REFLECTIONS ON THE 2009 NORTH AMERICAN HANDMADE BICYCLE SHOW
The show’s over. The valet parking area for the brave souls who biked downtown Indianapolis (wind chills were vicious!) to view is empty and the shiny, exotic, crafted, wheeled machines are packed up and being shipped. The 2009 North American Hand Built Bicycle Show is history and it was a roaring success. There was trepidation amongst the organizers that it would never be attended like the shows on the West Coast (Portland and San Jose) but from my perspective they seemed to have had record attendance, (certainly on Fri. and Sat.) and the innovation, craftsmanship, color, and artistry were all more apparent than ever.
I spoke to a couple of young Italians, here for the first time, with their table of very modern, colorfully anodized new brake levers and calipers. I asked them if there was anything like this show in Italy…where cycling is a national sport after all. They immediately replied that without a doubt this show was unique, a melding of the completely traditional: some retro-randonneur bikes with the utterly new: a stretched out titanium cargo bike. This is really the emphatic point of the national Handmade Bike show: “The bicycle is the perfect venue for combining novelty, artistry and innovation with 150 year old tried and true design and style AND it must be able to be ridden!”
I was overwhelmed. It took me about 3 hours on Fri. to just settle down and look for what I had anticipated. I have just started to seriously build steel frames this winter and I’ve been concentrating, practising, doubting, making mistakes and climbing the learning curve all winter. When I walked into the hall and was surrounded by all of the most skilled builders in the country, I felt very small indeed.
As a builder one is immediately aware of where ones own interests lie. Are you into carbon, titanium, or steel (maybe bamboo?). I love steel! It’s workable with low tech, strong, long lasting, repairable, comfortable and now with some new alloys, very lightweight. I looked for the steel builders and these are by far the most ubiquitous at the show. I’m also attracted to traditional designs, bikes that are ultimately functional and straightforward. Two of my favorite builders won awards: Curt Goodrich won Best filet brazed bike for his cross bike and Dave Wages (“Ellis Cycles”) won Best lugged bike for his very traditional 70s frame. My friend Mitch Pryor (“MAP Bicycles”) won Best City bike for his lovely commuter bike.
The number of track bikes, singlies and fixies on display reflected the continued popularity of these styles of urban bikers. Brevet, randonneur and touring bikes are always at the forefront since these are the machines for the forever-serious cyclist. I saw plenty of cyclocross bikes and a whole assortment of 29ers. Perhaps most heartening was the growing dedication of hand builders to the commuter/transport machine. It seems people are beginning to take pride in their work ride and realizing the power inherent in being involved in their own mobility.
I left inspired to get back to my own shop and the frames I have in process.