Designers Behind the North American Handmade Bike Show

Exhibitors scheduled to attend the 2012 North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Sacramento, CA, share their views on why NAHBS rocks, what they love about the craft and things you might not know about people who build bikes from scratch.

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Jeremy Sycip – SyCip Bikes

The coolest thing about NAHBS is that it’s all about handmade bikes and the people

attending actually get to meet the builders in person.

I think my greatest accomplishment as a builder is that I am still building bikes, which I still enjoy doing for my customers even after 20 years.

Little known fact: Some of my riding buddies and good friends are also my competitors in this business.

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Joseph Ahearne – Ahearne Cycles

The coolest thing about NAHBS is getting all the great builders together under one roof and seeing what everybody is doing.

My greatest accomplishment as a builder? Realistically, it’s probably that I’ve been

able to pay the bills every month and keep building bikes for 10 years now. To be doing it and still enjoy it – that’s an accomplishment in itself.

Little known fact: Nothing is new. Every facet of every bike has already been done in one form or another. In fact, it was probably done before the 1950’s. You just have to know where to look.

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Craig Calfee – Calfee Designs

What’s cool about NAHBS is getting to know the cycling enthusiasts from different regions.

Having the defending Tour de France champion (at the time) as a paying customer for his whole team’s bikes has been a great accomplishment.

Little known fact: Although bamboo can take only a few days to shoot up to full height, it takes three years for it to mature into a strong material. The same can be said for building bamboo bikes: Easy to learn, but takes years to master.

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Phillip Ross – Metrofiets

We LOVE being able to hang out with the other builders at NAHBS – checking out all of the cool things folks have been working on as well as reconnecting with folks we only get to see once or twice a year.

Owning a business that makes so many people happy is really cool. Building cargo bikes, etc. for customers that really appreciate what we do is really gratifying.

Little known fact: Despite the perception that frame builders are solitary creatures, we actually are a very collaborative, fun-loving group of people. I’ve never worked in an industry with such a generous, creative and supportive people.

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Sam Whittingham – Naked Bicycles

Most of the year, we work in our little corner of the universe. NAHBS is great way to share ideas with other builders, it’s a community.

Seeing a customer years later with thousands of miles on their bike and a huge smile on their face – that’s the best.

Little known fact: Every Wednesday morning we go on the Quadra Island Pack group ride, finishing off the ride with a business meeting at Community Lunch.

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Renold Yip – YiPsan Bicycles

The coolest thing about NAHBS is the moving location every year, and the people who come from around that region. It has taken me many places I haven’t been to before.

My greatest accomplishment as a builder was seeing my happy customers and receiving two awards (People’s Choice and Best City Bike) at NAHBS 2010.

Little known fact: My head badge is a stylized design of my last name in simplified Chinese.

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Dwan Shepard – Co-motion

The coolest thing about NAHBS is the equity of the builders. Legends like Bruce Gordon are right alongside the upstarts from the local community. And, since that community is different for each NAHBS change in venue, you’re guaranteed to see something fresh every year, whether it’s a new idea from your venerable favorite, or from an emerging star.

Seeing people on our bicycles all over the world is pretty cool too.

Little known fact: Some people get the idea that we’re some kind of corporate monolith. In reality, we’re an example of the American Dream: A couple of hard-working guys who started with absolutely nothing and sacrificed everything to build a way to make a living for ourselves and our crew.

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Tony Pereira – Pereira Cycles

The best thing about NAHBS is getting together with the other builders and talking to all the bike geeks. I always walk away with a bunch of new ideas and feel energized to hone my craft further.

In 2007, I won Best Road Bike, Best Off-road and Best Fillet-brazed bike at NAHBS and that really gave me a huge boost. I’ve also won the Oregon Manifest Design Challenge both times it has been held. Truly, though, just being able to build bikes every day is the most rewarding accomplishment.

Little known fact: For the past two years I have been a guest frame-building instructor at United Bicycle Institute in Portland.