With the MADE blog posts from Portland, USA, coming out one after another, I’m sure you’ve all been using your imagination, power of visualization, and fantasy to picture what kind of show it was and what new products were released.
While it goes without saying that the frame builders and parts manufacturers in attendance were an elite lineup, being a show, there were dream bikes everywhere you looked, and it was particularly impressive to see so many of those builders choosing to use SimWorks products.
Seeing the products we use for your bike builds at the Circles shop being loved all the way over in the US confirms my pride in recommending these products.
As you might expect, the way the customers who flocked to catch a glimpse of the dream bikes from these superstars of the cycling world arrived was by bike. Three bike parking areas, both free and paid, were set up around the venue, and they were packed from morning until evening throughout the event.
The excitement inside the venue grew day by day. I was getting wiped out by the heat, the buzz, and the intensity, so I decided to go catch some fresh air outside and check out the bikes of the locals, who have a high "cycling IQ"!
Handmade Bikes
Portland is a bicycle city. More than just owning mass-produced brands, there’s a tendency toward symbiosis—valuing small circles of people and loving things within a close radius—so the rate of handmade bike ownership is relatively high. It’s completely natural for people to order bikes from builders they know personally, and I saw many bikes that seemed to have grown along with their owners' lifestyles and life stages.
SIMWORKS
The rate of SimWorks product usage on seasoned bikes is so high! I got the impression that many people here are skilled at incorporating them—from the cockpit to the feet—without going overboard, finding just the right balance. The revolutionary Bubbly Pedal and the eternal standard Little Nick Bar are clearly popular in the US as well.
Track Bikes & BMX
Hard to break and easy to fix. The track bike and BMX are the ultimate, simple genres for moving and stopping under your own power. They are loved by pure bike enthusiasts and were being ridden hard as daily commuters. I’d love to emulate their boundary-less approach to enjoyment.
Cargo Bikes
While they are vehicles heavily dependent on roads, parking spaces, storage, and the size of your home, I definitely admire this style! There were so many people enjoying cycling at their own pace with their kids and dogs. Many parents around Circles use trailers like Burley, but I often hear them say they have trouble finding places to park at work or feel anxious about riding in traffic with their children. Japan may be land-scarce, but I believe a future where diverse bicycles are accepted is not far off.
Vintage MTB
"Barn find" bikes. These are bikes that parents or grandparents once rode, rescued from a shed (or garage, in the US), and breathed new life into with modern parts. This trend is gradually gaining momentum in Japan too (Culture Club is exploring ways to help fuel that source), and that wave certainly exists in the US, a cycling superpower. For true bike lovers who don’t want to drop big money on new frames—or don't feel the need to—vintage MTBs might be vehicles packed with ideas, knowledge, and a spirit that says freedom isn’t bought with money; you earn it yourself.
BIKE FRIDAY
Created in a small garage in Eugene, Oregon, by brothers Alan and Hanz Scholz, BIKE FRIDAY is our go-to maker for small-wheel bikes at Circles. Given that Oregon is home turf for Bike Friday, it had the #1 ownership rate among small-wheel bikes. It seems it’s not just the Japanese who are captivated by their performance and convenience.
KONA
The KONA / Dew series is the absolute standard hybrid bike that is—if I can use the term—cool as a tool. The DEW series, which offers comfortable sports bikes at an affordable price, is the ultimate all-rounder for commuting and urban travel. It’s only inevitable that these bikes, with a size perfectly suited for getting around by bike, would be supported by the people of Portland, a city rich in nature.
CHRIS KING
Indispensable to the Circles-style build, CHRIS KING products embody both durability and beauty. I saw a few people still lovingly riding their Cielo bikes, made by the King company—which has since stopped production. I was impressed by how they aren't just hoarding them because they’re irreplaceable, but using them daily, as only Americans would.
BEDROCK SANDALS
Already a staple of summer footwear, BEDROCK SANDALS are just as popular back home in the US as you see here. They have a high affinity for cycling activities, and the "Bedrock rate" inside the venue was quite something. For cyclists wanting footwear that won't slip on flat pedals, won't get tiring even when worn for long periods, and can be used seamlessly from the urban to the natural, Bedrock is the only choice.
I wanted to share with you how the things we always introduce at Circles are loved the same way across the ocean, so, ah—it got really long!
The level of cycling IQ in the US is a step, or even higher, above ours. I hope that for everyone reading this blog, you can feel that glimmer of hope shining into this beautiful, serious world.
Next time, I’ll tell you about the bike-packing ride I went on with an incredible group of people, which was way beyond my fitness level, lol!
