Zidell Yards, South Waterfront, Portland, Oregon, USA, Planet Earth.
Fleetingly, Portland was as soon as once more briefly the centre of the identified bike universe (Vuelta an España, who?) for a weekend of bikes, shenanigans and pleasantly overcast skies. This yr’s MADE present constructed on final yr’s success with improved lighting, much less guano, and even extra world-class builders.
The three-day occasion, which ran from August 23 to 25, as soon as once more used Portland’s industrial waterfront as a shocking backdrop for handbuilt bikes from all over the world. We picked a couple of of them to share with you right here.
A number of of the featured bikes have been constructed for fellow bike trade members current on the present or in any other case related. These are people who know bikes inside and outside and journey tons, and regularly have tales to share concerning the whats and whys that went into every construct. We additionally regarded for bikes that supplied one thing new or totally different, lined a variety of purposes, and got here from uncommon locations. Come alongside for a fast world tour with us!
English Cycles TT Mk3
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This TT bike was one of many standouts of the present. It was made by Rob English, for Rob English, and has but to be ridden. English constructed this bike after being approached by Enve who needed to showcase the not-yet-available TT cockpit as ridden by Tadej Pogačar and Staff UAE Emirates.
English has constructed TT frames for himself beforehand, however this one has some new methods up its sleeve. First up is the crankset, from which English eliminated 16 millimeters of the spindle to cut back the q-factor. He designed a nifty eccentric saddle rail clamp that enables for some saddle peak adjustment on a one-piece built-in seat mast.
The entrance finish of the bike is even wilder: there’s no steerer tube and the fork, basebar and stem are all one built-in unit manufactured from aerospace-grade drawn tubing, with a hidden steering limiter. The body itself is barely 24 mm vast. Thoughts blowing stuff.
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Scarab Cycles Delft Chiva
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
The following cease on our world tour brings us to Colombia, with Scarab Cycles’ hand-painted Delft Chiva gravel bike constructed for Kogel Bearings’ founder Ard Kessels. Images can’t actually seize the depth and intricacy of those designs, however they’re beautiful.
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
The paint scheme is a mashup of the blue and white of ceramic tiles from the Royal Delft manufacturing facility within the Netherlands with the ornate portray type of a Colombian Chiva bus. This bike is meant as a no-holds-barred gravel racer and options an built-in Enve entrance finish and Classified’s Powershift handlebar remote-controlled hub-based gearing system that enables for impressively vast gear ranges whereas utilizing a 1x drivetrain.
Onguza Bicycles Goat
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Now for a fast journey throughout the Atlantic to Namibia, the place this Onguza Goat was hand constructed and painted. It has elegant traces, clear inside cable routing (the road runs seamlessly over the underside bracket), and gently bent seat stays. It is a trendy metal gravel bike, executed completely.
This bike was on show within the Brooks England sales space, which deliberately chosen a mixture of builders from all over the world that it knew wouldn’t have the ability to attend the present. Brooks has lengthy been a fan of Onguza founder Dan Craven for his strategy to racing whereas he was knowledgeable, and representatives from the enduring British firm have been comfortable to have an Onguza available to show a few of Brooks’ saddles and luggage.
In all places you look there’s a enjoyable little element or homage to Namibia: the animal sample contained in the fork, the customized high cap, and the paint colour itself all mix collectively to create a seamless entire. This explicit bike is on its solution to a buyer in California.
No. 22 Bicycles Reactor Aero
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
And we’re again to North America, this time to the Nice White North. Toronto-based No. 22 (manufacturing is headquartered in New York state) made BIG waves with this bike when it was introduced earlier this week. The Reactor Aero is at the moment only a prototype, however No. 22 hopes it’s going to have manufacturing fashions prepared for buy in late 2025. The bike is 3D printed in a single piece, vertically, from the rear dropouts to the pinnacle tube on an unlimited 3D printer.
The one non-titanium half is the seat tube, developed by July Bicycles. Every body takes every week to print. Manufacturing methods could change considerably earlier than the ultimate model is prepared, however No. 22 intends to keep up this manner issue, which has undergone substantial CFD evaluation. Weight at the moment sits at 18+ lbs, however the ultimate model will likely be nearer to 16 lbs, relying on measurement. Retail value is just not but set, however count on it to be within the ballpark of 10K USD for body/fork.
Monē Bikes Minnē Monē
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Subsequent, we’re heading south to New Mexico.
