Recently, Guitar Ted recently posted his take on the North American Handbuilt Bike Show. I can't say I disagree with it. It seems the more out-of-the-box a design is, the more attention is paid to it. "Did you see the Xxxxx?" "Yeah, that was way cool, dude." Out-of-the-box is neat and cool, but when it's so far out that the design is obviously intended only for a show bike and not for real world riding, that's when I cease to get interested. There were a few examples that I'll not go into, but let's just say cantilevered, welded racks aren't really confidence inspiring.
Alas, I digress. What is neat about the show is that the builders are building bikes with a lot of details that can also be found on my Taiwan hand made frames. For example, road bikes with standard reach brakes giving the bike clearance for bigger tires and fenders. This Signal Cycles model is a good example - and is pretty nice looking to boot.
Photo: © James Huang/Future Publishing
Photo: © James Huang/Future PublishingPretty much just like my road frame.
Another feature that can be found on my cross frames is the threaded cable stop for front derailleur and rear brake like those found on this Shamrock Cycles cross bike.
Photo: © James Huang/Future PublishingNow, this feature isn't something that the handbuilt guys came up with. I first saw it on a Bianchi Reparto Corse cross frame and incorporated into a Masi frame design 5 or 6 years ago. I like it a lot and carried it over to my frames.
So, if you want a bike that was hand made by guys, don't want to wait for a couple of years and don't want to shell out a couple grand, minimum, for a frame, I've got some sweet riding road and cross frames with all the great features of frames shown recently in Austin ready to be in your hands within days - $595 plus shipping. Time to go to the shop and build up another bike. Don't wait too long.
(What's playing: KWMR Daybreak)
7 comments:
On the Shamrock cross, do you think the right seatstay is going to be a downspout for water?
I guess "show bike" means no one has actually ridden a prototype and worked out all the potential problems.
It does seem like the Shamrock seat stay is going to be a water collector. As long as the inside of the tube is treated and the water is allowed to drain freely without collecting at the bottom, it should be okay. But it also begs the question "why do it in the first place if you have to make those precautions?"
That's the thing about NAHBS -- nobody actually _rides_ those bikes during the judging! ;)
I actually like your straight seat stays better than the curved ones on the Signal. Your frames are really nice...just wish I needed one!
Actually, the cable through the seatstay has a complete run of stainless tubing through it so it is completely protected from elements.
Tim
Shamrock Cycles
Thanks for checking in, Tim, and for the clarification on the cable run. Cool bike for sure, that one.
Thanks for noticing. By the way, I have had a full team racing on bikes with through-seat stay cable runs for the last two seasons with nary an issue. Thanks again.
-Tim
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