• These look comfy!
• An idyllic life under a starry night sky.
• Black Sheep also displayed this monstrous titanium utility bike.
• How many separate pieces of titanium can you see here?
• We can only imagine how much this would cost.
• The massive rack looks to boast massive load capacity to match.
• Tiny generator-powered LED lights are fitted front and rear.
• A comfy place to set your hands as you head off for groceries.
• Bleakley uses a Shimano front derailleur clamp adapter to anchor the titanium chain guard.
• Black Sheep also looks to be working on a more conventional rack.
• The giant 36"-wheeled Black Sheep ZAMer makes another appearance.
• Waterford built this shiny beauty with True Temper S3 main tubes, Reynolds 953 stays and custom stainless steel lugs.
• Maybe a sign of a pending Waterford head tube badge?
• The so-called 'art deco' lugs recount classic New York architecture.
• Mmmm, shiny.
• Waterford built this custom machine as a gift for employee Dave Hellekson who recently recented from a tour of duty in Saudi Arabia.
• Hellekson is a captain in the US Air Force.
• Not a bad 'welcome back' gift, eh?
• A gleaming stainless steel chain stay graces the driveside.
• Gunnar adds a new Fastlane model to its range for commuting, light touring or trail riding, just cruising around or maybe even a little cyclo-cross.
• The chain stay mounted disc brake leaves room for a rear rack.
• Waterford is also building this unique machine designed specifically for bicycle polo.
• This giant gusset is preparing for some rough riding.