NAHBS Calling…

The NAHBS (North American Handmade Bicycle Show) is finally about to begin in Salt Lake City. Thanks to the growth of social media, information has become increasingly accessible over the years, and more mass-production manufacturers have been dedicating their resources to the show with each passing year. Even so, I still believe it is an event that must be experienced in person, as it is brimming with energy, fresh ideas, and a palpable passion for craftsmanship. At the same time, because builders focus their various challenges toward this event, it serves as an important opportunity to forecast the trends for the year.

I've been finding myself scrolling through social media late into the night, especially this year, as manufacturers and builders have been doing a great job of collaborating on teasers and pre-event leaks. Our familiar friends are a team that does this particularly well—please, check out the movie they just released.

Breadwinner Custom Steel Bicycles from Breadwinner Cycles on Vimeo.

And, as if on cue, the perfect bike has been completed here in Japan.

It was last autumn when we received an offer for a limited-edition B-ROAD from Breadwinner Cycles, based on the concept Take the long way home. That bike has now taken shape just in time for NAHBS.

Breadwinner used to offer stock sizing, but they have now moved to an order-to-made process based on core geometries, allowing them to build bikes that fit an even wider range of body types. It might be hard to imagine the benefits of riding a bike in the correct size, but it is just like how a suit or jacket tailored to your own body provides a perfect fit.

No detail has been overlooked, from the use of components by fellow Portland-based company Gevenalle to the specially color-matched SILCA frame pump. It is a star performer, easily running 700c tires like the Homage, or downsizing to 650B and Grand Bois tires.

Now, all that is left is to pedal wherever your heart takes you. It is a strange thing, but hopping on this bike truly makes you feel like doing just that.

Let’s go for a ride together when I return from America.