While the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is first and foremost about showing the latest creations from some of North America's best frame builders, there are also components shown at NAHBS. Some of the parts are tried and true, well-known pieces. Others are new offerings that hope to capture show goers' attention. There are also industry personalities on hand showing their wares and themselves taking in all that the show has to offer.
Amongst the personalities we saw were Ron Andrews, the founder and driving force behind King Cage waterbottle cages. Since 1991 Andrews, who worked for Fat City Cycles, Merlin Cycleworks and others, has made titanium cages and stainless steel ones since 1996.
Speaking of water bottle cages, importer VeloSport imports was showing off Italian made RaceOne innovative composite cage and bottle offerings suitable for the gravel crowd. Both the X5 with its gel bottle grips and rubberized X3 cages offer materials to help bidons stay put on rough surfaces. They also showed a bottle with a built-in and removable cover to keep your bottles free of dust and muck as well as an adjustable cage, great for use on smaller frames. $16.50 USD for the X5 cage, $15.50 USD for the X3 cage and $12.00 USD for the One Touch bottle.
Paul Component Engineering showed off their Box Car stem, which is finally out and available. The machined stem comes in blue, purple, black and silver polished in 3 lengths, 50mm, 70mm and 90mm in zero degree rise. There are also two 15 degree rise options, either 70mm or 90mm. You can hop on the Box Car for $89.00 USD, unless you want the polished silver, which runs $109.00 USD.
Other colorful components were on show from Chris King Precision Components. They were displaying limited-edition green components with a special logo in celebration of 40 years of parts manufacturing. The “Olive Crate Green” components, hubs, headset, bottom bracket and stem faceplate, were featured on a Cielo Base Racer.
Enduro Bearings was also on hand with a full complement of offerings, including a new T47 bottom bracket as well as aftermarket pulleys designed for those with SRAM 1x derailleurs.
The awards handed out at the show are often judged by a panel, aside from the People's Choice Awards. We were one of the judges for the best cyclocross/gravel award. But there is a chief judge and this year it was Patrick Brady, of Red Kite Prayer fame, who had the role.
There's more to come from NAHBS. You can see all of our coverage from the show here.
Luminous trophies patiently await the announcement of their unknowing recipients. NAHBS 2016. © Greg Evans / Cyclocross Magazine
