I just got back from the North American Handbuilt Bike Show and it really was great show. Really amazing frame building and some very cool rando and city bikes. It was especially nice to see the many mixtes that seem to be becoming very popular. I had hoped to bring back lots of photos, but my camera turned itself on in my luggage, in video mode no less. So I arrived with an almost dead battery and no charger. But there are over 9000 NAHBS photos on flicker and many more various other sites. Add a URL in the comments if you know of any particularly albums.
One of the highlight of the show was walking around with the owner of Toyo and getting his take on American frame building. The bad news is that our production rando frames are now due in September, not May or June as we had hoped.
I also had dinner with our Japanese agents and got updates on all sorts of ongoing projects. And I learned that two city bike prototypes are due soon from Taiwan.
By the way, the 2009 edition of NAHBS will be in Indianapolis and we at VO hope to have a big display.
The long awaited decaleur version of the constructeur and rando front racks have just arrived along with other racks, about a dozen boxes that we haven't had time to open yet. We'll try to get them into the store tomorrow.
We also just received MKS dust caps and MKS dust cap wrenches which some of you have been waiting for. We also got another shipment of the very popular Sun Chainguards. And we have some very nice, but inexpensive new cantilever brakes. Again, I'll try to get them into the store tomorrow.
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ReplyDeletehttp://alexandchristine.smugmug.com/gallery/4301856_GNe7g/1#P-1-12
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http://tinyurl.com/23fxep
Great captions to photos in this album, many technical nuances pointed out that I missed at the show.
In that photo of the mixte bike ... what is that item on the table in the right? It looks very strange ... can someone identify it?
ReplyDeletePhillip
I think the items on the left side of the table are his lever-operated derailleurs, attached to a piece of tubing.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteAny word via NAHBS on the VO Porteur bars? Are they Nitto or Taiwanese?
Thanks,
nv
NV, The bars are from Nitto and I received one prototype yesterday. So we know they have finally reached the head of the long project line.
ReplyDeleteThere will be three types. One will be a Promenade-style bar, but in road bike diameter tubing for inverse levers. The second is a very simple "C" shaped bar with no rise, also for inverse levers. The third type is a nickel plated chromo bar shaped like the Belleri Porteur bar, but able to take either MTB or inverse brake levers. This third bar has about an inch of drop or rise, depending on how you mount it.
Good news on that last Nitto bar.
ReplyDeleteJust what I want! How wide?
Fantastic shots of the show. I am really happy to see lots of racks and Honjo Koken for days! I can't wait 'til this damned WI snow melts and I can get out on my Porteur.
ReplyDeleteRicardo