null
The North American Handmade Bicycle Show, or NAHBS, is the world's largest display of custom bicycles. Builders travel from across North America, Europe and as far away as Japan to show off their latest custom creations. Here are the top five bikes that caught our eye at this year’s show.
- Four funky mountain bikes from NAHBS 2018
- Three stunning road bikes from NAHBS 2018
- Eight great gravel bikes from NAHBS 2018
- Gallery: the weird and wonderful bikes of NAHBS 2018
Mosaic Cycles
This Boulder, Colorado, builder always brings a bevy of beautiful steel and titanium bikes to the show. Many titanium frames can be somewhat plain, but bland is a word that could never be used to describe this Ti road bike.
The color scheme pulls colors from Shimano’s company pallet in a splatter paint job that extends to the seatpost, stem and handlebar.
Visit Mosaic Cycles for more information.
Cherubim
Cherubim takes a very traditional approach to frame design and construction. This disc all-road bike is the first of its kind produced by the legendary Japanese builder.
The frame is constructed from lightweight Kaisei steel tubing. It features chrome detailing and fender mounts for matching Honjo fenders. The color is dubbed “Care Bear Camo.”
This particular bike belongs to Mike Yakubowicz, owner of the ultra-boutique bike shop Blacksmith Cycle.
Visit Cherubim for more information.
Moots endurance gravel prototype
Moots Route series of gravel bikes have been a hit with riders (and BikeRadar staffers). They are currently the best selling bikes in the company’s line.
The Steamboat, Colorado-based brand is developing a new model that adapts the company’s YBB softtail system to road use.
This version of the YBB does away with the spring/elastomer system in favor of a simple elastomer that provides approximately 20mm of rear travel.
So what is this bike for? According to Moots marketing director Jon Cariveau, this yet-to-be-named prototype is designed for ultra-endurance gravel events. If self-supported 300-350 mile events such as Trans Iowa or the new Dirty Kanza XL sound like a good way to spend a day (or more) on a bike, then this might be a bike for you.
Visit Moots for more information.
No. 22 Bicycle Company Drifter
In case you didn’t commit the periodic table to memory in chemistry class, 22 is the atomic number of titanium. It’s also the name of this custom company founded by former Serotta employees.
The Drifter is a performance-oriented gravel bike with clearance for 40mm-wide 700c tires.
No. 22 doesn’t skimp on the details. This Drifter is decked out with an anodized frame fade with a matching stem, seatpost and fork. Even the titanium bottle cages feature matching finishes.
Visit No. 22 Bicycles to learn more.
Sklar
Adam Sklar starting building frames as a teenager, and although he’s only 24 year old, he now has a solid following as a custom builder.
Based in Bozeman, Montana, Sklar builds mountain, cyclocross, gravel and all-road bikes with his signature arcing top tube. He primarily crafts his bikes from steel, but has recently moved into the realm of titanium as well.
This particular bike was made for Kitsbow’s Nicholas Haig-Arack. The TIG-welded steel frame features long and slack geometry, a 150m-travel fork and meaty, 29x2.6in tires.
