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NAHBS 2012 part 2: Black Sheep to Wheel Fanatyk

By James Huang

published 3 March 2012

Over 200 photos from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show

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Japanese builder Cherubim never fails to impress at NAHBS and this year was no different.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Tom Ritchey celebrates his 40th year of building frames with a limited run of fillet brazed samples.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The custom stoker stem on this Paketa magnesium tandem started out life as a standard Ritchey stem.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The 44mm-diameter head tube on this Paketa magnesium tandem allows for a big top tube and down tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paketa says this Ultegra Di2-equipped magnesium road tandem weighs just 23 pounds as seen here.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paketa's new tandem drive system puts all of the belts and chains on the same side, meaning you can use standard cranks instead of tandem-specific ones.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paketa has carved a niche for itself with magnesium tubing.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paketa built this magnesium hardtail with dual Gates belt drive gear ratios. The two rear cogs and chainrings are sized so that the same belt length can be used for both combinations.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Mosaic Bicycles brought an army of custom bikes to NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Looking for a little more color in your life? Mosaic is ready for you.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

There's nothing like a splash of color to dress up titanium as found on this Mosaic road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Mosaic splits the seat stay to allow for belt drive use on this Rohloff-equipped bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Mosaic fits its titanium 29er hardtail with a direct-mount front derailleur stub.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paketa's magnesium road tandems are now built with this custom chain stay yoke.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Sweet Wings tandem cranks?! Paketa says there are fewer than six of these in existence.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Retrotec offers six distinct frame styles of beach cruiser-inspired frames.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Curtis Inglis is celebrating two decades of Retrotec this year.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Retrotec offers six distinct frame styles of beach cruiser-inspired frames.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The slick quick release mechanism on Paul Components' new Minimoto brake is easy to use with one hand.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paul Components' new Minimoto linear-pull brake is designed for use with road levers, making it a good choice for 'cross bikes.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Need a giant cage to hold your giant flask?(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paketa recently loaned this tandem out to a pair of Boulder, Colorado racers who brought home a national championship in return.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Integrated seatmasts are nearly impervious to seatpost slip when remounting during 'cross races.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Mosaic dressed up this titanium 'cross racer with a bit of gold ano.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This Independent Fabrications titanium hardtail could very well have done just fine with the standard brushed or blasted finish but it's so much more striking with paint.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Custom paint looks all the more impressive when it's done all out.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications tops integrated seatmasts with its own head.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications is fully equipped to offer disc-equipped 'cross bikes right now.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This Independent Fabrications disc-equipped 'cross bike is almost too pretty to get dirty.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The Enve Composites tapered 'cross disc fork is painted to match on this Independent Fabrications rig.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Pass & Stow does nothing but handmade bicycle racks, built in San Francisco.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Check out the neat attachment method for this front rack made by Pass & Stow.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications did these graphics in real gold leaf.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications jumped on the 650b bandwagon but not how you would have expected. (Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications bikes are often rolling pieces of art but this one also gets raced regularly, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Check out the details on this custom painted Independent Fabrications hardtail.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications built this monstercrosser for a gentleman who wanted to head into the wilderness to go fishing.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Colorado builder Mosaic brought this neatly welded titanium 29er hardtail to NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The titanium stays drive the Fox rear shock with a carbon fiber link on this Moots MX Divide.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The Moots MX Divide will start shipping in April.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Moots' MootoX RSL sports an elegant S-bend down tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Moots will eventually offer its titanium frames with these optional thru-axle dropouts and post mount brake tabs. Note the replaceable threads, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Moots is currently testing thru-axle dropouts for its titanium hardtails. Don't expect consumer availability until the 2013 calendar year, though.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The stainless steel stays are left elegantly bare on this Independent Fabrications SSR Max.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications brought this stunning SSR Max road racer built with bi-ovalized Columbus stainless steel tubing.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Independent Fabrications fits its SSR Max stainless steel road racer with a PressFit 30 bottom bracket shell.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

SRAM designed these shifters for time trial use but there's no reason you couldn't use them for touring duty, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Ritchey designed the Double Switchback Breakaway tandem to work with either 700c road or 650b mountain bike wheels.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