The Minnē Monē is the newest iteration of builder Cjell Monē’s youngsters mannequin. It’s not low-cost, but it surely does a nifty trick: it grows! Using the identical body, the Minnē Monē begins life as a steadiness bike, then, with the addition of an extended seatpost, taller handlebars, cranks, pedals and brakes, it magically turns right into a succesful little 16” wheeled ripper.
Kits can be found for both iteration, or all the things all of sudden. Like Monē’s different bikes, the Minnē Monē has a cohesive aesthetic with seen brazing and clear traces. These are bikes for shredders of all sizes and styles.
Seeker Bicycles Metal CX
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Time for a fast jaunt again to the PNW.
Chris McGovern has accomplished all of it within the bike trade: professional racer, coach, delicate items producer and bike builder. Seeker Bicycles is McGovern’s newest enterprise in metal manufacturing, together with gravel, cyclocross, mountain bikes, saddlebags, and delicate items.
This explicit bike is McGovern’s private race bike, which is a UCI-ready CX bike that includes Wolf Tooth’s brand-new built-in headset (which is gentle and has an impressively low stack) and dropped seat stays.
The most effective half? It has an actual twin, however within the reverse paint scheme: cyclocross racers want pit bikes! It was good to see a correct ‘cross bike on the market; that is PDX afterall.
Misplaced Workshop Metal Gravel
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Subsequent cease: Australia.
The Misplaced Workshop is a husband and spouse group from simply exterior Melbourne, Australia. This very clear metal construct is a buyer’s retirement current to himself and options builder Ian Michelson’s personal 3D printed designs for the seat cluster and rear dropouts.
These 3D parts have ingenious designs that make bike constructing sooner and extra correct: finding nubs to maintain from twisting and a pre-split clamp design that removes further steps from the brazing course of.
A built-to-match metal fork and painted stem are topped off with a customized head badge by Jen Inexperienced of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
SaltAir Cycles Pinion Gearbox Commuter
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Again stateside and on to Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, dwelling of SaltAir Cycles. Builder Matthew Nelson got here to MADE with a number of of his fillet-brazed metal creations, considered one of which was this belt-driven Pinion Gearbox commuter bike for a buyer in Salt Lake Metropolis.
This construct makes use of TRP’s SMART.SHIFT expertise, with built-in brake levers and shifters connecting to the gearbox on the backside bracket shell. This bike serves double obligation as a day by day commuter with slick tires and fenders, but it surely may also be outfitted with as much as 2.6-inch knobby tires for gravel and bikepacking adventures on the weekends.
All of Nelson’s creations are one-off customs, and it’s clear he has an impressively big selection.
Firefly Bicycles Street Plus/Gravel
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Now we head east! Boston-based Firefly Bicycles didn’t have a sales space at MADE this yr, however Bicycling Journal’s kiosk close to the entrance of the present featured considered one of Firefly’s titanium bikes designed for Deputy Editor Tara Seplavy. This bike was initially constructed as a take a look at mule for Shimano’s newest GRX Di2 launch, although Seplavy has since switched it over to a SRAM construct.
The geometry was strongly influenced by Cervelo’s 58 cm R5CX bike, as ridden by Wout van Aert, and the bike makes use of a number of 3D printed parts: the rear dropouts and chainstay yoke are each printed, in addition to the fork crown and dropouts. This manufacturing method permits Firefly to construct forks of virtually any size and rake to go well with any geometry traits required.
Baum Cycles DBM
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Lastly, we head again Down Underneath for our final featured bike: Darren Baum of Baum Cycles’ private DBM gravel bike. It’s designed particularly for the steep climbs and chunky gravel Baum rides whereas exploring powerline trails round Brisbane and matches 2.25″ tyres comfortably.
Based on Baum, he’s been constructing bikes like this for a very long time however has by no means beforehand supplied it as a daily mannequin, and making a drop bar bike with tyres this huge has solely actually made sense within the final 5+ years since XC tyres began mixing larger volumes with decrease tread profiles that roll rapidly and are pleasant to journey on pavement. Sometimes, tires this vast would necessitate wider bars to carry the steering geometry into a cushty vary, however by reducing the underside bracket peak (this mannequin has 80 mm of BB drop), all the things works harmoniously with narrower drop bars and a barely shorter stem.
This bike appears to be like tremendous enjoyable to journey!
