Our photographer at the North American Handmade Bike Show (NAHBS), Lance Barry, snagged some shots of some seriously beautiful hand-built cyclocross rigs, and we couldn’t wait to share some of them. Stay tuned for full reports on some of the rigs, but for now, here’s a selection of some of the cyclocross bikes from the Denver show.
Independent Fabrication
Independent Fabrication showcased their storied Planet X steel cyclocross build at NAHBS this year, and the TIG-welded steel cyclocross bike with orange highlights and a matching Wound Up carbon cyclocross fork is eye-catching and retro looking at the same time. Independent Fabrication’s frames are made and painted in New Hampshire, just over the Massachusetts border, and framebuilder Jesse Fox reminds us, “All the geometry is custom, paint jobs are custom too.”
At NAHBS 2012, Independent Fabrication’s owner Gary Smith highlighted the company’s Ti Factory Lightweight cyclocross bike, and explained the company’s move from Somerville, MA to Newmarket, NH. The company has its own in-house paint facility, a showroom and store in the form of Bike Factory (which carries Ridley bikes as well), and also the Bailey Works Bags company.
Full custom Planet X steel build from Independent Fabrication. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Custom steel frame and fork from Independent Fabrication. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Rol Wheels
Colorado-based Rol wheels can be found on the titanium Engin rig that sported the new TRP HyRd brakes we spotted yesterday. Katie Compton rode Rol to many victories one season long ago. Not to be confused with Rolf!
The selection of custom handbuilt wheels from Rol. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
The wheels that make the Engin with the TRP HyRd brakes roll. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Gaulzetti Cicli
Gaulzetti Cicli’s bright orange cyclocross rig, called the Cabrón, was an eye-catching machine. Made from aluminum, with an integrated seat mast, and dressed with SRAM Red and Force components and Avid BB7 SL mechanical disc brakes, it looks liek a race-specific rig. Founder Craig Gaulzetti says, “Each Gaulzetti is exactly the bike I would want when everything other than the rider and the road is stripped away.”
Gaulzetti Cicli, based in Massachusetts, builds from steel and aluminum, and aims to build machines with a purpose rather than works of art, but you could argue he achieved both with this bright orange Cabrón cyclocross bike. Eagle eyes might notice the 39/53 chainrings on the SRAM Force crankset, but it’s the off-season right? The road gearing (and miles) can be justified.
Gaulzetti’s new Cabrón cyclocross bike offering. Forgive the road chainrings. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Disc brakes were the obvious choice this year for cyclocross bikes. SRAM’s new Avid BB7 SL mechanical disc brake. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Guru
Canadian Guru Cycleworks builds its steel Sidero CX bikes in its factory in Quebec, and the company now offers the Sidero model with disc brakes and a 44mm head tube to accommodate the tapered steerer of the ENVE carbon disc fork.
The NAHBS 2013 show bike from Guru featured Shimano Ultegra/CX70 componentry with Shimano CX75 mechanical disc brakes and Reynolds Assault CX wheels. This Sidero CX’s color scheme reminds us of Nicole Duke’s Alchemy, albeit with touches of baby blue to break up the black and white.
The new cyclocross build from Guru. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Shimano CX75 mechanical disc brakes and ENVE carbon disc fork work together to keep the Guru Sidero CX rider upright. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Mosaic Small Batch
Mosaic Cycles, winner of the Best Cyclocross Bike at NAHBS 2013, put its considerable (growing) weight behind Team Small Batch, an amateur dirt team with the motto, “We eat local. We shop local. We ride local. We are Team Small Batch.”
We loved the stamp on the Mosaic Small Batch steel cyclocross rigs, complete with Chris King headsets to match the blue and pink paint job (reminiscent of Geekhouse), rolling on ZTR Alpha 400 rims from Stan’s NoTubes.
Carefully crafted, Small Batch stamps their frames. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Small Batch’s latest cyclocross rig. NAHBS 2013 © Lance Barry
Love custom and handmade bicycles? Stay tuned to our NAHBS 2013 page for more drool-worthy goodies coming up over the weekend!