A short strut reinforces the dropout on this Independent Fabrications titanium 29er singlespeed.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

All of Ritchey's limited-edition 40th-anniversary frames will be fillet brazed by Tom Ritchey himself and covered in this retro graphics package.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

P&K Lie's truing stand dials indicate independent left and right (and in and out) runout. The non-linear gauges offer exceptionally fine resolution, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The beauty of custom-made stuff like this Vendetta chain guard is not being limited to standard brackets and fittings. (Image credit: Jonny Irick)

We like the way Vendetta linked the bottom of the rear rack with the back of this chain guard.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Vendetta brought this ornate townie to this year's NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Vendetta built an elegant disc mount into this steel fork.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The curved seat tube isn't entirely necessary on this Six-Eleven track bike but it sure looks cool.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Note the stealthy lugwork on this Six-Eleven track bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Six-Eleven Bicycle Co. fashioned this track bike after an old Formula 1 car.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Six-Eleven identifies each of its bikes with these numbered badges.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

We're guessing Six-Eleven builder Aaron Dykstra skipped the coffee the day he ran the wires on this townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Six-Eleven fitted this townie with gorgeous wishbone-style seat stays.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The light mount is built right into the underside of the stem on this Six-Eleven townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Vendetta builder Garrett Clark crafted this bike for himself.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Vendetta dresses this bike up with a stainless steel down tube badge.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

P&K Lie's truing stand is truly astounding in its construction and design - but it'll cost you nearly US$2,000 through Wheel Fanatyk. Ouch.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The new Wheel Fanatyk spoke tensiometer has a USB download port for storing wheel build information on your desktop computer.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Wheel Fanatyk's spoke tensiometer design has its roots in legendary wheel guru Jobst Brandt.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Wheel Fanatyk's new spoke tensiometer is based on the now defunct FSA design but with an aluminum base, higher accuracy gauge, and lower-friction internals for more consistent readings.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

These hubs are made by Curtis Odom Vintage Style Bicycle Parts.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Wheel Fanatyk has added these trick wooden dishing tools to its collection. Check out the locking mechanism for the indicator rod.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Wheel Fanatyk now has carbon reinforced wooden clincher rims that can handle more reasonable pressures than before.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The rear brake housing is internally run on this Vendetta Cycles townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

A rear E3 LED light is integrated into the back of the custom rack on this Vendetta Cycles townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The over-and-under look on these Vendetta lugs is just an illusion.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Before and after - needless to say, Vendetta builder Garrett Clark spent a lot of time filing these lugs down.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Check out the fork crown on this Six-Eleven townie, not to mention the slick internal wiring for the front light.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Six-Eleven says this townie was built for a well-to-do ex-tech industry exec who wanted an over-the-top machine for fair weather cruising.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Signal Cycles showed off this gorgeous steel road bike at NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Signal Cycles went all-out with the color matching on this road bike. The custom Wound-Up fork boasts a longer axle-to-crown so that bigger tires can be used. Note the position of the brake pads in the caliper slots.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

A neat stainless steel collar is brazed around the seat tube of this Signal Cycles road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Signal Cycles continues on with its Saltzman collection of stock bikes. This second version is available with Shimano 105 or Ultegra, or Campagnolo Athena build kits.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The hub and wheel stand attached to this Wheel Fanatyk wooden rim are made by Curtis Odom Vintage Style Bicycle Parts.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The contrasting paint highlights the different frame sections on the new Ritchey Double Switchback Breakaway-style tandem frame.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Ritchey will soon add a tandem version of its popular Breakaway range. Naturally, two cases will be required instead of one but it's still possible to sneak the whole thing through airport check-in without supplemental charges.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Ritchey designed the Double Switchback Breakaway tandem to work with either 700c road or 650b mountain bike wheels.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The forged head tube on the new Ritchey Road Logic is sized for straight 1 1/8" steerers.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Ritchey will add the triple butted steel Road Logic to the P-29 and Swiss Cross models introduced last year. Retail cost will be a reasonable US$1,199 for the frame, fork, and headset beginning in late July.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This seat cluster was fillet brazed by Tom Ritchey himself. Now you can get the same treatment - but you'd better act quickly.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Internal routing is used for both the brake and the Di2 wiring on this Signal Cycles road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

