Bicycles

In pictures: Wondrous wheels and more, at the 2019 North American Handmade Bicycle Show

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The paint job on this Mooro Cycles gravel bike may look abstract, but it's actually a map of North America's Pacific Northwest region
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The fun starts even before you get inside at NAHBS – it's always worth checking out the parking area for interesting bikes
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
This started as a standard Shimano coaster brake hub, but the folks at Oddity Cycles added a heat sink to it, so it could dissipate the heat generated on long descents when mountain biking – also note the custom grass-pattern skin on the rims, which was additionally used on the handlebars
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A sparkly silver track-style fixie commuter bike, from Affinity
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Jesse Iozzio was displaying his Integrated Bike Lights, which are built into the hubs' quick release skewers (although the lights can also be mounted on the dropouts, as seen here)
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
This Dixie Flyer bike was built for motor pacing, in which riders attempt to set speed records by riding right behind a fast-moving motorized vehicle – the backwards fork draws the front wheel in toward to the bike, so the rider can get closer to the back of the vehicle
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Hemp fiber lugs on this bamboo bike from Bambu Technologies
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Pretty blue wooden rims made by Haldy's Handbuilt Wheels
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Cinq's Shift:R system allows traditional lever-style shifters to be used with the Pinion enclosed gearbox
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The lowered chain stay on this Seven Cycles mountain bike is designed so that its round titanium tubing can clear the chainring, and leave room for fatter tires
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The design of this triathlon bike from FiftyOne is based on a classic model from Bianchi 
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Fancy-schmancy grip wraps on an upright bike from Rivendell Bicycle Works
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
This fork, adorned by Black Magic Paint, looks almost as if it has a tattoo
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Matching paint jobs on this Gaulzetti track bike and its accompanying floor pump
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Yes, we realize there's an irony in the fact that we posted this photo
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Interesting linkage on this Hunter Cycles full-suspension mountain bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A hard-to-miss gravel bike from Hunter Cycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Hunter Cycles had this mini-fat-tired commuter bike on display
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Frances manufactures these hammock-like Farfarer bike trailers 
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Check out the skinny seat stays on this stainless steel road bike from English Cycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A Kilo linkage suspension fork, made by German:A
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
You can't help but notice this titanium road bike from Dean
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
One can't go wrong with sparkles, as is seen on this offering from Mosaic
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Co-Motion Cycles was showcasing this tandem that's equipped with a Pinion gearbox, and three Gates Carbon belt drives
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Nicolai 's full-suspension mountain bikes forgo a derailleur and chain for an Effigear gearbox and a Gates Carbon belt drive – Cavalerie utilizes a similar system
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A smart-looking titanium electric-assist cargo bike, from Ti Cycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A track-style fixie commuter bike, this one a titanium model from Lowii Bicycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The top tube becomes the seat stays, on this Favaloro road bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Cherubim's gorgeous award-winning Airline road bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A color-matched Lauf suspension fork on a Sarto gravel bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Even though NAHBS is a bike show, bicycle-related cars weren't excluded
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A titanium time-trial tandem from English Cycles, that can be taken apart and packed in cases for travel
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Bilenky Cycle Works' electric-assist ViewPoint eHarmony semi-recumbent can also be taken apart and packed up
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A carbon-fiber-intensive Favaloro rigid mountain bike, with an integrated seatpost
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Beautiful cruiser bike from Wolfhound Cycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A classic Mini, being used to demonstrate the SeaSucker suction-cup roof rack
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Built by Paul Sykes, this wooden fender is actually made from old skateboard decks
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Bert Vermeulen's previously-featured folding titanium Alpaca Bike is now sleeker, as it incorporates a Pinion gearbox
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The newest version of the Alpaca Bike offers this unique handlebar-folding feature, for packing it up when travelling
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The DAVE (Downhill Assault Vehicle Extraordinaire), built by students in the Cal Poly Bike Builders club
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
CeramicSpeed's DrivEn pinion-style shaft-drive system made its North American debut at NAHBS
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Do not adjust your set – English Cycles' Right single-speed road bike doesn't have a fork leg, seat stay or chain stay on one side
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A special version of Weis Cycles' Hammer Track is the first marketable bike with a frame made from Super Magnesium
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The paint job on this Mooro Cycles gravel bike may look abstract, but it's actually a map of North America's Pacific Northwest region
