is made from recycle fork
legs and inner tubes.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
Another BikeCraft is in the books! I hope everyone found something worth buying and enjoyed meeting the talented artisans and makers who shared their work.
I felt like I needed several more hours to really take it all in, but I managed to see almost everything. If you missed it again this year, scroll down to see more of my photos and notes from the weekend. To track these items down, you can follow links to vendors’ websites (see full vendor list here), buy the items at BikeCraft’s online home, or stop by local retail shops like Bikeasaurus and Pedal Bike Tours that stock BikeCrafty-type stuff.
Here we go…
Velo Cult Bike Shop was at BikeCraft more just to support the community than anything else, but they also brought a few nifty art pieces. Check out this image of the front of a touring bike screened onto wood…
Walnut Studiolo is a major BikeCraft success story. Geoff and Valerie have used the event as a springboard into a thriving business for their gorgeous leather goods. I’m partial to their seat pack and the six-pack holder…
Yes, there are a number of bag makers in Portland; but once you look closer you realize they all bring something different to the table. Dave Stoops of Black Star Bags has been doing this a long time and his star logo is a fixture on local streets. His new flap-top backpacks (as opposed to the classic roll-top) are loaded with features like dual-padded shoulder straps (soft to your body, harder to the outside), tons of handy pockets, and more. He’s also got a solid pannier design…
Fabric Horse came all the way from Philadelphia for BikeCraft. And a lot of people were glad they did. I heard someone refer to their utility belts as “superhero belts” and it’s easy to see why. They’ve mastered the belt/hip-pouch thing and their products allow you to dial in your belt with all sorts of cool add-ons and features. I also liked their shoe gaiters (Fabric Horse owner Carrie Collins prefers to call them spats). They wrap around your leg with waxed canvas and laces and a piece of inner tube that hooks under your shoe. The result? They make any shoe into a boot! Pretty nice for biking in inclement weather.
One of standouts for me this year was The Beebe Company. Silas Beebe created the leather accessories on Rob Tsunehiro’s second-place winning bike at the Oregon Manifest Design Competition this past year. Now Silas has built a company around those accessories. The amazing story behind Silas is that his grandfather established the company in Portland in 1884! (yes 1884). Back then they specialized in marine equipment and specialty hardware. Now Silas is taking the company into the bike world with a leather handlebar bag, a phone mount, and a center console. The center console straps onto your top tube and is a very creative item. It doesn’t fully close, so you can just toss stuff into it (like your keys, chap stick, whatever). And no, things won’t fall out of it.
Suffice it to say, I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from Mr. Beebe…
Edward Juan was another new face at BikeCraft this year. Edward recently left his job as a filmmaker at Laika Studios. Now he’s putting his energy into his illustration work while he takes a break from his job and thinks about his next move. Lucky for us, he’s a bike lover. His company name, Hjolisland, translates to bike Iceland in Icelandic. It comes from his inspiration after a bike tour there in 2011. At BikeCraft he shared bikey calendars, greeting cards and prints featuring some lovely little characters…
The work of Amanda Janney and Jim Duthie were also major standouts. This Portland-based duo, working under the name Fillettante, make jewelry out of bike parts. They’ve taken valve stems to a whole new level and I especially liked their headset bearing earrings. Amanda and Jim were also selling creative hanging planters that use chainrings to hold the pot…
Steve Leichleiter is an artist and concerned citizen who was selling bike-themed fused glass plates and pendants to raise money for Beaverton-area schools. Steve said he was so frustrated upon hearing about school budget cuts, he decided to do something about it. Not only is he selling his crafts, he is also promoting, Ride For Schools, a 35, 65, and 100 mile ride that will take place out near Hagg Lake this summer.
Dank Bags is really onto something with their Gore-Tex seat covers. Created by Cory Bennion in Seattle, the seat covers ($20) are waterproof, cinch-to-fit, and come in a variety of colors…
Hope you enjoyed seeing a bit more of BikeCraft. If you missed my first dispatch, you can catch it here.
What do you think of this year’s event?
Thanks for reading.
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Where can I get that Beebe center console? Their website has nothing, and google knows nothing about it…
Hey Nick,
try the phone number listed on his business cards… 503-734-7561
they’re cool aren’t they? I’m seriously considering one for my new city bike.
Interesting to hear that Silas’s family had a shop in early Portland. I saw a photo he had of the old waterfront at his booth. I wish I would have asked him about the story behind the photo. It would be a major coincidence if the shop was near Front Street.
Interesting because my Great, Great Grand Father had a Mercantile shop on Front street at that time and then I happened to share the booth next to Silas at the show.
Do tell about the new city bike. Custom?
Is JM ready for a city fixie with 26 inch wheels and a drum brake?
Mrs Dibbly really wanted a Dank Bags saddle cover, but alas, Gore-Tex doesn’t make their fabric in purple. Yet!
Purple GoreTex absolutely exists; I have a purple parka. Seattle Fabrics has a couple choices of purple and I’m sure there are more out there.
OTOH, a GoreTex saddle cover doesn’t really make sense to me. Breathable fabrics need a heat source inside the membrane to vaporize the water, and a saddle doesn’t do that. The membrane should still keep out water, of course.
Bike Fair was great, I wanted one of everything, ended up with a couple books, a merino hat and some gifts.
Thanks, looks like there was some pretty neat stuff there.
The bikecraft online store link is broken. You need a colon (:) after the http.