We can't help but wonder how many people actually noticed the splash of color applied to the 3T bar behind the peekaboo faceplate on this Signal Cycles road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Schmidt dynamo hubs are as popular as ever at NAHBS as seen on this Six-Eleven townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Awesome.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Beautiful finish work on the front end of this Six-Eleven 'cross bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Six-Eleven finished this 'cross race in appropriate earthtones.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This custom Six-Eleven 'cross bike is finished with hundreds of hand-applied dots.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Roanoke, Virginia-based Six-Eleven Bicycle Co. continues to impress at NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The Signal Cycles road bike was striking enough but check out this repair stand by EVT!(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Signal Cycles routes the front brake cable through the stem on this townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Check out the detail work on this Signal Cycles townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

A beautiful rear rack is fitted to the back of this Signal Cycles townie.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Signal Cycles is always good for a stunning townie at NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This logo was originally done by cycling legene Jobst Brandt, according to Ritchey PR man Sean Coffey.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Paul Components will soon offer a new cassette rear hub built with Industry Nine guts but sized with a 170mm OLD for use with snow bikes. This 135mm sample won't make production just yet.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The DeLorean seemed like an apt backdrop for these stainless steel road bikes, no?(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

A new option for Cielo's Sportif bike is painted-to-match fenders.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This Cielo road bike boasts a timeless aesthetic.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

S-bend stays are used on Cielo's new Cross Racer.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cielo fits the new Cross Racer with a 44mm head tube to accommodate both straight and tapered steerers. The new i8 headset in this particular bike is sized for a 1 1/8-to-1 1/4" steerer.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The new Cielo Cross Racer will be available to consumers beginning this June - well in advance of the race season.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cielo's new Cross Racer is dressed up with this machined stainless steel seat stay bridge.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cielo's 29er hardtail gets S-bend stays for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Chris King painted this mixed InSet just for the show. Sorry, it's not a production item.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cielo's 29er hardtail can be built up for geared or singlespeed use.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cielo is now producing all of its dropouts in house with the exception of these rockers from Paragon Machine Works on the hardtail 29er.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Not surprisingly, Cherubim's incredible track bike generated a steady stream of onlookers.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Long-time Canadian builder Chris Dekerf brought this custom painted Elysium titanium hardtail to this year's NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The segmented seat stays are a signature feature on Dekerf frames. Steel ones get an even more elaborate pierced layout.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Chris Dekerf says these days he's more of a full custom shop than a production one. The SST is one of the only 'stock' frames he still builds on a regular basis. Check out the gorgeous pierced seat stays.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Dekerf left the stays bare titanium on this gorgeous custom road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Dekerf brought this custom road bike to show off what's possible in his shop. Internal brake and Di2 wire routing? Check. Integrated seatmast? Check, check.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The battery is mounted underneath the chain stay on this custom Dekerf titanium road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This pierced seat stay joint has been a long-time Dekerf signature feature.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Beautiful fillet brazed joints adorn this custom Dekerf SST 29er.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Dekerf included internal derailleur cable routing for this one-off fillet brazed 29er hardtail.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Chris Dekerf says this was his "poker" paint job.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Chris Dekerf showed off this gorgeous fillet brazed steel 29er built with Reynolds 853 tubing.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Dekerf gave this fillet brazed steel 29er a 'tuning' segmented fork to go along with the pierced seat stays.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Dekerf once built one-piece bars like this in titanium with an internal wedge system. After a long hiatus, the concept is back but this time in chromoly with a more conventional clamp.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The top tube and stem on this Cherubim track bike form a perfectly uninterrupted arc.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The tube ends on this Cherubim track bike are perfectly coped to leave just the slightest gap when the front wheel is pointed straight ahead.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Black Sheep used several techniques for the graphics on this snow bike. Note the blasted-on snowflakes but also how one side of the bike is polished while the other is bead blasted.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Snow bikes are once again a hot commodity at NAHBS. This titanium example is made by Black Sheep Bikes in Fort Collins, Colorado.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Black Sheep reinforces the snow bike truss fork with this little welded-on plate.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The titanium truss fork on the front of this Black Sheep snow bike leaves plenty of room for the enormous 45NRTH front tire.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Telescoping chain stays on this Black Sheep 36er allows the belt to be tensioned appropriately. And instead of including a split dropout to feed the belt through, Black Sheep splits the seat stay up near the seat tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Black Sheep Bikes always decorates each of its creations with a beautiful head tube badge.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

