WOW - 2008 Handbuilt Show

Bravo to Don Walker and all those that made the Handbuilt Show such a success in Portland this month. I ran a Wheel Fanatyk booth and showed everyone the incredible wood rims from Ghisallo and the beautiful and smooth operating Morizumi spoke cutter. We had huge numbers of admirers for both items. The Handbuilt Show was a perfect setting for the rims. Everywhere you looked were stellar examples of high craftsmanship and eclectic design.

Dario Pegoretti showed a pair of our rims on a lovely touring bike.

Greg Townsend showed his gorgeous green track bike with Ghisallo rims. An image of it graces his Web site. Also check his gallery, click "Track" to see how wonderfully he blends colors and details.

BC's Sam Whittingham, incidentally the World's fastest bicycle rider (click "go sam go"), showed his latest creation, a fixed gear bike that evoked the brash, brilliant glory days of track racing. This machine brought the Show to a standstill.

Every detail, and dozens can't be seen in photo's, added to this bike's impact. I'm biased but convinced that the Ghisallo wood rims contributed to its beauty and allure. When time came for awards, Sam walked off with the Big Three: Best in Show (voted by exhibitors and press), People's Choice (voted by attendees), and President's Choice (Don's Walker's own selection). There was barely room in the booth for the trophies. BTW, that's not Sam in the booth, below.

Sam, as ever, shrugged it off. How many World Records and Best in Show's will it take to slow this guy down?! If all that weren't enough, Lance Armstrong wandered by and bought it. After the Show, Sam's bike was shipped to Austin, where it will be a centerpiece in Lance's just-announced super-sized bike shop. Hurray for wood rims, eh?

Here, humble by comparison, are some shots of the Wheel Fanatyk booth. I was lucky to have my wife, Donna, down to help with the crowds.

I'm on the right, Donna on the left. The tall handsome gent between us is Inigo Gisbert, FSA's industrial designer who came over from our Taiwan factory to enjoy the Show.

Donna and I haven't worked together in a bicycle setting since the early days of Wheelsmith, where we first met. No surprise, she met a bunch of folks she hadn't seen for years (Richard Sachs, etc.). The family side of cycling (industry or otherwise) is particularly rich, especially among handbuilt aficionado's.

Interest in wood rims is particularly high. I gave a talk on Sunday afternoon that was unexpectedly well attended. Everyone finds something surprising in the story. An important point that I repeated is how modern construction combined with traditional appearance and profile creates strength advantages unavailable in decades past. By modern, I mean extra-thin laminations, cloth strips between each, and up-to-date 2-part epoxy adhesive. Also, numerous folks were unaware of the strength potential of the rims because many that have made it to North America are the very lightest possible (330g). They're beautiful and authentic but designed for limited velodrome racing and wheels with no rear hub dish. They are sturdy but not nearly as strong as more robust models like Elegant (430g) and Sport (520g clincher).

If only such artistry were less expensive, we'd have sold hundreds!

Reflecting on the '08 Handbuilt Show

The Portland event was special and precious. Part of the magic is the unsinkable, irrepressible creativity of life long cycling artists. But part of it is the chance chemistry of a time and place. As someone who has seen special events thrive but then suddenly disappear, I'm particularly distracted. I think the handbuilt scene is more delicate than it seems.

Even big affairs, for example the Coors Classic or SF Grand Prix or Big Bear NORBA events, and many more festivals and gatherings seemed at the time to be great and everlasting. All the necessary elements were in place. So it appeared. Many are now gone. What about the handbuilt scene? What we saw in Portland is healthy but how will it stand huge, regular geographic relocation?

For everyone to consider: the grass roots handbuilt bicycle scene is growing but there's obviously a limit in a country that's by and large indifferent to cycling. We face increasing free trade and globalization. Combined with likely decreases in US standards of living, one would be foolish to expect enough customers for a thousand custom bicycle builders. So, a safe prediction is modest growth.

At the same time, many crafts people cannot display thousands of miles from their market. It's nice to have a national reputation but even celebrities like Carl Strong or Bruce Gordon have customer bases that are largely geographic. That's the way it ought to be. We think globally but do business locally. So what is the purpose of national handbuilt shows? If it's to give regional builders a chance to broadcast their business, then the shows need to be regional. Makes little sense for someone in Vermont to be custom fitted by a builder in San Diego. Sure, there are bound to be World famous artists, but the strength of our community is at the grass roots level. That's certainly how the modern mountain bike first developed, in Nor CA by small builders and their local customers.

Basically, I favor regional shows, sooner the better. Not to say there isn't a place for a National Show of Shows. But if a builder attends his regional show, how can he afford to also go to the National? Remember, with today's media, everyone can enjoy all the shows. Good work in FL is easy to study from the West Coast, thanks to diligent digital capture and Web venues. How about James Huang from cyclingnews.com?

How to do this? There's no clear path. It's just necessary for everyone to realize that the healthiest outcome might be regional (2-4 locations) shows supported by bike builder associations. For example, the Oregon Framebuilders could host the West Coasters (CA to BC) in their already-underway venue in Portland. Indianapolis is a good spot for the Midwest. And so forth. Only regional shows are affordable for small builders to attend without nearly dying financially. Only a sustainable scene is worth building. Other forms of spectacle may be glorious, but will fade without warning. Big national events before there is regional "infrastructure" could be backwards. Certainly, competitive cycling has seen this. Large national events might have a few glory years. But they don't last unless there is a healthy and widespread grass roots scene beneath them, to supply the fresh blood (spectators, participants, promoters, sponsors) on which longevity ultimately depends.

Time will tell.

Come to the Hand Built Bicycle Show!

I hope to see as many of you as possible at the Hand Built Bicycle Show, Feb 8-10 in Portland. The 2008 edition of the unique event will be historic and much larger that last year's in San Jose.

Wheel Fanatyk will be showing, along with 140+ other exhibitors. You'll be able to see the beauty and variety of wood rims and wheels at my both, #511.

Keep a look out for wood rims throughout the Show. They're becoming popular with restorers, retro stylists, and eco urbanites.

I'll be demonstrating the mighty Morizumi Spoke Machine as well: a tool of immense utility, design cleverness, and beauty.

Full Speed Ahead will also be showing off the latest material and design technologies. From carbon fiber, to ergonomics, to dirt jump authority, to aerodynamics -- come see the latest and greatest components with which to dress your next hand built bicycle!

In the unfortunate event you can't attend, never fear. Journalists from all the cycling media will be in attendance. You can rely on them to file reports and images as fast as their electrons and neurons permit.