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A child-size high-end road bike, built for a client by Plante Cycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Rivet Cycle Works brought along this stool made from inner tubes, rims and cogs – the patch is a nice touch
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A groovy gravel bike from Smeltzer Bikes
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Spooky thunder-and-lightning paint job on a Plante Cycles road bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The finish on this Squid Bikes road bike is bumpy to the touch
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Mr. Potato Head, on a sparkly Alliance Bicycles mountain bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Intriguing surface treatment on both the frame and pump of a touring bike from Ioklin Frameworks
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
It may look like this Shamrock Cycles bike has a solid seat tube, but the holes were actually drilled into a regular hollow tube, and cylindrical sleeves were then placed inside of them
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Beautiful lug work on a carbon fiber gravel bike from Calfee Design
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A bony paint job on this steed from Don Walker Cycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
This gravel bike from Celilo Cycles looks almost as if it were hand-carved from a single piece of wood
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A road bike from Drift, which combines a stainless steel main frame with a carbon fiber seat tube
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
This spoke-dimpled carbon fiber rim from Princeton Carbonworks is claimed to have an aerodynamic advantage over standard rims, plus it reportedly makes for a stiffer, faster wheel
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
An electric-assist mountain bike from SyCip Designs
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
SyCip Designs was displaying this electric-assist cargo trike, which is ready for a cookout – note the built-in grill and cutting board at the back
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The crazy Bamboo Fixie concept from Calfee Design – it was built as a way of seeing if a frame could be made only from small-diameter bamboo
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Intricate paint job on a touring model from Blaze Bicycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The frame of Lance Rake's Cooper Bicycle is made from the charred and wine-stained staves of old wine barrels
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
This stainless steel commuter/rigid mountain bike from Dekerf Cycle Innovations is quite the work of art
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The bottom bracket lug on Dekerf's stainless steel bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Dekerf bike's rear dropout/brake mount
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Normal Bicycles utilizes frame tubes made from laminated layers of maple veneer, as opposed to the more traditional wooden-bicycle-building approach of taking two carved-out sides and bonding them together down the middle
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Bamboo Bikes Hawaii included one of Hycore's electric Centinel Wheels on this bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A cruiser from Japan's Atelier Kinopio, which has a laminated birch frame that includes a layer of carbon fiber for added strength
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The cast aluminum frame sleeves/rear dropouts on Atelier Kinipio's wooden bike
Front end details on Atelier Kinipio's wooden bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The one-off Pubesmobile (yes, that's what it's called) was built in a partnership between bike merchandise-maker BicyclePubes and frame-builder Petor Georgallou – the latter is the force behind Britain's Dear Susan bikes
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Although the Pubesmobile does have functional disc brakes, it also has cantilevers – the front one of these squeezes a horn when its dual-action lever is pulled
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Pubesmobile's rear cantilever brake squeezes a whoopee cushion
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Made by the company Built, for a client with leg and back issues, this titanium road bike has a dropper seatpost for easier mounting/dismounting, along with front and rear shocks for absorbing road bumps
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The rear suspension on Built's custom-built titanium road bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
A very classy upright bike from Porter Cycles
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Fine details on Porter Cycles' bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Porter Cycles bike's amazing front end
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
Candy apple red paint job on a road racer made by Italy's Zullo Bike
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
This Zullo Bike features an Omata One GPS-equipped analog speedometer
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
View gallery - 79 images

Last weekend, the annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) took place in sunny Sacramento, California. Once again, we were there, checking out all the beautiful, unusual and just plain innovative bikes. Scroll down to see some of the best for yourself.

Now in its 15th year, NAHBS attracts boutique bicycle builders from all over the world. This year's show featured around 210 exhibitors, hailing not only from the US but also countries such as Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Russia and Taiwan.

Over the past week, we've featured some of the more interesting bikes and other products that we came across. These have included a track bike made from an exciting new material known as Super Magnesium, a cruiser bike made of old wine barrels, an electric-assist semi-recumbent that can be taken apart for travel, a system that allows Pinion gearbox users to shift gears using standard levers, bikes with wooden-tube frames, and lights that are built into the wheel hubs' quick release skewers.

For a quick recap of all those, but more importantly for a peek at what else the event had to offer, just pay a visit to the photo gallery.

Show website: NAHBS

View gallery - 79 images
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1 comment
KaiserPingo
Disapointing. Not much is new, except CeramicSpeed. And even more ugly paintjobs, and a growing lack of real craftsmanship among bikebuilders.