If 29ers are faster, then 36ers must be way faster, right? Whether or not that's true, this Black Sheep sure is stunning.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Black Sheep Bikes adds one of its trademark truss-style titanium forks to this 36er.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Ati Bekes is an interior finish carpenter by trade but wanted to build a unique beach cruiser for his wife, Christine.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The laminated plywood is reinforced with carbon fiber to allow for the seat stay-less design of this Bekes Wooden Bicycles beach cruiser.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Bekes Wooden Bicycles creator Ati Bekes says no beach cruiser would be complete without a way to transport a can of beer. Check out the padlock, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Yet another gorgeous themed head tube badge from Black Sheep Bikes, this time adorning the front of a snow bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The elongated crown on this Cherubim doesn't really serve much purpose but it's an interesting visual detail nonetheless.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The seatpost stub on Cherubim's track bike certainly doesn't offer much adjustment but who cares - it's beautiful!(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This single piece of steel caps both seat stays on Cherubim's remarkable track bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cherubim finished its striking track bike with fully polished Campagnolo clip-and-strap pedals.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cups are integrated into the ends of the head tube on this Cherubim track bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cherubim brought this amazing track bike to this year's NAHBS.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cherubim finishes off its stunning track bike with these tidy dropouts.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cherubim fitted its track bike with a Phil Wood Philcentric eccentric bottom bracket.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Cherubim welded the bars right to the end of the stem, which is itself essentially an extension of the top tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Note the elegant cable routing on this Cherubim for the Shimano Alfine rear hub.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Japanese outfit Cherubim brought this Shimano Alfine-equipped runabout.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Even a thick coat of paint can't hide the incredible lugwork of Mark DiNucci.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

As always, finish work on this DiNucci is impeccable.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru does full custom geometry in aero platforms, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Form Cycles custom built the post mount caliper block on this titanium snow bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

One lucky Form Cycles customer will finally get to take this home once NAHBS wraps up on Sunday.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Form Cycles tucked the rear brake underneath the chain stays on this custom road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This elegantly machined titanium 44mm-diameter head tube nicely finishes off the front of this Form Cycles Prevail hardtail.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Form Cycles showed off this nicely finished titanium singlespeed.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Rob English doesn’t just build wildly integrated and ultralight road and mountain bikes. He's perfectly capable of doing more utilitarian bikes, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The stem and steerer are built as one piece on this Rob English Project Right a la Cannondale.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Rob English continues to push the envelope of steel construction with this striking one-sided steel road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The custom rear hub places the cog outboard of the stays on this Rob English Project Right.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Look past the incredible paint job and this Rob English creation looks normal enough - but flip it around and there's no fork leg or stays on the non-driveside.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Naturally, Rob English built a one-sided fork to match the rear end. Note the inverted pinch bolt setup in the crown, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Custom clamps offset the Cannondale Lefty fork just enough to clear fat tires on this Form Cycles snow bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Form Cycles is located in Sedona, Arizona but that doesn't mean they can’t do a snow bike when asked.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru says its Photon road bike is far and away the nicest riding chassis in its catalog.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru acknowledges the tube-to-tube construction on the ultralight Photon might be viewed as old-school by some but it's also what allows for such a degree of customization.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru built this titanium crit racer for a dealer in Mill Valley, California who wanted a super stiff chassis that could withstand crashes. The down tube is a whopping 44mm across while the chain stays measure a full 25mm in width.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru calls this its 'G-Unit' dropout.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru designed the Evolo-R for stiffness above all else.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru Cycleworks is the metal-based division of Canadian frame company Guru.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Canadian company Guru is best known for its carbon road and aero bikes but it also does mountain bikes.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The custom collar on this Guru titanium 29er incorporates a slick rubber gasket to help seal out moisture.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

