Portlanders Chris King and Sacha White
at the NAHBS show in Austin.
(Photos © J. Maus)

There are a lot of amazing bikes here at NAHBS made by builders from all over the country; but I wanted to start our show coverage off by focusing on Oregon. As an Oregonian myself, and as someone who has followed local bike builders for many years — seeing several of them grow from an idea to a mature business — I have a special sense of pride for each of them.

Oregon is home to a wide range of bike builders known for their innovation and precision and revered by bike lovers both for their aesthetics, artistry and innovative ideas. Here are some of the Oregon builders I ran into on the NAHBS floor this morning…[Read more…]

Laura Crawford and her touring
bike in Austin last night.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Russ Roca and Laura Crawford are the dynamic bike traveling duo behind Path Less Pedaled. Back in 2009, they sold all their stuff, hopped on their bikes, and lived on their bikes while touring around the U.S. for 15 months. (I sat down with Roca for an interview back in August as they embarked on their journey.)

In Austin for NAHBS, Roca and Crawford (who are currently living in Portland) have just announced their next big trip: “Big Adventure. Small Wheels.” With new, 16-inch folding bikes supplied by Brompton, they will ride across the country and “redefine the American road trip.” [Read more…]

Go with the “Mo”.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Just because it’s a handmade bike show, doesn’t mean there isn’t other news to cover here in Austin. On that note, last night I ran into Mia Kohout, co-publisher of Momentum Magazine. The successful bike lifestyle publication based in Vancouver, B.C. celebrates its 50th issue with their March edition and Kohout had some major news to share… Momentum has undergone a serious makeover.
[Read more…]

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) doesn’t officially open for another hour or so, but I walked around the show floor for a few minutes last night as exhibitors hurriedly put together their booths. One bike that caught my eye was a tall bike in the Calfee booth. A Calfee tall bike is reason enough to stop and stare, but this thing is made out carbon and has bamboo hemp-fiber lugs. Check it out…
[Read more…]