We never imagined the 2012 show would be this big, but it's just about the same size as the record Austin 2011 NAHBS. With 171 exhibitors, including 12 rookie builders, we are just three shy.
The foreign contingent is once again a significant feature, with 18 exhibitors from six foreign countries attending: USA, Canada, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Denmark, Czech Republic.
Pre-show registration looks pretty healthy, which means Saturday could be very crowded. We suggest attending Friday or Sunday to get the best face-time with the builders.
Tom Ritchey is building 40 frames this year to celebrate his 40th year as a frame builder. Also he will be showing a pre-production model of the Breakaway tandem, the final version which will be on display this September at Interbike. Additionally Tom will be giving a seminar on Saturday morning, entitled ‘The Way We Were’ a retrospective about the US handmade scene in the 1980s.
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Steve Rex, the Sacramento builder, celebrates his 25th year as a frame builder in 2012, and a tribute event to him will be held by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Association on Saturday evening. At his booth, look for 25th Anniversary head badges in stainless steel
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Don Walker, the show founder, broke his ankle a few weeks before the show, which put a damper on his bike building activities. He will still have some bikes on display.
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Sam Whittingham, of Naked Cycles, and his assistant, trials star Aran ‘lolo’ Cook, made an eight-day cycle tour, named ‘The Road to NAHBS’ part way from the Naked Cycles hq to Sacramento for NAHBS. They rode on the bicycles they will display in the Naked Cycles booth and blogged about it on The Road to NAHBS.
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Rafi Ajl, of Raphael Cycles, realized his true vocation and left Harvard Graduate School of Design to become a frame builder.
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KVA Stainless. Some talk about the cost to the environment of building a bicycle. KVA Stainless is using recycled stainless steel to provide cyclists with “the feel of steel.” KVA Stainless will deliver a seminar Saturday at 3 p.m.
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Rolf Prima is introducing at NAHBS its first mountain bike wheels, the Ralos, in 26” and 29.”
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Boo Bicycles’ bamboo and carbon road bicycle will be raced at major events this year, including The Redlands Classic, Tour of the Gila and Nature Valley Grand Prix.
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Richard Sachs. Writer Nick Czerula will appear at the Richard Sachs booth to present a book he wrote during 14 months shadowing Sachs. Also at the Richard Sachs booth are the new investment cast dropouts, named Piccoli Gioielli, and his new UOS, Ueber Over Sized tubing based on the PegoRichie pipe he co-designed with Italian builder Dario Pegoretti.
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English Cycles will have a 10.8lbs steel road race bike on display: the Superlight Road V3.
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King Cage will conduct onsite bottle cage-making demonstrations. Ron Andrews made the cages for one Lance Armstrong when he won the world championships back in 1993.
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Funk Cycles will launch their La Ruta CTI, a full-suspension 29er weighing 20lbs for the XL size.
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Burro Bags, US maker of handmade messenger bags, gear and cycling apparel, will launch their newest product, the GRINDER, at NAHBS.
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Form Cycles will display a new, atypical, full-suspension bike.
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Retrotec turns 20 in 2012 and will have numbered 20th Anniversary cups for sale.
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Vibe Cycles will show bent and colored bamboo tubes in its frames, and a sculpted carbon lug.
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Paketa introduces the Double Wac 2-speed belt-drive magnesium mountain bike, and racing tandems as light as 21lbs.
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Shimano are launching something big at NAHBS. Stay tuned, because they've not told us what it is...
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George Mount the road racing legend who has competed in the Giro d'Italia, the Olympics and several world championships, will be walking the floors, representing the US Bicycle Hall of Fame (which is now in Davis).
NAHBS Awards
The majority of NAHBS awards will be given around 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 3. Listen for the announcement of the winners' names at 1 p.m. On Sunday, March 4, at 3 p.m. are the awards for NAHBS Best of Show, Rookie of the Year, People's Choice and President's Choice.
Gates Carbon Drive Contest
Judging for this new addition to the NAHBS program takes place Saturday morning, with the awards made at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Acel and Oskar Blues at the NAHBS VIP Party Oskar Blues is the official brew of NAHBS. The maker of America's first hand-canned craft beer will provide their celebrated brew at the NAHBS VIP party (for exhibitors, media, VIPs) on Friday night. Thanks to Acel tubing for sponsoring the party!
NAHBS rides
According to NAHBS tradition, bicycle rides will take place on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Both are sponsored and fueled by Clif Bar and Company. Saturday's ride is organized by deVere's Irish Pub and starts from there at 8:30. This is a 14 miler to the US Bicycle Hall of Fame in Davis. Cyclists can ride back or catch Amtrak.
Sunday's ride is Sheila Moon's Mimosa ride, a leisurely 7-miler that stops at Revolution Wines for mimosas and other refreshments. This one departs from outside the NAHBS show hall, 9 a.m. Sunday morning.
Full information on the NAHBS rides will be available at http://2012.handmadebicycleshow.com/2012-show/diary/
ArtBike! Party
March 1, 6-9 p.m. at Hot Italian. Dancing, music, art bike contests, hilarity.
SABA's Sacto Pedal Jam Saturday night at Old Soul Co., 8-11 p.m.
NAHBS Tours
Staying a couple of days in Sacramento? Ask at Registration for the NAHBS Tours map. There's a Beer Tour, a Pizza Tour, a Gastronomic Tour, an ArtBike!... I think that's it.
A quick gander at this time lapse offering from Curtis Inglis at Retrotec is a lesson in booth making.
From the blogs
Raphael Cycles points us to a short film about work, craft, and making worth a watch ... Refamiliarize yourself with Alessandro Pizzuti in this roadbikereview.com interview at the Austin NAHBS ... they don't have a blog, but the White Brothers SuspensionFB page is pretty active ... You might wish to check the album of painter Ventus Custom Cycles... After selling out their Christmas stock of bottle openers, Paul Component Engineering expects have more in a month or so ... Sam Whittingham of Naked Bicycles has a new unicycle and a new website, nice work Todd! ... Lyle at Muse Cycles presents his particular take on a frame build photo essay ... Richard Sachs has released his Piccoli Gioielli dropouts (little jewels) ... The folks from Moots are off to Wisconsin for cyclo-cross nationals this weekend - wish them luck! ... For those interested in the world of TIG welding, journeymen welders talk shop on the Miller Electric website ... If you have not yet the bikes made by Metrofiets, take a look at this ... We hadn't realized that Mavic is now making so many product lines ... KVA STAINLESS has a new 40-second video and was a finalist in the Most Innovative Product awards.
That's all for this issue of NAHBS News. Thanks for taking a few minutes to read our latest, and feel free to forward this to any friends or business colleagues you think might be interested. And look out for the next issue in two to three weeks' time!