44mm-diameter head tubes as found on this Form Cycles mountain bike are quickly becoming the standard option for smaller builders.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Form Cycles built this stainless steel full-suspension bike for a customer who wanted something a little stiffer than titanium.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Form Cycles built a bit of suspension into the rear end of this custom snow bike. The simple setup comprises just a pair of overlapping titanium tubes, a Delrin sleeve, and a steel coil spring for about one inch of travel.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Wait, what? Fairwheel Bikes in Arizona commissioned Rob English to build a one-sided road bike to serve as the canvas for artist Geoff McFetridge. English says it feels surprisingly normal out on the road.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This doesn't look like it should work but Rob English says it does. The Niner eccentric bottom bracket allows for adjustable belt tension and it's impressively light, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This one-piece carbon fiber bar and stem look standard enough even with the custom paint job…(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

In typical fashion, seat stays are impossibly slender on this English Cycles steel 29er hardtail singlespeed.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

English claims this steel 29er belt-drive singlespeed weighs just 18 pounds.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

The seat stays on the English 29er are necessarily asymmetrical in order to make room for the chain stay-mounted disc caliper.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

English built a matching one-piece bar and stem for his sleek 29er hardtail.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Is it a giant Enduro bottom bracket or a miniature Rotor crank?(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Guru's custom options for titanium tubing are impressively generous, from tubing diameter to wall thickness.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This raw seat cluster highlights the amazing craftsmanship of Mark DiNucci.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

DiNucci files the points of the lugs to impossibly delicate thicknesses.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

DiNucci displayed this raw lugged frame to show off his impressive skills.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Check out how perfect this brazed dropout is on this raw DiNucci frame. It almost seems a shame to cover such a thing with paint.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This sleek 'Egg Brake' is made by Simmkins Design Group, who also makes a more conventional dual-pivot setup for general road riding.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

…but look underneath and you can see the custom reinforced recess for the Di2 box.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Front shifts generally aren't nearly as frequent as rear ones so Rob English guts the left-hand SRAM Red shifter and uses this ultralight carbon fiber down tube-mounted lever instead.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Ultra-spindly seat stays aren't the exclusive realm of carbon fiber as Rob English demonstrates with this ultralight steel road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

BTP hoods cover the SRAM Red levers on this Rob English ultralight road bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Rob English says he actually regularly races this ultralight steel road bike. How light, you ask? Try 4.9kg (10.8lb, claimed).(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Look closely and you'll see plastic limit screws on this Rob English ultralight steel road racer.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Carbon fiber Lightning crankarms are fitted with a carbon fiber spider and carbon fiber chainrings on this ultralight Rob English bike. What, no carbon chainring bolts?(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Rob English says these carbon fiber chainrings actually shift reasonably well and have been holding up ok, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Craig Edwards' eebrakes are the natural choice for anyone seeking an ultralight set of road calipers but unwilling to compromise on power and modulation. Not how insanely tiny the stays are on this Rob English machine.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

See that tiny micro-USB port integrated into the seatmast head? That's the built-in charge port for the internal Di2 battery. Slick.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Pinching down a steel head tube to reduce its frontal area sounds simple in theory but in practice, it's very difficult to do so while keeping the ends concentric and round - just ask Rob English.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This is Rob English's interpretation of an aero road bike crafted in steel.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Mark DiNucci's bikes trade flash for artisanal perfection. Last year he won the NAHBS award for best of show, two years ago for best lugged frame, and for good reason.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This article originally published on BikeRadar

North American Handmade Bicycle Show 2012: Sycip and Retrotec

I'm now in my seventh year of covering the North American Handmade Bicycle Show and even in its humble beginnings – first in Houston, then two years in a dingy glorified tent in San Jose – it's never ceased to impress.

For sure a major part of the story of any handbuilt bicycle is the builder behind the machine: the personality, the artistry, the philosophy behind everything they do.

We'll get to some of those stories soon enough but we all know what you came here for: the bikes! So for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this enormous image gallery from the first day of the show. Hope you didn't plan on getting much done today…